The Book of Mormon has the Power to Change People for Good

Hello family!

This week was packed full of stuff and it was a great week! Tuesday we went on an exchange with the assistants, Wednesday we had an all-mission conference and on Friday we had Summer Scrub day.  Unfortunately the Bahrs are leaving in like 2 weeks and then the Jepsons are coming.  That was the reason for the conference on Wednesday.  It was the last time most of the missionaries will see President and Sister Bahr while they are missionaries.  Luckily I will get to see them a few more times because of the meetings I have to go to.  They really are such amazing people and they have inspired me in so many ways.  I will miss working with them,  but I know I will grow to love President and Sister Jepson as well.  On Friday we cleaned more than I ever have in my entire life!  We scrubbed all of the walls mopped all the floors,  cleaned all the carpet and cleaned pretty much anything you can think of.  It took us about 7 hours, but we had a lot of fun doing it.  Our exchange was also really great and I learned a lot from Elder Potter.

It's funny that you asked about Nikki Sixx, because she kind of went crazy on us.  While I was gone on the exchange, they had a church tour/lesson.  When she saw a picture of the first vision she flipped out!  She was saying that we worship graven images... She refuses to believe that God and Jesus Christ are separate, and does not believe that anyone has ever seen God.  She said she'll read the Book of Mormon but she won't pray about it.  Me. is doing great and we set him with a baptismal date.  That also happened while I was on the exchange and we haven't seen him since but I'm excited to keep teaching him.  Jo. is about 36 and his wife and step kids are all members.  He has been taught for about a year now and hasn't progressed too much.  They have a lot of family issues and can't seem to ever get along and so we've been trying to help them all out.  The mother, A., might get deported and so they are facing a lot of trials.  We have found that the best thing for all of them is to go over and read from the Book of Mormon with them.  Last week we were able to get the whole family to sit down and read together.  It worked miracles! Later they told us that after we left they were able to sit to talk as a family without fighting for the first time in a long time.  We're going to try and do that with them 3 times a week so they can develop the habit of doing it on their own. 


Our experience with them has really strengthened my testimony of family scripture study.  I LOVE the Book of Mormon.  It has the power to change people for good and to give direction to those who are lost.  I know that it was written for a wise purpose and specifically for the people of our day. Those who are strongest spiritually are those who thirst for and rely on the Book of Mormon.  Study from it every day, every day.  I have an undying love and testimony of that great Testament of Jesus Christ.  If all I ever had to study from was the Book of Mormon my soul would be content.  I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for his role in bringing forth those great words spoken out of the dust.  Our Bishopric has issued a challenge to the ward, to read the entire Book of Mormon in three months.  I have seen a change in many of the members who have taken on this challenge.


 I leave with you my humble testimony that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. I echo the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith himself "... the Book of Mormon (is) the most correct of any book on earth,... and a man (will) get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."  I know that the Book of Mormon changes lives.  It plays a vital role in our salvation.  I pray that you will all read from it often.

Love,

Elder Tilley