Something is Missing

Hello Friends and Family!                     

This week has been another awesome week here in LaGrange, Georgia! I cannot even begin to express how much I love the people here, as well as my surroundings. I don’t talk enough about how beautiful the State of Georgia is, and how awesome LaGrange is. I never knew that there could be so many trees in one place, and I still can’t get over the fact that there is only red dirt! I am constantly reminded of how great the Creation is, and what a blessing it is to live here on this Earth. There are just a few miracles (among many) that I wanted to talk about.                                                           

This past week Elder Sieverts and I have been able to continue to work with Alyssa (the less active we found a few weeks ago, who came to church last week). She has been so open, and so excited to come back to Church. Every lesson we’ve been able to have with her, I just feel the love and peace of the Savior in the room. I truly can testify that the Spirit is real, and it has the capability of touching anyone, if they let him in. Anyways, we were having a lesson with her, and we talked about the Book of Mormon, and the importance of reading it. She said, “You know, at church on Sunday, someone talked about how important it is to read the Book of Mormon. I’ve since been studying it, and have been reading one chapter everyday to focus on the meaning of it. I forgot how important it is.” I just felt the Spirit touch me deeply. I could feel several things by what she said, but one thing really stuck out to me: the importance of church attendance. I found that by attending church on Sunday, we can receive revelation for ourselves as to what we each need to do in our lives to grow closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. With Alyssa, this was a humbling experience to be reminded of the importance of Church, and how anyone can receive revelation there. As we continued to talk with Alyssa about reading the Book of Mormon, I felt inspired to bring up temples. I asked her about the temple, and she said, “My father just passed away in December. Then y’all showed up. I really want to go to the temple for him, and for myself.” Elder Sieverts and I couldn’t help but just look at each other and smile. Elder Sieverts said, “Alyssa, we are going to do our best to get you to the temple.” I could just feel the Spirit so strongly. It occurred to me that I have been walking the streets of LaGrange for 7 months just searching for someone who was ready for the message of the Restoration. However, I should have seen the bigger picture, and been looking for someone wanting to go to the House of the Lord. We agreed, with her, to each do our part to help her get to the temple in a year, and be worthy to do the baptism for her father. The reality of the temple really touched me with Alyssa, and was a conversion moment I won’t soon forget.

Elder Sieverts and I received a Bible referral this week of a woman named Angela. We tried

calling her several times to set up an appointment, without any luck. We prayed, and felt strongly to visit with her on Sunday afternoon. When the time came, we drove to her house, and knocked on the door.  She answered, smiled at us, and said, “HEY Y’ALL! Come right on in!” You gotta love Southern hospitality, am I right? We got into her home, sat down with her, and began to talk with her about her reasons, and desires, for ordering a free Bible from us. She said, “Well, honestly, I’ve been trying to do church lately, but I’m just not feeling it. Everyone else seems to be getting ‘the spirit’ (using her fingers as quotation marks as she said this), but I just can’t seem to be feeling it.  I really try to believe that Jesus is real, but I just don’t know anymore. I figured a new Bible could help me out with that.” After a silent pause, she then said these words exactly, “I don’t know, I just feel like something is missing.” I felt the Spirit come into that room, and touch each of us. I felt prompted to speak up and say, “Angela, I know that the thing that you are missing is a book called The Book of Mormon. It is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and gives us more knowledge as to how we can follow Him. I know that if you read this, and you are sincere, and you pray about it, you’ll know this is what you’ve been looking for.” This conversation was so spiritual, I can still remember every word in detail. She looked at me, and said, “I was looking up y’alls website the other day, and I really liked it. I want to know more about this book (pointing to the Book of Mormon).” For the next thirty minutes, Elder Sieverts and I were guided by the Spirit to answer her questions, and leave her with certain commitments. As we were about to close, she said, “I am so excited to try this out. I read every night, and I’m going to dive into this and see how it feels!” Elder Sieverts and I walked out of that lesson full of the Spirit, and we both couldn’t help but agree how real our Heavenly Father is to lead us there when He did.

At another lesson this past week, Elder Sieverts and I were teaching an older woman named Mary. We’ve taught her the first lesson (the Restoration), and came back a second time for another visit. She welcomed us in, and we opened with a prayer. I said, “So Mary, have you been able to read the Book of Mormon since we last visited with you?” She smiled, and said, “Yes.” I then responded, “Have you been able to pray about it to Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ?” She responded again, “Yes.” I smiled, and said, “What are some of the feelings you have about it?” She paused, looked down for a second, then back up. She said, “When I prayed, I just felt so relieved. I just felt like a burden was lifted off of me.” We let the Spirit sit in the room for a moment, and then Elder Sieverts said, “Mary, I know that this is the Spirit telling you that the Book of Mormon is true. The Spirit is the only thing on Earth that can allow you to feel this peace.” As we continued to talk about the Book of Mormon, baptism, and the Savior, I couldn’t help but feel the Spirit there in abundance. The best part about being a missionary, to me, is the opportunity to hear an individual talk about reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. It is so awesome, and never ceases to amaze me at how real the Spirit of our Heavenly Father is.

To close, I wanted to share my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, and this Restored Gospel. Elder Klebingat of the 70 was able to come and speak at our local Stake Conference this Sunday. He said something that has stuck with me, “We must have a vertical relationship with our Father. It must only be us, here on Earth, and our Father, who is in Heaven. Then we can progress in the Gospel.” I have seen how so many times people fall away from the Gospel, or feel hurt in the Gospel, because of something outside of their ‘vertical relationship’ with their Heavenly Father.  Meaning, that, sometimes we see church as boring, or as our callings in the church as too much to do. We may feel alone, or offended by something that someone said. However, these are all outside forces that interrupt and threaten that vertical relationship with the Father, if we aren’t careful. I hope that we can allow our vertical relationship to never be weakened, or damaged, by any outside force. I sincerely hope that we may each learn to grow closer to our Father in Heaven, instead of away from Him.  I have such a strong testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that He lives, and I know that the tomb is empty. I have seen revelation lead, guide, and control this work, more than I could ever express in writing.  I have seen, more and more on my mission, how inadequate words are to describe the countless feelings I feel towards the truthfulness of this Church and Gospel. I have a knowledge that this Church is the true church of Jesus Christ, and that there are more words of Jesus Christ than of that just contained in the Bible. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and sacrificed all in the cause of restoring the very church we sometimes take for granted.  More importantly, I know that the Savior died for me, and you, and this allows us the full opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven again, and to become like Him.

I love each and every one of you, and pray for you always. Thank you for your love, support, letters, and emails. Nothing means more to me than the love I have been shown, every day, by you and our dear Brother Jesus Christ.

Until Next Week-
Elder Robb