Week 63: JSM!

Hello!
I hope you all are doing well and enjoying fall! Oh my goodness the
colors here are so beautiful! I love fall in New England!

So this week was transfers. Sis. Davis and I got to go to transfer
meeting, even though we weren't getting transferred, because we're now
in a car share with the Elders. The Elders dropped their car off and
we gave them a ride home. This whole car share thing is going to be
interesting, because we cover 9 towns! But it'll all work out!
Transfer meeting was so awesome! At every transfer meeting the
missionaries going home give their "golden truth," or what they
learned on their mission that will change who they are forever. I love
hearing the golden truths! One elder said something I really liked,
"obedience is being an instrument in the Lord's hands, but being
consecrated is being the Lord's hands." So powerful and so true!

We had great lessons with Nick and Crystal this week! They're doing so
good and are so excited for their baptism! In one of their lessons
they were taking notes and writing down the scriptures we taught from!
Then the day after we taught the Word of Wisdom they texted us and
said, "Day one of no coffee. May we have something to read?" It's so
awesome how much they love the Book of Mormon!

Okay cool experience. Sis. Davis and I shared 1 Nephi 3:7 (And it came
to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the
things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth
no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way
for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.)
with Nick and Crystal when we taught the WOW and talked about how the
Lord will provide a way for them to live this commandment and how
prayer and scripture study will help them too. We brought our ward's
Relief Society president, Sis. Weech, with us to the lesson. Towards
the end of the lesson Sis. Davis asked Sis. Weech how the scriptures
and prayer have helped her. Sis. Weech started crying and said (now
this is all paraphrasing), "Just now when you sisters shared 1 Nephi
3:7. I've been stressed out lately with my church responsibilities. On
the way here I prayed that the Lord would give me comfort and
guidance, and that scripture provided just what I needed." It was so
cool to here that and made me feel so good! A lot of times it's
difficult to recognize spiritual prompting. A lot of times we don't
realize they're prompting until later. But it's so cool to see the
blessings that come from following the spirit! This experience
reminded me of a quote from Pres. Monson, "In the performance of our
responsibilities, I have learned that when we heed a silent prompting
and act upon it without delay, our Heavenly Father will guide our
footsteps and bless our lives and the lives of others. I know of no
experience more sweet or feeling more precious than to heed a
prompting only to discover that the Lord has answered another person’s
prayer through you."

Yesterday after church we went to the JSM with Nick and Crystal! It
was so awesome and they loved it! I love the JSM! The spirit is so
strong there and it's so beautiful! Every time I go my testimony of
Joseph Smith is strengthened. I know that he is a prophet of God, that
the gospel was restored through him, and that he translated Book of
Mormon by the power of God.

Elder Neal L. Anderson gave a great talk at the priesthood session
about faith and he talked a little about Joseph Smith. "Questions
concerning the Prophet Joseph Smith are not new. They have been hurled
by his critics since this work began. To those of faith who, looking
through the colored glasses of the 21st century, honestly question
events or statements of the Prophet Joseph from nearly 200 years ago,
may I share some friendly advice: For now, give Brother Joseph a
break! In a future day, you will have 100 times more information than
from all of today’s search engines combined, and it will come from our
all-knowing Father in Heaven. Consider the totality of Joseph’s
life--born in poverty and given little formal education, he translated
the Book of Mormon in less than 90 days. Tens of thousands of honest,
devoted men and women embraced the cause of the Restoration. At age
38, Joseph sealed his witness with his blood. I testify that Joseph
Smith was a prophet of God. Settle this in your mind, and move
forward!" Preach!

Well, that's all for this week. I love the Lord and I love this work!
I hope you all have a great week and I love you all!
Love, Sister Harper