Elder Calvin B. Smith Email 09/07/2010

Dear Family,

Britney Belcher was interviewed for baptism on Friday. She passed the interview but she was really nervous. After her interview at the church we showed her the baptismal font and the dressing rooms. She was really excited to be baptized. She had been working towards being baptized for two months. Later that night we got a phone call from her. She told us that she told her grandma (she lives with her Grandma) that she was getting baptized. Her grandma told her that if she got baptized into the "Mormon" church that she would have no place too stay. (Britney is 19) Britney's grandma thinks that we practice polygamy and worship Joseph Smith. Britney does not want to be cast out of her family, so she decided to not get baptized yet. Britney knows that the church is true and that she needs to be baptized, but she is scared of what will happen to her if she does get baptized. We heard later that the grandma explained to Britney that the people in the drug house next door thinks that we are undercover cops. One day we picked up Britney with a member to go to the church and the drugs dealers saw and got suspicious. They started questioning Britney's grandma while we were gone about where Britney was going with a bunch of white guys and whether she was working for the police. Britney told us that her grandma got scared, understandably, so her grandma said that we can not visit her at her house any more. Now we meet down the street at her friend's house. Britney told us that she still wants to keep coming to church, we will just have to pick her up down the road a ways. We hope to keep working with her. We wish that we could adress some of the concerns the grandma has, but the grandma refuses to talk to us.

Samuel Dargan is still set for baptism on the 18th, we are excited for him.

I finished reading the Doctrine and Covenants last week. I have studied it in parts or sections, but never before have I read it straight through. I have really learned a lot from it. I really didn't have a desire to read through the Doctrine and Covenants until I met President McConkie. He seems to know the Doctrine and Covenants like the back of his hand. So much of the Doctrine and Covenants relates to missionary work that I decided to read it, and I am glad I did. I have now read through the Old and New Testament once, the Book of Mormon twice, the Doctrine and Covanents once, and the Pearl of Great Price twice while on my mission. Right now I am reading Jesus the Christ. I am reading about the parables and their significance. I really like how James E. Talmage breaks it down for the reader.

Yesturday we were knocking on doors near the end of the night, about 8:40pm when we knocked on a fairly large home. A woman came out and told us that we were crazy, she had never known "Mormons" to knock on people's doors so late. She asked for identification, we responded by pulling out our ministerial certificates, and when we tried to present her with our certificate she hissed, "Don't you dare get close to me, I am eating dinner with company right now. I believe in Jesus and that he died on the cross for me and right now I am having a good time, drinking HIS WINE", good night." At that she dismissed us from her porch leaving us wondering exactly what she ment by "His wine". First I thought of the wine used for sacrement, but that didn't make any sense. What ever "His wine" is it sounds pretty sacreligious to be drinking it for fun and enjoyment. If anyone can figure out what "His wine" means, please let me know. Maybe it has profound deeper meaning. Maybe that statement provides some insight into the protestant view of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Well, I got to wrap up. I love ya'll. Sorry I was not able to send you guys a letter this week. Our time was a little limited this week.

Love,
Elder Calvin Smith