Blessings of the Book of Mormon

Familia! Amigos!

We baptized Julia Martinez this week. Her sister was happier than she was I think! Erica is an active member , secretary of the Relief Society but she was the only member of her family before. Now that her sister's going regularly she won't feel as alone.

Next week we have two baptisms. Johnny Guzman, a young man, and Martha, a mother of a member named Paola Vasquez. I'm really close with the Vasquez family so it's going to be great to have them there. Paola's brother-in-law Joel is coming home from his mission this Friday so that'll be cool to be there. He comes home Friday morning, and we're going to eat lunch in the afternoon. My companion Elder Rodriguez is friends with Joel from the MTC here in Peru. So I thought that was cool.

I like the room you showed me. It looks cool. Mostly the pool. This Saturday we're going over to Presidents house for lunch too because my companion's ending and everything. My companion's thinking a lot about home and everything so I'm doing my best to encourage him to keep working hard haha. He surfs for billabong so he's always talking about that and other things.

The Assistants told me that you called the offices dad and that you're trunky or something thinking about home ahha honestly I'm getting nervous even knowing that it's getting closer and closer. (Actually, I called to get info on his release details as I was instructed to do. The secretarty told me that Sean was his zone leader so I told him to tell Sean NOT to get trunky. So it got twisted.)

My plans are really only a few things right when I get home. New clothes, a job, to visit everyone... I'm planning on having some sort of short term calling so I've also been thinking a ton about that. I don't know.....if you want to start passing out that Returned Missionary Form too I'd appreciate it. ;)

Okay enough of that....that feels weird. It's not that often I talk about leaving Peru....hmmm. Sunday was Carnival. Well....all February is carnival but especially the Sunday so what that means is that everyone tries to throw water balloons at us. It's dangerous cause some of them have paint. Crazy Peruvians!!!! I love em.

Okay here's something I was reading the other day.

3rd Nephi 26:

6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

I was impressed the reason we don't have the rest of the things Jesus Christ taught this people. The Lord said I will try the faith of my people. Honestly I think some of the things he taught these people were revelations specifically for our day. It would make sense because right before verse 6 Jesus was addressing the last days. I think that if Mormon had written those things down on the gold plates, the physical evidence of those sacred things wouldn't give us the same opportunity to test the faith of many in the last days. It's just a theory I have I guess, but I really know that the Book of Mormon is just that. A test of faith. The Church stands or falls on the Book of Mormon. So for anyone who's read it and prayed it stands. For anyone who doesn't, it falls, for them at least. I'm blessed to have this testimony and I hope that we can all grow closer to our Heavenly Father everyday. That's why we should read the Book of Mormon, because there's not another book that brings us closer to God.

I love you all so much. Happy Valentines Day.

Love love love,

Elder Layton