Religion

Missionary Jake – Part 6 of 10

July 21, 2008 by rickety 2 Comments

This is part six of a ten part series chronicling Jake’s Mission. It is told mostly in his own words using excerpts from his letters and photographs sent home.

August 2007

This week we didn’t have any baptisms, but we found a lot of families to teach. My companion is learning all of the words that they use differently here. He is a native Spanish speaker—I have to correct some of his Spanish :). Transfers today. I am going to the Zone Valle Dorado. It is the best zone in the mission. There are 12 zones in the mission and Valle Dorado baptizes about 1/4 of the total baptisms. I still haven’t met my companion and I don’t know in what part I’ll be so I will let you know next week.

Yes, we are baptizing stakes. This month we are going to baptize even more. I am just going to tell you this for right now, but this past week I was assigned District Leader. It is exciting to be in charge of other missionaries and have to teach them how to work! The mission is great. [Dad], I appreciate your small letters that don’t distract me too much but also don’t leave me out in the cold. Feel free to write more if you would like.

[Dad] please include God in every important decision that you have to make about your health. That is what Joseph Smith did. If you do that every time you have a doubt, if are sufficiently humble, God will give you the answer “abundantemente y sin reproche” (James 1:5). He will never tell you to do or take something that will do you harm instead of good. If I can ask one thing of you it is to always do this. Ask Him if you can trust Him, ask Him if you should consult Him in this. He will give you the truth, ETERNAL truth, that will “greatly enlarge the soul without guile”.

Everyday I teach the principle of “Ask and ye shall receive”, but I myself always forget to apply it. I try and demand answers from people, sometimes getting frustrated with them. But they cannot make my decisions and give me answers that I have to look for myself. Ask God for every little answer that you want. He will give it “without reproach”. He never will say “But you did not do x or y”. If you ask for bread He gives you bread.

[Dad] please let me know what you think of this principle, and if you were able to apply it successfully in this week. Please excuse the Spanish. It is difficult to keep it from sneaking in :).

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Zerahemnah versus Moroni

July 19, 2008 by rickety 3 Comments

This is tomorrow’s post posted today. My trip to Nephi, which was going to be today’s post, I will post tomorrow so as to give me more time to sort through all the photographs. First rule of blogging — always have some posts in reserve.

Sometimes a goal that may be considered dull can be made interesting with a little thought. For example, to liven the study of the scriptures I will sometimes pick a character and write about him or her. Because I will be posting it online I study hard and think of a different way to present what I find.

A World War Two documentary I watched showed battles from the perspective of both sides. I thought it would be interesting to try the same thing with a Book of Mormon battle. To show you want I mean here is an example of a February 2007 article I posted to MormonWiki. It was about a nasty piece of work called Zerahemnah. He was a Lamanite commander around 74 B.C., in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges, first appearing in the Book of Mormon record in Alma 43:5.

Preparations for War

The Nephites

The Nephites saw the Lamanites were coming upon them so they made ready for war, placing their armies in Jershon. Their chief captain of all the armies was Moroni who equipped his men with breastplates, arm-shields, head-shields, and thick clothing.

The Lamanites

The Lamanites massed by the thousands at Antionum, the land of the Zoramites. Zerahemnah made Amalekites and Zoramites, for they were the more murderous, chief captains over the Lamanites.

Objectives

The Nephites

The Nephites wanted to:

Defend their lands, homes, wives and children.
Preserve their rights and privileges.
Keep their liberty to worship the true and living God.
Protect the Anti-Nephi-Lehis.

The Lamanites

Zerahemnah wanted to get the Lamanites angry with the Nephites so that:

He could have power over the Lamanites.
He could overpower the Nephites and make them slaves.
He could stop their worship of God and their faith in Christ.

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Missionary Jake – Part 5 of 10

July 18, 2008 by rickety Leave a Comment

This is part five of a ten part series chronicling Jake’s Mission. It is told mostly in his own words using excerpts from his letters and photographs sent home.

