What is the Book of Mormon

Well not much passed this week, but I didn’t want to leave without writing anything. 

So this week and month the mission will be focusing a ton on what the Book of Mormon is. Many of us a members will know what the Book of Mormon is and how we would explain it those who are not members may have questions, doubts, or a limited knowledge of what the Book of Mormon is exactly. In my personal studies this week I had the opportunity to think and ponder on the different types of people that there are who may not or may know what the Book of Mormon is, but more importantly why it would have any relevance to them. If you are curious as to know or you think you know I would invite you to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon. There as you read what it has to say you will find a clear answer to the divinity of this Book. I will briefly summarize with my testimony that I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That God's children here I America had communication with him as that they kept a record of these things for us. I know that the Book of Mormon teaches us truly how to find peace and the path to salvation if we read it and study it with the thought in mind. I know that the prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and that it is the only book that brings us closer to God here on earth. I know because I have read, pondered, and prayed and the Holy Ghost manifested the truth of it unto me. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint is the true church of God and that Jesus is the Christ. This and more await for those who read, ponder, and pray to see if it is true.
 In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

travel

Well brothers and sisters it has been a wonderful week here in the best mission in the world! So my companion and I Elder Arnold were a little busy this week, but we learned and felt the spirit. So this week we also had been visiting a lot of the recent converts in the area because they truly are a sacred trust. After that on Thursday we left to go and visit another part of the mission called Matehuala that’s in the state of San Luis Potosi. We met with the missionaries there and had a small conference on different mission aspects. Right after we then immediately got on a bus and were headed right back for San Luis Potosi to have the same conference with the zones in the morning. They were very edifying and uplifting. After all the traveling my companion and I kept working hard in the area we are very close to baptism with a few investigators right now and we keep finding great investigators as well. The ward here to be super active so I am loving it here in Aguascalientes. 

Well this week my companion and i were speaking a lot about different gospel topics, but there is one that I want to share right now. So our mission president was teaching my companion and me about faith vs. the agency of the investigators that we are teaching.  He explained that our faith and there agency sometimes are like two fist that just pound each other all day long, because the investigator doesn’t complete with the invitation. Over time the two fists get tired, and neither is winning. As I thought of the relation I have come to see that we too as children of God are subject to this. When we use our agency to go against the commandments of God all we are doing is breaking ourselves over the other fist we try so hard to see that if it’s just one time that it’s okay, but all we do is break ourselves. The goal of the commandments of God are not o fight, but rather tie our hands together or hold them together in union, allowing us to stay safe from danger, and fell the love of our heavenly father, but it’s our choice to fight it or to allow it to change our lives. I know that as we oppose God we truly do hurt, break, and damage ourselves, but as we hold hands we will be protected, strengthened, and blessed. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili 

Leadership conference

Well the week went by very fast, but I learned a lot this week. So brothers and sisters being that its summer here in Aguascalientes it is getting very hot. It is very fun being here again with my companions. This week we had a leadership conference and during it we learned a lot about the role that the Holy Ghost has in our lives that he really is the teacher and converter. This week one of our companions had to go and help other missionaries so he isn’t with us anymore just Elder Arnold and I are here in Aguascalientes, but we doing well. The week I loved though because I just feel the spirit it’s a hard feeling to describe, but it’s something that happens when we live the gospel. 

So this week I have seen that sicknesses have been plaguing our mission as well as me. Don’t worry though I’m fine. During this time of sickness though I have truly saw the power of God manifest through the priesthood. I received a blessing in the coming days and I gave a blessing. The part I want to share though was when I gave a blessing. Now being that the priesthood is directly linked with the powers of heaven I cannot share everything, but I know that when we truly as priesthood holders exercise our priesthood worthily all our blessed. The blessing I gave was to a sister missionary and after the blessing we parted ways and began walking silently my companion and I to our class. No sooner had we gotten to the door of the class did he tell me Elder that was powerful! Reflecting on his words I know that it was, but is was Gods power that was manifest, not mine. I know that all who want can experiment it as well.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili

Transfer back to first area

Well new news I had transfers to Aguascalientes. I am now in Colinas. It’s a very nice area actually I had served in this area in the beginning of my mission, but just on exchanges. I have returned to my first district as well. I was very happy as well because I was able to see familiar faces or members of the first ward that I was in. They too were happy to see me. 

So this weekend we heard from prophets and apostles. I was amazed at the power of the spirit that was present, but my favorite talk was by Presidente Russel M Nelson. He spoke in the priesthood session. It was an answer to my prayers. I love and am grateful that God has given me the opportunity to hold and use his priesthood, but I am even more grateful that I can use it to bless others. I know that the power of the priesthood has been restored, and that we as men must be worthy priesthood holders. For the powers of heaven can be called down by us, but we are also have to follow what the lord has told us today. (D&C 121:34-46) I love god and I love my calling.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili

The power of Unity

Well-beloved brothers and sisters this week was incredible. The weather here is still the normal day to day changing from cloudy to sunny and other types. So this week as well with the weather changing everyday so was the way in which my companion and I had to do. We were pretty busy this week with a few different meetings and the Zone Conference with Presidente Villarreal. We truly were edified and taught the doctrine of the kingdom in that conference and we were taught the importance of always thinking baptism. The mission is coming closer and closer to completing its three year anniversary and the second mission president of the mission. It really is the time now than ever to teach repentance and baptize converts. My companion and I had a few experiences this week as well in finding people to teach. A woman went to church with her family last Sunday, but the other ward. The missionaries passed us the reference and we went to visit her. Truly God prepares his children is all I can say from how we were lead to this woman, as well she then as an investigator gave us the reference of her next door neighbor which was awesome because it’s a great big family as well in which we hope and feel God is preparing. I truly can say that my companion and I have had to be patient, but God really does love his children and leads us to them in his time. 

So as a spiritual thought and as the title of my letter I put the power of unity. My companion and I have been together for almost a transfer it’s the last week, but throughout it I have seen the more united we are the more power and more love I feel from the savior. As well the more that my companion and I have been working with the ward the more lively and happier. Why does unity have such a grand effect in us? I have come to see that as my companion and I teach the spirit fills the room, and we leave to do visits with the ward we leaved uplifted and edified. Just as God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost and very distinct and separate individuals who have their different responsibilities just as a missionary from and member of the church, they have the same purpose, "To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". Just as we work together God and his son have always worked together and the holy ghost bearing testimony of them, when we as his children participate and help him complete his purpose we unit as children of God to make sure that no one has to suffer and to go without the joy that comes from living the gospel. I know that God lives and that as I work alongside him I come to know him more and I feel his love. I know that Christ atoned for my sins allowing me to become clean and perfect myself daily. I know that the Holy host bears witness of them and to me of the truthfulness of the gospel. I know that if I continue striving to unite my will with theirs one day I will be united with them in the Celestial Kingdom. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili   

Sunny, Rainy, Sunny again

Well another week here in Soledad and another week that means a letter. So first the weather here in San Luis Potosi is extremely strange. It can be very cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, cold at night and the following day raining with heavy winds. This week passed just that and  it is the strangest thing in the world to be honest because you have to choose wisely if you leave the house with a sweater or decide to leave without one. So my companion and I this week and in others have been working a lot with the members of the ward. The ward here as well is working hard, because they can divide into two soon if they work harder. As well we as missionaries have a lot to visit and a very very large area. The members help make it a little easier. As well we have been able to find some new families to teach and were finding more investigators. Little by little were coming along here. As well this week we had exchanges with the district leader and I went to the other area. We walked the entire first day contacting, but no one was home. It just goes to show that not every day is perfect, but we still have to work we did talk with many, just no one wanted to let us share in the moment. Anyway after finishing the exchanges my companion and I have been working extremely hard. We really do hope to be able to baptize this month. 

So this week I was studying in Ether and it really is interesting. It is a very long story, but it speaks a ton about a lot of different changes in kings because some ruled righteously and others had their thrones taken by their sons and then their sons take back the throne and it continues like this for a very long time, now why would I be talking about this? So in Ether kings were given because the people choose them, but when the decision was made the prophet being the brother of Jared tried warning them to choose a different system almost knowing what it would cause and in the end the entire destruction of the Jaredite people. I find it interesting though that they still chose kings and its principle cause for the destruction of the Jaredites. The principle I learned though was this that if we choose to be ruled or that others may rule us maybe our lives stay in peace for a few years, but they slowly begin to destroy us. We are our own agents and therefore act for ourselves and should do so and if we do so our lives will be governed not by power, but the desire to come closer to God or better yet return with him and our families eternally, but the choice is ours and we can save our people or see their future destruction. I know that God trusts us to choose for ourselves. I know that by following the Savior we are brought closer to them, and we become more perfect ourselves. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili

walking and walking

Well my beloved brothers and sisters I am absolutely amazed and tired after another week in the Lord's vineyard. So this last week passed by quickly and slowly, but it was full of moments that I don’t think that I will forget. So this week my companion and I left with our ward misión leader and did visits with him, but we also did exchanges or division with another member. While on division I was able to meet a lot of new people as well as my companion teach some very important people who some have accepted baptismal invitations. As well during this week we had our zone conference and during the conference we learned about the new standard that our mission President has given us a mission. It is incredibly high, but I know that he is inspired of God to give such a promise as well as a declaration of what the Lord has in store for us as a mission. During the zone conference I also saw one of my old companions or Elder Rosas and he told me about how Brenda an investigator had been baptized, as well as how some are in the process of becoming baptized! It made me happy to know that I had been a part of the process in helping them become baptized. During the weekend as well we had a few difficulties we walked a lot to explain how tired I was when we arrived home and after finishing planning I can’t remember anything other than crawling in bed and waking up the next morning. It was a good feeling, but the best one was seeing the help that we are receiving from the ward this week. 

So this week I had an experience that help me as a missionary. So we have an investigator that we found who has a ton of problems, but just one is that her husband is dying from cancer and she takes care of him from home. It was our second lesson with her and we asked if she had felt a difference in her life as she prayed in the manner we taught her. She then began to express how it not only was blessing her, but her family as well! I was shocked not that God blessed her, but that for something so simple God was blessing her entire family as well. I think on the experience and think of the hymn, "count your blessing name them one by one count your blessing see what God has done count your blessings name them one by one count you many blessings see what God hath done." If we really take the time to think the góspel blesses us in many ways and as a missionary it’s something that I love to do with my investigators so that they can see if they obey the receive and that God blesses them in their efforts to obey as well. I invite that you take the time to count the blessing the gospel gives and you truly will see what God hath done. 

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Elder Perfili 

Logan thought it was funny "gober" is a word even in Spanish.