More about Songkran, Sister Nong's Baptism

It's about 100 degrees here continually....... ! This last week I had a fun time with Songkran and also we washed a sister's house in the ward. It was fun because it was still during the Songkran Festival so anytime a car or bike passed by us we sprayed them down with our hose we were using to wash her house. :)

Also this last Sunday Sister นงค์ (Nong) was baptized! She is amazing and I have been so blessed to be a part of her conversion experience. She was so beautiful; her love for the gospel is so pure. Although I am not going to lie it was a pretty stressful time. Her grandson was NOT happy about her getting baptized. He was screaming and crying endlessly through the baptism. He almost made it into the water, dragging himself after her as he clung onto her legs. Afterwards would not let her go up to share her testimony. The good news is he's only 6 and he has still has at least two more years to learn about the importance of baptism.

The church is true!

I want to share something I studied today in Alma chapter 45 of the Book of Mormon. I just recently dove into the war chapters of the Book of Mormon, which is a whole other spiritual thought, but anyway I found a few verses tucked inside this chapter that really made me appreciate the simplicity of the gospel.

2 And it came to pass in the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma came unto his son Helaman and said unto him: Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning those records which have been kept?
3 And Helaman said unto him: Yea, I believe.
4 And Alma said again: Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?
5 And he said: Yea, I believe all the words which thou hast spoken.
6 And Alma said unto him again: Will ye keep my commandments?
7 And he said: Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.
8 Then Alma said unto him: Blessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land.

From these verses, I think of the many opportunities I've had to be interviewed by priesthood leaders. In my head I imagine that this took place in a very similar setting, notwithstanding the time difference. As I ponder about these verses, I've figured out that all of us can receive the same blessing Alma gave to Helaman in verse 8 if we too can answer ourselves in the same way Helaman did, based on the following questions:

• Do you believe in the scriptures, and in the words of the prophets?
• Do you believe that Jesus Christ lives and shall come again?
• Will you keep the commandments?

I have a testimony that if we set ourselves to respond righteously to these three questions, we will be blessed in this life and in the life to come. The gospel is simple and it is simply wonderful, too!

Love you lots and have an awesome week! :) :)