Boldly Persisting

Elder Griffiths, pre-mission.

Elder Harden and I realized last night that we've gotten less bold with people. We decided right then and there that we would be bold to the rest of the people that we'd meet that night. 

We started with newfound zeal and energy and the first person we talked to slammed his door in our face. Not much of an opportunity for boldness. 

The second person opened the door and yelled at me for bringing my beliefs to her door and then slammed the door in my face. Not much of an opportunity to be bold, although I did try and invite her to learn what we actually believed. 

The next door, they slammed it. It would've been pretty easy to take this as a sign from God that we weren't supposed to try and be bold with people. 

Then we knocked on the next door, and a man stepped out and told us we were wrong and that our beliefs were incorrect. Bingo!! Opportunity for boldness was found. After a discussion about our beliefs on different subjects we closed with our testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the Restoration and it left him speechless. My mission president loves to say, "Missionaries have a license from God to be bold."

The Source of Truth

Elder Harden reading in the evening
after a long day's work.

Sometimes my biggest fear is what an investigator is doing when we aren't around them. There is so much opposition to truth and righteousness in this world and our investigators get hit with it as soon as the missionaries leave their home. Misinformation is everywhere and it always seems to find the people we're teaching. Most of the time people trust the internet and Google search more than they trust the scriptures. 

The number one reason why people stop meeting with us is because they misunderstand what we believe, or they think we believe something that we don't actually believe. It would be pretty funny if there wasn't so much at stake with these people. 

Elder Harden and I were teaching a man and he loved everything about what we taught and then a couple days later he looked on YouTube and found "beliefs" we have, which aren't true, and he decided not to continue learning even though we showed him in the scriptures that it's not what we believe. Just remember, if it's important to check your sources when writing a school paper, it's infinitely more important to check your sources when seeking eternal life.

Florida wildlife.

Ducks through the car window.

Nailed It!

Selfie!

This week I've really learned about how important it is to pay attention to what prophets say. Twenty years ago the Apostles were warning us of different trials, challenges, calamities, politics, and problems that we would be facing in our day. They nailed each issue right on the noggin. I've really learned follow their counsel with exactness. It brings blessings for sure!

Some Weeks Are Just Tough

Elder Griffiths and Elder Harden at district training meeting.

This past week was a very stressful one. It's hard when a baptism falls through because you know the blessings the person could've gotten had they followed through with making that covenant.