The Dark and the Light

Greetings everyone back home!!

From what I hear, winter for the most part is starting to loosen it's
grip back home at least in South Texas. Weather in the 70's
makes me just want more and more for winter to end. But it should be
soon. As I'm writing right now it is snowing, again. But there's hope!
None of it is sticking right now. Hopefully it will stop before
nightfall so it doesn't start sticking again in the freezing weather.

This week has been a big pick up compared to last week of the winter
doldrums. We have had some great progress with some of the people we
meet with in truly understanding the importance of our message and, if
it were true, why it would be important to them. In addition, Elder
Wilson and I have had some great success this week in finding new
people as well.

One of the people we've been meeting with is a good friend of a member
whom we are good friends with here in Kranj. The last few times we've
been meeting however seemed to have been more for the enjoyment of who
we are and the stories we can share having been from America rather
than on the more eternally significant things of the gospel. This week
however, for lunch, we met with her and reiterated the great apostasy
and why exactly there are so many different denominations on the earth
today (despite the fact that there is only one God), and the
importance therefore of the restoration of the fullness of the gospel. She
understood well, and committed to do the things to come to know if the
message we shared is true or not.

It was a great lesson, and I learned a lot about how important the
darkness of the great apostasy is necessary to have the great light,
joy, happiness, hope, and confidence of life the restoration brings.

To top off this week also, we had the great joy of having a baptism in
Ljubljana. Our new sister truly emphasized the blessings the restored
gospel of Jesus Christ brings to people, and was a living example of
the light people radiate from the inner joy of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. As she said in her own words, “I am sorry that my words are
not so rich, that I could describe these wonderful feelings…I feel
peace and the Holy Ghost, and that to me is beautiful”.

This is truly the gift we are here to offer to people, is this
beautiful peace and ease of consciousness. While winter may sometimes
be cold and dark, the gospel is a light which can not be put out
inside each of us to bless us and others around us.

I hope everyone is well and safe and has a truly blessed week.
-Starešina Benson