Jan 4, 2016

New Years!

Wow I had an amazing experience this year. sorry, my first long email.

So for new Years we had to stay in and read the entire Book of Mormon in one day.
Yupp all day we were to read the Book of Mormon. Cover to cover, and finish by 10:30 pm. You know me, I am not a reader. We also had to mark evidences of Gods love for His Children and ways we can increase our faith in Jesus Christ. This was the hardest experience of my life. 

I am a slow reader that likes to soak everything up. To accomplish this we had to read at about 35 pages an hour for 16 hours. The first 100 pages took me 4 hours. I was falling behind. But I knew that Christ could deliver me. At 8:36pm I had a melt down. I was in physical pain. Mental pain. Emotional Pain. and Spiritual pain. My faith was being tested. I wanted to give up so bad. I was only in Alma 30. I could not go on. But I knew I couldn't give up. 

The story of 1 Nephi kept coming back to my mind. I had been reading like Laman and Lemuel. for the praise of men. To please my President. To impress others. I was miserable. I was relying on my strength and it gave out. It was no more. If only I could have been reading like I was Nephi, out of pure love for God and for his family. Nephi kept the commandments because he loved His God. He went under so much persecution but his joy was full. And we have been hearing over and over since the mission tour with Elder Bennett that we need to change our why. We have to turn our hearts to God. 

I kept noticing the phrases keep the commandments and I noticed how frequently God delivers His children. So I turned to God. I cried out to Him in for strength. That I too could be delivered. I needed Him. I could not go on. I received a prompting to eat one sour patch kid and he would shock my energy back. Silly, but I followed. It did. My heart took courage. I knew my God would deliver me. I knew with the Strength of Christ I could do all things. I started to read on. I was going strong and fast because now I was reading for my Heavenly Father. I made it now my goal to finish Alma by 10:30. I did. President Porter gave me permission to stay up to midnight. I finished Helaman. I got up At 6 am to finish. I had 107 pages left. I asked that I may read at a pace that I had never seen before and still comprehend what was saying. I finished the Book of Mormon at 8 am. I read 107 pages in two hours. Never could I have done that without Jesus Christ.

I know He delivered me. I know that as we give him all our heart, All our might mind and strength, He will Deliver us. I know that as we come unto him we can be saved. and I know that the book which invites us to do so, The Book of Mormon, is true. No man could have ever written that book. Unless it were true, and he was commanded of God to do so. That Book has so much power. It changed my life. 

I know with a perfect knowledge that God Loves his children. He is Good and He lives. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His one and only true Church. It has been restored through a prophet. I know that We are lead by Prophets today. His restored Gospel is our only way to true peace and happiness. I beg of you, wherever you are, whoever you are, to come unto Christ. If you are a member with doubts, read the book of Mormon and ask in prayer, He will deliver you. If you are not, I invite you to at least experiment and see of what I'm doing and how this gospel can bless your lives. Talk to me and I will direct you to your local missionaries. This is true. I know it with my whole being that it is. I love my God. and I love you.
Come and see

Elder Verdoni