Places to go and Ice Cream to eat!

Hola Todos!

   It's been a week full of many emotions, miracles!  Today marks 14 months on my mission!  I'm grateful for all the experiences I'm having and don't want them to ever end!    
   I would like to start my email today with a wonderful Sister Mann story....so the background you need is that we live in a small unit behind our Branch President's home. One night as we arrived home he and his wife were in the backyard and so they decided to hide near our door. We had no idea of this and I really needed to use the bathroom so we were rushing back to our room.  Can you guess how this story ends?  As we got to the door President and Sister Russo jumped out from the darkness.  We both jumped and screamed and I peed.....right then and there.  My companion and I haven't laughed so hard in a long long time.  When my companion stopped laughing enough to unlock the door I waddled in and changed and she sat down to laugh some more (that is my funny and embarrassing moment for the week).
   One of our investigators, Betty Garcia, has decided she isn't ready for baptism just yet.  So she won't be getting baptized this Saturday.  We went over to her house yesterday and talked with her, and after we talked for a little while we told her we didn't want her to feel pushed, but wanted her to feel like she was truly ready.  That night she texted us and said she felt like she needed more time to meet with us and learn more.  I am grateful that she told us how she was feeling because I don't want to just baptize those who want to be baptized...I want them to truly feel converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That was a little sad to hear about that but I'm happy to continue helping her and teaching her more.  Betty was super grateful that we understood!
   Anna and Pearl are doing really well.  Their whole family came to church again yesterday and really enjoyed it!  They are progressing so well and love learning from the Book of Mormon.  Every time we have a lesson with them, or when they come to church, they take a lot of notes.  Pearls kids love going to Primary (that's their favorite part)!  I love seeing the pictures that they draw after church as they all come running up to show me.  Each time we meet with them the kids want to know when they get to come to church again.  We hope to continue seeing them progress and gaining a testimony of their own.
  We set a baptismal date for Kris Poff for June 10th (when she goes back to Utah with her family).  Today is day 11 without a cigarette for her!  WE'RE SO EXCITED AND PROUD OF HER!  Her husband Jim (non member) has stopped chewing tobacco because of her example! Also she has been doing her family history a lot lately and thinks she might be close to finding someone in her ancestors who is a member of the Church and she is super excited about that.  
  This week we found a couple new investigators and we are super excited about them.  They seem really ready for the gospel in their lives.  One of our new investigators, Marisela, had read the introduction to the Book of Mormon (she kept her commitment!). She told us she felt happy when reading it and felt peace. She was super excited when we came back because she had a lot of questions and she was excited for them to be answered.  We are excited to keep teaching her.  
   At church yesterday we had 8 investigators come!  It was great!  The Relief Society lesson was on the Holy Ghost and his role, and how we can recognize the promptings we receive.  Both Pearl and Anna loved that lesson!  
   As we were knocking on apartment doors a bunch of kids came up to us and asked us if we could come to their house and share a message with their family (miracle).   We were able to share the new Easter video with them and we gave each of them a card that has a picture of our Savior Jesus Christ on it, and they each said they would put it by their bed!  After we left a few minutes later they came out of their house running after us and asked if they could take a picture with us..... it was so cute!  I love teaching little kids about who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us.  

   We have been priveldged to have the opportunity to share the new Easter Initiative "Prince of Peace" (visit mormon.org ) as we talk with people about this upcoming Easter season.  I want to share with you all a story that our Mission President  shared with us this week....
   "There is no message more hopeful than “the tomb was empty”.  Elder Marion D. Hanks shared an account of an eleven-year-old boy named Philip, a Down’s syndrome child who was in a Sunday School class with eight other children.  Easter Sunday the teacher brought an empty plastic egg for each child. They were instructed to go out of the church building onto the grounds and put into the egg something that would remind them of the meaning of Easter.  All returned joyfully.  As each egg was opened there were exclamations of delight at a butterfly, a twig, a flower, a blade of grass.  Then the last egg was opened.  It was Philip’s, and it was empty!  Some of the children made fun of Philip. “But, teacher,” he said, “teacher, the tomb was empty.”  A newspaper article announcing Philip’s death a few months later noted that at the conclusion of the funeral eight children marched forward and put a large empty egg on the small casket. On it was a banner that said, “The tomb was empty.”  Do you know, do you truly understand, that Christ's sacrifice was for you? The life that led him to that now empty tomb was a long and weary one yet, it was filled with compassion." 

