The Book of Mormon is Amazing

The Book of Mormon is amazing. I love sharing it with people and I love reading it.

This week was pretty awesome. This week we were able to get both Bobby and Cam interviewed for baptism and they both passed! They are both so excited for their upcoming baptisms and we can't wait to watch them make this important step. Its so awesome to see the change the gospel brings to people's lives whether it be over a span of 15 years or 6 months. This week we also picked up a new investigator who is the exact definition of a "Golden Investigator." We got a call from a girl in the Newport Coast YSA ward saying she had a friend who lives in San Clemente who she gave a copy of The Book of Mormon to and that in 2 weeks he was halfway through it and that he had been going to institute. We met up with him on Thursday and he told us he was in Mormon chapter 7 and told us he planned to finish it that night. Before we even began teaching him the Restoration he told us that he had some questions concerning baptism and about serving a mission eventually but that he figured he should finish The Book of Mormon before we got there. We told him a little about the process and then got right into the lesson which went really well. We met with him the next day and he told us he had saved reading Moroni 9 and 10 so that he could read it with us, which was super cool and after we finished that he prayed to know if it was true and after sitting quietly for a second got up and wrote "yes" on the chalkboard, after this we taught him the Plan of Salvation which he liked as well. He was at church on Sunday and said he liked the sense of community in the ward and how kind people were because a huge amount of ward members introduced themselves to him. Its amazing to see such an impressive miracle occur in such a short span of time and it shows how powerful praying for miracles with faith can be.
Besides Ross being at church I also had the crazy experience of Ben and Trace, two of my roommates from BYU, showing up at our ward. It was super good to see them, they were in California for the BYU - UCLA game and they decided to look up my ward and say hi. However seeing as visits from friends and families are against the rules Elder Nielsen and I were a little peeved. The most important thing, however, in seeing them was the fact that it reconfirmed for me the fact that this is where I need to be. I miss being at school and spending time with my friends but I know that this is so much more important and that the Lord needs me to be here working to bring his children back to his presence and I would rather be here than anywhere else.

On Friday we spent the majority of the day in Irvine for Zone Conference. Elder Craig A. Cardon of the First Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke with us about the importance of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It was amazing to feel the Spirit with which he spoke and that he had about him. I had many questions answered from him, his wife, and President and Sister Orgill.

I love being in this mission so much and I feel so blessed to be seeing the success that I am so early in my mission. The average number of baptisms here is one per year per missionary and to be able to have the possibility of three in my first three transfers is so amazing and I'm so glad that I have this chance to serve the Lord in bringing his children to him because even though the numbers are important what is more important is the people we bring closer to our Heavenly Father. I have come to realize how important missionary work is in the gospel and our roles as members of this church in sharing the happiness that we have with everybody. I love being a member of this church and I know that it is God's restored church on the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he did restore the church and translate The Book of Mormon. I know that we are led by prophets and apostles today and I can't wait to have the opportunity to hear from them at conference. I know that when we pray and have faith in our Heavenly Father he will bless us with all that we need. And finally I know that these people are good and I need to be with them.

Love

Elder Cheever