What Does the Holy Ghost Feel Like? - Elder Jacob Avery

Written by Elder Jacob Avery, serving in the Peru Lima West Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.

Mi experiencia espiritual fue la cita de Al** y Mo**. Fue una lección muy espiritual. Tuvimos que ser muy directos a cerca de la tontaria de las iglesias evangélicas pero eso invitó el espiritu. Mo** dijo ''pero en todas las congregaciones alguien tiene una manifestación, mi amiga vio una luz blanca y una mano.'' Entonces le dije, ''el espíritu NO ES locura.'' Silencio. Ella dijo ''entonces que vio mi amiga'' Elder Salas le dijo ''no sé pero la gente cuando hace cosas locas puede imaginar cualquier cosa loca.'' Silencio. Y nos preguntó ''entonces como es el Espíritu?'' Y le explicamos. Le ayudamos entender que los que ella había sentido en la lección era el espíritu. Al terminar la lección su esposo hizo la oración, la primera vez en todo su matrimonio, lo sentimos allí. Esperamos después de la oración para que uno de ellos dijera algo y ella dijo ''yo lo sentí.'' Su esposo dijo que sintió muy diferente como nunca ha sentido. Pues hay que entender como siente el Espiritu o vamos a creer cualquier tontería.

(My spiritual experience was the appointment of Al** and Mo**. It was a very spiritual lesson. We had to be very direct about the shadiness of evangelical churches, but that invited the Spirit. Mo** said, ''But in all congregations someone has a demonstration. My friend saw a white light and a hand.'' So I said, ''The Spirit IS NOT crazy. '' Silence. She said, ''Then he saw my friend.'' Elder Salas said, ''I do not know, but people do crazy things when they imagine anything crazy. '' Silence. Then she asked us, "Then how is the Spirit?'' And Elder Salas explained. We helped her understand that what she had felt in the lesson was the Spirit. After the lesson, her husband said the prayer, the first time in their entire marriage. We saw after the prayer that one of them said something, and she said, " I felt it.'' Her husband said he felt very different he has ever felt. We must understand how the Spirit feels, or will believe any nonsense.)


I figure that since Hannah's there, she can translate some of my letter to my President.

This week was very intense. In the end, my district had 2 baptisms and confirmations. Everyone got baptisms except us, but we WILL GET BAPTISMS. I'm still plenty young and got plenty of fire left.

We taught Jo**'s wife which made that guy super, super happy. He couldn't get to church because his family had a reunion. The very, very bright side is that his wife listened! She's a little stickler, but we can work with sticklers who are present in lessons. It's the ones who don't come to lessons that are more difficult

So there were people who did get baptized but not yet confirmed members of the church. When it was 9:30 and they still hadn't come (church starts at 9, but sacrament meeting is at 11), we took the A team to retrieve them. That consisted of the elders who baptized the family, Elder Clouse and I, and the Branch President. We left church and drove to the house.

Elder Clouse and I went to the back door and the other two went to the front door. We talked to the daughter and she said that her parents were sleeping. The mom doesn't want anything to do with the church. She's really angry that her family is getting baptized, and she does whatever she can to keep her family from going to church. I'm sure she was threatening to leave them, and that's why they never came out. After sending the daughter several times without success, I got in the driver seat and honked the horn so hard that I broke it (I got it got fixed), but still to no avail. I'm not sure that ministers of Christ are supposed to do that, but nobody can tell the Lord that I didn't try. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll get confirmed next week.

This week we also worked on a strawberry farm. That was fun :)

Well, to sum up the week, the work will keep going. Joseph Smith said that truth will cut it's own way, so we may have to be a little patient. I think that for my last 3 or 4 months in the mission I'm focusing on my Christ-like attributes and listening to the Holy Ghost. Something that President Archibald has taught me is that spiritual power isn't just knowing where to go or who to talk to, but it's also having the spiritual confidence that brings power. People know that you come from God and that you are His servants. It's the difference between hearing a crazy ''end of the world'' guy and an eight year old bearing their testimony. One has no spiritual power and one has much. Obedience is critical.

I know the church is true and I can't wait to hear the prophet. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and I hope we will all listen to his words.

Have a great week! Love you all! :)

Elder Avery

Strange Stories (March 9, 2015)

Insac  (March 23, 2015)