Week #18 (October 12, 2015)

Quotes of the week:

#1) Crazy homeless man who has verbally assaulted us more than once,
meets us again (this time outside of the African Market), while we are
trying to help this poor lady with her car. Being that we already go
way back with this guy, he starts introducing himself to the lady, in
his very dramatic introduction he says:
"The name is CJ, my real name is Jack, but I don't like it when people
call me JC.... And I'm BACK! With the SCARS TO PROVE IT!!" (opens his
arms to present himself, huge 8 toothed psycho grin, huge psycho
eyes).

#2) Quote from a convo on a guy's porch as he tells his life-story:
Guy: "Yah, but then I got kicked out cuz I was slangin'."
Elder Baldwin from East Salt Lake, in the whitest way imaginable:
"Like using slang language?"
Guy: "Nah, like I sold drugs."

This week has been so amazing, ERIKA MADE IT TO CHURCH!! I can't tell
you how many prayers and fasts she had fulfilled when she arrived.
Sadly, she will be transitioned to the English Elders to be taught the
rest of the way to her baptism, but I'm just so glad she is
progressing!!

Now for the spiritual thought/rant:

We will share an entire lesson, just about 100% LDS doctrine, and
people will just nod and say (in Spanish or English) "Oh yah I already
believed all that, we believe that in our church," and as ridiculous
as that sounds, it's heart-breakingly true.

I actually spend more time trying to help people understand that the
Catholic Church doesn't believe in the Plan of Salvation or The Book
of Mormon than convincing them in the first place.

Far from being a bash on the Catholic Church or any other sect, I
share my observations with the the hope that you realize what they
imply about our doctrines (in the LDS Church).

These comments from believers in other religions shed light on the
fact that our unique doctrine makes sense to any Christian on a
fundamental level.

Now for the rant: Even when people realize that these truths are
uniquely ours, they are not willingly to leave family traditions to
pursue them. How stinking depressing is that?


I know that the doctrines restored through Joseph Smith are true. I
don't believe in them just because they make total sense to believe in
(as proved by people in the street everyday), but also because I've
put this gospel to the test and done "an experiment upon [the] words"
(Alma 32:27).


-Elder Cox-