AY Bendito Part Tortola

This morning, I woke up early to the sound of a roar. It was my companion's bowel movements. 6:26 a.m., Monday the 12th of September. I thought he was moving his bed; it was really a fart that woke me up (he apologized).

This Monday, we had a decision to microwave potatoes, you know, to make those nice baked potatoes. As we did that, we somehow exploded the microwave. Well, probably because it's a potato in the microwave, but that's okay. It's apparently a thing that is legal. Anyways, the microwave exploded. I don't know if it's because we are good missionaries and the Lord loves us, or if it just overheated. But when we woke up the next day, the microwave was working again. So, if I learned my lesson, the answer is no. I baked a lot of potatoes this week in the microwave and had no more problems, and it was pretty good.

This week, I made the goal to read the Book of Mormon all the way through in Spanish. Two or three reasons why: one is because my mission president called me out in interviews for not practicing. Elder Donaldson always said, "Your Spanish improves immensely if you read the Book of Mormon all the way through." And Elder Donaldson also always used to say that the stories and book are so cool in Spanish because you're looking at every little word with such intent, and you see things you've never seen before. I had a cool experience with this.

I was reading in the beginning of Nephi, obviously, because I just restarted the Book of Mormon, you know... Anyways, not to be logical or anything. So, I was reading the story when Nephi kills Laban, and wow, was this cool to read these verses in this light I have never seen before:

"It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spoke unto me in the wilderness, saying that: inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

Therefore, I did obey the voice of the Spirit and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword."

Wow, okay, the fact that they couldn't keep the commandments or the law of Moses, save they had it. I never saw or noticed that before, and it really stood out to me. Then Elder Teacher showed me this scripture in John chapter 11:

"Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."

My mind has been absolutely blown. Jesus Christ has perished so that we all wouldn't. God sacrificed His son Jesus Christ so that we wouldn't die but be able to return to Him. It's crazy to me to see the little hidden things and symbolism of the Book of Mormon. I would've never noticed that unless I read that chapter in Spanish. Then we started talking about this trial Nephi had.

It was a really hard trial of faith for Nephi to go and kill someone, and to be honest, that would be hard for a lot of people. But God gives us trials and tribulations exactly to what WE need because He loves us.

I have also noticed the whole beginning of the Book of Mormon is so centered on keeping God's commandments and being obedient. It's kinda funny that that's the theme I'm seeing in the first 11 chapters, and it's the beginning/most-read part. Interesting how God works and what importance He's trying to stress with that.

We met a Jamaican dude named Peter, and he is the hardest person to understand. But at the end of the day, he said something that sounds so simple and weird, but it just is the motto now.

"He loves us." I know that God does love us. He loves us so much He wants us all to be successful and happy. He wants us to return to Him so badly that He let Jesus Christ perish so we could all be saved. It's kinda cool to see how selfless everything God and Jesus Christ are. I was thinking about this a lot too, in the aspect of how it's so much more important to Jesus Christ that we are all there together than Him just being alone with His Father because He was perfect. They don't want to be alone because that's not true happiness. It stresses the importance of the family and how that's one of the most important things. Jesus Christ couldn't have truly been happy without us with Him, so He gave up being comfortable and sacrificed Himself so we can all be there with Him. Interesting, indeed. He loves us.

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dates for the open house and dedication of the San Juan Puerto Rico Temple. The public open house will run from December 1, 2022, to December 17, except for Sundays. The temple dedication on Sunday, January 15, 2023, will take place with three sessions: 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m.

PLEASE PRAY FOR GREG AND KHALED THIS WEEK. They will be baptized Saturday, and we need all the prayers we can get.