Saturday, January 25, 2014

"How is it that you believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet?" 2014 01 25



Jan. 20, 2014

Hi again,

     I am going to apologize now and say that not a lot has happened this past week.  You can say that we have been at the mercy of the fellow members of our ward this past week because we only have 150 miles left for this month.  Luckily however we have learned how much we can rely on the members of this ward to help us out when we are in a pinch.  I was surprised to see how many members were willing to help us in our time of need over the past week.  Although, for the most part, most of the lessons we had planned fell through, I know that the members that helped us will still be blessed for the time and gas they used to help the Lord's missionaries.

    I don't want to make the week sound like a total waste; however, we were able to meet with all of our investigators that vanished during the Holiday season.  Many of which have now come to realize more fully the need of the gospel in their lives now that they have felt that spirit, and had it leave them.  It is always amazing to me how quickly the knowledge of the gospel will depart from a person if it is not constantly nourished by prayer, scripture study, and church attendance.  It is proof to me of the quote by Elder Eyring stating: "Great faith has a short shelf life."

    Before I end, I want to tell you about a new investigator that we picked up this week.  His name is J, and he was a name given to us by the system.  We set up a time to meet with him at the church so that we could answer his questions about the church. 

    We arrived, showed him around the church, and talked about the chapel and the sacrament and some of the pictures hanging on the walls in the hallways.  We sat down for the lesson on the couches in the foyer and he asked his question.  He said very sincerely and humbly "How is it that you believe that Joseph Smith is a prophet?" 

    I have been asked this question before.  We explained to him the restoration.  We talked about truth and how we find truth in this life and what is required of us to receive answers from Heavenly Father. 

    He then asked us how to find truth, and we gave him the Book of Mormon and told him to read it and to pray.  The spirit was there as me, my companion, and a member from the ward sat there explaining the message of the restoration straight from our testimonies. 

    As I said, we have been asked this question before, but I have not had it asked to me in this way.  When he asked it was as if he had begun to have the desire that it was already true.  He explained to us how he wanted to hear the rest of what we have to tell him and that he feels the Lord has been guiding him through his life to this church with his questions and his thirst for truth and understanding.  I would like to end this email by saying that miracles do not cease.

Elder Erb

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