9-6-11

Madre,
Don't worry too much about the money. Of course, no rush! I just didn't know when I called america first if they gave me the balance with that 800 or without.

Nick got baptized this week! So it was a great week for all. Nick's whole family came and supported him which was great because his father isn't very impressed with our beliefs -- maybe this will help him out? The baptism had about 60 people in attendance and it went off without a hitch (I think that's the idiom haha). We got pictures etc and I'll be sending those out in a letter on a DVD again.

Yesterday for P-Day (since the library was closed) we went to the Spencer Fair. It was $10 to get in but was a $10 well spent. They had some "dare-devils" and a demolition derby and even a hypnotist. Despite my warnings, one of the Elders decided that he would go up to be hypnotized -- he didn't last long -- I think he was too nervous about me telling him to not go, which I'm happy about haha. There was one part where the hypnotized had to hug their neighbor and that really was weird for him, I think that knocked him out of it because he was a little nervous and the spirit wasn't helping haha.

We met a very interesting family this week. The MonCrief [sic] family. They have decided that Joseph Smith was a liar and Brigham Young was a racist (I could have told them about the Brigham Young bit). The husband was baptized when he was 18 and the wife was born into the church. The husband wasn't there but we stood outside 'talking' with the wife for about an hour or more. It was going nowhere fast. Apparently they were writing a book about the church and then found on, of all places, the internet all the 'truth' about the church. Elder Horton said it was quite funny because to him her and I are exact opposites. We both came across the same information but took it in different directions. I looked at it and thought "wow, prophets really are just men, there's hope for me!" and she looks at it and thinks "These are prophets!! They should know EVERYTHING!" Anyway, she informed us that their names have been removed which is a bummer. But what most bums me out is the trap of the whole thing. All the anti-mormon doctrine is the same, always has been and always will be. Her husband is now writing a book against the church about how the Book of Mormon was really written. I brought up the Solomon Spaulding theory and even though she didn't confirm my guess, she did give me ample reason to believe that that theory is one of the theories that they believe in; which is ridiculous because if you look into the Spaulding theory, it holds absolutely no water under close scrutiny. Anyway, her sister is coming to live with her (Amy, 16) and wants to keep coming to church -- so we're going to need a lot of help for her. We're nervous to see what happens but hopefully all goes well and we can help her continue on the path.

Oh, and in studying about Judas, I believe it has been stated by the Savior that he is a Son of Perdition. But I'm unsure if it's talking about Judas or Satan.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and ^anone of them is ^blost, but the son of ^cperdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

I love you and miss you

-Elder Conner Allred