Baptism!!!!!!

Two years ago President Beard (stake president) asked me to go and teach a missionary lesson with Aaron Burgin, who was preparing to leave on his mission at the time, I was nervous and I had started to consider a mission. I agreed to teach the lessons but I was still nervous so I headed off to the Bountiful temple to seek a little bit of the spirit and a little bit of comfort. As I was in the baptistry at the temple, I was reading the scriptures and praying to know if I needed to start to get myself read to serve a mission. I opened the scriptures randomly and my eyes fell upon the verse 3 of Doctrine and Covenants 31, "Lift up your heart and rejoice for the hour of your mission is come" I continued to read and was filled with peace and received the comfort that I needed. I had received my answer that indeed the Lord wanted me to prepare to serve a mission and that I would be blessed by following this impression. I came to love this passage, verse 3 to 7, because it speaks about the blessings that my mission would bring to my family. It was a scripture that I read often as I prepared for my mission. From time to time I re-read it during sacrament meeting or during my personal studies in the morning. In that scripture the Lord makes several promises. I had been taught by the spirit that these promises were given straight to me as well.

This week during the baptism of Jonathan Richard, the closing song was "Love at Home". As the song started, I had the sweetest spirit come over me and the deepest impression that the promise of the Lord had been fufilled -- that I had been guided to France, to Périgueux and to Jonathan as a result of my sincere prayer from that day two years ago in the Bountiful temple. I felt a reassurance for my family and also a forgiveness of my sins and that truly the Lord was "establishing his church by my hand". The baptismal service was powerful, the spirit was there and Jonathan was radiant. A priest in the ward, Matthieu Donadier, baptised Jonathan. After the baptism Jonathan told me that he is going to start preparation for his mission and that as soon as he has the means, he is going to leave. He has asked us if he can teach with us as well. He will be a powerful and great member of the church and the Lord will further establish his church by his hand. I have had the spirit touch my heart and witness to me that I was a tool in bringing one of the lost sheep back into the fold and that Jonathan will stay strong and one day enter into the rest of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I am so very humbled to have been blessed by the Lord and am so so very grateful for the chance that I have to be here in Périgueux. On top of all of that, Jonathan even recieved the priesthood after church and he is now a priest. I met him on the street 27 days ago.

Elders Bennallack, Mayer, Smith and Magnan with Jonathan Richard


Elder Bennalack, Mathieu Donadier, Jonathan Richard and Elder Smith

I have come to know that those who honestly search for the truth and seek for the holy ghost will find the truth, it is true that we can fall from the Lord very quickly but we can also have a rapid change of heart for the better when we are sincere. I know that the Lord lives, I have no doubt that he loves me, and I will forever remember this week and the blessings that we have received.

I love you all and I hope that you like the pictures. It is warming up here in Périgueux and I'm loving it! Summer here we come!

Love Elder Smith