Mark 6:30-34

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassiontoward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Even in a moment when he was seeking much needed rest, Christ turned outward to teach and bless all who would come unto him. 

Alma 7:11-12

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succorhis people according to their infirmities.

His life was never for glory, nor for fame. It was for you, and for me, and for all who have or would live on this earth. He lived, died, and rose again, because of love. And now, He lives. What comfort that sweet sentence gives. 

In times of trial I invite you to remember His words..

Doctrine and Covenants 50:41-42

41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.

I love you! I hope y'all have a wonderful week! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Mann

A Conference Miracle!!

Hola todos!

        Wow! What a crazy, wonderful week it's been!  We got transfer news
this morning and I'm staying in Carrizo Springs with Hermana Landon!
We are super excited to continue working together and finding the
Lord's lost sheep.  We saw so many miracles this week!  Last Monday we
had the opportunity to go with Sister Russo, and one of our
investigators, Kris Poff, to San Antonio for p-day and it was so much
fun!  We went to the Mercado Downtown, we got to go to the Cathedral,
and on the River Walk (which we found out is approved for
missionaries to go there now!).  It was so beautiful!  Fun fact....American
Ninja Warrior was being filmed in Downtown San Antonio so we got to go
see the set up!  Kris Poff bought us ropes (she's so sweet for doing
that!) She's also the one who taught us how to rope a couple weeks ago.
We had so much fun being able to go to San Antonio with them!
        Anna and Pearl are doing really well. They have been coming to church
and enjoyed attending conference and learned a lot from it!  Wasn't
General Conference amazing!  We had a miracle happen!  We had
investigators come to every session!  One of our investigators, Betty
Garcia, was watching it with us on Saturday at the church along with
another family from the branch.  After the second session the member
that was with us stood up and bore his testimony to Betty about how the
gospel has changed his life.  Betty then turned to us and said,
"Sisters I'm ready to be baptized!"  She felt the spirit so strong while
listening to conference and felt like she had received an answer to
her prayers!  She will be baptized next week on April 15th and we are
so excited for her!  For those of you that don't know Betty's story.....
Betty lives here in Carrizo Springs but a couple months ago she went
to visit her daughter who lives in Virginia. Her daughter is a member
and had the missionaries over a couple times.  When Betty got back to
Carrizo Springs she wanted to keep learning.  We started teaching her more and
invited her to keep reading the Book of Mormon and to continue praying.
She struggled with objection from her family and friends for wanting
to join the church, amongst some other things, but as Betty continued to
pray and come to church she found new friends and now she has decided to
continue moving forward with faith starting with the decision to be
baptized!  The Holy Ghost is truly the testifier!
        Kris Poff is working so hard to keep her commitments. She's reading
the Book of Mormon, she's praying, and coming to church every week.
Today is her 6th day without smoking a cigarette!  She loves the gospel
and is working towards baptism in June when she can go back to Utah
and get baptized there with all the rest of her family there!
        We've been working with a lot of new investigators and are excited to
see them progress and keep commitments!  We also get to start showing
the new Easter video for this year!  YAY!  I can't believe it's April!
Time is flying by so fast!
        I have learned a lot this week.  Every day that goes by on my mission
I can't help but think of how much it's changed me!  There are 3 things I
would like to share with y'all that I learned.  One, there are 2 ways
of evolving: deliberately and accidentally.  You can either decide
who you want to become and deliberately work toward that end, or you
can just go with the flow and become whatever life makes of you.  In
that event, you will become whatever the fickle circumstances and
forces of life and society will make of you; whatever is currently
considered the "popular" or in; whatever is easiest.  But, whatever
you become accidentally it will not be nearly the full measure of our
potential.  Two, in 1st Corinthians 13 I learned a lot.  These verses
in Corinthians speak of "charity". Say that even if you give all of
your goods to feed the poor, even if you give your body to be burned,
lay down your life for the truth, if your heart is not right, you will
not profit by it.  Good will be done, the poor will be fed, and the
truth defended, but the good that you do, will do you no good, unless
your heart is right.  Unless you have Charity.  Three, the purpose and
central blessing of life is change.  It is to be changed to become
more like Jesus Christ.  It is to incorporate into our character, the
qualities of His character.  It is to move from one degree of
intelligence and capacity to the next, and from there to the next,
until you see God face to face and know him as He knows you!  This
process of change, this process of evolving, becoming, is the object
of the gospel. Change is the design of faith in Christ, repentance and
baptism.  Redemptive change happens by  the power of  the Holy Ghost.
But it happens only if and  when your heart is right. It happens only
if you do not fight against God. It happens only if you unconditionally

surrender your will to the Lord.

        Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad
thing that happens to you, every unfairness, every conflict, every
sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation
and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you
opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of
Jesus.  As you do so you are changed to become more like Him.  I
promise as you apply the gospel teaching of Jesus Christ you will
become a changed person!  I have!  I loved Elder Rasband's talk in
General Conference on the Holy Ghost.  We can all be the first
responders to the promptings we receive and act right away on them!  If
you didn't have the opportunity to watch Conference please do so!  I
love y'all and hope you have a wonderful week!  I can't wait to see mas
milagros!

Con Amor,
Hermana Mann

Somos Ammonites!

Hola todos!

    What a wonderful week full of milagros milagros milagros!  It is
our last week until transfers!  AHH time is flying by too fast!  Our
first tender mercy this past week was given to us by one of our many
favorite investigators Kris Poff.  As many of you already know, we were
eager to become true Texans as we learned how to rope a steer.  As we
rolled up to the ranch, AKA the church building, Kris met us with
cowgirl hats, oversized sodas, and a calf ready for the catch.  We got
all dressed up in true cowgirl gear as she handed each of us a rope.
We started swinging right away and only roped ourselves once or twice
then we became natural at it (a picture is worth a thousand words so please
enjoy the many photos).  We sure enjoyed our time spent with Kris. 

An update on her is that she practically has her whole baptism planned

and is progressing quickly in her preparation.  We are excited for her!
    Tuesday we had district meeting.  I gave my first training in
Spanish and lets just say I hope someone learned something from it.
It wasn't my first training that I had given in the mission so I'm
grateful I knew how to give a training at least.  I was given the
topic of teaching the rest of the district new ways on how to teach
the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I came up with some object lessons that
the missionaries could use to help their investigators understand each
principle better. It went really well and later I heard that some of
the companionships in the district used the object lessons when they were

teaching some of their investigators and they went really well. 

So that was a plus!
    I was also able to have a wonderful exchange with Hermana Ferrell
this week.  She came to Carrizo Springs and we were able to teach lots
of people here.  We taught another one of our progressing investigator
families (Anna, Pearl, and Pearl's kids - Precious who's 9, Paris
who's 4, Royce who's 6, Jason who's 8, Roger who's 11, Lionel who's
14, and Juan who's 16).  We taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ and
used the object lessons to teach each of the principles of the gospel.
It really helped them understand it better.  Anna talked to her boss
at work this week and told him she was going to have to have Sundays
off because she wanted to be able to keep coming to church!  We were
super excited about that.  She really loved it when she came to church
last week and she saw the need and importance of it.  They are doing
so well and love reading in the Book of Mormon together and yesterday
we taught them and all the kids how to pray and they loved it and all
wanted to start praying as a family (aaww that makes me so happy)!
    We were able to find unplanned service opportunities this week and
it was great.  While trying to get in touch with one of our less
active branch members we found him in midday Texas heat installing new
headlights in his car.  He had probably crushed his thumb one time too
many because he seemed pretty ready to abandon the project entirely.
Although he hesitantly declined our offer to help we jumped in anyway.
With 45 minutes of sweat, dirt, and grease all over our bodies we had
finished his project and gained his friendship (thanks dad and
friends for helping prepare me for surprise mechanical service). On
Saturday we were able to get in touch with an old investigator named Joseph.
It was so good to meet him.  His eyes lit up when we came around the
corner and we were grateful to find out that he has been continuing to
read in the Book of Mormon.  He picked up more hours at work so we
hadn't been able to see him for awhile.  Anyway, he was in the middle
of repairing a chain fence for a nearby church, so after a tour of his
adorable garden, we jumped in and helped him finish up. He was so
grateful.  We were able to share a short message with him afterwards
and he said he wants to plan a picnic to say thank you to us for our
next appointment.  I never thought that the friends I would gain out
here would be older oil field workers, but these people are the most
humble, loving, giving people I have ever met, and I want to serve with
them forever. We also helped another one of our investigators clean
out an apartment that she is trying to rent out. She needed the tub
scrubbed.  I always forget how extremely dirty a place can get until I
am way too far in to back out. The bath was completely covered in a
brown crusty mix of dirt and soap scum. We rolled up our sleeves and
with all the elbow grease we could offer we got the tub nearly back to
it's original off white.  It'll probably look better when the rest of
the bathroom is clean.  Ok, one more service story if you can bear it!
We go twice each week to help out at the local hospital. This week we
found a lot of things there...such as my desired career field...and some
new friends. On Friday we went with two of the receptionists for a
spontaneous McDonalds run (McDonald's is fine dining out here
folks).  We laughed with them over our french fries until we ran out
of breath and then recovered ourselves with ice cream cones. They have
asked us a lot of questions about our faith and missionary work
because of the trust and friendship that has grown between us.
Although we cannot proselyte in the hospital some seeds have
definitely been planted.
    Through the service that we did this week we were able to build better
relationships with each of these wonderful people.  I love doing
service!  It truly brings me happiness.  Speaking of happiness, I read
something this week that I wanted to share with you.  I can't remember
the resource but this is what I had written down.  "Heavenly Father
desires that we find true, lasting happiness. Our happiness is the
design of all the blessings He gives us--gospel teachings,
commandments, priesthood ordinances, family relationships, prophets,
temples, the beauties of creation, and even the opportunity to
experience adversity.  His plan for our salvation is often called “the
great plan of happiness”.  He sent His Son to carry out the Atonement so
we can be happy in this life and receive a fulness of joy in the
eternities.  In John 3:16 it says "For ​​​God​ so ​​​loved​ the
​​​world​, that he ​​​gave​ his ​​​only​ begotten ​​​Son​, that
whosoever ​​​believeth​ in him should not perish, but have
​​​everlasting​ ​​​life​."  He wants us to be happy therefore He's
going to create every opportunity for us to return to live with Him
again."
     It's been a wonderful week full of many miracles!  We found so many
opportunities to teach others!  Also we were able to watch the General
Women's Conference at our church building and our investigator Betty
came and really loved it!  I was looking forward to watching it!  I
loved the talk by Bonnie H. Gordon.  She shared a scripture that hit
me in the heart when I read it.  It was Proverbs 3:5-6 

