Enjoying An Evening Outside With Elder Laycock

Elder Klaich just gave me this in the dinner line.  He only has one more week before he takes off.  He has always been a good friend and I know that he will be a super missionary in Milano.

This Sunday like always has really been uplifting.  I don't know what I am going to do when I get out into the field.

I got to talk to Elder Laycock last night.  We took a break and went outside.  Our teacher decided that since there were only 15 minutes left we would finish up outside.

The weather especially at that time of night was grand.  Just the kind of peaceful warm summer night that you might dream about.  Elder Laycock and I talked about families, esepcially our parents.  It was special.

"If it's going to be, it's up to me."

Three more concepts today.  One more than my goal for the week.  I have accomplished all my goals except two.  Those goals are: Finish The Book of Mormon and finish reading five chapters in Jesus The Christ.  I have tomorrow morning and I think that I will be able to get them done.

It was really neat how the Lord blessed me today.  I had the "thought" for the morning.  We are supposed to give them in Spanish.  However hardly anybody has given them in Spanish.  I almost decided to go along and give mine in English too.  I then thought of the words "If it's going to be, it's up to me."  I spent the morning translating my thoughts into Spanish while I could have been studying the scriptures (for myself) or getting a head start on the first concept like a lot of us try to do.

It was interesting because after I gave my thought I sat down and I was the first one done with my concept!!  Later, Elder Casey was joking that he was mad because I got a headstart like he did!!  He had memorized half the concept before class.  Before I even got around to opening the discussion book.  I know the key to my fast learning was the fact that while he was memorizing before class (for himself) I was translating a thought (for others) and the Lord blessed me accordingly.  I hope that htis will be something that I can keep in my mind while out in the field.

Relating To The Sisters In The MTC District

I don't have time to write very much.

I passed off 3 concepts today.  C-3, H-5 & 6.  As a result, I still am re-passing and I have two long ones in H to do before I am finished.  It is 10:07 pm.

Hermana Hartman's grandmother died today and I didn't find out about it until after I had been kidding around with her.  Needless to say I felt pretty dumb.

A neat thing was tonight I talked to her a little bit and I found out that both of her parents were inactive.  So we shared a few scriptures that dealt with the subject of inactivity.  I really enjoyed it.  It is seldom that I get a good chance to talk with the two sisters in our district because we are always working.

Well here I am rambling on while those ever valuable minutes keep ticking away.  Goodnight.

Love & The Real Honest To Goodness Cookie Monster

I got a letter from Linda today.  It was a pretty good one.  I am getting a little worried about her though.  It seems to me as though she is getting it cemented into her head and that I am the only one for her.  I am afraid that I will have to write her a letter to try and shift her to a slower speed.  It is scary dealing with a young lady's state of mind.  Especially in these circumstances.  I hope she will take what I have to say and not read in between the lines and think that some horrible change is coming over me.  I really do love that redhead with the gap in her teeth!

Tonight in our branch meeting during the prelude music I felt really close to our Heavenly Father.  There is a certain elder in our branch who has composed some beautiful music.  I really had to struggle to hold back tears.  I don't consider myself a crybaby in the least sense of the word but here at the MTC with the spirit that is here it is just impossible not to find yourself crying now and then.

The kind of love that I felt from my Heavenly Father tonight was very special.  It wasn't the excited joyful feeling that you receive after working with all your might, doing what's right and succeeding.  The love I felt tonight was the love of charity like the kind a boy feels from his father even after he has been slothful or done something wrong.  I could say that it was love that accompanies our Heavenly Father's forgiveness.  Even when we don't deserve it.

I know that the Lord loves us because I have felt that love.  I think that I might even have a minuscule amount of it.  At least at times, like when I think of telling my family goodbye, or looking at the elders in my district in the temple and wanting to hug the lot of them.

On a lighter note, it is really amazing to me to watch Elder Brown when I offer him one of my cookies.  His face really lights up.  He reminds me of a little kid at Christmas.  I told him that and he even agreed with me.  I think that I have found the real honest to goodness cookie monster!

Loving The MTC District At The Temple

The temple was really neat today.  I felt great.  I really felt love for each one of my companions in the district.  It took me a good part of the day to write six letters.  I surely hope that they are appreciated.  It's not that I don't like to write.  It's just that I sacrifice a lot of the Lord's time to do it.

I think I am losing my voice a little bit.  I have been kind of sick the last few days with a sore throat and re-passing charlas doesn't help it a whole lot.

