"Pillar of Light" - October 3, 2022

Oh my goodness, family and friends! It has been an absolutely amazing week here in Fairmont, WV! I wish you could all be here too early these moments with me!

Monday night we stopped by Bethany and Matt's to have a lesson. They didn't answer so we decided to knocked some doors, as prompted by the Holy Ghost. The first door was a nice lady named Jasmine! We began teaching her but she kinda abruptly ended it and said she needed to go back inside. We began walking away and Sister Livingston pointed to a door across the parking lot saying we should go knock it. We walked over and knocked. A nice man named Trey answered! He told us a little about his life and began leading himself through the message of the Restoration!! Sister Livingston and I would make a few comments, here and there, but it was so crazy!! The Spirit was definitely softening his heart. We set up to come back this evening! We are super excited for Trey!

Kasondra is doing great!! We met with her on Tuesday and went over the Plan of Salvation. She listened, very attentively, to us as we spoke. She was very curious about the Spirit World and shared some cool experiences she has had with seeing her Grandma in dreams, even though her grandma passed away a couple years ago. It was so cool! She is beginning to understand and learn, from the Spirit, the truthfulness of our message! We also invited her to watch our modern day prophet speak to us in General Conference. She said she would watch! We don't quite know of she did or didn't but we will be seeing her again soon to ask!!

That evening we had a delicious dinner with the Sollars! They are a cool couple from the ward. We talked all about West Virginia, their jobs, and their conversions to Christ. It was a wonderful evening filled with the Spirit!

We met with Marissa and finished sharing the Plan of Salvation message with her! She is doing good.

Wednesday was a busy day filled with lessons!! And! In each lesson we talked about prophets!! It was so good, especially because General Conference was coming up! We met with Ronda and Katie! I love them so much! They have a strong desire to learn and grow closer to God. We followed up with our invitation from last week to reach Alma 14 and 15. Katie did it! Ronda said she had started chaoter 14, wanted more background on Amulek, went back and read chapter 10 and then continued on with 14!! I was so amazed!! I know the Spirit is working in her life, prompting and guiding her in what she is doing. Please keep them in your prayers!

We had two quick lessons, one with Mary and the other either Melissa! They are both members! I'm so grateful to get to know them and love them! We each have different challenges in life but through Jesus Christ we can be united!!

Tony is doing great!! We had a phone call lesson with him late Wednesdsy evening. He is doing his best to keep the Word of Wisdom, which is so exciting! He was super excited about General Conference and came to the Sunday Morning session at the church!! He loved it! I'm so grateful he could come and hear our Prophet speak! There is a special spirit felt when God's prophet on the earth today speaks to us!

We had a wonderful lesson with Sister Etzi on Thursday! Last time we visited her she had been in a very low point in her life. There didn't seem to be a silver lining. We had shared what we felt prompted to share. We went back to check on her on Thursday and there was such a difference in her countenance! She told us about the miracles she had seen since our last visit. She thanked us for stopping by when we did because she knew it was prompted by the Spirit. Things are looking up for her and she can see the silver lining! I'm so grateful to know Sister Etzi! She is a wonderful person!!

We had an interesting lesson with our new friend Arnell. We called him last Saturday and invited him to pray about baptism by the proper authority. We went by Thursday to ask him about it because we hadn't heard anything. He said he wouldn't be baptized in our church. We began having a discussion and it lead to the Book of Mormon. Sister Livingston bore a powerful, Spirit filled testimony to Arnell about the truthfulness of the Book. The Spirit was definitely working on his heart because Arnell said he would pray about what we had shared and read from the Book of Mormon! We called him Sunday afternoon to remind him about Conference. He said he wouldn't be able to make it and politely said he was OK just reading from the Bible. This time it was my turn to bear testimony to Him. I testified that this was the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the same church Jesus Christ set up while He was here on the earth. Again, the Spirit was working on Arnells heart. He asked what he could study to learn more about this and we invited him to read 3 Nephi 27. Please pray for Arnell!!

Sister Livingston and I attended seminary this week!! 6 am, Friday morning! It was over zoom so we got up at 5:30 and quickly got ready. Sister Soles, from the ward, is a seminary teacher for the stake! She invited us to attend her class and share how we prepare for General Conference. We talked about how we pray and write down questions we have. It was fun being back in Seminary!! And, I am so proud of my younger siblings, Naomi and Baden, for going each morning! I was lucky to have seminary during the day. It takes a lot of dedication to get up early each morning to go!!

We had some great doorstep lessons with our friends Bill and Terry! We talked about the Restoration and modern day prophets with them! Bill is a new friend we began teaching this week. We've taught Terry a couple times before. We also met with Margaret! She needed some help moving a bed into her apartment! After we helped we shared a message! It was so wonderful! The Spirit was so strong.

Saturday and Sunday we had General Conference!! We watched the first session at the church, just in case some of our friends showed up. We then stopped by to see Megan, Erica, Jalil and Marsalin but they were feeling sick. We watched the other Satirday sessions at home. It was absolutely wonderful and powerful hearing from each of the speakers! Sunday we watched both sessions at the church! The Drennens provided us with lunch inbetween! Something that stood out to me from Conference was the repeated truth that this Gospel is a gospel of joy! It is meant to bring us joy! We each have trials in our lives but each one builds us up, higher and closer, to becoming our ful potential, heirs to Heavenly Father's kingdom. This is a Gospel of JOY!

Transfers were this week! Sister Livingston and I are staying here in Fairmont!

Song of the Week: "Pillar of Light" 2020 Youth Song. This song has come to my mind a lot this week. It talks about Joseph Smiths First Vision. It all began with a Pillar of Light. I love light! It helps me see and feel warm inside. Light penatrates darkness, it overpowers it. I know that life can often feel dark but when there is even the smallest glimer of light and hope it can help us push through till that light becomes brighter and brighter. The beginning of this wee felt like that. It was hard to keep going. My glimmer of light was knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me, that He sees and watches over me. Hearing the messages this weekend from our modern day Prophet, Apostles and other church leaders was that light becoming brighter! I know Jesus Christ lives. I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. I know the Book of Mormon is true.

I hope you all have a Bright, Spirit filled week! Talk to y'all next Monday!

Love,

Sister Sariah Francis

Pictures!!!