5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding.
6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Three ways to keep our knowledge and trust in our Savior
-fest upon the words of Christ (more scriptures)...search the scriptures!
-prayer (keep that open communication with our Heavenly Father)
-serve others (the best way to know our savior Jesus Christ and
feeling true happiness is by serving others as he did)

   Also I wanted to end my email by sharing these scriptures and one more thought.
I read in Mosiah 5 this week and this is what it says:

  1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to
his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they
believed the words which he had spoken unto them.
  2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the
words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their
surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which
has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no
more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
  3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and
the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to
come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.
  4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king
has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge,
whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.
  5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his
will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he
shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring
upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the
angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
  6 And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them;
and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I
desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant.
  7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be
called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for
behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that
your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are
born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.
  8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head
whereby ye can be made free.  There is no other name given whereby
salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the
name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God
that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
  9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found
at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is
called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
  10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon
him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore,
he findeth himself on the left hand of God.
  11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name
that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out,
except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do
not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts.
  12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name
written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand
of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be
called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.
  13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is
a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his
heart?
  14 And again, doth a man take an ass which belongeth to his neighbor,
and keep him? I say unto you, Nay; he will not even suffer that he
shall feed among his flocks, but will drive him away, and cast him
out.  I say unto you, that even so shall it be among you if ye know
not the name by which ye are called.
  15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable,
always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent,
may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have
everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power,
and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in
earth, who is God above all.  Amen.

    In these verses these people are developing a true change of heart and
want to follow our Savior Jesus and in verse 8 I love how it talks
about being free. How have you been freed through your Savior Jesus
Christ?

    There is a Mormon message I want y'all to look up and watch with your
families.  Its called A change of heart.  It's about a young man who
lives in Honduras and his life was going down a path in which he was
going to see a lot of hardship but his friend was able to share his
testimony with him and his heart was softened and changed forever.

    Family and friends, like king Benjamin and like this friend in the
video, may we not be afraid to share our testimonies with others. You
never know who's heart you might help soften and change. I would
invite you this week to find ways you can share your testimony with
others.  I know the spirit will guide you.  I want to here your
experiences that you have if you would like to share them with me.  I
know We can come to know our Savior better when we trust in Him and as
we share our testimonies with others we can help others feel of the
Savior's love for them.  I hope y'all have a wonderful week. I love
you!

Con Amor,
Hermana Mann

10 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH!!

Hola todos! 

What another wonderful week it's been here in Carrizo springs!  We have been busy all week and it's been great!  I truly love Texas and everyone here!  It's starting to get real hot down here!  Thank goodness for air conditioning!  I've never sweat so much in my life.  The humidity just makes you feel like your sopping wet all the time.  

