"Bless Their Heart!"

Boy oh boy. I just don't even know what to write about. Life is so good. I wish I could remember and tell you every little detail from the week, but I just can't. Oh well, here I go with what seems pressing at the moment.

 

This week I have just felt really content. I was able to read and study a whole lot this week and as a result I have learned and felt the spirit tons. I finished Our Heritage, A Short History of the LDS Church, and loved it. It is incredible to read about the trials that the early saints went through, and I know that their perseverance was possible because they were truly converted to the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and felt of God's love for them on a regular basis. Their whole lives were devoted to God and as a result they saw many miracles and felt the power of the Holy Ghost on a very high level. That level is available to us today-- I just think that we sometimes are complacent and are content with simply living our lives and not striving to always grow closer to God.

 

Many times this week my companion and I have testified to people of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of participating in the saving ordinance of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, but the people reply that they have already done both of those. I can tell that this will be a recurring challenge on my mission. We explain to them the Apostasy and they still don't understand that their baptism wasn't legitimate. They do not understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple but specific--that things must be done by those who are worthy and have authority from God. 

 

I am finding out how much I truly love teaching. I wish that I could teach all of the time. The times that I am most full of energy and adrenaline and whatnot are right after we leave someone's house where we taught a good lesson with the spirit present. One thing that I really worried about when I left the MTC is that I wouldn't be ready. They prepared us quite well there however. Also, I have been prepared since an early age by going to church and learning over and over again the basic principles of the gospel, hearing the scripture stories, and reading the scriptures for myself to gain my own personal testimony. My testimony has grown a lot this week as I have felt the spirit from truly studying the scriptures and being prompted by the Holy Ghost. The scriptures are so amazing. I love so much looking at the footnotes, connecting the Book of Mormon to the Bible, and trying to apply what I learn to investigators.

 

One cool experience happened to me yesterday while we were teaching a really good guy named Larry about the restoration. He is in his 30s, is married, has 3 daughters, grew up Pentecostal, and really enjoys learning from the Bible. I was explaining to him how we must be baptized by someone who has authority given to him by Jesus Christ, someone who has been called of God, and he said, "Well this line of authority thing sounds like it's very select, like only certain people can get the priesthood." I told him that because these are the last days it is quite the opposite. Every worthy male has been called to receive the priesthood and all members of Christ's restored church have been called to preach of it. I said that it is different than in the days where the Levites were the ones with the priesthood and they traveled around administering to people. I told him that he could be ordained and receive the priesthood to bless his family even though he is not a preacher or pastor. He immediately pointed straight at me and said, "That is exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking about the Levites and how it doesn't seem right that only some people can have the power of God." 

It's just cool to know that God uses me personally as a tool to bring others unto Christ.

 

It's difficult down here because people are Southern, which means they don't like change and accepting new things is hard for them. It's difficult for them to understand why they need to be baptized again. They feel the spirit when we teach, they like what the Book of Mormon teaches, but they don't understand why their church doesn't have the authority of God, or why Joseph Smith was important. I guess that's why they give us two years. Two years to constantly learn and grow. Two years to get to know the scriptures so that we can use those scriptures to help address investigators' concerns.

 

Ok, now to talk about some other stuff. Something that people down here say that is super funny is "Bless their heart". Whenever they want to gossip about someone or say something mean about them they say it and then they end with "Bless their heart." It's so funny. Or sometimes you will be talking to someone and to sympathize with you they will say, "Oh myyyy, bless your heart." It's so funny. 

 

Bruce (an investigator we are trying to commit to baptism) has promised to slowly but surely teach me all of the Southern sayings. I love sayings. They are fantastic. People out here don't need much. There aren't many big houses at all. They love their gardens and their front porches and they don't really need anything else--it's pretty cool.

 

On Thursday I went to Cleveland, GA, which is in our area but quite a few miles away, so we don't go there very often, and I love it. It is my new favorite place. Why? Because it has mountains. It's so pretty driving up the GA hills and then realizing you are on top of a mountain. You look out and everything is so green and pretty. Mount Yonah is nearby Cleveland and it is this sweet little mountain with a granite face towards the top. On Sunday my companion took me to the top of some Indian mountain in Cornelia and it was great. I took pictures and just loved feeling more at home on the top there.

 

Ok family, get ready. The greatest game in the world is Monopoly Deal. I went on an exchange with Elder Mastaler to the Hartwell area because my companion Elder Zundel is the District Leader and wanted to work with Elder Mastaler's companion. Elder Mastaler showed me Monopoly Deal and we played it every single meal break. It is a card game version of Monopoly and is just as fun, but each game goes by way quicker. You will love it. If you don't buy it soon I will give it to you for Christmas because I am just that generous. :)

 

Okay, well love you long time! Byeeeee!

 

Elder Caplin