So Rare a Possession

I have to write quickly here about my exciting news. I know I ramble, so I’ll try to be brief. I’ve been on my knees thanking my Heavenly Father recently for the gift I received. Tuesday in the afternoon, Elder Burnett, from the office came by to bring us mail. We rec’d the box from Elder Steve that he sent from Brazil that contains his books, notes, etc that he wants to ship here to not pay overweight luggage fees. Then I rec’d a small, padded envelope that had the return address saying, “MTC, Lost and Found/Mailroom” and my eyes welled up with tears. It was my Spanish Book of Mormon! This is the new copy of the Book of Mormon that I had bought, had my name printed on the front, and had been using since we rec’d our mission call. I love my Book of Mormon, and had been marking scriptures in it; from the ones I love and cherish from my English Book of Mormon to this new one, and had been taking it to the MTC 3 times a week as I went there for tutoring. One day, suddenly, I couldn’t find it. I prayed that I could find it, and wondered why I could lose such a precious possession, and hoped it would appear somehow. Suddenly, the parables in Luke 15 came to my mind, about how often a testimony is lost, by wandering (sheep), rebelliousness (prodigal son), and specifically in my case, carelessness of caretaker (lost coin) which painfully reminded me of how I need to not take the words/book for granted, but protect and cherish it, by reading and learning from it. I remember telling people that I feel like the woman who lost her prized piece of silver, and need to light a candle (get some instruction/light from the Lord) and sweep the whole house and seek diligently (keep asking the Lord for help). What was He trying to teach me with this challenge or trial? Here I was trying to study and prepare myself for this mission, yet this obstacle was thrown in my way, when I needed the most help. I needed to start sweeping. I started hunting in my normal places, backtracked my thoughts where I had it last, drove to chapels where we had been, searched their lost and found, searched the chapels, under the pews, around, returned and looked at the MTC, went to the classrooms where I had been studying with Hermana Bishop, asked at the front desk, returned to check the mailroom/Lost and found, drove back again one night, to search another room. I thought that if I do all that I can, searching, looking, asking, leaving messages, and praying, surely it would appear. Then since we were also in the midst of packing up our things to be shipped to Chile, I hoped that it might be in some of the 100 boxes that we had already been packing and storing downstairs, so I went there again too, and dug through many of the book boxes, bedroom boxes, bathroom boxes, in hopes that the Book of Mormon might have some how been put in my accident. Nothing. I started telling people about my heartache, that I was so sad, disappointed and crushed that I couldn’t find it. Others even asked me about it, and wondered if they could help. I tried to show the Lord how much I was willing to work at finding it, so that he could bless me with help, but still no book.
I couldn’t wait too long, because I still needed to keep preparing. I was going to the MTC and had to have a copy so that I could teach from it, help me write my talks, get more familiar with the words and language in Spanish, and couldn’t go without one. I went out and bought another new Spanish copy and began the process of studying and marking again, but with a sad, disappointed pain in my heart about it. I keep hoping that somehow, after we arrived in Chile, and our shipment arrives, that it might miraculously appear.
After unloading most of our shipment when it arrived the end of July, I had to admit that it wasn’t in the shipment, but I continued to study out of my English copy, and mark the parts I needed in my Spanish copy. I would carry both with me to church, to speak, give talks, share comments, because often I would need to look in my English ‘crutch’ copy, so I could find exactly where it was in my old, worn copy, that had color codings that helped me locate the thoughts, theme, exact words I was searching for, and then I could go to my Spanish copy to teach from the pulpit, or with the group, using the Spanish words and exact verses I needed. This seemed to be working OK for me, for now.
Monday night, I headed up to bed early. I wanted to spend more private time reading and studying my scriptures. I sat at the large desk we have in our bedroom, and pulled out both copies. I have to speak this Saturday evening in an adult session for Stake Conference, so I wanted to gather my thoughts and think about what I really needed to say, to be meaningful for this stake, and their needs. I actually opened my Spanish Book of Mormon, and was reminded that this isn’t the copy that I had painstakingly used before, so it didn’t have some of the previously marked scriptures that I was looking for, and therefore had to search for them again. I again thought, “I wonder what ever did happen to my other Book of Mormon, that I never found? I hope someone found it, and maybe they are reading it too.”
The next day is when they delivered my package from the MTC lost and found, with my original copy of my Book of Mormon! Oh happy day. I feel like the woman in Luke 15: 9, “and when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, REJOICE with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.” This is important to share, as I know it will help me remember the sweetness of finding something I didn’t have. Seeing the importance of the Book of Mormon in my life, and to not be careless in not just location or possession of the book, but also to recognize the need for it, for my spirit, to learn, progress, and grow. Now as I reflect on this experience, I’m learning a new appreciation for this marvelous book, and a major emphasis I’ve learned, is my responsibility to use it here, study from it daily, and then testify of its truthfulness. That I can do, and will.
This Book of Mormon contains the word of God. It is divine, inspired, and written by Prophets for our days. I have had the Spirit witness to my many, many times, that these precepts, and concepts are true. I have learned more of the fullness of the Gospel, from its pages, and most especially about Jesus Christ. One of my favorite parts is 3 Ne 17, where it describes the Savior’s visit to the Nephites as calls the people to Him, and blesses them and prays for them. They are all in tears, as I imagine I surely would be. And as He prays, He sees that they are overcome with joy. He tells them they are blessed, because of their faith, and then He says, “and now behold, my joy is full.” And when he says these words, “he wept, and the multitude bare record of it…” and he blesses their children, prays for them again, and weeps again. How I would love to be able to help the Lord feel joy and be so happy with my faith, is one lesson I love, in the Book of Mormon. I know this book contains the doctrine to teach us of faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, the Apostasy, the Restoration, the Resurrection, the Priesthood, and about the ordainances we need for salvation and exaltation. I hope I can always continue to share my testimony, be it in Spanish or English of the witness I have that this book is true. I am so thankful for the tender mercy I have felt from my Heavenly Father, to receive such a ‘rare and prized possession as my Book of Mormon.”