Life in the Mission

Cara Famiglia,

Life in the mission is very good right now, but it is always so unpredictable. We always see great miracles but then there are always some disappointments. Oh well. The weather is perfect right now and there are endless people to talk to, it is great! Today for PDay we are going to San Gimignano, which apparently has the world's best gelato. We will see!

Anna Maria almost dropped us! It was crazy. We had a member coming to our appointment with her and ten minutes after the appointment time we gave her a call. She didn't answer. Then she called us back! She said "my mom doesn't want us to meet anymore, I'm sorry, I can't come anymore!" And we were like "you can decide for yourself, come on!" But she dropped us, and it was a huuuuuuuuge bummer. Then, ten minutes later she called us back and said "I changed my mind, I'll be there in ten minutes!" So we had a sweet lesson on the plan of salvation with a member and she knows the Book of Mormon is true and wants to be baptized on October 14th still. However, she didn't come to church, so we are wondering what happened. It is kind of up in the air.

We haven't been able to meet with Rodrigo since our last lesson about two weeks ago. He is really busy with soccer and school, but hopefully we can see him sometime soon. He says he is still reading the Book of Mormon though!

Other than that we are doing a lot of finding work but finding some cool people, including Pasquale who is a student from Salerno. We talked to him on the street yesterday and are seeing him again tonight. He is a cool kid. We are working really hard to find some solid investigators and the next branch president, so keep praying for us!

This week I have pondered a lot about the spirit of revelation, which fits well with Dad's institute lesson! David A. Bednar gave a sweet talk on it in the April 2011 Conference, with a money quote from Joseph F. Smith: “Show me Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs and visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and I will show you members … who are not in good standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths. It is not by marvelous manifestations unto us that we shall be established in the truth, but it is by humility and faithful obedience to the commandments and laws of God”

I'm glad that the Lord lets us learn "line upon line...precept upon precept" as we come to know spiritual truths through the spirit of revelation. I know that as we diligently seek him with effort and faith, we will come to know our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. I know this is His church, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love this work with all my heart. I love you all lots!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith