Elder Jaymes Monson: Week 22

Well yet again its MONDAY!!!

Hope this week was good for you! I am feeling like i must have doubted somewhere because well- no baptism this week. but it was a pretty great week. My new Companion, Elder Mora and I are doing quite good actually really good I have no idea why I am so happy all the time but i just am!! i am always smiling and it seems at times a bit weird but you know what i am one happy missionary!!! and well because I share my smile everywhere i go!! and in return people just all of a sudden start smiling its kind of weird haha but I am just happy.

One reason why this week was a great week was I finished the Book of Mormon on Wednesday in English then the same day I Started it in Spanish. i want to share just a bit about a book a book that changes lives and changes peoples hearts. In the Book of Mormon there is a big pride cycle and well we all know how that works out haha. People praise God, get blessed and then are rich and well fall down and are wicked. Its a pretty big problem in the Book. but this book has a powerful impact on the lives of others. it changes peoples hearts and their minds towards God and his Gospel. the Mighty Change of heart happens in this book a lot. As Elder Bednar said in his talk last conference, I think, he said we need a mighty change of heart to turn our hearts to him. it might not have been him but it was a good saying paraphrased by me haha. But this book is true it is the only true book on the earth today. its also the keystone of our religion. because it is the keystone the whole church relies on this book. the truth that Joseph Smith was a prophet that he saw a vision that angels speak by the power of God, it is all in this book. by reading this book we gain knowledge that goes with us in to heaven.

Elder Holland said this in one of his talks and its just a great quote, he says "For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic

answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.” wow! it is true, this book has been attacked and

torn apart but it is the only true book because it was commanded by God to be translated.

I have started reading the Doctrine and Covenants and well i read about Joseph having the gift taken away and How not being able to translate. It just goes to show that well God works in mysterious ways. I also gave a talk yesterday off the bat on

how God has blessed this Elder to learn Spanish. tomorrow i will have been in Mexico for 3 months and on my mission for 5 months time goes by and it never ceases to amaze me how God works and how he teaches me everyday. The book of Mormon is true and the Church as well. I know it with all my heart!! I love being a missionary!! its been a blessing to have the ability to speak with the gift of tongues and the ability to take the word of God that I know to a different land and to speak their tongue and to walk in their ways!!! I love this work!!!

Love you all and like always have a wonderful week!!!

Elder Jaymes Monson

Elder Holland Oct 2009 Safety for the soul