Keeping the Commandments

Hello!!

This week has been super busy and so great!  We have given many tours and have so many wonderful investigators to stay in contact with and teach!!

We went to the Church History Museum last p-day and this is me trying to get out of a pioneer bunk bed.  haha

Cool fact about Temple Square! Our mission gave over 1,000 tours during the month of January ALONE. Pretty neat, huh??

              

A man and his wife requested to see The Testaments movie and they were so sweet! We gladly took them to the theater and explained the Book of Mormon before starting the movie.  Before we left, he asked if we could come back afterwards.  Their movie ended and we came back as they wished and I asked if he liked it....he told me "Yes, but I didn't really see the point".  Which is odd, because it's pretty easy to understand and I personally think it's a powerful movie.  We then explained the movie and testified about the Book of Mormon and how we know it to be true scripture because we have found out for ourselves through scripture study and prayer.  I offered him a Book of Mormon and he took it without even glancing at it and handed it to his wife. (Which I thought also was odd, because usually people, even if they don't believe in something, will still be respectful and will show some sort of acknowledgement). Anyway, that was another red flag. Then he started asking questions, which we answered, but then he started asking some doctrinal questions, which was great, but he would NOT listen to my answers.  I would start to explain and then he would cut me off.  I started getting really impatient and I knew that we needed to leave. I told him we needed to go, but then he attacked even more.  I got pretty angry on the inside, but did my best to keep calm, and answer the questions.  I finally testified, said have a great day, shook their hands, and left.  He was so closed off to everything we said!  I feel like I'm a pretty chill person, but I got pretty angry and had to vent to my companion afterwards. Ha, sorry companion.  But this experience helped me understand what I already know, that the Spirit can only help us know truth if we are sincerely searching for it and we are open to the small and simple promptings of the Holy Ghost.  He had never read the Book of Mormon all the way through and never prayed about it.  THAT is the one sure way that someone can know for themselves if it's true or not and then everything will fall into place.  Anyway, I found a really cool Mormon.org profile the other day about a guy who was previously "anti" towards the church and was affiliated with all sorts of anti-organizations.  However, it was once he finally prayed about the Book of Mormon that he knew the church was true.  It's a pretty interesting story and shows how important it is to pray!

http://mormon.org/me/3HTQ/VictorGarcia

Chinese New Year! We have so many sisters who celebrate it so there have been a ton of decorations downstairs in our mission office!  What a wonderful treat to experience all of the different cultures at Temple Square with missionaries from all over the world!

My companion and I met a couple who was visiting from Montana. They were an older couple, engaged, and so sweet! I asked her when they were getting married and she told me "in November, if it all works out as we hope". The lady then told us that her fiancé was just barely diagnosed with terminal cancer about an hour ago, and they decided to come to Temple Square for some peace and comfort.  I shared with her how we can be together forever with our loved ones through marriage in the temple.  I then testified that we all have different circumstances, but that it's such a blessing to know that if we keep our promise to God to stay true to our spouse and to live righteously, that He will keep His side of the promise and will enable us to live with our families forever after this life.  They loved the concept and told me that had taken pictures of other parts of the Visitor Center that talked about how families can be together forever.  They eventually had to get going, but after talking with them I realized how truly grateful I am for the knowledge I have that I can be with my family always and that death will not separate me from the ones I love.  Through the blessing of the temple, we don't need to fear death and we can feel the security in our lives of being able to see our family members again one day.  I love teaching. I love sharing the Gospel. I love reading the scriptures. And I love seeing my testimony grow each day!

Here is my favorite scripture from this week!

Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." 

Bob gave us Valentine heart cookies :)

Keeping the commandments of God (not just the 10 commandments, but also others like praying daily, going to church, reading the scriptures, etc) brings so much happiness into our lives! TRUE happiness! :)

I love you all!! Do good and be good!

Sister Asay

**Editor's Note - a.k.a. Mom - Bro. Jack Meager, a good friend of the family, was in Utah for family business and he was so kind to make a special delivery from mom to our favorite missionary on Temple Square.  Thanks Jack!  She was so happy to get fresh homemade cookies from home.