Dirty Harry's Balcony

 เฮลโล Hello!

How are all of you wonderful children of God doing? Good? Good. This week was a little bit rough for several reasons haha. But there are always highlights when you're a missionary, so here are a few!

JAI WENT TO CHURCH

His entire life is changing. There is an undeniable light in him. It's like it's trying to beam out of him. He loves the Book of Mormon, and his understanding of the doctrine of the Plan of Salvation is amazing! We extended a baptismal date for him on Wednesday. He took a few seconds to think about it and confidently said that he absolutely wants to get baptized. He's a miracle. I can hear you thinking from behind the screen, "but what else, Elder Barrett?? What else about Jai?!?!" I'll tell you what else! HE CAME TO CHURCH AND HE LOVED IT!!!!!! And it just so happened to be one of the most powerful fast and testimony meetings I've ever been to. Absolute miracle! Church was amazing. He's amazing. Miracles are real.

PROFILE OF A PROPHET

I listened to a bunch of BYU speeches this week. They're awesome. I especially liked one called "Profile of a Prophet" by Hugh B. Brown. He tells the story of him presenting his case for the Restoration in a legal setting. When he reached the point of God speaking to his children, the judge said that direct communication with God ended shortly after Paul's experience on the road to Damascus. Here's the direct quote from the speech:

Brown: "I am submitting to you in all seriousness that it was standard procedure in Bible times for God to talk to man.”

Judge: “I think I will admit that, but it stopped shortly after the first century of the Christian era.”

B: “Why do you think it stopped?”

J: “I can’t say.”

B: “You think that God hasn’t spoken since then?”

J: “I am sure He hasn’t.”

B: “There must be a reason. Can you give me a reason?”

J: “I do not know.”

B: “May I suggest some possible reasons? Perhaps God does not speak to man anymore because He cannot. He has lost the power.”

J: “Of course that would be blasphemous.”

B: “Well, then, if you don’t accept that, perhaps He doesn’t speak to men because He doesn’t love us anymore and He is no longer interested in the affairs of men.”

J: “No,” he said, “God loves all men, and He is no respecter of persons.”

B: “Well, then, if He could speak, and if He loves us, then the only other possible answer, as I see it, is that we don’t need Him. We have made such rapid strides in science and we are so well educated that we don’t need God anymore.”

And then he said—and his voice trembled as he thought of impending war—“Mr. Brown, there never was a time in the history of the world when the voice of God was needed as it is needed now. Perhaps you can tell me why He doesn’t speak.”

My answer was: “He does speak, He has spoken; but men need faith to hear Him.”

And my witness and testimony is the same. That God truly does speak to his children, just like he always has. The church of Jesus Christ was restored in its fullness through the prophet Joseph Smith and that through the gift and power of God he translated the Book of Mormon from gold plates. It may sound like an insane story from an outside perspective, but having read the Book of Mormon and having studied it out in my mind and my heart, I know with 100% confidence that the Restoration needed to happen, did happen, and is ongoing today.

เอ็ลเดอร์ นอนหลับ (Elder Asleep)

Elder Barrett