Hey Y'all,
This week was great! We have been attending a Cottage Meeting/Bible Study every week that is held at Brother Johnson's house and have had much success lately. One of our new investigators Mr. Moore that has been hanging around Bro Johnson has become excited to learn about the Gospel. I mean who wouldn't be excited when you start talking to Brother Johnson and he hits you with scripture after scripture from the bible haha. Mr. Moore is a previous street preacher and has recently found that many of the baptist churches have opposing views about certain subjects such as the priesthood found in the bible. He told us that he really wants to know the truth about how to live a faithful life and serve others. I remember a quote from him this week was, "I am so sick of preachers tellin me to serve God and give everything to Him when they are just playin possum drivin around in their tinted out Mercedes." I laughed and excitedly assured him that we can teach him the truth of the gospel. He has been coming to Church and even watched General Conference with us last weekend. I am excited to start teaching him the discussions this week!
We had an amazing miracle this week as well. Before Church yesterday I was pondering about what a less active member had asked us the other week. We have met with this man a few times in the past couple months and he has been very friendly to us missionaries as he was once one. He is a return missionary of about 30 years, but has lost track of the happiness that the Gospel brought to his life. We have been able to meet his kids and can tell that he loves them very much. He is a really good guy, but has lost sight of the truth. However, when we visit him he has Anti-ed us almost every time. Probably shouldn't keep going back right? Well, the bishopric urged us to keep fellow-shipping him and being a friend to him. A few weeks ago he asked us a question about why the Bible's Isaiah chapters are so similar to passages in the Book of Mormon and yet the Pearl of Great Price specifically in the Book of Abraham isn't nearly as similar as either of the other accounts. At the time we didn't really know what to say, but told him we would get back with him. After a couple weeks of praying for an answer yesterday morning it hit me. I thought about all of the experiences that I have had with personal revelation when reading specifically in the Pearl of Great Price. I remembered a time when I received an answer to a heartfelt prayer in regards to the Sabbath day and being directed to the 3rd chapter in Moses.(That story for another day) Upon thinking about this experience I thought about possibly sharing my testimony about it to this less active member, Grant, if he asked us this question again. This is really the miracle though:
After church a member of the bishopric sporadically decided he wanted to take us to see this less active. I thought to myself, "Alright, I think I have something to share if he brings that question up again since I brainstormed it all this morning." We met up with Grant and while we were talking he brought up the question that he had previously inquired about the three different passages of the Isaiah chapters. Bro. Ortiz mentioned that he would look into it and then started talking about something else. For whatever reason I didn't feel prompted to share my experience and just sat quietly. We continued talking and Grant ended up showing us his entire collection of Ensigns dating clear back to the 1960's. He had every ensign that had been published. While they started talking about other things, I was prompted to pick up one of the aged Ensigns from the middle of the pile. I ended up picking up the old March 1980 ensign. I suddenly turned to an article in the middle of the magazine written by Robert J. Matthews entitled, "Why do the Book of Mormon selections from Isaiah sometimes parallel the King James Version and not the older-- and thus presumably more accurate--Dead Sea Scrolls text?" I couldn't believe my eyes. I was immediately filled with the spirit and without words. I was in utter shock. This had been the very first Ensign and first article that I looked at in this massive collection of aged Ensigns and Liahonas. I then mustered up the strength to mutter the words, "You guys wouldn't believe what I just turned to." I proceeded to share with everyone the title of the article and began reading aloud the contents. The spirit continued to fill my heart as I read aloud the answers to all of the many concerns that Grant had. We continued to express our love for Grant and his family. At the end of the lesson Grant told me that I could keep the ensign for "one of my mission miracle stories." Grant would always tell us a miracle from his mission every time we came and so he expressed that this could be one of mine. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father that answers each and everyone of our prayers even if it may seem to take longer than we would like or anticipate. This was an answer to prayers and a miracle that I wouldn't have ever thought imaginable. I hope and pray that this experience touched Grant's heart as much as it did mine. This was indeed a miracle and tender mercy from on High.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week! I love you all and am thankful for your prayers in my behalf.
Love,
Elder Wilson
