Heart and Mind

Hello everyone! It has been a wonderful week here in Grahamstown, although it is quite apparent winter is coming, and in a hurry. Now, I suppose temperature is all relative wherever one happens to be in the world, but since I’m coming on 2 years here in Southern Africa, hot and cold have taken on a new meaning.

80º? Not hot. 115-120º? Now that’s getting there.

60º? Put on a jacket! It’s cold! 45º? My toes are freezing off and I expect snowflakes to fall any moment. I imagine I’ll look very weird putting my jacket on in 60º May weather in Washington. Anyway, enough about weather. 2 years has hardly quenched my desire to study and discuss the weather, so rest assured that aspect of my life hasn’t changed 😉

This week many wonderful things happened that confirmed the faith I’ve been teaching and preaching these fast-paced 2 years. It is “holiday” time for all the college students in Grahamstown for the next two weeks, and since Grahamstown is considered a “college town”, that can prove difficult for us. So, we took advantage of this past week to see as many of our college student investigators as possible before they left for 2 weeks.

One of them, Asanda, has made such incredible progress. Things have clicked in her mind faster than most we’ve been teaching, and she’s had great member support. But when we asked her how she felt about the Book of Mormon, we weren’t expecting the answer she gave. She thought for a little while, allowing the Spirit to increase in the room which seemed to drown out the pattering rain outside.

“I feel…” she started. “I feel that the Book of Mormon is true. I know in my mind…and in my heart that what you’ve been teaching is true.” She said that last sentence with such humility and sincerity, that there was no denying she meant what she said.

The first thing that came to my mind was Doctrine and Covenants 8:2. We had only just introduced the Book of Mormon a week back and haven’t even discussed the D&C, but Elder Alexander and I felt it important to share this scripture with her. When she opened up to that passage from the Lord to Book of Mormon scribe Oliver Cowdery, she was amazed that she had basically quoted those words revealed nearly 200 years ago. This helped confirm her faith in her own testimony.

As Emma Smith, wife to Prophet Joseph Smith, said those many years ago, “There are some things you know with your heart that you don’t know with your head.” I’ve come to learn that is true. I also know, in my mind and in my heart, that these wonderful souls I’ve been sent to teach and prepare to accept the restored gospel have been placed in my path by my Father in Heaven. He has truly guided this mission of mine and for that I will be eternally grateful.

This work is true and I am honored every day to be apart of it.

I love you all! Stay well,

Love,

Elder Leach