I'm going to start out my email today by telling you the miracle of having 10 investigators at church yesterday!  We had invited a lot of people to church this week and Anna and Pearl came!  When they arrived all the sudden Pearl had 7 kids with her.  We thought she only had 2 little girls, Precious and Paris, but turns out she has 7 kids!  They were all so excited to come to church and they were all dressed nicely and ready to learn.  Earlier on in the week we had set up a church tour to do with them and they absolutely loved it and were so excited to come to church on Sunday!  I gave a talk during Sacrament meeting and then Hermana Landon and I sang a duet in Spanish.  They loved it and felt the spirit so strong that they both cried.  Pearl took a lot of notes during church and said her favorite part was Relief Society!  All of her kids enjoyed primary too.  They drew pictures and then after they told Pearl what they had learned and were so excited!  It was great to see them all happy and have such a wonderful experience!  We have another lesson set up with them tomorrow so hopefully things will go well.  They love learning and reading in the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets that we give them!  

We had some sad news happen this week.  Jessie Gomez decided he wasn't ready right now to make any changes or commitments in his life, but that maybe in the future he would be.  That made us so sad, but to know that he has the Book of Mormon and he knows how to contact the missionaries is a good thing, so hopefully one day he will meet with the missionaries again.

Betty Garcia is having a rough time making time to meet with us and has been working on Sundays so it's hard for her to make it to church.  But last night we were able to meet with her again and we had a good lesson with her and were able to teach based on her needs.  She told us she really wants to make time to meet with us every day this week so she can continue learning and feel the spirit in her life again. She has such a strong testimony of the gospel and its amazing how fast she is learning and knows that God is aware of her and everything she is going through.  

We had a wonderful lesson with Stacie and Carlos this week.  Brother Alvarez was able to come with us and he bore a powerful testimony on how repentance has changed his life.  Carlos is a less active member and Brother Alvarez is his older brother.  Stacie is a non-member and is Carlos's girlfriend.  We taught them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Stacie shared with us how much she wants change in her life and just wants to be happy!  They weren't able to make it to church this week because they went out of town, but hopefully this next week they will be able to come (crossing fingers). 

A miracle happened this week!  Our investigator Kris Poff decided she wants to be baptized!  She sent us a text message after we met with her that she wants to get baptized in June in Bluff Utah where all her family and friends are living. We are super excited for her and hope that everything will go well with that!  She is the biggest cowgirl I've ever met and she's teaching us how to rope today for p-day (yay)! 

This weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to go to San Antonio for Zone Conference.  Elder Craig C. Christensen from the 70 came and spoke with us.  It was by far the best Zone Conference I've had my whole mission.  He spoke to us about a few things and then we did a Q&A for about 2 hours.  It was the greatest thing ever!  I've never had so many questions answered all at one time.  I'm grateful that he was able to come here and speak with us.  I know that our Prophet and the 12 Apostles and the 70 are men called from God.

To finish up my email today I wanted to share a thought that I had this week starting with a story from the October 2016 General Conference: By Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. Of the Seventy.

"On June 14, 1989, due to some misinformation about the Church, the government of Ghana banned all activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within that African country.  The government seized all Church property, and all missionary activity stopped.  The members of the Church, who refer to this period as “the freeze,” did their best to live the gospel without branch meetings or the support of missionaries. There are many inspiring stories about how the members kept the light of the gospel shining by worshipping in their homes and looking after each other as home and visiting teachers.

Eventually the misunderstanding was resolved, and on November 30, 1990, the freeze ended and normal Church activities resumed.  Since then there has been an excellent relationship between the Church and the government of Ghana.  Members who lived through the freeze are quick to point out the blessings that came from that unusual period.  The faith of many was strengthened through the adversity that they faced.  But one blessing of the freeze came in an unusual way.  Nicholas Ofosu-Hene was a young policeman assigned to guard an LDS meetinghouse during the freeze. His duty was to watch over the building at night. When Nicholas first arrived at the meetinghouse, he saw that things had been scattered around, with papers, books, and furniture in disarray.  In the midst of this disorder, he saw a copy of the Book of Mormon.  He tried ignoring the book because he had been told that it was evil.  But he felt strangely attracted to it.  Finally, Nicholas could ignore the book no longer.  He picked it up.  He felt impelled to start reading it.  He read through the night, tears running down his cheeks as he read.