I got two care packages today from home and Linda.  I thought I saw a glint of jealousy in a couple of the elders' eyes!

Linda sounds as though she is doing pretty good.  I sound good in my letters to her (as far as not missing her is concerned) but sometimes I really wish I could just see those big brown eyes looking at me with that special look that she has.  Luckily for me those times are pretty few.  There is just too much to do to let my thoughts get away and start daydreaming.

I passed off C-10 today to Elder Brown.  It is the longest concept in all of the charlas and I learned it in a day and a half which is pretty good.  It gives me hope for the other long concepts!

"I would love the opportunity to read for two or three hours a day."

Tuesday night and as usual we had a great devotional.  One advantage of being called to a foreign mission is that we get to listen to twice as many devotionals and other uplifting developing meetings as the other missionaries that are going on English-speaking missions.

Well, I just learned all of C-1 today.  125 continuous lines!!  I haven't passed it off yet, but I feel as though I have it pretty good.

The time is flying by.  I just can't find the time to re-pass as many concepts as I would like to.  Plus there is so much more that I would like to do in one day: reading is a big one.  I would love the opportunity to read for two or three hours a day.  The scriptures, books on religion like Jesus The Christ - it is a great book.

The temple is tomorrow, wow!

The Foot Race Talk: "A Proud Grandson"

I am truly on a spiritual high today.  My day didn't start out in a very promising way.  Our door was "pennyed" so that we couldn't get out.  We also didn't wake up until 6:45 which was real late.  However those were perhaps the only things that went wrong with my day.

I gave my talk on the importance of journals.  For perhaps the first time in my life I have prayed for inspiration on a talk and then exercised the faith to receive it.  I had an entry to read out of my journal (my foot race).  I thought that it would be of some inspiration to someone.  However I didn't quite know how to read it without feeling as though I was bragging.

We came to the meeting and just before we walked into the room I received the inspiration on how to do it.  I treated my journal as if it had been my Grandfather's.  I pretended that I found it, then I read the part as though I was a proud grandson reading about his Grandfather's mission experiences.  I felt the spirit with me when I read it so I read with confidence and emotion.  I think it was well received.  I got a lot of compliments from the elders in my district on the talk.  I felt totally unworthy of the praise because I know that Heavenly Father provided the inspiration for the talk and the spirit was there while I was giving it.  There is no way that it could have gone wrong.

In our culture class I learned a great deal.  Our instructor Elder Reed Harris talked to us on the importance of having charity for the people in Bolivia.  I came out of class with a new feeling towards that word.  The spirit again was in that class and it taught me a great deal.  I felt so good.  We then went to family home evening.  I felt the spirit there again and very strongly.  All the contributions of them members of my district fell upon my heart.

I was finding (with directions by the spirit) things in both The Book of Mormon and New Testament that worked right into the lesson.  Tonight I felt love for my district, true love.  I wanted to hug the sisters like I could the elders but just had to settle for a good handshake.

To top off the night, Elder Brown and I had a real good companionship inventory.  We talked more freely than ever before.  It is now 10:30 and time for bed.  I wish I could write more but it is a rule.  I can't wait to pray!

Red Like An Apple

Boy, I sure had an interesting experience with Hermana Hurtado.  I had the task of passing off H-3 to her.  H-3 is the Law of Chastity.  After I had started out, I looked at her and she had her head down and was laughing.  I finally figured out what was so funny.  The subject material isn't the most easily discussed topic in the world!  By the time I got through a couple of the "you can't do this" and "you shouldn't do thats", my face was rojo como una manzana (red like an apple).  I guess we were both embarrassed and it was bad because some of the phrases didn't come out right and I would have to do them over again.  Finally she just told me that she knew that I knew the concept.  She decided to spare both of us from more agony and passed me.

We just had an incredible downpour.  The lightning was really breathtaking.  The thunder also was about as loud as I have ever heard.

I have a talk in priesthood tomorrow and it is late so I better hit the hay.

The Error Of Being Judgemental In The MTC Cafeteria

I have been trying to be a little more humble and it has been pretty hard.  I think that I have developed quite a hard head because it sure is hard to change.  I have been trying to change.  I have been trying to look for the good in people more than the bad.  However I still have a way to go, quite a way.

