This one will be short because here in a few minutes we´re going over to President´s house to play some volleyball, and I just wrote Grandma Carol first.
This week I finished The Book of Mormon. It was a really neat experience, reading it in Spanish. It took me a while, but I didn´t just read it when I read it. I searched it as I read it. I looked for important things and principles that I need to apply to my life. I looked for scriptures about specific doctrines, scriptures for specific investigators, etc. I often stopped reading and sat and thought about what I read, and really what it means. So yes, it may have taken me 11 months (on a mission), but I really got a lot out of it. And of course, when I finished Moroni 10, I did what I always invite people to do when they read the Book of Mormon. I knelt down, prayed, and asked God if it was a true book. I already knew it was, but I asked for a confirmation to help strengthen that knowledge. I can say that God answers prayers and that I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Sí o sí.
Yesterday we had Zone Conference! It was awesome. Elder Resek, an Area 70 came to talk with us. I just love Zone conference. President and Hermana King spoke, too. Big announcement: We´ll be reading the Book of Mormon as a Mission! in 85 days!!! Everyone got a new hardback Libro de Mormón to read and mark. We´ll start on September 30 and end on December 23, Joseph Smith´s birthday. 85 days because Joseph Smith translated pretty much all of it in 85 days. In Spanish, it´s about 8 pages a day. In English it´s a little over 6. And we have to mark 5 things:
1. every name or pronoun that refers to Christ (Jesus, Lamb of God, Messiah, etc.)
2. Direct words of Christ (or when Prophets say "Thus sayeth the Lord....")
3. Attributes of Christ
4. Doctrines and Principles contained in the Book of Mormon
5. References to the Power of the Word of God (For example, Helaman 3:29-30)
It´s going to be AWESOME! I´m really excited. I love the Book of Mormon, and I can´t wait to read it again. I think it would be a great thing for us all to do. Family, will you read the Book of Mormon starting now, and finish by the end of the year? or Christmas? I would really like that. Marking all that stuff is definitely optional. Yes, there is a LOT going on the first half of the school year with sports, the musical, everything, but we can all take 15 minutes before starting homework (or work work) to read, then another 15 before turning off the lights and going to bed.30 minutes is a little more than 2% of your day, just to read the Word of God. I even made a Bookmark for the mission to use while reading! And you can use it too. I commit myself to read it. I hope you try to, too.
I love you all and hope all is well!
Love,
Elder Moffat
