So, there's a couple of missionaries here in the park. I thought, maybe, I'll start a conversation with them. Let's see what happens.
I don't know if you can see them, but they're over there
Hey...Elders...how are you?
Good! How are you?
Good. I used to be an Elder
No way!
yeah
France, Switzerland
No way!
France, Switzerland, that's way over there
'72, 1974
wow
I was a convert...age 17
and...uhh...I love ...I love young guys that are on a mission
my heart goes out to you
you're sacrificing so much
we appreciate that
where are you from?
Colorado
I'm from Utah...Sandy
Nooo
- laughter -
I was actually once married to a lady in Utah
in Provo
oh wow
so, Sandy is not too far...right?
just south...just south of there
here'e the thing...you know...I don't know if things have changed over the years
but I used to teach that Joseph Smith in 1820
had some questions about religion, right?
unh-huh
and he wanted to know which church was true
so he went in the woods to pray
do you still teach that?
and he had a first vision
of God the Father and Jesus Christ
that's pretty standard?
yeah, I think that the cool thing is that the church has actually come out with
lots of videos that have our basic principles
yeah
(inaudible) and they put it really well in (inaudible) and they're really short and concise and they have all
and they have all our basic principles
right
(inaudible) I think there's a lot of good material that's already out there available to people
good
so...when you're teaching people you tell them he used the Urim & Thummin to translate the book of Mormon?
no
no
it's changed...that's changed
it's not that it's changed, but we try to teach simply when we first teach people and then
it's still it definitely, I mean that's how he was able to translate the book of Mormon
yeah...that's ... that's by the sound of it
yeah
we just...ahh...we call it by the gift and power of God that Joseph Smith translated the book of Mormon
okay
and then as far as....aahhh...the book of Abraham
I used to teach that he got some Papyri, Egyptian Papyri
and he translated them by the power of God into the book of Abraham
the story of Abraham, his revelations, the creation, and the hereafter, and all that
ahh...so you basically still stick with that narrative?
ahhh. we don't necessarily teach that. Again, because like we don't try to get in
the deep stuff with them so much
right
but lay in the doctrine
right
(inaudible) the doctine
what ward do you attend?
I used to attend this Mar Vista ward
unh-huh
yeah...in fact I used to be the building maintenance guy for a while, for three years
very impressive
yeah. it was a real...it was a real treat, a real treat...
I used to tell the saints, 'you know, brothers and sisters'....I'd get up in a fast and testimony meeting
'brothers and sisters, you know, we all wish we could wash the Savior's feet with our tears,
why don't you come out on Saturday, and clean up the building?' ... right?
and they would show up
- laughter -
yeah....but....ummm...the thing is that last year I had to resign from the church
I had to resign from the church
because...not of personal issues
like...not of, you know, offenses...personal offenses
because over 47 years I had lot of little, you know, nicks and bumps
It was just the Gospel Topics Essays that really got me
in lds.org
I don't know if you are familiar with them
yep
you ARE familiar with them
yeah
well, all I can is that if you are familiar with them
don't you think people should know about them when you're talking to them?
yeah, I mean they're out there, the church
publicly announced them
(inaudible) they're not very hidden
(inaudible)...if people are looking for that kind of information...they can find it, but
I think...umm...like Elder (inaudible) said you try to teach the doctrine, the main fundamental beliefs of the church
like you were telling us in the beginning
I think our testimony is really based on those things, like if Joseph Smith was a prophet and the book of Mormon is true
and then...we were actually just (inaudible) this morning that said:
don't let the ... the deep things that you don't know, take over the many things that you do know
alright so...
(inaudible)
You're sticking with the basics...what I used to teach
yeah
ok...in my mission
and you don't tell people: well, look, we're teaching you the basics here, but
if you really want to dig a little bit deeper
you can got to lds.org
and you can oheck out this, this and that
or check out the Gospel Topics Essays
that will give you sort of a more rounded review of what we're teaching
you don't tell them anything like that?
I think it's like something that I found is like getting caught up in those questions
if you want to, if it's something that interests you, go for it
but, honestly, there's just like four real questions that determine your belief on if the church is true:
1. does God exist and is He my Father
2. did Jesus Christ save me from the fall
3. was Joseph Smith a prophet
4. is the book of Mormon really the word of God
if people can get a testimony of that, then their testimonies are beautiful
okay......okay
well, listen, it's been a slice
thank you for chatting with me
