Jan 31, 1991
The testimony of the Prophet, Joseph Smith
What a glorious person! it would truly be marvelous to be able to see a being so glorious and marvelous as the resurrected Moroni. We have all been granted the ability to receive such glory. If we will but live the principles of the gospel, we will receive such glory.
Joseph Smith was told that his name would be had for good and evil among all people of the earth. This prophecy has certainly been fulfilled.
The Book of Mormon contains the fellness of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not sure when the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will be brought forth, but I can’t wait. I am certain that the church as a whole must experience a great increase in faith before this can happen.
In order to be a “Seer,” one must possess seer stones. Every conference, we sustain the prophet as a prophet, seer, and revelator. It seems to me that the prophet today also possesses seer stones. I’m not sure if he possesses the Urim and Thurmmin or not. I wish I had more time to research these kinds of things, but when it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter which seer stones the prophet has today. The Church is true either way. When we study the details of the gospel, we must always have a strong testimony as the basis for this study.
I am dead tired! Today has just been one of those days. We taught three discussions today, translated for an investigator at the welfare office, and basically more me out. I am tired!
We got our checks for next month in the mail today. The problem is that by the time everything got taken our and I pay my American Express bill, I will have a grand total of twenty- three dollars to do my laundry, buy food, and send letters home. I hope that my parents will deposit a little extra money in my account like I asked them to. Oh well, worrying about it now is not going to help me at all.
I think we picked up a pretty good investigator today, but heals does not seem to be very excited about life or church. He is a guy that Elder Bohn taught. We’ll just have to see what happens.
We challenged the family that was reading in the Book of Mormon so much for baptism tonight. They said that they would have to write to Thailand for permission. Anyway, that was kind of disappointing, but I will keep praying for them.
I’m still struggling with how to motivate m companion and include him more in what is going on, but it is hard when he is just so complacent.
Feb 1, 1991
Testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith-
Joseph was told that the time was not yet fulfilled that he should obtain the plates. Patriarchal Blessings are much like this. We are told ahead of time what blessings are in store for us. If we live righteously, those blessings will be fulfilled.
Joseph was told that if he disobeyed the commandment not to show them to anyone, he would be destroyed. The Lord often has told prophets that if they did not do as they were told, they would be destroyed (ie. Jonah, Enoch)
I’m not sure that I will ever understand while on this earth the process of gathering one’t glory or the way in which the light was gathered about his person. That just does not match current theories of light. i can’t wait to take Physics in Heaven.
I am not certain as to why the angel Moroni returned, except possibly to make the prophet Joseph more certain of the things he had hear. The Lord will often testify to us more than one time. There is no limit to the number of times that the Holy ghost will testify to us of the same thing.
Upon the second visit, Moroni taught Joseph a few more things than he did on the first visit. The Lord always teaches us line upon line, precept on precept. After we master on concept, we will be taught more, so as to allow us to progress continually.
Today was frustrating! Since we left the apartment at 8;00 this morning, I thought my comp would need some time during the day to study Hmong. We spent an hour here in the apartment. For 40 minutes he messed with his planner, used the bathroom, took out the trash, etc… After that he sat down and went to sleep for 20 minutes. I tried to talk to him about it, but he just plain doesn’t care. He thinks he is on a two year vacation or something! He just ignores everything I say and things it is just so cool to not care! Anyway, that’s the last time we’ll spend an hour in the apartment for him to study.
As far as teaching goes, things went fairly good. We made 3 or 4 really good new contacts. It has really been fun to meet all of the Hmong people I know. i really do love each and every one of them. That love is the very reason that it hurts so bad when they don’t accept the gospel.
I’m not too sure what happened, but absolutely no mail came today, not even junk mail. Oh well that’s the breaks.
I hate not knowing how to help my companion! It bothers me that he has no goals in life- not missionary goals, not career goals, not even gospel oriented goals. He doesn’t even care what I say. i wonder what will happen next transfer?
Feb 2, 1991
Notes from today’s reading of the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith-
Joseph was again visited by the same Heavenly messenger. The previous message was again repeated with something added on the end- line upon line. Joseph was told that he must not try to obtain the plates for any reason but to build the kingdom of God. All those who seek to do the work of God must have an eye single to the glory of God, for God will not be mocked (D&C 4:5) The Lord often warns us ahead of time as concerning what temptations will effect us specifically. the Lord wants us to succeed, but if we do not heed those warnings, we will surely fail.
The visions which Joseph had been so blessed with were so wonderful that he had completely lost track of time. He had not realized the passing of the time. What a wonderful way to spend a night in the company of an angel!
Joseph not only spent a sleepless night, but he apparently had expended a large amount of energy. Being under the influence of the Holy Ghost is often very tiring.
