Oh my goodness! I can't
believe I've already been out for a whole transfer! In case you didn't know, a
transfer is 6 weeks and after each 6 week period is when you may or may not
move to a new area or get a new companion. I am staying in Hanover with Sis. Turley!
I'm really sad, because this is her last transfer before she goes home. :( But
it's gonna be an awesome transfer!
So cool thing. On Tuesday we had some time before an
appointment so we decided to go street contacting for a bit. We didn't have much
success so we went back to the car. There were some construction workers in the
parking lot and one of them called out to us, "Hey do you have any extra
Bibles?" Sis. Turley said, "We have the Book of Mormon!"
"The Mormon Bible?" "Yes!" "That'll work! Can I have
one of those?" How cool is that? This guy's name is John and he said that
he's read the Book of Mormon before and he really liked it. We're gonna try and
find him this week so we can teach him more about the Book of Mormon!
Wednesday was Zone Conference! All of the missionaries in
Vermont and northern New Hampshire were there and it was at the JSM. This Zone
Conference we had Elder Larry Wilson of the Seventy and his wife there. They
taught us about the Book of Mormon and how we need to use it more in finding
and teaching. The Book of Mormon is so important. It is the keystone of our
religion, because it is a witness of Christ, it has the fullness of Christ's
gospel, and it is the foundation of our testimony. Elder and Sister Wilson
talked about how we as missionaries need to read the Book of Mormon more with
those that we teach, so that they can understand it and apply it to themselves.
They also said that the more pages of the Book of Mormon you read with the
people you teach, the more successful you will be as a missionary. Sis. Turley
and I are definitely going to use the Book of Mormon a lot more!
Another cool thing from Zone Conference was Sis. Wilson
showed us that 1 Nephi 1 has all of the points we teach in the Restoration
lesson. This chapter is also really similar to Joseph Smith and The First
Vision. So when you read 1 Nephi 1, look for the similarities it has to the
Restoration and First Vision!
On Friday we went and visited a less active family. Normally
lessons don't go well there, because the 4 boys (all under age 9) are all
really rowdy and it feels like no one pays any attention. But we decided to
have a quick visit and show them a Mormon Message. We got there and just the
mom was there, so we talked to her for a bit. Then it took a while to pull up
the Mormon Message on their iPad, and right after it started, two of the boys
and the dad came home. Sis. Turley and I were so worried that the lesson would
be ruined and the spirit would go away! But the boys came in, and they huddled
around the iPad and watched the Mormon Message! And they were quiet! And then
one of the boys was in the other room when we started to say the prayer, and
when he came back in he joined us in the prayer and was quiet! Huge miracle for
this family! Normally it takes them like 5 minutes to settle down before we can
say a prayer. So we will be showing more Mormon Messages to this family! The
one we showed the was Wrong Roads (http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2714780496001)
and it's super good and all of you should watch it!
This week in my Book of Mormon study I was in the book of
Jacob, which is like my favorite book! I especially love chapters 5 and 7.
Chapter 5 is the parable of the vineyard and it's so good! The master of the
vineyard is Heavenly Father and the parable tells how he works hard to help his
plants grow. The plants are each of Heavenly Father's children, so us. And my
favorite verse is 47 which says, "But what could I have done more for my
vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have
nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have
dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and
the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees
of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is
it that has corrupted my vineyard?" I love this verse and this chapter,
because it shows how much Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, His
children. His hand is constantly stretched out to us and He is doing all He can
to love and care for all of us. I know that He is our Heavenly Father, we are
His children and He loves us with an infinite love.
Chapter 7 is about this guy, Sherem, who is an anti-Christ.
Sherem tried really hard to lead people away from the gospel and he even tried
to lead Jacob, the prophet, away. Then Jacob talks to Sherem about Christ and
the scriptures and this is what he said.
8 But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my
soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words. 9 And I said unto
him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall come? And he said: If there should be a
Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has
been, nor ever will be. 10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the
scriptures? And he said, Yea. 11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not
understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that
none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken
concerning this Christ. 12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest
unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me
by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no
atonement made all mankind must be lost.
This is the scripture that helped me to know that the Book
of Mormon is true. I think I was like 12 or 13 when I first read this. Growing
up in the church I heard everyone say that Christ lives and that the Book of
Mormon was true, but I didn't know it for myself. And when I read these verses
it hit me so hard. I knew that the reason I didn't have that knowledge for
myself was because I didn't understand the scriptures and I didn't read and
pray about them. But I have read the Book of Mormon many times. I have prayed
about it and I know that it is true. It truly is another witness of Jesus
Christ. This book is so powerful and life changing! Please read and study it
everyday! I know that it will bless your life so much and you will be so much
happier because of it!
Oh super cool thing! For those of you that don't know,
Jessica Craig (my best friend from high school) was called to this mission and
she is on an airplane right now flying out to New Hampshire! I don't know when
I'll get to see her but I'm so excited that she's coming to the greatest
mission on earth! Hopefully we'll get to be companions at some point!
So a member gave us two big bags of potatoes and we don't
want them to go to waste, so Sis. Turley and I are eating potatoes like almost
every meal! Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, fries, you name it! I
never ate this many potatoes when I lived in Idaho haha!
Well that's it for this week! Thank you for all the emails!
Love you all!
Love, Sister Harper
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