"If ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent" (Moroni 10:4) - August 15, 2022
Spiritual Thought
The closing chapter of the Book of Mormon contains a promise to all people who may read this record and desire to know of its truthfulness. Speaking to the future readers of this sacred account, the prophet Moroni declared the following: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4). This promise has eternally impacted the lives of what is now millions of readers of this sacred book of scripture.
There are some who have read the Book of Mormon, prayed to know of its truthfulness, and feel as though no answer was received. There is a crucial piece of this promise upon which our answer is dependent. Moroni states that our inquiry must be done "with real intent". In order to receive a witness and testimony of this book's truthfulness we must be willing to act on such a testament. Our inquiry cannot be made from passive curiosity or as a mere scholarly exercise. God will not be mocked. If we are to receive the type of profound, life-altering witness that so many carry with them we must be willing to do all that such a testimony entails. If we are willing to change our habits and opinions, we will receive a witness. If we are willing to forsake our sins and former traditions when such a testimony is given we will receive a confirming answer to our prayer. If we are prepared to follow the example of our Savior into the waters of baptism we will receive an unmistakable answer affirming the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was translated through the power of God by the prophet Joseph Smith. It is the "most true and correct of any book". I promise that all who read from this sacred record then ask in humility, with "real intent", if it be true will receive their own witness of the truthfulness of this sacred book.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Weekly Update
Hello everyone,
My first week in Antsirabe has been incredible. I am very tempted to ask the mission president to leave me here for the rest of my mission. I would be very happy to spend the next six transfers in Antsirabe and baptize about 100 people in the process. This place is amazing.
We went to Lake Tritriva on p-day. It was beautiful! Very possibly my favorite p-day yet. Tritriva is a lake in an extinct volcano about an hour outside of Antsirabe. If you ever make it to Madagascar you have to see it. I'll gladly be your tour guide and translator if you buy me a plane ticket.
On Tuesday Elder Razafimanantsoa and I had to go to the American embassy in Antananarivo so I could sign something for my visa. This was something specific I needed because of the laws in New Mexico so I was the only American who had to do it. Sister Rakotoarivelo gave permission for Elder Razafimanantsoa to wait outside while I went in alone. It was kind of fun to see an embassy and the craziest part was the person who notarized the document was a member. Overall though it was a pretty uneventful travel day.
Richarde, Justine, and Antoinne are getting baptized on Sunday. Richarde and Justine were unmarried but very willing to be married in order to be baptized. We were at their house every day last week coordinating details for the wedding and baptism. Richarde is going to Ambositra, the town he was born in, today to get his birth certificate. It's about three hours south of Antsirabe. He will come back tomorrow then they will be married on Saturday and baptized on Sunday. We're very excited they will be able to continue progressing and I am grateful to have witnessed so many miracles in this process.
We actually have a second couple who is ready to be baptized but needs to get married first. Their names are Henrie and Antoinnette. It's almost an identical situation to Richarde and Justine except I am pretty sure Henrie was born here in Antsirabe which will make the process easier. They are very willing and anxious to be baptized. We are hoping to help them also be married and baptized by the end of next week.
When people think of serving a mission in Africa there are many things that come to mind; poverty, difficult living conditions, humble and spiritually prepared people, elephants roaming the savanna, and teaching large crowds of people. Having been here for over a month I can say that many of the assumptions are true. There are many challenges but Africa is an incredible place that is prepared to hear the Gospel. I'll never see elephants here but this week I was able to be a part of the last thing on that list which I hadn't seen yet. On Wednesday we were contacting people in a small park at the edge of town. We saw a group of three or four women sitting on the ground with their kids. They seemed interested so we sat down with them to start teaching. Just as we were about to start I said we had a message about Jesus Christ. One of the women stopped me and said "Wait, the word of God is for everyone, not only for us. There are many other people here who also need to hear what God is telling us today. Wait here for a moment." Then all the women stood up, with their kids, and walked around the entire park telling people to come listen. Within maybe five minutes we had a crowd of at least thirty people sitting on the ground around us. We showed the Restoration pamphlet and asked if we could share a message about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The first woman replied "How could we ever miss an opportunity to hear the word of God? We love God and need his word. We are prepared. Tell us what God needs us to know." It was an incredible and humbling experience. I hope all of us can have that same attitude in our own lives. How could we ever dismiss an opportunity to hear God's word and how could we ever deny those around us the same privilege?
I hope you all have a great week!
Elder Payne
The giant cactus tree in the middle of town.
Our bus ran out of gas maybe a quarter of the way to Tritriva. We had to wait for at least half an hour for someone from another bus who had more gas to get there. I don't know what happened but he wasn't on a bus. Instead he was walking and had the smallest thing of gas I've ever seen. It might have held a gallon. Somehow it was enough to get us to Tritriva and back though.
The view from the top of the volcano at Antsirabe.
A lizard I tried to catch while walking around Tritriva.
Under an Antsirabe sign. This looks really creepy since it's after dark.
Elder Razafimanantsoa had to climb through the window to sneak into another missionaries apartment. Don't ask why we needed to get into their house.
Kids are always using this log as a teeter-totter. It's really cute! Ah, kids!!
Saw my first Chameleon! This is actually a very rare species called the Malagasy Maggot-eating Chameleon which is endemic to Madagascar. Their method of hunting is very unique. They lie motionless on the ground for long periods of time until maggots start living on them. Then, without warning, they jump to their feet, shake like a dog and eat all the maggots that fall off. Amazing really!
The view of the moon.
I'm trying to fully embrace the culture over here. As part of that Elder Lewis and I carried this mattress on our heads. We had to move it over a mile away and I am very proud that it was all done on our heads and at least half a mile was without hands.
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