Wonderful To Hear About Ashley!

January 20, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Yeah, we don't get him until like 6 months I think. President Araujo has been good. (They go by first names, it's weird.) But he showed up randomly to our sacrament meeting a few weeks ago, ha ha! 

That is so wonderful to hear about Ashley! I hope she didn't have to wait too long. I know she will do so well. Because of the time difference I won't be able to get an email from her until next week, but I sent her one that will be ready to go when she has a P-Day in the MTC.

Our family sure is great. I am stoked for Jessica. That is so sweet we have so many Weaver/Pukahi/other Family out on missions! That's great to hear about the Remmington's. I am glad they are curious.

Something I've been thinking a lot about lately is how we truly are treated like The Savior was here on earth. A lot of people (in Kansas, and Brasil) object to the church saying, "If there were going to be more prophets, we would have heard about them in the Bible!" And, ironically enough, people said similar things about the Savior. A Messiah, Savior, and Redeemer have been foretold all throughout the Old Testament...but not once do you read the name "Jesus Christ". The phrase "Son of God" is used once (in reference to when the 3 were thrown into the Furnace...and there was another "...and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.") Então, when Jesus Christ was born and claimed to be The Son of God many people did not believe Him. In reply he said in John 7:16-17

"16 Jesus answered them, and said, My ^adoctrine is not mine, but his that ^bsent me.

 17 If any man will ^ado his ^bwill, he shall ^cknow of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

You could witness His miracles, and yet this would not be enough to give you a testimony as to His Divinity. All truth comes by the Spirit. You would still need to "do his will" and try it out. Experiment as Alma says. With faith, real intent, believing you shall receive an answer. These same principles of gaining a testimony as to whether Jesus Christ is The Son of God apply to finding out if the Church is true or not. People argue, "If Jesus wanted another prophet he would have said who it was in the Bible!" The truth is, the Bible gives ample evidence of The Restoration but Bible Bashing will never give someone a testimony. In order to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, you need to experiment on The Book of Mormon and pray to God asking Him for the truth. It's simple. I would submit that it would not only be difficult to gain a Testimony of Jesus Christ as The Savior of the World if His name were mentioned in The Old Testament, but it would be nearly impossible because you would have no room for faith. You would already know. The same with Joseph Smith. If his name were explicitly mentioned in the Bible faith would avail mankind nothing and there would be no appreciation for The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My Love is constantly with You and You have been here, in Brasil, with me every step of the way. Pioneers didn't just push handcarts. There are plenty of them here.

I Love You All,

Elder Weaver

That's the beach in the background from on top of our apartment.