June 13th - 5 investigators

Good evening fam,

Despite her difficult trial she has been blessed with the best around her. I love seeing all the support she has been receiving at this time. 

This week was also hectic for us but not like yours. We have been busy with MLC, prepping for zone training, half-day mission, and baptismal interviews. Even with little time to work we did a lot of good. At MLC one of the things I liked that President shared was that the mission directions are not new rules or plans but they are Preach My Gospel based and that it is important to try before we doubt. To try the mission directions before saying that it will not help or be effective.

On sunday we had 5 investigators attend church. These 5 are most likely going to be baptized in the very near future. One of them told us that he wasn't going to be able to attend church yesterday because he was going to go meet his in-laws and help his wife with gathering necessary stuff in order to get married. But that morning he said that he felt heavy inside and that he needed to go to church. He came and said that something was lifted. Just like one of our other golden investigators. Before I came here he attended church the week before for the first time. My companion said that in the lessons now he is completely different from the first time in a good way. The investigator said its because when he walked into church and sat in sacrament meeting he felt so good inside and received his answer. This man has now given up computer gaming and wasting time and has dedicated himself to God. He has also given up coffee. 

On Sunday night we had a great lesson and one that concerned us because we knew that our investigator has a word of wisdom problem. He smokes a pack a day, drinks coffee, and drinks alcohol sometimes but not too much. We knew this was gonna be a challenge for him and we felt that he would be fine because he reads The Book of Mormon everyday and shares what he learns with his friends at work.  He knows its true. During the lesson he was getting a little teary eyed. At the end he committed to do his best to live the word of wisdom. His wife also. We offered to give him a priesthood blessing because he had a question about the Melchizedek priesthood last lesson. We explained it and we gave him a blessing. At the conclusion of the blessing he wiped the tears from his eyes and said that as he sat and listened with our hands upon his head, something had entered into him and he just felt good inside and kinda chilly. He didn't know how to explain it but he knew that God was speaking to him and we bore testimony to that experience of his.

I know that the priesthood is real and is power that God has delegated to man on earth to act in his name. I am grateful for the blessings, power, and authority of the priesthood found in this restored church. In the spirit of Father's Day this coming Sunday I am grateful for a father, grandfathers, and uncles, who have been good examples of what a priesthood holder should be and do. 

Love,

Elder Brown