June 2007

Work is going great. I think someone requested a photo of me doing some missionary work. I’ve attached one. Throw some skittles in the package, I can’t seem to find any here.

There are a lot of people in my area that are listening to our message. Since I have been in the same place almost 6 months we keep on running into the same people over and over again. It is great because after the second or third time of feeling the spirit they usually get it. The area is big so I could spend another year in the same area.

The question about converts. Almost of my converts are active. As a mission we have about 70-80% retention. The church as a whole is growing fast, and it depends a lot on Mexico and Brazil for its growth. The ward that I am in was a branch the previous year and now they are going to divide the ward. The [mission] president always reminds us that the Lord has blessed us greatly by calling us to Mexico.

Paul, what sort of schooling are you going to get after your Bachelors? After hearing the Rise up and be Men talk by President Hinckley I think I’ll try and get into some fancy technology university for my PHD. Can’t let the girls win.

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Past Pictures: A Double Blessing

July 17, 2008 by rickety 4 Comments

The picture quality is not that great. It is a scan of a photograph from twenty-one years ago. My brother is on the left with his son David and I am holding my son Jacob. My wife Jill and sister-in-law Susan were both pregnant and due in the same month. We all liked the name of David so we agreed that whichever child was born first would take the name David. Susan’s baby came prematurely and so we chose Jacob to be our son’s name.

The photograph was taken shortly after we arrived home from the baby blessing at Church. That is why David and Jacob are dressed in white. Though Ray is not a member of the Church I asked him if he would like me to bless David along with Jacob.

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Missionary Jake – Part 4 of 10

July 15, 2008 by rickety Leave a Comment

This is part four of a ten part series chronicling Jake’s Mission. It is told mostly in his own words using excerpts from his letters and photographs sent home.

March 2007

My new companion has the same last name: Elder Hernandez. He looks like a bishop because he has glasses and is a little fat. He is a great teacher and missionary and I am learning a lot from him.

I am still in Tultepec. The municipal of Tultepec is known for fireworks. All of this week there are going to be a ton of fireworks. They make huge bulls (kinda like the huge mammoth that we made for the Kaysville parade) and they fill them with fireworks. On Thursday they are going to parade them around and then set them off. It is a bit dangerous so we might have to go to our house a bit early.

To answer questions. Yes, they do have piñatas. They even have a song that you have to sing while the person is swinging. We had one once and broke it up for a party. The weather still changes a lot, but it is never too hot. Sleeping at night is easy. No need to worry about that. My mattress is better than the one I had at home. I’ve spoken in church. They usually ask us to speak on missionary work. I sum up the important parts of the restoration and bear my testimony on them. I wish I had taken that same speech class that Daniel has.
How is the math going for everyone? I tried helping out someone here, but I had forgotten how to explain how to get the answer—I always had done it in my head. All of the people have a really hard time singing. Mom, Dad sings pretty well. You only have to sit through one meeting here to know it. Not sure if you have sent the package, but I am in need of more shoes. If Paul can head out to that same store and pick up some more Doc Martins that would be great.

The work is growing fast here, we hope to baptize enough people in the next couple of weeks in order to divide the ward. We have a couple of families that have strong priesthood. There are four elders in this ward, so there are a lot of people in the Gospel Essentials class each week. The elders here like to hear stories of Utah where almost everyone is a member and the streets are paved with gold. Health is great, clothes are working just fine, and I could use a haircut. There is a sister in the ward that gives haircuts to the missionaries if they wash the dishes. I think I’ll take her up on the offer next week.

Things are going great here in the mission. I recently read a talk by Elder Bednar about studying the scriptures. It makes my head hurt trying to use all three methods and find all of the connections, patterns, and themes in the scriptures. It is something different so it takes some practice to make it effective, but he says each method “can help satisfy our spiritual thirst.”

I’ll be watching conference in Spanish. The experience of a member in a different language is really fascinating. It is amazing how effectively the church manages so many members in all parts of the world!

