Elder Schyler Shoemaker: Week 38

Akory irehe!? What's up everyone!? I hope you all are doing good! This week was a great one as always here in Madagascar! The work is going great and it is such a blessing to be around such amazing people everyday. This week we had lots of success finding new people, helping people progress, and helping people understand the importance of this great message. This week we had President and Sister Foote in town and that was awesome. President Foote is one of the greatest people I have ever met and I feel so blessed to work with him. I learned a lot from his lesson in Zone Conference. One thing he shared with us was a scripture in the Book of Mormon. One missionary said they had a couple they were teaching and the husband believes the Book of Mormon is true and the wife says it is false. He asked what to do about that. President Foote read a scripture that is 1 Nephi 15 verse 3, if I am not wrong. It is Nephi saying how Laman and Lemuel did not see the truth because they did not search for it as they should. They did not search for it with an open heart and mind. They did not truly desire to know the truth because they had already made up in their minds that it was false (they did not believe Lehi's teachings). This hit me. I have already taught a lot of people here in Madagascar and for the most part I can tell who will one day be baptized after the first lesson. It is easy to tell when the person is listening with their heart instead of thinking of ways to prove us wrong. And I know that anyone that reads the Book of Mormon without first deciding that it is false will come to know that it is the word of God. There could not be such a book filled with lies that can change peoples lives for the better. Sadly in this day and age, Satan tries to deceive us into believing what is truth and what is just against what the modern day Prophets say. He tells us that things of the world are the truth or the way of God. He hardens our hearts when the Holy Ghost is whispering to us. We need to truly seek for what is truth and what is light. I know that if we do that we will truly find it. I love teaching about the Book of Mormon. I tell people there are two results you can find when you read the Book of Mormon. Either Joseph Smith is a prophet of God or he is a liar. There is no in between, there is no fence to sit on. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. He did not lie. There is no possible way that I could have seen so many people find such amazing happiness in a message that is a complete lie. I know I am just one missionary also, there are many in the world that see miracles everyday and I know it is not because we are sharing a lie. This message is true, it is of God. I invite you to read the Book of Mormon with an open heart. If you have already read it, read it again. If you have read it but later felt that it is false. I invite you to read again. Pray and ask God. I know He loves you, He will help you if you will just ask sincerely. I love this Gospel. I hope you all have a great week!