Week 30 A Testimony of Joseph Smith

Hello everyone. This week was a slow week, but good things happened. So let's get to it.

Monday 

We went up to Oak Harbor and had our p-day up in Elder Addington's old area. His old ward mission leader is a cop. He let us go hide drugs in the church for his dog to go find. It was so much fun!!! We had a great time up there. We also went to lunch with Mama T, a good member up there. She fed us Samoan food. It was super good food! Then we went back to our side of the island and did as much work as we could before bed. Elder Poulsen is in Pencove, so I was so happy to see him again. Buddies from Arlington!!! 

Tuesday

We had zone conference! It was great! They talked about keeping the area book updated and plenty of other things that were helpful and great. Then we did some work in Eastmont's area and stayed the night there. It was a good day.

Wednesday 

We had district meeting, and Elder Qubal talked about Christ-like attributes and standing up for your beliefs. We role played how to teach someone with a concern about the church or what they are doing at that time. Then we went back to the island and did some work on the island. 

Thursday

Elder Addington got sick, so we couldn't do any work for the day.

Friday

Same for Friday.

Saturday

It was almost the same for Saturday. We tried to do some work, however, we couldn't because of Elder Addington being sick. It wasn't fun, but we did some phone work and set up some appointments with people for later in the week.

Sunday

We had church and President Wilding made an appearance at sacrament meeting and Sunday school while we taught it. It put so much pressure on me that I felt like I messed up so much, but we had a good day at church. He enjoyed the ward. Then we went and saw Jake and talked to him to try to help him with some things. After, we had dinner and then met up with Kody Kienzer, a less active member in our ward. We are going to help him try to reactivate in the church, and we have a good feeling about it. Hopefully it works out. 

That's it for this week. Here is my spiritual thought: 

I have been reading the teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, and it's been really good so far. There's a lot you can learn from his teachings, and I am always just so enlightened with the story of the first vision. What I really like is how willing he was to die. He explained to his brother, "like a lamb to the slaughter, I willing go. I'll die for my father, His strength fills my soul." He knew that when he would die that he was sealing a testimony of the book of Mormon, the testimony that God lives and that everything was going to work out well. I love the promise Hyrum gives to his brother because of what he did. It's found in Ether chapter 12 verse 37, which states, "Thou hast been faithful, wherefore thou shalt be made strong even unto the sitting down in the place with which I have prepared in the mansions of my father." That's not all of the verse but that is what Hyrum said to his brother before they died. Later, Joseph Smith states in Carthage, "this book, (the book of Mormon) will stand as a witness of God, even until the end of time. People will learn of its truth and will seek for its words." Little did they know that it would stand as a testimony of their death for this wonderful grand church and would prove that Jesus is the Christ, that he does visit his people all over the earth, and it would spread and cover the whole earth. We can see that as a witness today. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true! I know that Joseph Smith would not let his life go for some myth he made up. This book is real and the testimonies of it stand as a witness to us. Joseph Smith needs more people standing with him in this world for what is true, and I am so grateful that I am out here testifying of that same witness, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Here is a link to a message from Elder Holland giving a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon-2

I hope you all had a good week, and I'll talk to you again soon. Love you all!!!! 

Elder Hammond

The picture is of me, Elder Addington, the Oak Harbor elders, and on the right of me, Elder Poulson and Elder Powers.