The other night we were sitting at a table eating dinner.  There were two new missionaries eating.  The one seemed like he wasn't paying attention and our district leader was really being nice.  He was staring kind of out into space.  He also had a tape recorder slung around his shoulder.  "Boy," I thought, "Does he have a lot to learn." (Tape recorders are not allowed to be used at the MTC.)  Well, I had pulled myself above this guy pretty good.  I felt that I was superior.  When they got up to leave, the one elder that I didn't think too much of picked up his tray and walked into a guy who was sitting at another table.  He was blind!  I couldn't believe it.  He didn't feel sorry for himself, he didn't even ask his companion for help even though everything was new in his surroundings.

Well by this time I felt like putting my head under the table.  To think of the courage and faith that this elder must have.  He probably had to beg and plead for the opportunity to serve the Lord.

"...So I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!"

It's about 9:00 am.  We all just got back from the temple.  That place is really special.  I felt unworthy today.  I think that partly stems from the fact that I didn't work very hard yesterday.  I was watching other people thrusting in their sickles but I felt like I was leaning on mine.  I just couldn't memorize very much yesterday.  I did pass off E-4 but I also should have been able to pass H-2 also.  Well that day is passed and no matter how bad I want to I will not be able to live it over again, so I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!

The devotional was great.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked Hartman Rector.  He seemed too sure of himself, too confident.  And I was skeptical.  However by the end of the talk I was hanging on to every word.  Writing as fast as I could.  He really had some good things on missionary work.  He based a great deal of his talk on D&C 31 which is one of my favorite if not the favorite of the Doctrine & Covenants.  He explained the 3 parts of the message that we should take to the world:

1)  Jesus is the Christ
2)  Joseph Smith was a prophet
3)  There is a true church of God on earth today that is guide by a living prophet

He explained some of the best ways to deliver this message, i.e. smiling, etc.

Elder Rector also related several stories of missionaries with inactive or non-member fathers that became active while their sons were out on missions.  He finished up by telling us that we should be baptizing.  3 Nephi 11:21-26, 31.

The closing hymn had some words that affected me.  #119 I think the title is "Bless Us Lord Ere We Part".

Tomorrow marks the half-way point of our stay in the MTC.  I feel in good shape to memorize all 8 discussions.  There are 56 concepts total and I have 19 now.  We are going to spend most of class time memorizing so that should help.

If I have time this afternoon I am going to write little resumes of all the elders and sisters in the district, if I don't die of writer's cramp first.

Well guess what, I don't have time.  It took me quite a while to write to Mom and the family, Dad and Linda.  I will be lucky if I get one more written today.  I sure hope that those letters are appreciated.  I got a care package in the mail from my family.  they are really great and I love them all.  Linda sent me a letter.  Too short but it was a letter.  Well I am going to rest my hand and stop writing.

The Dilemma Of Free Time

My free time is so limited that when I do obtain those few moments it is a hard decision between reading the scriptures or writing in my journal.  I am thankful for the fact that now I wouldn't think of taking a nap.  Those minutes are just too precious to waste in unconsciousness.

The devotional tonight was very special.  Elder Hartman Rector spoke.  I don't have time to talk about it now but tomorrow is my P-Day and I think that I took some pretty good notes so I will try and get that written down tomorrow.

Feeling Close With The MTC District

I have about ten minutes to write about an hour long subject.

We had a real neat family home evening today.  I think that everyone has been about as open as they could have been.  We are all growing really close.  I hope I have time on P-Day to write a little bit about each and every member of my district.

We had a mission conference today that was really good.  All the speakers were excellent.  Elder Acey from The First Quorum of the Seventy was the main speaker.  My old 1st counselor in the Sunday School Presidency back at the Y, Scott Swenson gave the benediction.

150 Lines Of Spanish Learned

Wow what a day.  If I exhausted my body yesterday I did the same with my mind today.

4 CONCEPTS!!!  I couldn't believe it.  Over 150 lines that were either learned or re-learned.  The things that amazes me is how closely today paralleled yesterday.  It was the same thing.  I started out a little faster than usual because I wanted to pass off E-3 quick and then go to work on finishing off D-5.  Well the first was done easily.  But I didn't pass D-5 the first time.  I was really depressed but I went back at it and with the help of the Lord through prayer I passed it off the next time around.

During morning class the thought of passing 4 concepts had crossed my mind.  I had brushed them aside rather quickly because it scared me to think of passing that many concepts in one day.

By afternoon they were all gone.  However I started going over D-6 during dinner.  We had two hours in class tonight to use on discussions so I went to work on D-6.  Then the thoughts of passing 4 came back if I could pass it (D-6) off in an hour then I would have an hour left for D-7 (it was short).

