Si Dios Juzga Prudente

Dear friends and family,

As always I hope everyone had the best week of their lives. Everything here is peachy. We had a pretty solid week this week, got some serious work done and had a good time too. This week brought the chance to work in some new areas with other missionaries, more chicken feet, a wedding, street sweeping, and ultimately, cleaning the house of an increasingly sick older woman and her husband who surprisingly just wanted pupusas. It was an interesting week. Also had quite a few people guess I was from Mexico and met an ex-spy who lived in Chula Vista, so we are doing good. Funny moments would include when a lady with a box of pills boarded the bus and gave a sermon on the dangers of parasites, when 2 of our missionaries got chased through the street by a pack of dogs, or when a lady told us she wasn't interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because she always felt inclined to a different church-the Mormons. But this week also brought some tough moments. A friend of ours lost his dad, a missionary got sick, the little boy in a family we have been teaching took a hard fall, and a couple friends of ours-recently baptized- ate some bad pupusas and are out for the count for a while. Which brings me to my title.

The Book of Mormon, the keystone of our religion as we say, has a promise. You can find it in the last couple pages of the book. I am not going to quote it because I only have it in Spanish here with me but it invites people to read, ponder, and pray to find out if its true. Its a powerful promise, one I would extend to anyone reading this. But whats interesting about this promise is that there is a phrase towards the beginning. It says to read, "Si Dios juzga prudente" or "If God judges prudent". This called my attention because obviously reading this book is something God wants for all of us to do. And if this is the case, why is there this qualification? Why only if God judges prudent? This week, with all that has been going on (the good and the not so good) I have been thinking a lot about this phrase: If God judges prudent. I don't doubt that God wants us to be happy, or successful, or healthy. But theres gonna be times where we just aren't. And its because he knows our needs better than we do. Just like in the case of the Book of Mormon, there are good times and blessings in store for all of us but God judges prudent the when and the how. I hope that one day God judges prudent for everyone to read and discover the Book of Mormon, just as I hope he judges prudent for all of you to have the blessings you need and want. But in the end of the day there is a lot of this life that is simply in his hands. So if theres something good, something you deserve, but for one reason or another you don't get it, don't sweat it. Because it'll come, when God judges prudent. Or if you are struggling with something that's unfair or confusing, don't sweat it. Its happening because God judged prudent. As they say in the greatest taco shop in the world, patience is the essence of all fine Mexican food (or in this case blessings). Shout out to those who  know. And so theres your spiritual message from Elder Moulton this week, and your invitation. To try out that promise in the Book of Mormon, read it. And if God judges prudent you will know. I hope everyone has a great week. We'll see you next week, same time same place.

SALUD,

Elder Moulton