We have had some adventures this week...such as going to the emergency room at about 10:20 at night and leaving at almost 1 in the morning.#
Saturday, I had divisiones, woo! I had a chance to
work with Hermana Zelada again - love that girl. She is hilarious,
enojadita, loving, and just a wonderful person. Her example taught me a
lot of how to be a better missionary and how to help our investigators.
We also could not stop laughing...for the entire day...We had to stop
several times, actually, because we were laughing so hard, we couldn't
walk. Hermana Zelada will finish her mission in about 3 weeks. I will
miss her so much.
Lately, we have had an investigator named Vilma.
Vilma is a lovely young lady, and was going to get baptized before I
got here, but one thing led to another...and we're still teaching her.
Well, it has been a while since we had a lesson with her, and we
decided to make our lesson this week make it or break it. We thought
long and hard about what we would share with her, and we finally decided to share part of the life of the prophet Joseph Smith, namely JSH 1:21, 23-25:
21 Some
few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one
of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before mentioned
religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of
religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I
had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my
communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was
all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.
23 It
caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very
strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of
age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty
maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of
sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the
most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a
spirit of the most bitterpersecution and
24 However,
it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought
since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King
Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a
light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him;
some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was
ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his
vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all
the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though
they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his
latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking
unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe
otherwise.
25 So
it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that
light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and
though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision,
yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and
speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led
to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have
actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why
does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I
had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could
not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I
would offend God, and come under condemnation.
I love those words: "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."
To
my great surprise, these words also impacted Hermanita Vilma. And she
decided to be baptized. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the
Lord. I also feel as the prophet Joseph Smith, that I know these things
are true, I know that God knows it, and I cannot deny it.
I love you all!
LOVE,
Hermana Grondel :)
Hermana Grondel :)
No comments:
Post a Comment