Joseph was told to go and tell his father all of the things which had happened to him the night before. Whenever one shares an experience, it becomes more firmly impressed on the story teller’s mind also. Joseph then went and bore testimony to his father. His father must have truly been touched by the Holy Ghost to know that his son was telling the truth.
Joseph then went to fid the plates. A very interesting study on proper lines of authority could be done through studying this experience.
Things at the mailbox today were definitely interesting. The first thing I saw when I opened the mailbox was a Victoria;s Secret catalog! Needless to say, no one saw that. Oh well. I also got a letter from home today. Things are going well there. I love being a missionary. I haven’t heard from Kristin for a few days, but I’m sure that she is doing good. The Lord will take care of her while I’m gone. I just wish she could know how much i love her.
We spent all morning running errands for some of the missionaries in our district. I guess that is what happens when you have a car.
We spent the afternoon and evening in Hanford. Things went really well. We spent the entire afternoon and evening working with 2 part-member families. I love the Hmong group leader here. his name is chou yang (Tsub Yaj0 and he is the best! I love to go teach with him.
I feel really good about this week. We have taught 13 discussions. that is equal to the most discussions I have ever taught in one week in my entire mission. I feel like we have found some very food families to work with. I really hope that things go well in church tomorrow.
My comp and I had a long talk again this afternoon. I really think that it helped. I really hope that it helped. I love to be a missionary! I really truly love it. I really miss Kristin, but I know that she is being taken care of. I wish I could do everything for her that I want to do.
Oh yeah, Mom put 20$ in with her letter so that will help a lot.
Feb 3, 1991
Joseph’s vision had been so exact, that he knew exactly where to find the plates. There, on that hill, Joseph found the place where the golden plates had been deputed. I think that all of the ancient prophets were probably even more excited than joseph, for they knew the power of the things contained in those plates. I think at this point Joseph still did not fully comprehend the importance of his mission.
Moroni had not simply dug a hole and put the plates in it. He had taken painstaking care to be sure that none of those thing were damaged. I can’t imagine making a box in the ground made out o stone and mortar while people were hunting me down. I am sure that Moroni knew he would be protected until the plates were deposited.
It is interesting to me that Joseph was not simply shown the plates, but he had to find a lever to pry up the stone. This is an interesting example of faith and works.
Joseph was certainly asked to exercise his share of patience. It had been 3 years since his first vision, and he was told that it would be four more years before he obtained the plates. I wonder what Joseph’s father thought when his son returned without any plates. That definitely must have tested Joseph’s Father’s faith a great deal.
Upon each successive visit, Joseph received more and more instruction. I bet Joseph geared for the time of those visits far more than i yearn for home. How marvelous it would be to be taught by an angel. I yearn for home. How marvelous it would be to be taught by an angel. I wonder how much different it is than being taught by the Holy Ghost.
Well, today really didn’t seem much like fast Sunday except that I was hungry all day long. It is hard to feel like you studied much or got very close to the Lord when you were in church all day. The thing is through, that when I got to church i can’t just sit back and enjoy the Spirit. I am constantly translating or teaching. It really gets tiring after a while. To top it all off, our Relief Society Lesson in visalia was on family History Research. The biggest problem I had was the Hmong people never wrote anything down. These people cannot do family history work on their own lines. well, by the time Relief Society cam around in Visalia, I was dead tired anyway! i basically told them what they were talking about every few minutes, but that was about it.
In Hanford, the Hmong group leader bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. IT was so oil! He bore his testimony in Hmong and I translated to everyone. It was fun.
Feb 4, 1991
Joseph received an interesting charge to protect the plates. It is interesting to me that he was not promised that the plates would be outright protected. Instead, he was promised that after all that he could do, the plates would be preserved. This is the same way with all blessings we receive. If we pray for health and strength, but eat candy exclusively, the Lord will simply not bless us. This principle also applies to salvation. We are not saved by grace alone. Instead, we are saved by grace after all that we can do.
I believe that I have gained some insight into why the Lord did not completely protect Joseph or the modern church from persecution. The people that chose to persecute the prophet had to have there free agency. If they and not had the opportunity to persecute the church, they would not have been able to exercise their free agency. The same free agency which gives us a chance to accept the gospel gives us a chance to persecute and oppose the church and gospel of Jesus christ. Without this opposition, our earthly probation would not be worth anything. Sometimes we have to suffer at the hands of others simply because they must have their free agency.
Feb 4, 1991
I feel really sick. I have had a stomach ache all day long. i hate having a stomach ache. We did not even go do missionary work this evening. i felt terrible!
I spent the entire day sitting around the apartment. I didn’t fo anywhere. I wrote a few letters and stuff, but mostly didn’t do anything.
