Elder Klebingat Is the Coolest Person I Know

 Good afternoon everyone! I hope you're all doing well. Life is good here. We had an awesome week, thanks in large part to God and his servant Elder Klebingat.

For those of you who don't know, Elder Klebingat is a member of theQquorum of the 70 and is also a Councillor in the Africa West Area Presidency. He came to our mission this week and I was able to go a zone conference that he taught at as well as MLC, and it was so, so cool. 

He really helped me see that this mission is not about us. I feel like we as missionaries sometimes get caught up on how this mission is a great time to learn and grow and develop and enjoy and survive so we can get your returned missionary stamp, go and find a righteous wife, and live happily every after, but that's not what it's about. We're here to help others come unto Christ. 

He talked about how this mission is a covenant relationship with God and how we agreed to that when we came out. He talked about how disobedience and anything less than our all is cheating God and will not look good at judgement day. It was so powerful. I loved it. Elder Klebingat does not mince his words, and that's exactly what we all needed. He said that there's a lot of disobedience in the missions in our area and he went over a list of things that we can do if we want to get sent home. It was fiery and awesome. 

He also talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how we need to focus on it more. He talked about how we need to bind our investigators to the Lord through the Book of Mormon. Since Tuesday we've been trying to do that more and it's been so awesome. The more I read and teach from the Book of Mormon, the more I see that it can't be disproven. The gospel is true! 

In other non-Elder Klebingat related news, this week was great. Elder Hendrickson is a hard worker and a good guy and we've just been doing our best. Anthony is doing great. We taught him this morning and he is still on date for next week Sunday, the 13th. Pray for him! 

We've also been teaching Christie, a young single mother of 2 who works for one of our members. She is from Nigeria and is also awesome. She came to church last Sunday and yesterday and we've taught her twice. She's very open and the gospel is really going to help her a lot. I'm excited for it. 

One thing I've thought a lot about is the power of the written word of God. Elder Klebingat talked a lot about knowing the scriptures in his teachings, and we were talking to some longtime members of our ward about it and it got me thinking. The Mensah family joined the church in the 80s, right when it first came to Ghana. For both Brother and Sister Mensah, it was a written piece of literature from the Church that got them hooked. A pamphlet for Brother Mensah and "The Latter-Day Saint Woman" for Sister Mensah. They started reading and felt something that led them to act. Now they've been in the church for like 40 years, served as mission leaders, etc. It all started with something they read. 

So read the scriptures! I want to. I want to know them so well that it becomes natural to teach with and share them. Elder Klebingat talked about using the scriptures in every part of the work. That's how we keep false doctrine from being taught. It's like constitutional government. The scriptures keep us from getting too far from the pure and simple truth. So read them! Especially the Book of Mormon. Whether you're a member or not, go read the Book of Mormon or part of it, think about the goodness of God, and ask God with real intent and faith in Christ and you'll know of its truth. 

That is all. Thanks for reading the scattered but well-intentioned email. I love you all dearly. 

Love, 

Elder Johnson

1-3. Elder Hendrickson hit his 1 year mark so we burnt a tie. Yeehaw. 

4. Eating lunch in honor of the 1 year. This is why I'm out of money lol. 

5. Us at MLC looking fresh

6. Takoradi BRETHREN zone

7-8. Me and good ol Elder Barile together again.