Buenas tardes del hermoso lugar de la Ciudad de México. This week was just another normal missionary week. I could talk about miracles if you wanted but I'll save those for after the mission. I'll share one experience though: we were contacting some lady we found in the street when this other guy walks up and just butts in and asks "what are your names?" tbh he kinda scared me and smelled bad (i may have judged him a little bit but after being robbed 3 times you don't trust anyone) and so i didn't understand him, and he decided to ask me in English, and proceeded to ask if i wished for him to speak to me in English. I told him no and we began to talk and he said a bunch of weird things and then told us we were apostate a few times, and i finally got a little tired of listening to him and asked "sorry, but why are you talking to us?" and he said something along the lines of "I don't like you. I don't want to see you here. i don't want you here. Go away. Don't knock doors. If you want to talk to someone, you make an appointment. So go away." So I extended my hand to say goodbye and he told me "no. it's okay. bye." and so I wished him a nice afternoon and left. If you've ever asked yourself, a mission is about 40% experiences like that, 50% getting ignored or rejected nicely, and 10% getting accepted. but you get used to it, and typically the 10% makes the other 90% worth it.
This week I have learned some cool things. I've been studying the Book of Mormon a lot and it really is just such a complex thing. to show you a little bit of its complexity:
This is every name that shows up in the Book of Mormon, up to around Alma 40 something. I couldn't get it all done before they erased it, but maybe some of you guys could figure this out. or maybe not because its in Spanish. but either way, I've been thinking a lot about the Book of Mormon this week. I don't know how many of you remember the earthquake back in September, but there's a certain area here in the city called la Condesa. it's pretty fancy, lots of big buildings and stuff like that. but there was a brand new building that had been built when the earthquake hit. the building didn't fall, but was so severely damaged that it can't be used anymore. Someone sued, and an investigation was done, and it turns out that the foundation wasn't dug deep enough and that's why the building ended up that way. but many times it's like that with our testimonies. We don't have a good foundation, or maybe we think we do, or maybe we think that our foundation is deep enough when really it isn't. There's a story in the Book of Mormon in 3rd Nephi 14 that talks about this:
24 Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock—25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand—27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
And then if we go to Helaman 5:12 we can learn a little more about this rock:
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty stormshall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Our testimonies will never fall if we can build them upon a firm foundation. and for me the Book of Mormon is one of the firmest foundations there is. When we read that book, and study it thoroughly, it really is impossible to disprove it. I know that it's true. it can help us in every moment, and answers many questions that we have in our lives.
I'm out of time but my next thought will come next week! love you guys, have a good week!
Elder Jones
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