The Best Worst & Best Best (9/4/2019)

Dearest families and friends,

The news is in: I am staying in Warren for the third transfer. I'm happy with that overall because of the options we have for people to teach. Things are getting really good. Allow me to explain why.

This past week I had both the best worst lesson and the best best lesson I've ever had. Meaning the best lesson that was terrible and the best one that was incredible.

First, the best worst one. This was with a lady named Vera. When we first met her on her porch, she was willing to listen at first but quickly told us she thought we were "programmed robots" and she didn't feel the Spirit. Holy cow, lady. No one ever reacted like that before. We had a long back and forth trying to get words in. She's a super spiritual lady and rebuked us a couple times, mainly my companion, saying we needed to be humbled. Pretty weird. She took a Book of Mormon and said she'd read it. She missed the next few appointments we set up until finally our last one came. We were like, if she doesn't keep this one we're done. She came to the door and said "I forgot you were coming!" She said she was about to do something but ended up stepping outside to talk with us anyway. She hadn't read the chapter we left her, 3 Nephi 11, so she asked me to read it to her. I read maybe halfway through and we sort of got interrupted and she ended up saying "This sounds just like Matthew!" She proceeded to harden her heart real hard and started coming up with reasons why it can't be true and going off on tangents about other religions and how Mohammad also claimed to see Jesus (he didn't) and nonsense like that. Terrible lesson right? But what made it the BEST terrible lesson is we basically did the best we possibly could have done in response, which we felt proud of afterwards. We testified to her really boldly that what we were sharing was true, and every objection or alleged contradiction we brought up we destroyed. I know that scriptural knowledge doesn't convince people but it still felt pretty good to be able to explain to her why everything she thought was a contradiction wasn't one at all. An example: "Why would Jesus go to the Americas when He already did everything He needed to do in Israel?" For a few seconds I wasn't sure how to answer that. Why did Jesus need to visit America, other than because He promised to? But she basically answered her own question. "Jesus set up His church and called apostles in Jerusalem." I smirked and said "You know what Jesus did here? The exact same thing." Stuff like that. She also said Jesus wouldn't go visit the Gentiles, and I explained that these weren't Gentiles, but a lost branch of Israel. Of course, none of that being-proven-wrong-over-and-over stuff mattered to her because she was hard-hearted. But it felt pretty good. It was quite an experience--probably the first and only time I've called someone hard-hearted to their face. Surprisingly neither of us got angry, though she was really challenging and contrary, claiming God actually sent us to her so SHE could teach US and once we learned what she knew we'd throw the Book of Mormon away. Pretty funny stuff. She also said she thinks I'm gonna be an apostle. So be watching for General Conference ~2059, you might hear my name called.

And now the best best one. This was with a woman named Kelly, who was a Book of Mormon referral from some site sisters in Hawaii, I believe. The best lesson was the second visit, but first let me preface with our first visit. She hadn't answered her phone when we called, and a day or two later we happened to be near her place so we went by and knocked on the door. Out came a middle-aged woman named Kelly who almost immediately sat us down on the porch and asked about what the difference is between our religion and others. It kept sounding too good to be true, but we did our best to explain the Restoration. She accepted a Book of Mormon, said she wanted to come to church (she doesn't really feel right in all the new churches with bands and stuff, she says), and we set up a second appointment.

The day came. In the back of my mind I'm really thinking "It's too perfect. This must just be another Anti-er luring us into a trap." We got a ride from a recent convert and as we pulled up her driveway I noticed a "Rust City Church" sticker on her car. My heart sank a little but I knew I couldn't think that way! We went inside and she sat us down again and began asking some questions about what she read with Moroni and Mormon and Joseph Smith all being rather confusing to her. Answers led to more questions, and it became very clear very quickly that she had ACTUALLY STUDIED what she had read; she even took notes!! She was so genuine and receptive, totally elect and honestly seeking truth. It was perfect.

Turns out her daughter is the one with the Rust City Church sticker (PHEW!). Kelly thought the passage we read with her from Mormon 8 was powerful and true. The whole lesson was powerful and Spirit-led, yet we covered what we had planned to. Elder Hacking did a great job of helping her understand the timeline and setting of the Book of Mormon. It was basically the lesson of my dreams. The only thing that will be better is putting her on date for baptism.

Now did she make it to church? No... We were pretty bummed until she texted us back saying "OMGosh I honestly slept in!" Pretty funny. She later called us and was pretty embarrassed but she wants to come next week and hopefully we'll set up another lesson before then. I love Kelly so much. All the bad stuff in my mission was worth it if I get to teach and baptize Kelly. As Elder Hacking said after that lesson, "Contrast that with Vera!"

My journal writing has been terrible lately. What else happened this week? We had exchanges with the Youngstown State University elders, who live in a high-rise on the 9th floor in a super nice apartment. The elder I went with was going home at the end of the transfer and was writing his homecoming talk. Crazy. Another elder who just went home called us to say goodbye about an hour before he was to be picked up and taken to the mission home. DEATH LOOMS, everyone!

Anyway, it's all worth it! I'm excited for General Conference coming up!

Love,

Elder Gallagher

PICS:

- I am one of President Nelson's TOP FANS

- Apparently we didn't get our actual death pic when we were all posing but here's one of us just setting it up, for some reason