The first time he picked it up, he read all of 1 Nephi. The second time, he read all of 2 Nephi.  When he got to 2 Nephi chapter 25, he read the following: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

At that point, Nicholas felt the Spirit so strongly that he started sobbing. He realized that in the course of his reading he had received several spiritual promptings that this book was scripture, the most correct he had ever read.  He realized that the Latter-day Saints, contrary to what he had heard, strongly believe in Jesus Christ.  After the freeze ended and missionaries returned to Ghana, Nicholas, his wife, and his children joined the Church.  When I saw him last year, he was a police commander and was serving as the president of the Tamale Ghana District of the Church.  He says: “The Church has transformed my life. … I thank the Almighty God for leading me into this gospel.”"

    I know that our loving Heavenly Father has a plan and he wants us to be happy.  Knowing that doubt, disbelief, and misinformation would remain after centuries of darkness known as the great Apostasy our Heavenly Father brought forth an ancient volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible, which contains the fullness of the gospel, the plan of salvation, and it testifies of Jesus Christ.  Reading, pondering, and praying about the Book of Mormon are critical for someone to receive a lasting conversion. 

Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. goes on to say, "Some people have such a powerful experience with the Book of Mormon the first time they open it, but for others the witness of the truthfulness comes more gradually as they read and pray about it."

    He told of an experience that one of his friends once had.  He says, "I have a friend who read the Book of Mormon searching to know if it was true. He applied the invitation in Moroni to ask God with a sincere heart, with real intent and faith in Christ, if the Book of Mormon is true. But he did not immediately get the promised spiritual answer. However, one day as he was deep in thought, driving down the road, the Spirit testified to him of the truth of the Book of Mormon. So happy and overwhelmed was he that he rolled down the car window and yelled, to no one in particular and yet to all the world, “It’s true!”"

When I first read the Book of Mormon as a young child with my family it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me with the big words and the usage of thee, thou, thine but as I grew up to be a teenager I kept reading it on my own, praying, writing down spiritual promptings that I would receive so that I could understand it better and as I came to be an adult I still didn't fully understand it but every time I read it I could sense something. There was always a sense of spirit and peace that came every time I opened the book. The feeling grew as I continued my reading and knowledge came with it along with my testimony of it's truthfulness.  

Whether our testimony of the Book of Mormon comes the first time we open it or over a period of time, it will influence us all of our days if we continue to read it and apply it's teachings. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.”

    The greatest power of the Book of Mormon is it's impact in bringing us closer to Jesus Christ.  I have been asked many times on my mission "But  why  is  the  Book  of  Mormon so  essential if  we already  have  the  Bible  to  teach  us  about  Jesus Christ?" 

Elder  Tad  R.  Callister said this, "Have  you  ever  wondered  why  there  are  so many  Christian  churches  in  the  world  today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible?   It is  because the  interpret the Bibl differently.  If  they interprete  it the same, they would  be the same church.  This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one  Lord, one  faith, one baptism” (Ephesians  4:5).  To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses.  Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians  13:1).  The Bible is one witness of  Jesus Christ;  the Book of  Mormon is another.  Why is this second witness so crucial?  The  following  illustration  may help: How many straight lines can  you draw through a single point on a piece of  paper?  The answer is infinite.  For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of  those straight lines drawn through that point  represent different interpretations of the Bible and that  each of those interpretations represents a different church.  What happens, however, if on that piece of  paper there is a second point representing the  Book of Mormon?  How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference  points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon?  Only one.  Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the  testimony of these two witnesses. Again and again the Book of Mormon acts as a confirming,  clarifying,  unifying witness of the doctrines  taught in the Bible so that there is only “one Lord,  one faith,  one  baptism."

    I am grateful for the invitation and promise that the Lord has offered through the prophet Moroni to each of us and to everyone who reads the Book of Mormon.  I would invite all of you to go read the 2nd to last paragraph in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon even if you have already read it before.  Pray and learn something new from it.  

I know that whether it be the first time you open up the Book of Mormon or the 75th time you open it up that you WILL receive that promised blessing as you seek and pray with a sincere heart that the Lord will bare witness of its truthfulness unto you.  I know that God lives and loves us.  He wants to bless each of us.  He has a plan and He wants us to be happy.  I love each and every one of you.  I pray for you and your families and I know that as you have faith in the Lord and continue to press forward that you will find true happiness in your life.  I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it contains all truth in it. 

I hope y'all have a wonderful week!  I love you, stay safe.

Con amor,

Hermana Mann