Some weeks are just different. This last week was one I think. I
feel my heart very apparently. We are working with some members who are
Karen--they are refugees. They don't know a lot of English so we are
trying to teach English to as many as we can. They work so much! It
hurts to not to be able to communicate the simplicity of the Gospel the
way I want to. It hurts to not be able to give them the beauty of the
Book of Mormon as freely as I want. You see, there is no church material
to order in Karen. No Book of Mormon, no Gospel Principles books. So,
in order to share it, a Karen person must be bilingual. I am realizing
more and more how much I love and rely on that book when I can't have
it--I can't give that to everyone. Where would I be without the Book of
Mormon?
Not here. My conversion is so bound to the Book of Mormon that I
can't imagine going without. How would I have truly felt faith without
Alma the Younger and his conversion of the Lamanites? How would I known
of true conversion without the people of Ammon? How could I have known
fearlessness without Moroni and his strength in the Lord? Alma, Abinadi,
Nephi, Alma the Younger, Helaman....too many to name. How would I have
understood the Spirit without that steady flow of spiritual input? How
would I have known Joseph Smith was a Prophet without realizing that
this couldn't come from a man--it was too good. And with all the claims
(the First Vision, the angels,...) it would have to be true because "no
good man would write this book, save it were true..." (Elder Holland
said something along those lines, quoting his Grandfather I believe, in a
talk a while back). How would I have known without "experimenting upon
the word"? (Alma 32:27-29) Honestly, I don't know how I would have. I
don't know if I would have. No, I wouldn't have. What a terribly sad
thought.
But this I know--with God all things are possible. Early
missionaries went to foreign lands with only the clothes on their backs
and a Book of Mormon. We have Karen people with beautiful English here;
people wanting and willing to learn; a reading program designed by very
intelligent people to help speak, read, and comprehend scripture in
English; we have a wonderfully willing and helpful ward; we have visuals
and videos and other aids. We have all these things. Those men with
only clothes and a Book were able to spread the Gospel into longing
souls. With God there is a way--God's way. All we need to do is not
hinder it.
So, we work slow and steady to teach them English and teach all we
can (explaining scriptures, principles, prayer, etc.) and just praying
so hard that we can help. We search for all who are ready; we seek to
share this beautiful message. We pray we can help. We just want to help
so much.
My last thought is this--we have so much going for us. We are
educated. We have the Book of Mormon in our Native tongue--in it's pure
first translation through a Prophet of God even! We have churches
nearby, loving neighbors, and the technology to help (using such things
as lds.org). We have
everything going for us. How can we justify not truly diving into the
Book of Mormon? How can we justify not asking the Lord--not reading to
see the goodness of it? Not knowing the story of Joseph Smith and
understanding the repercussions of it? We can't. Please take this chance
to look for yourself--it's more important than I can even express. I
know it's true and I am so happy because of it. Please, I want you all
to know too.
With love,
Sister Short
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