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My Faith continued

July 11, 2008 by rickety 4 Comments

Yesterday I posted the first part of My Faith. Here is the conclusion:

“Which Church Is Right?“ quoted Bible verses and was methodical and logical in its presentation. It was the first time that I’d thought of a church that way, though I didn’t have any real feeling about it. The prophet’s testimony was different. A paragraph that stood out was:

It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself. (Joseph Smith—History 23)

I thought it strange too, and identified with Joseph.

Another paragraph:

During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three—having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me—I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament. (Joseph Smith—History 28)

I was impressed that Joseph would admit to “foolish errors”. To me, someone telling a lie would not say this so openly.

I now know that being impressed by these two paragraphs was the Spirit acting upon me. After over thirty years the deep convincing that I felt is still with me.

I wrote to the Bishop of the Macclesfield Ward and asked him about the Church and that I wanted to know more. He replied to my letter, inviting me to travel to Macclesfield and meet with the missionaries. I did so, and recall one memory from our first meeting. I was being taught the first discussion and my mind wandered. When I was a child my mother used to say in a kindly way that “I was off wool gathering” when I didn’t pay attention. The missionaries asked me a question about what was being taught and from then on I was attentive. After the first discussion the missionaries told me that there were missionaries in Crewe and that I would be taught by them.

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My Faith

July 10, 2008 by rickety 2 Comments

If you have been reading through Paul’s missionary posts last month you may have noticed a reference to my conversion story. Paul asked me several times to write it and I eventually did. Here it is:

The story, to be told correctly, needs some family background. My father was born in Independence, Missouri and was baptized a member of the church at eight years old but was not active as an adult. My father joined the USAF and was stationed at Burtonwood, England during the Korea War. My mother was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, and had three sons by my father before they were divorced. At age four I was raised in England with my mother and new stepfather. I knew nothing about my LDS heritage as I grew up and never came into contact with any members of the church.

My mother was Catholic and my stepfather never mentioned religion but was a hard worker and was a good influence. If I asked him to do something that he thought I could do for myself he would say, “Use your own initiative”. We never went to church as a family but when I was very young I recall my mother telling me that there was “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost”. She said I can pray to God the Father and ask for what I needed. I could understand asking for what I wanted, a young child knows how to do that. She then said that you have to have faith. I didn’t understand that, what’s faith? Fast forward to age twelve and I am having a difficult time at school such that I felt I could not talk to anybody. I lay quietly in bed, tears in my eyes, no-one to turn to. I remembered my mother’s words from years ago and so I prayed as best I could to “God the Father”. In my mind’s eye I pictured Him as a grandfather, a real person. I started the prayer something like this: “God, I don’t know if you exist but please help me…”. It was a somewhat rickety faith but I did have my prayer answered.

I was attending a Catholic school at the time though I wasn’t a member of any church. When I was taught about the Trinity I had difficulty with the concept, it did not seem to align with my experience of praying to Father.

At age twenty I wanted to meet my father as I had not seen him since I was four. I didn’t know where in America he was living. I was visiting my home town of Macclesfield, where I noticed a church with a strange name—“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. It wasn’t an English church that I knew of so I thought perhaps it was American. I went in and talked to a woman who was cleaning the floor. I told her I was looking for my American father and she took my name and address and told me that someone would contact me. Soon after, I received a letter from the Bishop of the Macclesfield Ward telling me that perhaps I should write to the Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City. My mother remembered that my grandmother lived in Utah and that she went by the name of Martha Harrison, after her second husband. I wrote the letter, mentioning my father’s mother’s name.

My grandmother was active LDS, my grandfather RLDS. Grandmother worked for the church at Zion’s Printing in Independence, Missouri. When Zion’s moved to Utah in 1946, she came with her work. When my letter reached the office girl at the Genealogical Society, the girl knew my grandmother and called her. My grandmother wrote to me saying that my father was in England on a 14 week TDY with the Air Force. Richard Sr. wrote to me, and I immediately traveled south to meet him, unannounced. He had married twice more and his third wife, my stepmother, greeted me at the door. I talked with my father and he explained how he had kept out of my “new” family so as to not disrupt it but now things were different. We saw each other a lot until he returned to the United States.

