Johnson, Ethan

How can you build someone’s faith? If you don’t know, you can’t believe. If you don’t believe, you can’t have faith. Faith is the first step, and yet also the most difficult. It isn’t enough to tell someone about something, it isn’t enough to talk about that thing–you must show someone how to identify faith. They must see the streams of light shining through the clouds on a cloudy day, and you can only invite them to look up. It is then within the bounds of their agency to gaze upon the streams of everlasting light and it is up to them to understand the sun is the producer of those rays. You can plea with someone to believe and you can explain to someone what it is like to believe, but they must lift their heads to the heavens to gain a testimony of the light emanating into the atmosphere, because of faith.  I had the opportunity to be companions with one of the AP’s in the mission, Elder Allan on my first day here. We handed out Book of Mormons at the park, right off the tarmac. E...

Missionaries are like vampires. We stalk the streets as the sun goes down, the aforementioned “prime time” residing within the hours of 6-9 PM. We wear Victorian dress–at least by today’s standards. Sisters don dresses of ankle length, as well as dress suits and pants. Elders are suited in white shirts and colored pants; both are outfits for would-be vampires in the present-day. We appear older than one would assume, averaging between the ages of 18 to 22, as each new guess is correct. “24!” “25!” and “26!” are dismissed with a smile and a mouth agape by the presumer. Much like vampires, missionaries are unafraid of death. They waltz into apartment complexes with the orchestral soundtrack of cars speeding, guns blazing, and dogs barking in the constant background. They knock on every door they see, talking with each and every person, looking for their next victim. They stand on door mats as doors swing open, hoping and praying that they might be invited inside, never once making their ...

A lot has happened this week. I don’t know how to illustrate any of what I have experienced, but I’ll try my best.  The week began with the sharing of a special day with Hermana Dana. What preceded was an extraordinary fast and testimony meeting on Sunday. I was able to share my testimony, quoting from Paul in 2 Corinthians 1, “5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ...