Hey Family,
Another weeks has come and gone. This one went by soooo fast! It seems that the days just go by faster and faster. Transfers has come and gone. I will be in Hartsville with the same companion, Elder Geslison, for another 6 weeks. We are both excited to be staying! Hartsville is a great little town, we have seen a lot of success here so far - as far as teaching people. This week we found some really cool people.
Yesterday we had an interesting discussion in one of the more well-to-do neighborhoods. We knocked on this guy's door and he told us that he had read the Book of Mormon, was a bible scholar of some kind, and didn't believe that it was true. I probed a little deeper and he got of on some of the deeper doctrines that he thought we didn't know. He was so arrogant as to tell us that our church didn't teach us young folks that the Mormons believe that we can become gods. He acted as if we were brain washed kids forced out there to try to teach people about "John Smith." He also told us that we didn't believe that Jesus died for our sins. Slightly flustered, I bore a powerful testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. He then asked if we believed we were saved by the grace of God, I told him yes, but we have to do things to open our arms to that gift of the atonement. God will not force his gift into our clenched hands, there are things we have to do, like baptism, in order to be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven and explained the out line of the gospel of Jesus Chirst (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end) I cited John 3:5 and James 2. To which he cited Ephesians 2. I explained the context of Ephesians 2 - Paul was writing to the early Christians who saw Christianity as a sect of Judaism - hence they believed that they needed to obey the Mosaic law - ceremonial observances/works- and Paul was explaining to them that it wasn't by the acts of the Mosaic law now that they were saved. (long story short) I cited a few scriptures concerning plurality of Gods, and judged by our works and wrapped it up, seeing that it was going nowhere. Before we left we asked if we could leave with a prayer, to which he said yes. We left with a prayer and continued to knock the neighborhood.
By the end of next week I will have Elder Holland's talk safety for the Soul, memorized. I am so excited! I never thought I could do it.
I am so thankful for having been sent to South Carolina. The environment I am in forces me to know and study the scriptures at a level I have never done before. I love the scriptures, I love the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder Calvin Smith
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