I corresponded with my father and my grandmother. After some months, I asked my grandmother about the church I went into in Macclesfield. She responded by mailing to me two pamphlets: “Which Church is Right?” by Mark E. Peterson and “Joseph Smith’s Testimony”. I did not attend any church but thought there was something to the Bible or else why do so many people have an interest in it? However, I did remember in my childhood when all was despair I had prayed to God the Father and my prayers were answered. I also owned a Bible I had purchased and read portions of it. I especially liked the book of Proverbs and enjoyed many of the wise sayings. I was curious about the Ten Commandments and found them in Exodus and read them several times.

These two pamphlets were my first exposure to the Church. I was not interested in them but I felt obligated to at least glance through the pages because my grandmother had taken the time to send them to me. While lying in bed in January 1974, I read through them very quickly to fulfill my obligation. I put them down and decided to sleep. However, I could not sleep and picked up “Which Church is Right?” and read it cover to cover. I also read “Joseph Smith’s Testimony” in its entirety.

I will post the conclusion of My Faith tomorrow.

Mongolia Specifics

July 8, 2008 by rickety 10 Comments

Last week our family received an email from Sister Jill Andersen, the wife of the Mongolia Mission President. She sent some information to help Daniel prepare for his mission, as well as a map of Mongolia. The information that Sister Andersen sends to the missionary families isn’t in her own words. It started out as something that was used by the previous mission president and has had a lot of editing and updating done by her. She has no idea who first wrote it or how long ago it was written. It may have predated their predecessors. Regardless, family and friends will probably be interested in the contents.

Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar is an interesting city with varied and unusual architecture. The countryside is some of the most beautiful in the world. This land is very special. You will love it all, especially the people. They are sincere, kind and are so ready to receive the blessings of the Gospel in their lives.

Missionary Work

Mongolia is relatively new to organized missionary work. The first missionaries actually began their service in September of 1992, prior to Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s dedication of the land to missionary work in 1993. There are now nearly 8,000 members in Mongolia with two districts and 20 branches. This is likely one of the more challenging missions in the world. That is why we believe that some of the very best and most qualified missionaries come to serve here. Missionaries are only allowed in Mongolia under the direction of Deseret International Charities, a foundation directed towards teaching English in schools, businesses and government offices. All missionaries are required to teach English 12 hours per week. One cannot mention the Church while teaching English, but if people ask about it outside the classroom, the missionaries may teach them. We are confident that you will love this mission experience. We anxiously await your arrival and the blessings you will bring to this work.

Dramatic Changes

Mongolia, commonly known as the Land of Blue Skies, is located between Russia on the north and China on the south. It is a developing country, after having been under Soviet domination for a rickety seventy years. Since 1990, Mongolian has seen dramatic changes with new businesses, new products, new ideas and new government. Ulaanbaatar is the capital city with approximately one million people living either in ger districts (long strips of fenced-in housing plots that surround the city) or in apartments. The rest of the 2.9 million people live in the countryside — in small cities or out in open spaces.

The dominant religion in Mongolia is Buddhism, but Christian religions are taking hold. The membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing steadily. Two new chapels were dedicated in January 2007, bringing the total number of LDS-owned chapels in Mongolia to ten. We have two districts and twenty branches in the cities of Ulaanbaatar, Baganuur, Nalaikh, Sukhbaatar, Darkhan, Erdenet, Moron, Zuun-Kharaa, Khovd and Choibalsan. Our mission’s compliment is 130 young missionaries and 14 senior couples.

What to Bring

You are probably most concerned about what to bring (and what not to bring) with you to Mongolia. You will experience four seasons, but primarily short summers and long winters. The clothing list sent by the Missionary Department covers basic needs, but we will add a few insights. There is an old Russian saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, there is only bad clothing.” Winter can begin quickly, usually in September and it can still be quite cold into April and May. Our missionaries use public transportation and taxis, along with much walking to get around. Sturdy walking shoes and durable, simple clothes are most practical here.

