Sunday, February 3, 2008

2-3-08 - Book # 34

Today was fast Sunday, and it was my day to teach again. It was an AMAZING lesson. I loved it. We learned about 1 Nephi 16-18. Everyone was super talkative, I think it was because they were fasting. We learned about trying to become more like Nephi and about the difference between worldly and Godly sorrow. One of the cool little testimony builders about the Book of Mormon I learned while preparing the talk, Nephi when he broke his steel bow, he made another bow out of wood AND an arrow. Why did he make another arrow? Why couldn't he have used his arrows from the steel bow he had? The reason was because the steel bow doesn't have to be pulled back as far, so the arrows are shorter. If he would have used the same arrows, he wouldn't have been able to pull back his wooden bow as far as possible to get the maximum amount of speed out of the arrow. So he had to make new longer arrows out of wood so he could get full extension and full speed. There is no way Joseph Smith could have known that fact when he was translating the book. So it MUST be true. Anyways, tonight I took the book to my one of my other neighbors who have not received the book yet. It was my new neighbor who moved in a little over a month ago. I hadn't been over to say hi yet, and I got home a little early from family dinner and decided it would be a good time to go over and introduce myself and share the gospel with her. It was a little weird, mostly because she was on the phone when she answered the door. I tried making small talk and to tell her a little bit about me but it was like she was just backing up. So I asked her if she was religious, and she said it depends on which one, so I told her I was LDS and that I wanted to share a book with her. She opened the screen door just enough for me to slide the book in to her. I told her it was nice to meet her and she went back inside. Interesting, but now I have a foot in the door and once she gets to know me a little better, we'll look back on this day and laugh.

2-2-08 - Book # 33

Tonight we went down to the strip for Emily's birthday. We ate at the cheesecake factory. I think that was my first time ever eating there. It was perty good. Afterwards we went and hung out at FAO Schwartz and played on the piano and the other toys they had there. Then Trey wanted to go act like zombies with his friend Andy, so I took Taylor and him back to my house. On the way there we drove through the shopping centers over by my house and gave away the book to a kid who was coming out of Vons. I say kid, but he was probably my age or a little older. When I gave it to him I asked if he had ever heard of it before. He kinda chuckled and said that he had. So what I decided that meant was one of two things, he is mormon, or extremely anti-mormon. Ya never know though, do ya?

2-1-08 - Book # 32

Tonight was just a quick give-away. Danielle, Emily and I were all going to go to Danielles softball game. Before we went, we needed to stop by Wal-mart. While we were checking out, the guy who was helping us seemed like he could use a good cheering up. I tried talking to him and asking how is day was, but he was practically deaf and could barely hear me. After I had finished paying, I told him I wanted him to have this book, and that it would change his life. He smiled when he saw what it was, maybe because he didn't hear me. He took it and as we walked away Danielle kept looking back and said that he was flipping through the pages. Hopefully our little run-in will make a difference. I know it will as long as he puts forth the effort to do it.

1-31-08 - Book # 31

Tonight was a first. Something that I've been wanting to do since I've been giving out these books. So tonight I had school like every other night. On the way back to the parking garage, this girl from my class was walking right next to me. Then she started talking and asked me about how I was doing in the class. This girl has talked to me before as well. So we chatted the whole long walk back to the cars. I told her about how I learned spanish on a mission in Kentucky. She thought that was pretty crazy. Turns out she graduated in 2002 from vo-tech… where that is I'm not sure. But she was only 16! So she's pretty darn smart too. Well right as we were about to part ways I pulled the BOM out of my back pocket and told her I knew it would bless her life. She smiled and told me thanks and walked away flipping through the pages. Finally somebody I'll be able to follow up with. I've been wanting to give one to the people in one of my classes just so I could see them again later. We'll see what happens!