November 11, 1996 - Monday

I've been pretty bad at SYLing the last couple of days.  The rules are very lax.  It's after 10:30pm and I'm still up.  But I'm loving it.  I'm sure that I will be a little nervous right before I leave but not right now.  I'm loving it.  I went around tonight and got a bunch of people on a tape recorder [which by the way - I have no idea if I've ever listened to it after my mission]. 

Well I gave a talk yesterday [last Sunday in the MTC ] - I had better record it in my journal.  I got up and did a little dance [in front of the podium].  It was my feet shuffle.  Then I related it to the Restoration.  The dance looks hard, but to me it is so simple.  Everything that J.S. revealed was simple...

1. God - all about him - not some big floating nebulous thing.
2. Jesus Christ - His role in the Plan our Father gave us.  Then my favorite
3. Prophets - The dance looks hard but it is easy.  Then I showed them step by step how to do the dance. 
4. Nobody was there to show the people how to dance.  Joseph [Smith] was called as a prophet.  That is one of the most important things that can be said of him.  One of the most important truths - that he revealed was that He Himself [God] led the Church - the true church.  There were now dance instructors back on the earth.  Then next came the most important tool.
5. The Book of Mormon.  It taught people how to dance more directly and easier than the Bible did. 
6. And Moroni's promise - first read, then ponder, then pray and by the power of the Holy Ghost - all things would be made known.

Did this sound familiar?  It was the first discussion.  That is what the restoration is all about.  What we go out to teach is the simple dance moves of the Gospel.  Then I just bore my testimony of what I had taught.  I don't know if they felt the Spirit - but I did.  I felt calm after I had got going and the thought of doing the dance as an example came to me as I sat on the stand.  The Holy Ghost gave me inspiration.  I love to talk - it just makes me feel loved when I get inspiration and I love to relate things to the Gospel.  love/night