While the class took a break and went outside I passed D-6 to Hermana Urtado by the skin of my teeth.  I knew that I wasn't learning these as good as I should but I had set my goal by now and I just had to get there.

I actually had less than an hour because we sing and pray at 9:45 and it was about 9:00 pm.  Those minutes sure flew by and I felt just like I did yesterday.  Like before I won the race.  I passed off D-7 at 10:40.  What a night!  I don't remember everything but it should come back pretty easy.  If the Lord is willing.  Tomorrow is Sunday.  Hopefully a day of rest for all of me.  Mind and body!

The Foot Race

An interesting event happened today.

During gym, 1/3 of the hour is stretching and calesthenics, 1/3 is running and the other 1/3 is playing volleyball.  They do this to rotate groups.  We run outside around the MTC.  If I were to guess I would say that the circuit was close to 1/2 of a mile.  I usually run two laps around outside and then finish up inside the gym.  Normally I am pretty mellow when I run and I just try and keep a steady pace.  Today was rather unusual however.

It seems as though everything was going wrong today.  This morning I missed a few questions.  Once I thought I was telling her (the teacher) to talk slower and I really told her to talk faster.  Then in retention I learned about 40 lines and forgot them a lot faster than I had learned them.  Those plus other things had gotten me pretty irritable.

As I was running I was thinking negative split.  Not for my running but for my mission.  (Negative split is when the last half of a race is faster than the first half.)

I had just finished my first lap at a good rate and was about to slow down when I saw this elder ahead of me.  I don't know his name yet but I recognized him from our branch.  Well he was about 50 yards ahead of me.  I thought that I would use him for a pacer and try and finish the same distance behind (he was running pretty fast).  I picked up my pace a bit (not too much) and by the time we were half way around I was still in the same position.  The parking lot was slightly sloped uphill.  I don't know why but I decided that I would try to catch him.  He was still 50 yards ahead but I started gaining.  With about 200 yards to go I was about 20 yards behind.  Now it must be made known that this guy was fast and he started running faster.  (He must know what a negative split is too, or so it seemed).  I am a terrible runner and my ankle doesn't help.  Every time I step on it, it cracks.

I must have been using all those built up pressures for fuel because even though I was gasping for air and dead tired I was going to win that race!  I was dying.  I hadn't run that hard that forever.  We crossed a construction bridge with about 35-40 yards left and I was about 5-10 feet behind, I don't remember.  By this time I was scared.  What had started out as a simple challenge had become life or death for me.  I was about to give up.  With 5 yards left I gave my last surge.  He let up, I won!  I couldn't believe it.  I had set my mind to beat that guy and I did it.  I started to cry.  Not big tears but two small ones.  I was full of joy, not because I won the foot race.  That was only part of it.  I realized that I can do anything if I want it bad enough.  If I am willing to pay the price.

There was no crowd watching me today when I ran, but I believe that my Dad, my friends, my Heavenly Father would have been proud of me.  Not because I ran the race but because I set my goal high, always kept it in sight and using all my strength attained it.

The Little Girl & The Popsicle Stand

I have a little time before our branch meeting.  I was reading a letter that Linda sent me.  She asked me what my vision was of missionary work.  She also asked me what I thought of when I hear the word 'missionary'.

Well, one thing that I think of when I hear that word is a little girl.  Elder Brown and I were walking back from the barber shop on Wednesday.  Right in front of the mailbox at Carroll Hall, a little girl was selling popsicles.  One half for a dime and a whole one for twenty cents.  Elder Brown gave me a quarter to buy one.  After giving us our popsicle and taking the quarter, this sweet little child of God realized that she didn't have a nickel for change.  Instead of trying to sweet talk us out of the nickel (which she could have done with just one gapped tooth smile), she held up a dime in her hand, and with a big grin said, "Here, because you're missionaries!"  Well we told her to keep the change or give it to her brother for his mission fund.  The point that came across to me was the love and respect that even small children have for missionaries.  A nickel isn't much, especially in this day and age but to her it was a good chunk out of her income and she offered it so willingly.  At the time that this occurred it didn't seem like a big deal but I have thought about it since.

Right now I have a very respected and loved title.  Missionary!  However I am still old John Christensen.  I am really unworthy of all the respect.  It does give me a lot of growing room however.  I hope and pray that I will never do anything that might not uphold the ideal of "the missionary".

