Calling the nations put a price upon our heads. Running from darkness and running to light. Praying on our knees for one more day every night. The boy, the faith, the prayers, the hate. Great things are rising. The love, the fear, the fire, the tears, the persecution, the spirit, the peace. It´s the rising. The rising."
That is one of my favorite songs of the moment. It´s about Joseph Smith. It is an awesome song. So I have some things that I have thought about this week that I would like to talk to you about today.
This past week me and Elder L. Silva stopped by this member's house to talk to him about this potential baptism and he told us this awesome story that I would like to relay to you all.
So this man told us that he was baptized at like age 18 and then he was called to serve in the military less than a year later. So he was called and he was serving in his... troop? I don´t know if that´s what you call it.. but in his troop they had their chief- the guy in charge. He announced the first day, "I want everyone to find the rudest picture of girls from play and put them on your bed posts by the end of the week and whoever doesn´t do this will be cleaning the bathroom, with my toothbrush." So he released them and this guy, a new fresh member of the church was caught in a problem- stay with the standards he knew was right or go the way of the world. He decided that he would clean the bathroom that weekend. haha. But around wednesday, he went and took the picture of Christ visiting the Americas and he put it on his bedpost. When the chief went around to make sure they had it, he arrived at this guy´s bedpost. He started shouting and asking who´s bedpost it was. My friend walked up and said it was his. He pulled him aside so know one could hear and said, "Well done. I like it. Don´t worry, you won´t be cleaning the bathrooms." So then a few weeks later the chief was talking to these boys in the troop and about how they need to find something to express what they believed in, and that it needed to be small to fit in their pocket to remember what they believed when times were tough. My friend found a pass along card, the picture with Christ with the children and on the back were the 13 Articles of Faith. When the chief went around the next day to look at what they had chosen, he arrived at my friend. Eagerly, the chief asked, "What did you choose?" And he showed the pass along card. The chief looked at him and said, "This will just not hold up in the rain." The chief left right then and there and took the card and lamenated it. He returned and gave it back to my friend and said, "Now you are ready?" Then a few days later, my friend was with all of the people in the troop and the chief arrived and called my friend up to the front and said "You may go to lunch." Then after my friend had left, the chief spent an hour cursing at this troop for the work they had failed to do. What is the moral of the story? Never be afraid to stand up and do what´s right. People will respect you for your belief and faith in Christ.
The second one was last night. We were teaching a kid, he has a huge desire to get baptized, but still has some doubts. After the lesson, I asked (becasue I love questions!) I said, "Now do you have any questions about anything?" And he said, "I have one that has been a big question in my mind. Why doesn´t the bible talk about Joseph Smith?" I quickly thanked the Lord because this had been a question in my mind this week. After intense praying and studying, I found an answer. I looked at him and said "Who wrote the bible?" "Prophets." "What is the purpose of a prophet?" "I don´t know." "The purpose of a prophet is to testify of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ." I let the silence speak a little. "Did Moses prophisy of Jeremiah? Did Noah speak about Moses? Did Moses prophisy of Isaiah?" No, no, no. "But were they prophets of God?" "Yes" "Prophets will always testify of Jesus. That is their calling. It´s not to testify of other prophets." It was a neat experience.
Well, I hope the new year has just been great for you. I´m glad it´s over. Still praying for those packages! I know they´ll get here! I love you all! I hope this next year is a billion times better than last year filled with happiness, blessings, love, and the Spirit of God!
Com amor! (know that I love you!)
-Elder Askins
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