My Testimony

Getting caught in the rain...oops!

HI Everyone! How are you this fine day! I hope as happy as I am!!

Here's an update on the work: it's going!! We are pushing to really find the people who are prepared to receive us. Lately it's been difficult to do because Hispanic people are so nice, they all say yes to learning more but really they're just too nice to say no. But hey, the door is still open so there's hope!

On the other hand, we have one investigator who is going to be baptized. Just a little heads up for all of you! She'll be baptized in August so it's coming soon! You'll probably hear about it in her baptism post so stay tuned!

Really that is all that I can update you on this week. That and a few random incidents with cockroaches and rain. If you're wondering about the cockroaches that's just Georgia! They're everywhere, it's disgusting! I was at lunch the other day and one was crawling up my leg. Gah, I know! My family knows I can handle bugs but I've learned that I canNOT handle cucarachas. Oh my goodness epiphany! That Spanish song "la cucaracha" is about a cockroach! Who would ever write a song about that! I'll never think of that song the same again! I thought it was a latin dance or something goodness! Song so ruined!  Thanks a lot Spanish. At least I can really thank Spanish for one thing... that is understanding the Dora the Explorer theme song! Now I know what I'm saying when I sing it.. which is quite often for some odd reason. (Special thanks to Adele for that one too.)

Ok ok back on track. I think the greatest thing I learned this week was about the scriptures. One of my new goals is to finish the New Testament in 45 days. I just started this past week and honestly I don't ever want to put the book down! Sometimes I'll even pick it up during lunch break if I didn't finish in the morning. 

Everyday I look forward to reading from the Bible. As I've been reading though, I've noticed something so interesting. Aside from being edified by the Savior's words, I find that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and restored gospel much more strengthened! I've realized this past week that without the Book of Mormon and revelation from modern-day prophets, I'd be so lost reading the Bible. Some of it, and to clarify we read from the Kind James Version, is just downright confusing. And it's only confusing because of how many times it's been translated and placed into the hands of men. No wonder so many religions exist and so many people are confused!

Can I just say how lucky I feel to have 533+ pages of clarification?! With the Book of Mormon and words from the prophets it's so much easier to understand the Bible! The Book of Mormon even states it "shall be made known the plain and precious truths that have been taken away from [it]." (1 Nephi 13:40). To be honest, you can spend your whole life studying the Bible and still not know some of the things we as Latter-Day Saints know about it due to the knowledge we have from the Book of Mormon.

That's a heavy claim to make, no? But so is telling Mormons we don't know the Bible. When people tell me that on my mission all I think is, "But you don't understand the Book of Mormon... because if you did, you wouldn't have said that!" And that's why I respond by testifying and teaching of the Book of Mormon. Because the Book of Mormon also says that any who "denieth these things (the restored Gospel/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them" (Mormon 9:8). And so that's my job! To bring understanding to as many as I possibly can. Understanding of this little blue book. 

One of my favorite quotes about the Book of Mormon by Jeffrey R Holland keeps coming to mind. He said:

"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 [...] 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"

With that I leave you my testimony of the Book of Mormon that I know with all my heart it's truthfulness. That no one can receive as much peace in their lives without it. That no one can know of it's divine power without reading it and praying about it. That no once can know so much about our Savior, Jesus Christ at this day in age without it. It is a convincer of truth. It is a clarifier of things past, present and future. And most importantly, it has lead me to feel and know with a surety that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and Savior of all mankind. And to know Him and return to the presence of God, all we must do is come to Him.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Honestly and truthfully!

Love,

Hermana Hawkins

From the blog LDS Media Talk:

In social media, you often see posts like “5 things about me you may not know.” Here’s one for the Book of Mormon:

1. I was translated in 65 working days.
2. I speak 109 languages.
3. Over 160 million copies of me have been distributed.
4. The Bible is my best friend.
5. I am one of the top 10 most read books in the world.

For a free copy, click here: Book of Mormon