The Lord has really blessed me.  I am beginning to translate fewer words in the concept and I believe that I am learning them faster.  Right now I am on schedule to get all 8 discussions.  I hope that I can keep it up.

"I WISH I HAD MORE TIME!"

Yesterday was a bad day to try and catch up.  I have 20 minutes right now so I will try to write a little.

We had a great day at the temple.  It was the first time that I had seen the movie session.  After that all the new missionaries had a question and answer session with President Gunther.  I learned a great deal about the temple and what goes on inside.  At the temple I saw Brother and Sister Leany.  They were really excited to see me as I was to see them.  Brother Leany is our new counselor in the Bishopric.  They told me that Dad has been to Church twice in a row.  That really filled my heart with joy.  I just can't express the importance of my father to me.  The whole family for that matter.  I truly have been blessed.

After the temple session we ate lunch.  I got a care package from Mom and Jan.  It was great.  Then after leaving the major part of what hair I had in the Wilkinson Center Barber Shop.  That has to be the only place in Provo that doesn't have a line.  After that we did our laundry and managed to write four letters.

I WISH I HAD MORE TIME!  I just can't find the time to do everything that I want to.  If I really buckle in on my Book of Mormon then I don't memorize my scripture cards then I don't repass my charlas.  Oh well I guess that I will have to learn to be more efficient.  Well time is gone.  Next time I will have to write about Elder Laycock and my robe.

"We are going to the temple in the morning and I am looking forward to it."

I felt a lot better after praying.  I don't have a lot of time to write but tomorrow is P-Day.  We are going to the temple in the morning and I am really looking forward to it.  I guess I will try and catch up with things tomorrow if I can.

Learning To Lose Yourself In The Work

Some things are going to change.  Tonight I missed one answer on our scripture quiz.  THe answer was 3 Nephi 27:8 and I wrote 3 Nephi 28:7.  I really got upset when that happened.

After the exam we had family home evening out on the lawn.  I was really impatient for it to get over.  Anyways, it went slow.  Brother Segrera came by with his wife and they sat down.  Elder Casey then told us about how he had been homesick and had prayed for an answer.  Then this morning he had an interview with Elder Segrera.  He told Elder Casey that he would need to lose himself in the Lord's work. That sentence really struck home.  I realize that I must break some ties so that I can fully devote myself to the Lord's work.  I am not so sure now but I must develop the faith to know that my loved ones will be blessed and safe while I am away.

I don't know exactly what is going to happen.  I guess I will have to pray.

"Our district went bowling."

We had some fun yesterday.  Our district went bowling.  Actually it was a little strange.  We had to wear our suits there but we could take off our coats.  It was also strange but good to hear modern music.  Most of the music that was piped in was soft romantic stuff.  It made me think of Linda.

I really don't feel guilty when I think about her.  The two months we were apart before my mission have really helped.  I can usually forget about her during the day and the Lord's time, but when I've got a P-Day or some prep time I do a little day dreamin'.  We have had some great times.  The things that I remember about her are not so much the things we did but more the looks that she gave me.  Sad, happy, thoughtful, I like you looks and others.  She is really special to my heart and I don't think she has been anything besides positive for me.  But then that's the way she is.  I don't get homesick for her at all.  I got that all over with during two months at home.

Wow it's Thursday morning and two very short weeks have gone by.

Feeling Patriotic

Good morning!  Ugh!  I'm not so sure about that.  I didn't get much sleep last night.  There is a despredtador (alam clock) that keeps going off in my head.

Last night at the Devotional, Elder John H. Groberg spoke.  His topic was Joseph Smith and his influence.  He also talked quite a bit about the importance of bearing witness of his divine calling.  He also talked about journals.

Just before he spoke the choir sang "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic".  I don't know why music affects me so much but it sure does.  During the song I just closed my eyes and thought of all the things that mean America to me.  Being able to do anything you want to practically

I thought a lot about Snowmass when I was there alone and when I prayed to Heavenly Father.  That for some reason comes to mind when I think of America.

Towards the end of Elder Groberg's talk, I once again started thinking of my father.  I think that I am just beginning to realize how important he is to me.  I hope and pray that I can develop the faith necessary to know that he will come to a knowledge of the truth, and accept it.

I just realized that some of my sentences are starting to look weird.  I can attribute that to thinking in Spanish.  All my sentences are coming out backwards and I suppose it will get worse.

I have writer's cramp already and I still have about 8 zillion letters to write!

More Tomorrow

I don't have time to write now because it is late.  I want to remember some things that I felt tonight during a song that pertains to my country.  Pero manana!

