Elder Cook Week Sixty-Three

Hey Familia,

Did you know another parrot messed with us?  Seriously those things are really getting annoying!  They think I’m so dumb!  But I fall into their little trap every time.  This last one could keep a conversation going!  I’m pretty sure he even laughed when we walked away.  Apart from that we had a great week! 

We got lost on a mountain. We took a wrong turn on a path and we were climbing around trying to find it again for a long time.  We prayed and eventually found a guy to show us out.  Then we were contacting on Sunday, and we found the coolest guy! When we knocked on the door, he came out super happy and friendly.  My companion and I gave each other sideways glances.  I always get a little worried when people are like that.  But he let us in and we taught the most amazing lesson!  We taught the restoration and the spirit was super strong.  He understood everything and answered our questions perfectly!  It was so crazy.  Too crazy.  Before we left the house we asked him if Joseph Smith was a prophet, if the Book of Mormon was true (he already read a lot of the Book of Mormon) and if this was the true church.  He said yes to everything!  So we asked him if he’d like to be baptized but he said no.  He’s comfortable in his church.  We asked him if he believed our church has the priesthood and he said “Yeah, but I like my church”.   We told him to read and pray, and we’re going back Saturday.  His name is J    and it would be great for you to pray for him!

I learned something pretty important about faith in my personal studies.  It changed my way of thinking.  We will have just as much faith as we allow ourselves to have.  That’s interesting to me because I always thought it was an on or off thing.  Like if we do good things, and try real hard we have lots of faith.  If we don’t, our faith becomes a lot dimmer.  While that is part of it, the most important thing is the fact that what we put in, we get out. If we want lots of faith we read a ton in the scriptures, pray all the time and work hard to get it.  And we gain lots of faith.  If we don’t care that much to have strong faith, we won’t read the scriptures or pray with intent, or try that hard to get it.  And we won’t have very much faith.  If you want a testimony of the Book of Mormon, read it.  If you want a strong testimony of  the Book of Mormon, study it.  If you want to know without a doubt that the book of Mormon is the word of God, read it, study it, and apply the teachings to your life.  Like it says in Ephesians in the Bible, faith is a gift from God.  But like with every great gift, the wrapping paper doesn’t unwrap itself, you have to put in the effort.  And it’s always worth the effort. 

Love

Elder Cook