Harvesting With God

This week was so amazing. We were able to put 9 people on date for baptism, including two amazing families. We had a P-day change because we had zone conference yesterday. We had the opportunity to hear from Elder Vern P. Stanfill. He spoke in the most recent general conference and gave an amazing talk about the "Imperfect Harvest." Go and listen to it if you haven't already.


There are two special experiences that I want to share. 7 weeks ago, this man named Duncan Dabbs walked into a nearby LDS chapel in Springfield, and said to himself "I'm back. Let's do this." He grew up in the church, and by the time he was 15, he was completely inactive, with no belief in God. After 11 years of inactivity, he walked back into the building and said he was ready. He reached out to us, and we are working with him to get his patriarchal blessing. He invited us over, and informed us that he has a wife who is not a member. On our second lesson with her, I asked her to be baptized. She responded with "I have been baptized before, but not by proper priesthood authority. Of course I will be." 


The other one came on Saturday. We didn't see much success, and we had service for a lot of the day. I was dripping sweat, and was over it. We said a prayer around 8 pm that we could find someone to bring to church in the morning. On one of the first doors we found, this older man named Kirk welcomed us in. He is 60+ years old, and lives alone. The nicest spirit. He said he would like to come to church, and I didn't really believe him. Turns out, he was serious. He got a ride to church, and all of the members loved him. We taught him about the Restoration yesterday, and he accepted a date to be baptized for June 24. 


Alma 16:16-17 

16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—

17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.


God always prepares, and he always delivers. Keep trusting. 

Love you all,

Elder Smythe 






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