Climate

The countryside cities are exceptionally cold in winter, and there is more walking and more exposure to the elements there. If you already have warm winter clothing, bring it, but the cold air here is probably colder than you’ve ever experienced before. Having said that, our missionaries all seem to adapt and find ways to cope with the climate. Faces get the coldest because they are exposed. Everyone wraps scarves around their necks and mouths. They pull hats down over their ears, leaving only their eyes and noses out in the open. Once inside, it can be quite warm. Your apartment heat is regulated by the government for the majority of the cold months and you can not adjust the temperature. Summers are generally delightful.

Clothing

It is important to layer your winter clothing so as to block out the cold and wind. You will need a warm layer under your suits, such as thermal garments or an extra pair of long underwear. However, we do have a supply of thermal garments that missionaries have left behind in Mongolia having only been worn once or twice during their mission. You may not need as many sets of these as you think. Two or three pairs would probably be sufficient. Two coats are needed for different times of the year – one being a three-quarter or full-length down-filled coat, and the other a raincoat with or without a zip-out liner, both big enough for a sweater or suit coat under them. Both coats may be bought here, keeping in mind that winter coats aren’t sold until October or November and they are gone by February or March. Considering weight restrictions on your luggage, if you will let us know, we can usually lend you a warm coat upon your arrival until you can purchase something. If you arrive in the early winter, plenty of warm clothing is available. Winter coats cost $35-50. If you arrive during spring/summer, you can wait until fall to purchase winter clothing. Spring/fall coats cost $25-35.

Footwear

Winter boots should be insulated, waterproof, and roomy enough for heavy wool (not cotton) socks to be worn inside allowing the toes to wiggle. They should have good tread for walking on ice! Mongolia does not get much snow. What snow does fall is compacted into ice on the roads and sidewalks. Fur-lined boots are available here for $25-90. Many who brought minus 50 degree boots from America have only worn them once. In talking with the missionaries we have learned that many get by without boots altogether as they find it difficult to remove and put on boots at the homes they visit. Doc Martin shoes will crack in the cold weather. Shoes are available here, but sizes 12 or larger may be difficult to find. Good insoles are important for walking comfort.

Cold Weather Clothing

A warm winter cap is necessary. Frostbite is a concern with the cold wind, so you will need warm coverings for your ears as well as your neck and chin. Ear bands, neck gators and 180’s are good. Scarves, hats, gloves, and wool socks are all available here in winter. Leather gloves should be fur-lined. Thermal and regular garments can be bought here. Shoe shine kits, laundry bags, duct tape, and umbrellas are available here. We suggest bringing one or two two-pant suits. You can have suits tailor-made here. The cost for making a suit in Mongolia is $40-50. The legs of your slacks will get dusty and muddy quickly.

Food

Missionaries live in furnished apartments with blankets and pillows provided. You should bring towels and personal items as listed in the Missionary booklet. The electricity here is 220 volts—adapters and transformers are available. Barbers are inexpensive. Bring needed medications for the full duration of your mission (see the list below). Most items needed for basic cooking, including fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, breads, pasta, rice, and dairy products are abundant in Ulaanbaatar. In outlying areas, fresh produce is usually available, but with limited selections.

Miscellaneous

You do not need to bring hangers. Bring a small key chain flashlight for dark stairwells and apartment entrances. Bring contact lens solution, and sunscreen. Sundry items such as razor blades, shampoo, soap, lotions, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. are readily available. Bring a few photographs of you and your family to share with the Mongolians – they love pictures. The Mongolia Mission rules limit the missionaries’ music selection to church music only.

