Palio Time

Cara Famiglia,


Well the biggest non-spiritual news this week is the Palio! [A big horse race in Siena, see the Wikipedia article for details] In only 5 days Siena will go crazy. It is going to be awesome. Next week I will email on Monday since we're switching our P-day to see the Palio. Look for me in the middle of the campo. I believe the race actually starts at 19:30 our time. In other news, it was really hot the past week, but we worked really hard.


Andrea unfortunately did not come to church, but we taught him last Friday morning. We talked a lot about his doubts and his testimony, and he opened up a lot. Apparently he found some not so pro-mormon stuff on the internet, and fortunately wasn't totally shocked but was curious to find the truth. We will hopefully be seeing him and be able to just help him understand that the only real way to know for himself that this church is true is just like it says in Moroni 10:3-5, by reading and praying sincerely. We talked about Moroni's promise a good bit and what it means to have real intent. Keep praying for him to recognize and receive his answer!


Our bangladeshi friends are really busy with exams, so we didn't get a chance to see them this week. But we called and they are still reading the Book of Mormon which is cool. I think they are mostly excited because we actually have it in Bengali, which is probably a rare find here in Italy. 


We are still working a lot on finding every day, everywhere, and putting a lot of focus on getting at least 20 inviti per day again. It is helping out a lot. We can see good progress and more people are getting to hear about the restored gospel. I love this city!


This week I have two spiritual thoughts. The first is because on June 27th(today!) in 1844, the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage Jail. I second what John Taylor wrote when he said "the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century." I testify that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God who saw what he said he saw, and was the instrument in God's hands for restoring the true church of Jesus Christ.


The other thing I wanted to share was the awesomeness of Amulek. In Alma 15:16 it talks about what Amulek gave up for the cause of the gospel:


16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred;


The footnote mentions 'prophets, rejection of' and it made me think about how prophets, and a lot of people in the church, are rejected not only publicly, but privately by their own families for having accepted the gospel. It helps me appreciate how much of a blessing it is to have a family that loves me and helps me live the gospel. I know that this church is true, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love you all lots!


-Anziano Benjamin Smith

Working in Italy

Cara Famiglia,

Ciao from Pistoia! I was here on a scambio yesterday and we are doing internet in the university library here. Pistoia is great, we had a good day yesterday and taught two lessons. We are going to riscambio in good old Firenze and hopefully get back to Siena in time to clean the apartment. The week has been going really well. Mom asked me to include more random details about life here in Italy so I will throw in a surprising fact that will shock everyone that knows me. My new favorite snack includes tomatoes! If you put cherry tomatoes with mozzarella di bufala, it is incredible. Mozzarella cheese here is amazing. Italy rocks. Also, the weather is getting really hot, it is great. I am getting an awesome farmer's tan.

This week has gone well with finding work! We even had a training at zone conference on Monday about how to really improve finding work and just talking to more people and helping them feel the spirit. Even just yesterday in Pistoia we saw a difference in finding those that 'hearken to the voice' and those that don't. Also I got a sweet letter from my main man Elder Goodsell who is now in the MTC. I will write him a nice return letter. It sounds like he is tearing it up in the MTC and will be an awesome missionary in Germany. I am really grateful for friends on missions that inspire me to be better!

We found three new investigators this week! They are from Bangladesh, and speak good English. They are students at the university, but finals are over so now they have a ton of free time and they were really interested in the Book of Mormon in Bengali. We also had the most success in finding work this week since I have been in Siena, we were able to teach a lot more lessons that the previous week. My pure joy level goes up when we are really able to find and teach people about the restored Gospel of Christ.

We are also working on improving our abilities to invite members to do member missionary work. It is so crucial! Share the gospel with your friends!

This morning I was reading Alma 7 which is a phenomenal chapter in the Book of Mormon not only about the Atonement, but the Doctrine of Christ. I really like verses 14 and 15, and I wanted to quote verse 7:

7 For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.

I like to pay attention when superlatives are used in scripture. I can testify along with Alma that the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the living of His gospel is the one thing that is 'of more importance than they all', because it is the only thing through which we can find eternal happiness with our families forever. I am so grateful to be able to invite people every day to learn of Jesus Christ, His church, His gospel, and the Book of Mormon which testifies of Him. I know this message is true. I love you all lots and lots!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith

Siena Week 7

Cara Famiglia,

Well this week has been pretty good. We had a great P-day today playing probably a total of four hours of soccer. It was sweet. I also got pretty sunburned which was nice. Maybe I will get a better tan. The Anziani from Firenze 2 came down and we had a good time.

The work this week was pretty tough(dropped by one of our major investigators and temporarily dropped by the other), but we are working a lot on the quality of our invites on the street and knocking doors, and are seeing results. Keep praying that the people of Siena will open their hearts to the gospel and that we as missionaries and the branch can be ready to receive them! We are feeling the power of your prayers though. The gospel is going forward here.

Sorella Eole Feri from the branch who is here in the Family History Center says hello! She is awesome, and is the one who helps all the missionaries see the light and root for the right contrada (l'Oca!).

This week I was really impressed with the conversion story of Alma the younger. I especially liked how even though he saw an angel whose voice shook the earth, he still had to go through two days and nights of real repentance before he was truly converted.

25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal andfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

 26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

 27 I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.

 28 Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.

 29 My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness andbonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.

I wish I could quote the whole chapter basically, but I like these verses a lot. I am grateful for the constant struggle and blessing that we have to 'put off the natural man' and 'become a saint through the atonement of Christ.' I know that is the only real way to do it, and the way that will bring us the most happiness. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this gospel with my brothers and sisters every day, and for all the help Heavenly Father gives us. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that Jesus Christ guides this, His church, today! I love you all lots!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith

P.S. My back-up spiritual thought is Austin's talk. It was awesome! Woohoo!

Siena Rocks

Cara Famiglia,

Siena is awesome! We have been having a pretty good week. The weather continues to be excellent and Siena is still beautiful. Transfers happened this week and my father finished his mission! Bummer too because his companionship is now in my district. But that means Anziano Warren is in the district, and he's training yeah! Today is a great day for P-day, we are going to play soccer/frisbee/gatorball with the BYU students. They are awesome and are a really great help to the branch.

Andrea and Miwako both came to church again on Sunday! It was awesome. It was fast and testimony meeting and Andrea got up and bore his testimony! At first I was a little nervous like 'Oh no, what is he going to say!' But he basically just talked about how the teachings of the church are really blessing his life. He also said (not verbatim) 'I was supposed to be baptized today (he had a baptismal date for the 3rd of June) but we had to move it, so I will be baptized in the future.' It was sooooo cool! He is doing really well and continuing to read the Book of Mormon. Also his son Leo who is 11 is almost finished reading the Book of Mormon kids stories book. This family is so golden! We also had another cool miracle in that Bianka, a new convert, brought another friend to church! She was visiting from Calabria just for the weekend but apparently is reading the Book of Mormon and is super cool. The branch here is great and there is a lot of potential for growth. We are working really hard to find people and are feeling your prayers helping. This morning we also taught a lesson to a Peruvian lady named Gloria who's nephew is 18 in Peru and apparently preparing to go on a mission. She seems super cool and accepted a soft baptismal invite so we should be able to see some good things happening. 

I really liked the scripture Dad sent me in Alma 6:6 that talks about members fasting and praying in behalf of those that are not part of the church. It reminded me of a really awesome quote by Bruce R. McConkie in Preach My Gospel that talks about a usually less-common part of prayer: action. He said in a talk “Our deeds, in large measure, are children of our prayers. Having prayed, we act; our proper petitions have the effect of charting a righteous course of conduct for us”. I was reading conference talks the other day and an article that really exemplified this principle was by President Monson from the April 2002 General Conference called 'They Pray and They Go.' I have really been trying harder recently to not just pray for miracles to happen but have my actions, planning, and studies reflect that desire. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect, and that this is His church. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love you all!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith