Dad,
Thank you for your study. It is funny that you mention those things as those exact words are marked and bolded in my Book of Mormon as well. I always found those words interesting. I have been listening to a podcast on the Joseph Smith Papers and I have learned incredible things about that man and the Book of Mormon. Every word really was chosen with a purpose. Looking at individual words and the functions that they perform in the text can teach many things that if you read it quickly, you will miss.
My recent battle has been against the pride of my companion. He has been lecturing the members here about their problems. For example, counseling a mom about her grown up kids by telling her that she doesnt actually know her kids as well as he does. Yesterday we had a lesson with 9 investigators at once and he told some of the biggest apostasies that I have ever heard in that lesson. He said that God asked satan to be the savior because he was the most intelligent and the most beautiful of all the spirit kids of God. And that when Satan wanted the glory, God THEN asked Jesus to do it. Afterwards I asked him where he had found that, to which he responded that it was "revelation" that he had received while studying Genesis. Oh boy.
So after using the scriptures to prove him wrong, he accepted that what I said was right but that he still believes in his personal revelation. He was baptized only 2 years ago, so I shouldn't be so hard on him but when the member looks at you like "what the heck is he saying" during the lesson and the faces of the investigators are looking at you like "i dont think that is right", I couldn't hold back. *facepalm*
Well we had a good week and found quite a few new families. We had one guy who rejected us at first but a week later we were talking with his brother and he joined the conversation and saw that we were real people too and invited us to his house the next day. Cool guy but seems like someone who will give us excuses.
I have my fingers crossed for transfers. I would like to get someone from my group or some other elders. I dont want a problem companion. I wanna baptize at the end of my mission and not deal with problem missionaries.
I reached the goal for contacts. That itself was an adventure. I found myself short by a lot on saturday and so I did 57 contacts Saturday afternoon to reach my goal. That was super tiring. But I did it am I am glad.
About a month ago Sister Cabral said that we only have one excuse that we can give ("I didnt do it because I didnt want to"). Well, this week she revealed the 2nd half of it and that makes the heart sink.
"I didnt do it because I didnt want to do what the Lord asked me to do"
Burns doesnt it?
Well after she said that I decided that if it is numbers that President wants and that is coming from the Lord, then it is numbers that he will get. I reached the goal that they are forcing us to reach so I am happy. I found out that because of my lack of reaching these goals I made it on to President's BlackList. He calls us the "Fallen Angels". It is nice to be compared to a Son of Perdition but, hey no one is perfect right? Hopefully I am off the list now.
Dont get annoyed or upset by that, just laugh it off like I did.
We learn, we change, and we continue forward.
Thanks for the letter. Happy Meeting and an even happier Birthday you old fart you.
Love ya tons,
Elder Johnson
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