Feb 5, 1991
My comp took the back tire, wheel and hub on his bike apart yesterday. The only problem was that he couldn’t put it all back together. i spent until 1:30 am, putting it together. I thought that he would appreciate my help and that would help us be close. When we finished, it seemed like he was more depressed than he was when we started. he never said thanks or anything- which doesn’t matter to me- but it just seems kind of strange. I don’t know what to do to help him.
My stomach still aches! We have too much to do today for me to feel sick. I just don’t have time to be sick today. I hate being away from home when I am sick!
February 5, 1991
3 Nephi 15:1 if we will but do the things which the Savior has taught us, he will raise us up at the last day. None of us has the power or ability to raise himself up at the last day. No matter how many good things we do, we will still need Christ atonement to allow us to be able to return to our father.
Verse two: very few of the Jews in Jerusalem had understood the same either. So few, in fact, that the apostles had to appeal to Peter, The president of the Council, to rule on whether or not Gentile converts needed to be circumcised to comply with a lot of Moses.
Verse three: Christ was basically saying that the people should not be surprised at the things which he had told them. The prophets had said for years that with Christ fulfillment of his earthly mission, so with the law of Moses be fulfilled. If we truly understand the prophets, we should never be taken by surprise concerning progression in the church and gospel
Verse four: with Christ's death, the sacrifices of the law of Moses for no longer necessary to signify the future sacrifice of the Savior. Today the sacrifice which is required of us is a broken heart and a contrite spirit before the Lord.
Today was a pretty cruddy day. I don't know quite how else to put it. We had district meeting this morning out in Exter. After that, we spent about three hours trying to fix Elder Watson's bike some more. He eventually got frustrated and went and bought a new part. Anyway, by the time we finished, it was 3:00 PM
We went and taught an Asian first discussion to a new investigator. It really went well. Other than that, all of our attempts to see people felt pretty hard. I have felt kind of lazy all day long. I think that I must have some kind of a virus or something. I hate being sick without someone here to take care of me. Being sick makes it hard to feel the spirit
I feel like I should record here that I have seen the power of the priesthood, the power of living God, heal the sick, cause the lame to walk, and cause the deaf to hear. I have had the opportunity to bless a man who was dying, tell him he would die, and give him instructions concerning what course of action he should take once he reaches the spirit world. The power of the priesthood is so real. It is beyond a doubt the strongest power in the universe. I love the opportunity to use the priesthood. I owe the Lord so much!
February 6, 1991
Three Nephi 15:5-this first shows that Christ is the God of the Old Testament. It was Jehovah, Christ before birth, who gave the law of Moses. He was born as Christ in order that he might atone for the sins of the world. As a result, with the completion of the atonement so was the law of Moses completed and ended.
Verse six: The completion of Christ's mission did not nullify every prophecy ever received. Christ fulfilled a great number of the words of the prophets. However all of the prophecies not been filled by Christ but surely will Be fulfilled. The Lord does not change. Therefore all of his words unto his prophets will surely be fulfilled
Verse seven: this very same principle applies to the prophecies received in this dispensation. The fact that proggression is made, does not indicate fallacy in the previous prophecies. In fact, it indicates quite the opposite. It indicates that progression is being made towards the fulfillment of all previous prophecies.
Verse eight: the promises which the Lord has made Israel has still not been filled completely. However the law which was given to Moses was the filled in Christ.
Verse nine: the promise which was given to all men by Christ is that if we should follow him, we should also have everlasting life. Christ example becomes the new law. Complete perfection was now required of all of us. I have a long, long way to go.
Well, transfer calls came this morning. I was really disappointed that a greeny fresh from the MTC isn't coming down here today. I was really hoping that a new guy would come down here and have some fresh ideas. Then we rode our bikes around for three hours and found a grand total of zero people home. Think that lunchtime was the lowest point of my entire list mission. I just felt really down. I sat on my bed for about 10 minutes and just stared at the floor. I really felt empty inside, really empty.
Well, after my sit, we went to Hanford. Things in Hanford were as good as I felt bad. We taught 4 discussions! It was really fun. We also went to homemaking meeting. That was the first homemaking of my entire life! It was really fun to watch the Hmong ladies interacting with others. It was really neat to see how pure they are. Even though no one would even understand what they said, they never slammed anyone. All of the other women were busy quietly slamming each other, talking about cars, whose was most expensive. Then after watching how clean and pure they were, a former mission presidents wife pulled me aside to ask how to "help "a hmong woman that she visit teaches. She then slammed the Hmong culture in general. I really ripped her hard. The funny part was that I didn't, and still don't feel like I was out of line. I don't even feel bad.
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