November 2nd Email

Hello!

How is everyone? I am still doing great here in the lovely, leafy, soon-to-be white state of Ohio. There are a TON of leaves here. Way more than in Utah. They are everywhere! We were doing service for someone, raking their lawn, and it took hours - and they didn't even have that big of a lawn. I guess in a few weeks they will have big vacuum trucks driving up and down the streets sucking up the leaves off of peoples' tree lawns. I think driving a vacuum truck would be a sucky job. I guess they just have to suck it up and do it, though.

I'm glad you all had fun on Halloween. I said I was dressing up as Elder Carter. Pretty scary, huh? Just kidding. We had a ward Halloween party/dinner on Friday and then on Saturday we just hung out at a less-active member's house and had a ton of food and candy. (they said we weren't supposed to be out after 5:00 pm.)

Did everyone enjoy their extra hour of sleep? I sure did. It is weird that it is already November, though. I can't believe transfers are next week already. As for what we will be doing for Thanksgiving, I am not entirely sure, since I might not still be in this area come Thanksgiving. I think that I probably will be though. Since Elder Marini has been in this area for four transfers (six months) now, he will probably get moved out, and I will probably stay here so two missionaries don't have to get "shotgunned" into our area without knowing the ward, our investigators, the less-active members, the bus routes, etc. So I will probably stay and Elder Marini will probably go. We think. For Thanksgiving we will probably be eating with a member family, but I am not entirely sure yet.

I'm glad Bro. and Sis. Bott came to the mystery dinner. I mentioned before that we had a ward Halloween dinner on Friday. It was amazing because there were so many less-active members, part-member families, and non-members (and members) there. There were probably close to 300 people in attendance - that is more than we usually get at Sacrament meeting!

Red Hunting Vehicle=the Escort?

It sounds like Lee Kay and pheasant hunting were both fun. Who got the three pheasants? I don't remember what a spire point bullet looks like. Were the nosler partitions and spire points all your reloads? With which rifle will Cody be hunting in Idaho? And who all is going this year? And when is it going to be? Are you going to fly in to Bernard again?

Wait wait wait...Jacob is already going on a mission? Next thing I know you're going to be writing me saying that Cody already has his call. Where is Jacob going?

Yes, I received the package, thank you. The candy, letters, thermals, etc. were all good. I also sent letters this week, not sure if they will have arrived yet, though.

That's good that Delaney got her driving permit. No, she didn't almost kill us ALL in the book cliffs: we were wearing our seat belts so chances are someone would have survived after we rolled five times. Just kidding, she was just fine. She just had to slam on the brakes once, that's all.

Sorry you got cheated out of your rightful title of chili champion at work, dad. They said we were going to have a chili cook-off at our ward party, but it ended up just being a bunch of chili. They were good chilis and all, but there was no competition. The dutch-oven bread sounds good, though. Maybe I will have to buy a dutch oven so I can make great food every day that we don't have a dinner. No, that would probably be too much work.

So a few days ago Elder Marini and I were in the van with Elder and Sister Hartman (senior missionary couple who work at the office) and Elder Hartman was talking about this book he was reading about a bunch of people who left Jerusalem. I told him, totally straight-faced and level-toned, that I was also reading a great book about some families who left Jerusalem and were guided by the Lord to the Promised Land, and that maybe he should try reading it sometime. It took him a minute to get it, but it was really funny.

About saying the baptismal prayer verbatim: I know we are supposed to, but I don't know the answer of whether or not it is absolutely necessary. I do know, however, that the Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the Comforter, bears witness to us and to the Lord that covenants and ordinances have been performed properly and sealed by the proper authority. (see Preach My Gospel ch. 4, subtitle "the holy spirit of promise", and the scripture reference to the D&C in the "scripture study" box on the next page.) (Sorry I don't recall the exact page number or reference.) So if the Holy Ghost witnessed to everyone there that the baptism was sealed up by the Holy Spirit of Promise, it was probably performed satisfactorily. If not, it will probably be cleared up in the Millenium anyways. Either way, she's covered. (Note from Patty: This paragraph is in response to my asking Matt his opinion on the baptismal prayer. Peyton and I went to a baptism where they left out the "of"s at the end of the prayer.)

I don't have much time left, so here's a quick update of who we are working with:

Tenika: we lost contact with her for a while but are teaching her again. When we talked to her yesterday she talked about how she disliked the church she was attending so we invited her to church. Also invited her to read and pray about the BOM. We left her with Alma 32 to read. (she already read 1 Nephi 11 and 3 Nephi 11) (1 Nephi 11 was on accident, but it worked out alright)

Tim and Barbara: Tim and his mother Barbara are investigators we found last week and have taught a couple times. We gave them each a BOM and invited them to read as a family 3 Nephi 11 and pray about it.

John: Retired police officer with one leg. We've taught him a couple times as well, and have yet to see if he has kept his commitment to read and pray about the BOM.

Basically the thing we need for all of our investigators right now is for them to feel the Holy Ghost testify of the truth in response to their prayers so that they can know of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Moroni says in Moroni 10:4-5 that if they read and pray with faith and real intent they will receive an answer, so the thing to pray for is that they will be able to recognize the Spirit when it comes.

Sorry but I am about out of time, I'll try to give a more complete run-down of investigators next time.

Love you!
Elder Smith