Loving Salem!

Well its only been 4 days since i have emailed last but a fair amount has happened since. I have really enjoyed having having two companions. Elder Raulston and Elder Thompson are great, Raulston is from Salem Utah and Thompson is from American Fork, but for some strange reason claims he is from Canada. It has been great to be back in the field. We have been able to have full studies, full planning and our area is our main focus. From here on out I am going to start doing a least two exchanged a week. i am going to start with companionships in my zone and then i will move on to companionships in other zones. I am really exited to start getting out on exchanges. We have a lot of very young companionships so hopefully i will be able to help them out. Its weird being in a area that you know you are going to be in for only one transfer, and we cover two wards, so right as I start learning everything i will be getting transferred, but I am really grateful to have time in this area. I know i am met to be here. 

We had some good lessons this week. We have are teaching a lady named BJ who is married to a member. She had been taught by missionaries for about 5 months, and she had been reading from the BOM for a month or two. She talked about being a little confused with what the BOM is and then after asking a few more question we came to realize that she did not really understand what the BOM is and how we got it. A skill that i have worked on more than any other on my mission is being able to teach people what the Book of Mormon is and why it would be important for them to use it. 

I like to use the pictures in the front. How I started learning how to introduce the BOM by reading the title page over and over again and knowing all the points it teaches. Before i use to just show a few pictures explain how its a ancient record of the people and prophets in America, and invite people to read it, but one day i realized that, that way did a good job about telling them what the BOM is but not really why it would be important to them to read it, pray about it and know for them selves that its true. I have gotten a lot better at explaining about how Mormon compiled the record, Moroni being commanded by God to bury them in the ground, and Joseph Smith Being led to them and translating them by the power of God, and then connecting about how if the BOM is true then Joseph Smith is a prophet. I love making that connection for people, it goes from something interesting to something important. Sometimes it takes a few times of explaining for it to click with people, but its a very important step. I love the Book of Mormon it is a incredible book. It excites me to teach people about it and invite them to try it for them selves. I love you all, have a great week

Elder Covey  

--Fearless Via Faith