Kapangyari​han ng Banal na Kasulatan

What a great week!

    I mean I don't want to get your hopes too high but all in all this was just a really good week for Sister Nott and I :) The title of this week is scripture power! I have really been able to gain a testimony of the power the scriptures hold. It makes sense that they would be so strongly endorsed by every prophet who ever lived because they are just so beneficial to us. It has made me so happy to hear about all of your guys experiences with reading the Book of Mormon in STOMP this year. I remember when reading 3 chapters a day seemed impossible and now I wish I had more than the quick hour we are given each day to study the scriptures.
     I noticed that you have all mentioned how you are blessed by reading the scriptures. Mika mentioned that both she and Justin felt that their days ran smoother and they communicated better on days that they read the Book of Mormon together. Mommy and Jaclyn shared how they love getting read the stories again and learn new lessons and also saw improvement in their lives just by doing something as simple as reading the words from a book. But this is evidence to us that the Book of Mormon is not just any other book.

     When I was on exchanges a couple of weeks ago Sister Nott and Sister Oco found a family in our area and shared a quick message with them. Since then, Sister Nott and I have tried contacting them ulit (again) but never seemed to find the time. But this week we finally shared a message with them. In the couple of weeks that we hadn't been there, they had read the first few pages of the Book of Mormon and were very very interested in what we had to share. They were so interested that they said we could come back the very next day. On that day, the son who is 11 years old had read the entire pamphlet about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had questions about the Holy Ghost and was already able to converse with us about how things like the Priesthood and the Book of Mormon are available to us in our day through the prophet Joseph Smith. When we shared about the Holy Ghost the father mentioned that he thinks that is what he felt the first time we visited them because as we shared, he was filled with a curiosity and desire to learn more, especially about the Book of Mormon.
     As you can imagine, we were awe struck and SO happy haha. The daughter of this family seems to be the most skeptical because although she is young, she is very active in her calling in the catholic church and school that she attends. But the great thing is that she has such a deep knowledge of the Bible. So as we teach these truths to her, although they are new for her at this time, they make sense to her because of how well she understands the holy writings of true prophets of God. They are filled with so much curiosity and I know it is the Holy Spirit whispering to them that these things we are teaching them will lead them to good things in their lives. And so they should continue learning about it. They were able to attend our ward home evening that we had Saturday night and we hope that soon they will sacrifice their attendance at the Catholic church and try to attend with us in our Sunday meetings.

      I want to share so much more about them but I am trying to get out of the habit of sharing too much information about people and I never seem to have enough time :( haha. But I wanted to share the experience that we have had with them to support the fact that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. No one has been able to or will ever be able to say contrary. The best part about the Book of Mormon is that coming to know whether it is true or not comes at such a low cost. We don't have to pay anyone. We don't have to exert a huge amount of physical effort. All we need is a desire to know. A sincere, heartfelt effort to ask God if it is true. And then the patience and humility to receive an answer whether it is the answer we are expecting or not. It isn't easy, but it's definitely possible and definitely worth it. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it blesses families and individuals no matter their size, color, financial circumstance, or whatever. I know it because I have seen it and felt it in others and in myself. I leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.