Medications

Because medications are not readily available in Mongolia, this is a list of suggested items you might want to bring with you in addition to the basic list in the Missionary Booklet you receive. Be sure to bring any personal medications, such as for allergies or acne etc. Bring enough personal medications to last the full duration of your mission. The medical problems we encounter the most here are: intestinal upsets, head colds and coughs. You will need the following:

Lotrimin (antifungal cream for athlete’s foot) – one tube
Pepto-Bismol (upset stomach) – one box
Imodium AD 9 (diarrhea) – one box
Ibuprofen or Tylenol – one bottle
Keflex 500 – 80 pills
A cold/cough medicine – one bottle or box
Claritan (loratadine) for summer allergies
Wart remover solution
One-a-day vitamins
Insect repellent – 1 spray bottle or can
Neosporin or antibiotic cream/ointment – one tube
Vaseline

Finance

Missionaries are provided with debit cards which access only their allotment account set up by the mission here in Mongolia. No other funds are put into that account except the monthly allotment allocated by the mission office. The allotment is generous enough to fund all expenses except souvenir purchases. If a missionary needs more personal money occasionally for film, gifts, clothing, etc., it would be best to use a Visa debit card from a home bank. We suggest that a parent’s name also be put on the debit card account to ease replacement if the card is lost or stolen. Please do not make deposits into a personal account for a missionary to use on a regular basis. Not all missionary companions have substantial financial means, and it is important for companions to work together financially. A mission is a good time to learn about budgeting and use of sacred funds.

Mail / Email

Proverbs 25:25, “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Missionaries look forward to sending and receiving mail. Mail comes by Missionary Pouch from Salt Lake City each week and is delivered to all missionaries as soon as possible. Those serving in the countryside will not receive mail as promptly as those in the city. Beginning November 1, 2007 only the following items may be sent through the pouch.

Postcards
Letters that are single sheet, folded into three panels, and taped at the top only.

No envelopes are allowed. Letters sent in any other manner will be returned to the sender. All letters should be sent to the mission office. Delivery to a personal address is not possible because there are no mail boxes at private abodes. This method for mailing to our mission would probably be most useful for letters coming from North America. Correspondents from other countries would mostly likely want to use the direct mailing address. The mission office does not have US stamps for missionaries using the US pouch, so bring some with you. Pouch mail to the States leaves here on Tuesdays. Missionaries have access to email through public internet cafés. This is to be used for one hour only on missionary preparation day (Friday) and is restricted to family use only. All missionaries are to email from a secure site, using only “name@myldsmail.net”.

Packages

It is expensive and sometimes unreliable to send packages to and from Mongolia. Parents sometimes send items which can be purchased here or which the missionaries really cannot use. Parents should be practical when considering items to send to you. Do not have them send expensive items. Missionaries quickly learn to be flexible and adapt to the conditions here. We have one special request for parents: When you send a package, it would be nice if you could include a card or even a small gift for the companion — it’s always fun to open boxes together and share the surprises.

Two Years Hence

When the time comes, if parents are interested in coming to Mongolia to pick up their missionary, they should contact the mission office for specific information.

Update

12 Feb 2009 The source of this material has been clarified.

Missionary Jake – Part 3 of 10

July 7, 2008 by rickety Leave a Comment

This is part three of a ten part series chronicling Jake’s Mission. It is told mostly in his own words using excerpts from his letters and photographs sent home.

January 2007

Things are good down here in Mexico. The weather is really nice—not too hot and not too cold. It rains sometimes, but never is cold enough to snow. The climate is similar to Utah but more mild. I imagine that the summers will be really hot. Usually the second thing people ask me when I say I’m from Utah is: “it snows in Utah, right?” I’m glad it doesn’t snow here though—I think there would be a wreck every 5 seconds if it snowed. The driving here is crazy. Stop signs are non-existent, or if there is a stop sign nobody pays any attention. The government puts in speed bumps every intersection to force people to slow down.

You don’t have to worry about speeding either. You can just give the police 10 or 20 dollars and they will let you off the hook. At least that is what my companion says. I’m glad I took his [Brother Peterson’s] class of Christian History because I understand a lot better who I am teaching. It helps to know exactly what is the apostasy and why we needed a restoration. In the mission all we have to do is make sure our investigators understand those two words—apostasy and restoration. Although all the churches may have some little part of the truth, none of them have the fullness of the gospel.

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