So on Friday we had a pretty intense lesson. I haven't been nervous for a lesson in a long time. When you give so many it just becomes
second nature, but I was scared for the results of this one. We met up with
Johnathan at the church and had to teach him the commandment of obeying earthly
laws. I don't know if I told you guys but he is our best investigator. Super
positive, super excited to be baptized and all around golden...there was just
one problem, he is a coyote who takes people to the United States illegally. He
dropped out of school after the 7th grade because he realized he had a talent
for it after his uncle took him on a trip, and he makes a ton of money doing
it. He is a super genuine and chill guy. I consider him a good friend apart
from our relationship as missionary to investigator.
I talked to President Vasquez about it, and after reading in
the manual and talking it over for a while, he said that Johnathan would have to
drop the job to be baptized.
In the end the lesson turned out great, the spirit testified
of the importance of our words and after talking it over, Johnathan told us that
if that is what God wanted him to do, he would stop doing trips. Sunday we
talked to him again and he had already begun doing the arrangments to drop out
of the family business.
People like Johnathan are huge examples to me. Growing up he
never considered it wrong to take people over...it was just the family
business. He saw it as a great way to make a lot of money, and help people find
a better life. But the moment when the spirit testified to him that a prophet
of God has asked that we obey the lay of the land he agreed to drop everything
(work, family) and obey.
When God speaks not much else matters. Even if it
doesn't make sense to us, it does to him and that should be enough for us. It
worries me to see members of the church who choose to question the words and
decisions of modern prophets. To question their decisions is personal apostasy
and blasphemy in the bluntest form and anyone guilty of it has the need to
repent. It's nothing new. Wasn't it Paul in his epistle to the Romans who asked
something along the lines of, who are we to question God? (just looked it up-
Romans 9:20).
If an investigator who came to know the church about a month
ago is capable of showing enough faith to drop his entire life and obey,
shouldn't we as seasoned church members be ever so more willing to, as Christ
commanded, leave behind our nets and follow him and his chosen
servants?
Kinda a different letter this week, but I just wanted to
share my thoughts. Something that has been on my mind for the last couple of
days. Take them for what they are worth. haha
I'm doing great! Happy as ever to be here and working hard to
preach the true and pure gospel of Christ. Hope everyone is happy at home!
Love
you all and thanks for the support!
Elder Davis
