27 November 2017 WEEK 75

Not to much to talk about this week! But here are a couple of important things that you should know about!

• We had a baptism for a cute quiet little 8 year old boy named mosiah johnson. We have been working with him and his family. We have been working to bring the family back into reactivity by teaching some of their children. The mom was able to get up and bare her testimony at the baptism and it was so spiritual.
• This week we got transfer calls and Let me tell you I am super excited! I will be staying with Elder Evans here in Mandeville for another transfer. Our mission president specifically told us that we are staying because of our example to the other missionaries, our success, and that we are fantastic and bringing the branch into unity. I am so excited for my family to get to meet him over skype in the next couple of weeks.
• Had a nice thanksgiving dinner at KFC because they don't celebrate it here:)

I will send some pictures a little later as the internet is really slow and does not allow me to do so on certain days. But I love you and pray for all of you:)

-- 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

 

20 November 2017 WEEK 74

The Book of Mormon has a special power to touch people’s hearts, and convert them to the fullness of the gospel. That is why we use it in our 12-second baptismal challenges. Would you, members and leaders, join us in sharing our message, using the Book of Mormon? All you need to do is follow these three simple steps:

1) Get a paperback Book of Mormon; the blue one with the gold print on the cover.

2) Before you leave your house in the morning, say a prayer, asking for a missionary experience with your Book of Mormon.

3) After you leave your house, hold your Book of Mormon in your hand, in front of you, all day long, so people can see it. Put in on the table when you eat lunch. Put in on your desk at school or work. Put it down on the counter with your groceries when you are paying for them.

If you follow these three steps, people will come up to you and ask you about that book. You will not have to say a word until after they ask you about it. Then you can tell them why this book is so special to you, or you can have them meet with two of your friends (the missionaries!). 

We have a baptism this week for Momo! We are so excited for him. He is so quite but he is super smart. 

Also we had the special privilege this week by having Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, come and visit Jamaica. He spoke at our Stake conference which was held at Kingston, So we got to watch it over live video feed over here in Mandeville. I just know that these men have been called by God. I feel the spirit testify to me so strongly that this really is the truth, and I can not deny it!

--

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

13 November 2017 WEEK 73

Those of you who remember talking about the “12 second challenge” That happened last year august will love what is happening now. The purpose of this challenge was not only to get us to talk to more people, but to challenge them to be baptized, using the Book of Mormon. Here is an example of what we were challenged to do at least 10 times per day: “Hello! If you knew in your heart that this Book, the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, was true, and thus that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His true church, would you join us and be baptized?” There can be many variations to this. Here is one that Elder Alonso shared with us: “Hello! We are your missionaries, and we are here to baptize you into Christ’s true church!” 

While not taking any emphasis off working with part member families, our mission president wants us all to challenge 10 people a day to baptism, using the BOM. Let’s start on December 1, and do at least 10 per day for the whole month. Just talk to people and challenge them wherever you see them. It shouldn’t take any more time. Be creative, but be bold and fast! If each companionship does this, we will have challenged nearly 14,000 people to be baptized by New Years Eve. Have fun. Have faith. Be obedient. Be prayerful. Expect miracles. This simple exercise will bring passion and excitement to your day. 

As I was reading in Alma 57 today, I likened Helaman’s 2000 stripling warriors to you. Starting in verse 20: And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted. 

21: Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; . . .

22: And now behold, it was these my sons, . . . to whom we owe this great victory; . . . 

25: . . . according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them that did perish; . . . .

26: And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe – that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his miraculous power. 

27: Now this was the faith of those of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually. 

So how did Helaman’s 2,000 develop that exceeding faith, that they did not doubt, which led to miracles? I believe it was because, as it states in verse 21, “they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness;” How are we doing on obedience? Do we obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness? If we do, we will have exceeding faith, and we will not doubt. This is what it takes to get the kind of miracles that Helaman’s 2,000 earned.

But we have really been working with some part member families here in mandeville, speaking of that we have a young man by the name of mosiah who is being baptized this next week! I am so excited and in the process of that we have been able to reactivate the mom and one of the daughters so we are seeing so many miracles!

--

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

6 November 2017 WEEK 72

This past week I watched an old Church video, “How Rare A Possession”. It told the story of two men whose lives were influenced by the Book of Mormon in dramatic and powerful ways. 

Parley P. Pratt followed distinct impressions from the Spirit, that led him to the Book of Mormon. When he was introduced to the book, he began reading. In his own words, “I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep.” Feeling the confirmation of the Holy Ghost, Parley wrote: “I knew and comprehended that the book was true. … My joy was now full.” He spent most of the next 26 years serving multiple missions, and fulfilling any assignment given him. He began missionary work the Sunday after his baptism. 

Vincenzo di Francesca found an old copy of the Book of Mormon in an alleyway in New York City in February, 1910. He was a Methodist pastor at the time of this discovery. The title on the cover was worn off. The title page was ripped out and missing. The pages of the book were covered with soot and ash. Despite these obstacles, he felt compelled to reclaim and then read the book. In his own words, “For several hours I read the remainder of the pages, which gave me light and knowledge and left me charmed to think of the source from which this fresh revelation had come. I read and reread, twice and twice again, and I found it fit to say that the book was a fifth gospel of the Redeemer. At the end of the day, I locked the door of my room, knelt with the book in my hands, and read chapter ten of the book of Moroni. I prayed to God, the Eternal Father, in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, to tell me if the book were of God, if it were good and true, and if I should mix its words with the words of the four gospels in my preaching. I felt my body become cold as the wind from the sea. Then my heart began to palpitate, and a feeling of gladness, as of finding something precious and extraordinary, bore consolation to my soul and left me with a joy that human language cannot find words to describe. I had received the assurance that God had answered my prayer and that the book was of greatest benefit to me and to all who would listen to its words.” 

Brother di Francesca immediately began preaching from the Book of Mormon, and quickly got into trouble with his church leaders, because everybody started attending his sermons. The other pastors complained, and he was instructed to burn the book. He said, “I will not burn the book!” To do so would offend God. He was stripped of his job as pastor, and excommunicated. It took 20 years of searching to find the name of the book and its origin. It took 21 additional years before he could be baptized, the first LDS baptism in Sicily. But he had been preaching from this book already for 41 years. 

These men were passionate. Both were brought to the truth by the Book of Mormon. Ponder the influence of the Book of Mormon in your own life. There are things you can learn from the stories of Parley P. Pratt and Vincenzo di Francesca! What resonates in your heart and mind? Use those things and build your testimony until you have Brigham Young’s fire in your bones, then share it with everyone!

I love you all and hope you stay safe out there! You are in my prayers and will continue to be. NUFF LOVE 

-- 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.