April 6 in Carlos A. Carillo

EASTER: A member fed us. It was pretty good.

WEATHER: Spring does mean heat waves for us. I’m dying. (And it’s not even August yet.) My hiking boots (I wear them almost everyday) prolly only have 3-4 weeks left.

FRIENDS: Get over not wanting to study or work "too hard." Being here in Mexico, I have learned that the saying “ignorance is bliss” is exactly NOT true, and you should study and work your butts off in school. I wish they’d had tests while I was in seminary like they do now.... I wasted too much of my time in seminary...

GENERAL CONFERENCE:

 .... So Conference was this week. I wasn’t really able to see much of Conference, because the Internet connection was awful. More pauses than plays. The Internet is sorry here. They give us the Liahona every month, so basically I’m just waiting for that, to read all the talks.

General Conference is really important because it’s when the prophet and the apostles talk to us. And well, that’s important because their words are inspired of God. This is the only church that I am aware of that claims to have modern prophets and apostles who receive direct revelation (communication) from God. In other words, it’s the only true and LIVING church.

When Jesus came here to earth, he came to effectuate the Atonement, which was his suffering, death, and subsequent resurrection on the third day. In the suffering, He passed through more than you can possibly imagine. Imagine every pain you have ever felt physically. Now emotionally. All of your fears. All sorrow, anguish, despair, doubt, exhaustion, all of it. He passed through all of that for you. He felt it. And He didn’t just feel it for you but for everyone. Someone had to pay the price for the sins that we would commit so we could return to our Heavenly Father. That’s the whole purpose of Christ! 

He always said that straight and narrow is the way, and the gate, and that there is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. This leads us to understand that there is only one way to take all that He did for us, only one way to live, only one true baptism, that would permit us to enter into His rest. So, naturally, He also taught us His way, and He established His church to keep us on the path. He sent prophets to teach and guide us, and established His church around prophets and apostles, who could communicate with Him by their divine authority.

But, as the Bible and history tell us, the prophtes and apostles of His day were slain, and the true way was taken from the earth. Without them, we could not find the way to return to the Father. All the religions that were left were shells of what Jesus had taught, without the divine authority or organization to lead and to be guided by Christ. They were, essentially, creations of men, and men alone cannot reach the heavens.

If it had stayed like this, then all of it, His death, His suffering, would have been in vain, for us that have come after Him. But that is not the case. He has provided the way. He has restored that way to the world through His prophet Joseph Smith, who, by the power and authority given him of God, restored the true church, which now holds the truths of the everlasting Gospel of Christ. And every six months, these apostles and prophets, men chosen of God, give us counsel, teach us Christ’s doctrine, and keep us on His path. They testify of Christ, and that’s why General Conference is so important.

I know this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus is the Christ. In His name, amen.