2/4/13 "Don't touch it! It's evil!!"

"Mom! Dad! It's EVIL! Don't touch it!"

*BOOM!*

"And again I would exhort you to come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing." -- Moroni 10:30.

Yet another example of the eternal Gospel truths contained in the last 5 minutes of Time Bandits.

* * *

Wow, what a week. I think that "Persistence" would be a good way of describing it. Not so much diligence, but persistence. We got kicked out of a lot of apartment complexes this week, and at times like those you've just got to go someplace else. The Work must go on. 

Turns out there are a lot of Hindus in Charlotte. I know this because Elder Shumway and I knocked into most of them during the last few days. Along with the weather doing a Merry-Go-Round this past week, it has been quite the adventure. I've had big black guys I've never met before give me hugs, I've had old white guys I've never met before panic and tell me to "Don't get any closer!" and I even had some atheist with a bee in her bonnet attempt to start an argument.
Amateur.

On fun highlight from this week was when we knocked on the door of a young man who was Skyping with his girlfriend in Italy. We went in and left a blessing with them. That girl was able to have a quality spiritual experience several thousand miles away. It was pretty awesome, I'm not gonna lie. What a world we live in!

I have also learned a new word. We taught a man named Reginald last Wednesday. (The quotes "Reg! Reginald Fairfield!" and "Sir Reginald! Of Chutney!" flashed through my brain many a time during this lesson.)  He was a rather heavy smoker, and as we were talking with him I could tell that he was very antsy, twitching and jerking like he had something on his mind. After we'd finished the lesson, I asked him if he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said. "I'm just Jonesing."

"You're what?"

"Jonesing. I have a Jones right now."

"What's a Jones?"

Apparently a "Jones" is a craving. Truly I have neglected my education if I have never heard of this term before.

Brother Green, our Community of Christ investigator, brought up an interesting point with us in one of our lessons with him. He said, "In your church you have this very all-or-nothing approach to everything. You'll never see someone stand up in Fast and Testimony meeting and say, 'I believe the Book of Mormon is a very good book with many elements of truth in it.' They say, 'I know the Book of Mormon is true.'"

And that statement is completely true. Our Church is a very bold one. We aren't happy with saying that Joseph Smith was a man with good ideas, or that the Book of Mormon is a fun read, or that our Church is a rather good one. We aren't happy with saying that Jesus Christ was just a good moral teacher. To echo my man C.S. Lewis, that option has not be left to us. The Savior did not intend it that way. Either the Book of Mormon is true, or it's not. To echo my man Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, you cannot leave or deny this Church without crawling around, over, or under the Book of Mormon. You can't just say it's inspired, because Joseph Smith claimed to have talked with Moroni.You either have to take it or leave it.

The Book of Mormon is indeed true, and Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet. The Savior was not just a great moral teacher, He was the Son of God, and our Advocate with the Father. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon every day and praying about it, you need to start doing so now. It is a crucial part of having a strong testimony.

I love my mission, I love my companion, and I love you all. Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Fisher