Week 14: Uha 🌧🌧

 Good to talk to you again family! This past week was full of literally just rain so we stayed inside alot but I still learned alot. For a majority of the time we stayed inside, I tried to find things to do. Yes reading the scriptures is amazing but I can only read it for so long😂. One of the things I've been doing is practicing guitar. I'm super thankful to Heavenly Father for blessing me with that talent. One of the things I did was find a bunch of songs and listen to them and then play them on the guitar.  I haven't mastered it yet, but I am able to play most songs by ear. 

Just like reading scriptures, I can only play guitar for so long. I was looking through the gospel library and I found the "Saints" book. I recommend you all read it. There are 3 books in the series but I only read the first one and I was able to finish it the same week. In the book it talks alot of Joseph Smith and what he did to help bring forth the, "Great and marvelous work" to this world, which is translating the Book or Mormon and restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ upon the earth. One of the parts I liked the most was from before his first vision all the way ‘til he translates the Golden Plates. This is my favorite part becuase I just enjoyed the journey that Joseph goes thru to obtain the plates and to translate them as well. For example, Joseph Smith had tried to obtain the plates I think about 3 times but each time he failed to be obedient in the commands given through the angel Moroni. For example on his second try to obtain the plates, Joseph goes to the Hill Cumorah and lifts up the rock. He was given the commandment to not let the plates out of his sight. As he lifts up the rock and takes the plates out, he places them by his side on the grass and turns around to move the rock back into place. When he turned back around the plates had disappeared and he starts to search for them but Moroni comes and tells him that he had taken them back because he failed to be obedient and not let them out of his sight. He told Joseph that he would need to try again the next year. Each time Joseph failed to obtain the plates the angel Moroni gave him an entire year to come back and try again. But I admired Joseph's determination to obtain the plates. For me sometimes when I can't figure out a song I honestly just give up and find a different one. But Joseph knew for a fact that he needed to translates those ancient plates. I also took into consideration how much weight was put on Joseph's shoulders. At the time he obtained the plates there were people who were trying to find the plates to use them for worldy things. Not only that, but Moroni told Joseph that if he fell into any temptation with the plates he would be destroyed. Also the entire restoration of the church was on Joseph Smith. Alot of times people say Joseph is liar and a cheat and that he is a faulty man, but sometimes people need to realize that Joseph is, yes a prophet called of God, but he's still a mortal man. He's not an angel, or a God, or anything of that sort he's just a man, and men make mistakes. 

I also read on the polygamy part of the book, which for me I honestly struggled to see why it was necessary but it was a commandment of God and in the book it gives scripture verses saying that everyone needs to have one wife unless said otherwise by God. Even though Joseph participated in this act he struggled with it because he hated doing it. Those are just some of the things that I read from the book lol but just like how this gospel is, you can only gain your own testimony from this book by reading it yourself. 😉 I hope you all are doing well at home and are enjoying your McDonald's and Whataburger (😔) at home.

 I encourage you all to read your scriptures especially the Book of Mormon. There are many people who have gone through the worst of things just to be able to get this book into your hands for you to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ. Think of it as you spending 10 hrs a day to paint a painting and when you’re finished you hang it up so people can appreciate its art only for people to walk by it without noticing it. Or people just look at it and say, "huh" but don't appreciate the amount of strokes of the brush it took or its different colors going into the painting. The prophets of old did not go through such trials for the book to lay under the couch or sit on a shelf it's whole life. I invite you all to read the book and appreciate its beautiful works and especially appreciate its words from God. 

‘Til next time, ofa lahi atu kiate kimoutolu. 💜