Week 71

Hello Family,

This week was great!

We are having great progress here!

The Martin family, the family we baptized last week has been doing so well, participating in Sunday school and priesthood classes, paying tithing and just thriving in the gospel of Jesus Christ! One very special moment was when both Gringo (Peter's real name) and Marvin recieved the Aaronic Priesthood! It was very exciting to watch.

I love seeing families be blessed by living the gospel and that is the whole reason why we are here on earth, it is to learn and grow in families and prove our faithfulness so that we may return to God's presence and recieve all His blessings!

I love my family very much and am very grateful for them, especially my parents, for the love and the things they have taught me.

This week I learned the affect of The Book of Mormon on family life.

One of our investigators Jane, is a normal teenager here and has normal fights occasionally with her parents. But, she has told us as she has read the book of Mormon she has seen a huge difference at home and has had greater peace and has become closer to her mother. After her father died she became distant from her mother, but through studying of the book of Mormon she has seen a change in herself and has started to do things that she had never done before to serve and help others around her. Her mother too has noticed the change and has agreed to listen next time we teach Jane. It just feels my heart with gratitude for the converting power of the Book of Mormon. I am grateful personally for the Book of Mormon in my life as it has shaped me and made me the person that I am today, and it will continue to shape me and my decisions in the future.

If we read and apply the writings of the prophets in the Book of Mormon we will be given the power to change our lives for good.

I know the book of Mormon is true!  I read it day after day and everyday I find new nuggets of knowlege and revelation for me to use daily.

I also read the Holy Bible and know that both the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain the gospel. We need them both to know what we must do to return to our Father in Heaven.

I love you all. I love this work! We are all responsible to share the gospel to the world, as children of Israel and as a part of the Abrahamic covenant!

Mahal kita!

ELDER MURDOCK