Kenz in Knox: Belted by the Bible

BELTED BY THE BIBLE
2 hours. 2 hours folks. For two hours last Wednesday Hermana Yauney and I sat in one of our investigators homes at her kitchen table and listened to one after another after another of her concerns about discrepancies between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I can safely say I was absolutely belted by the Bible! I sat there thinking in my head "that's really in the Bible?" "Where the heck was I when we supposedly studied this in Seminary...?" "I think I might just need to take a two week break and do nothing but read the entire standard works."
It was interesting though the first issue she brought up was a reference between Jeremiah and Helaman, I was giddy for a split second when I asked "Oh my goodness in Helaman?! Have you read the book of Mormon in its entirety?" That was quickly crushed when her reply was "No I haven't, I have to admit that I looked that one up." It became clear as we bounced all over the place hearing issue after issue that she had looked up a list online that was probably compiled by an apostate member, completely anti and negative and seeking to drag others down with them. It was so sad!!! We did our best to explain as much as we could about what we could understand... I say we, I pitched in sometimes but it was Hermana Yauney that carried the team for most of that firing squad. I did have a couple cool experiences with revelation though when these three things came to mind and comforted me:
1. "When you don't know what to say, just talk about Christ" Elder Andersen
2. "Study the scriptures but don't worry about being a scriptorian" David A Christensen "8 Things Successful Missionaries Do"
3. "We are not obligated to answer every objection" Ezra Taft Benson PMG page 109
It was important that we were able to listen to all of her concerns and that even if the answer was each time almost always: "Hmm, I'm not sure, we'll have to look into that more..." we still listened and she even said she appreciated when we said that we didn't know, that our honesty meant a lot. Which is a relief, we both thought for sure she was going to "break up with us" or "drop us." We then testified that: (and this was the part I was more than comfortable saying with confidence) it was up to her to begin reading from the Book of Mormon and pray, to go to the true source, our Heavenly Father and ask if it was true, that it doesn't matter what two 19 year old girls talk and bear testimony about or research and teach about, ultimately it's between her and Heavenly Father through prayer. We finally wrapped things up by asking her to say a prayer before we left and she prayed that whichever one of us was wrong would find what is right, which was actually really awesome to hear. And she invited us back for another visit next week! I seriously thought there was absolutely no way! I have been studying and researching a lot regarding her concerns (she gave us a photo copied list outlining them) and since then have had even more of a personal witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, it was translated by a chosen man named Joseph Smith who could in no way have made up the doctrines it contains. Those doctrines are so true, and are so inspired, the words and doctrines are literally given from the mouth of God through His servants the prophets! I know that like it says in good ol' PMG (Preach My Gospel) "The only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation." -Ezra Taft Benson
I know the Book of Mormon is true, my testimony used to be "there's no way it's not true" but while being out here and having that be tried and tested and "belted" it has begun to turn into: "There are just too many ways it IS true" that's what I rely on, there is a lot I don't understand... that I flat out, straight up, do not know, but I do know the way reading it makes me feel and the true doctrines it contains.

HUMBLED TO THE DUST
Also I know I have mentioned this before but the living conditions out here have both broken my heart yet opened it at the same time. Directly after the above lesson I just shared about we went to go find a less active in a trailer park. I have been to so many trailers in my 7 weeks here, sometimes I feel like trailers are the norm and homes are the exception... but this one we found... oh my heavens above, it is in a class of its own! For starters it stunk from the porch outside. I don't even know how to accurately describe the smells emanating from it, when the door was opened and we stepped inside it was like running into a wall of stank. But unfortunately it gets worse, oh so much worse... The floor was falling in, there were flies and roaches everywhere, there were 16 cats, 4 dogs, 5 ferrets, and 3 people living in it, and there was also a nice unhealthy heaping of dust and grime coating everything! The couple offered us a chair that we both awkwardly perched on, I was almost sitting on Hermana Yauney's lap but it was either that or the cat/dog/roach couch that their one dog that had a run in with the barbed wire fence and was licking at the poorly wrapped wound was sitting at. He seemed like a great couch buddy but I opted for the yucko chair. Anyway the lady that we went to visit specifically has walked a crazy rough road. Honestly you name just about any horrific, graphic, and otherwise awful trial and she has encountered it in some way, and yes she told us about a lot of it. She did a lot of talking at us instead of with us (it's a southern struggle) I could tell Hermana Yauney was getting a little frustrated by it... But I learned a lot from her, she talked about how we all influence others and how one day we'd look back on our missions and think of all the lessons we learned and lives and stories that influenced us, and that we aren't just here to teach people but be taught ourselves, and it's true, it's so true! A mission is a humbling experience for absolute sure, I have been humbled about to the dust that covered that blessed, grungy, filthy, trailer, but at the same time I've learned so much. About myself, about loving others, and especially about the life and ministry and continuing love of the Savior.
I know He lives and suffered so that we don't have to, I know that bad things happen for ultimately good reasons and that one day it will ALL make sense, I'm counting on it, and I'm counting on Him.
I love y'all and hope you have a blessed week, read the good word, and stay humble and happy!!!
Love,
Hermana Hall