Sleepy Elder Brown & Spanish Mishaps

Well it is 6:00 in the morning.  I have been sleeping a lot better the last few nights.  The Lord has blessed us with a few cooler ones.  The temperature has been from 80 to 85 degrees in our room.  They said that they are working on the air-conditioning and trying to get it fixed soon.

Some pretty funny events have occurred in class.  Usually they happen when someone either mispronounces a word or uses a different word altogether.  Elder Nelson called himself "a burrito".  The word he was trying to say was "aburido" which means boring.  Elder Laycock called our teacher Hermana Hurtado "a bore".

This morning when I woke up, I realized that another group of missionaries would be leaving.  This week has gone by really fast.  About the only things that don't go by fast are Language Class and dinner lines.  Elder Brown and I had to wait one whole hour for breakfast yesterday.  You would think that we were standing in line for a BYU Basketball game or something.

Elder Brown sure is funny sometimes.  I can predict what happens every morning.  After we get up and shower and get dressed we have 30-45 minutes to read the scriptures.  Anyways we both start reading at our desks.  Soon after that Elder Brown moves over to the air vent by the window.  He usually read there for about 10 minutes.  Then he lies down on his bed and about 5 minutes later I can hear contented snoring.  This event occurs every day.  I don't even have to turn around to see what he is doing.  I can hear what he is doing.

Elder Brown is a really good guy though.  Maybe I'd like him so much because he is about the only person I know besides Linda that whistles worse than I do.

Elder Brown just woke up to turn a page.  I think he will be sleeping again within five minutes.  Whoops, sooner than that.  This must be a record.  Either that or he is learning how to turn pages in his sleep.  I guess I had better wake him up so that we can be ready to go to class.

"I know now that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God."

I just read some of the journal entries that I have made.  Some are good some are bad.  But I feel proud of the fact that I am getting my life story down in print.

I feel as though Satan is working on all of us.  Last night was a bad night.  It was the second time that Sister Ortado taught us.  I went into class really depressed.  We took a break and I just thought of my folks and family and of Linda.

When we got back to class I, Elder Laycock and my companions got the giggles.  I haven't had that bad a case for a long time.  Anyway, we weren't doing very well and I think that Sister Ortado took it as kind of an insult.

She had to leave early so when we got done with our assignment we talked about it and I think that we all felt pretty bad.  Things just kind of heaped up on me so I just let go when I prayed last night.  I haven't let my heart out to the Lord in a long time and I really laid it on the line.  I said that I would need to know what the spirit felt like.  I wanted to know how many people I would have to hurt, insult, infuriate before I could humble myself and become a willing and submissive servant of the Lord.

I felt a lot better after shedding quite a few tears of anguish.

Today is Sunday and I have received some answers to my prayers.  I prayed to know how to tell when I felt the spirit and what it felt like.  Well this afternoon for family home evening we had a lesson on prayer that fairly rapidly turned into a discussion on the Holy Ghost and how to know when it is there.  Thoughts and ideas really flowed forth from everyone and now I know that those feelings that I have had in the past are from the Holy Ghost.

I also prayed for a testimony of Joseph Smith for it is through his revelations and ideas that the Church was brought into re-existence.  The answer to that prayer came in part this morning in priesthood when we had a lesson on Joseph Smith.  This lesson prompted me to think about him.  I also pondered about him and my ideas about him when I read The Book of Mormon today.  Well I was thinking to myself that he would have to be pretty smart to be able to write a book that hasn't contradicted itself or been disproved in over 150 years.

I know now that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.  Tonight President Pinegar spoke at a 10 day fireside for all of us who came in on the 21st of June.  He spoke about obeying mission rules.  My testimony of Joseph Smith's divine calling came when we closed by singing "Praise To The Man".  I sang with all I could and while I was singing I saw in my mind a picture of the prophet Jospeh Smith being martyred.  I could almost hear him crying out, "My Lord, my God."  That very same spirit that I had thought and learned about this afternoon filled my whole body with the knowledge that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

After that meeting we went to our culture class.  That class really gets me excited.  I have a feeling that it has the opposite effect on Elder Brown.  He is from a city and I think that he would rather proselyte in the Washington D.C. (He is an intellectual Government man).  I am not trying to take anything away from him.  I think that, that is how he is inclined.  However, I am sure that he will learn to love the people as I hope I will.

My writing and spelling are failing me and my hand is about ready to fall off so I will call it a night.