One commandment at time

Hey Family,

Elder Boles and Stradling (my zone leaders when I was in Miass) went contacting one day about a year ago, they stopped a young man by the name of Nakita around the town square. They got his number and met once, he was busy with school and they couldn’t ever meet again. School died down after a few months and Elder Boles was replaced by Scott and they taught him once again and he brought his school mate Artyom to the meeting. Went good, they taught the plan of salvation. Things didn’t really work out with meeting and a few more months went buy until Elder Pulsipher and Scott got to meeting with Nakita regularly again and one meeting decided to ask him to be baptized but on this meeting he brought his friend Artyom again who hadn’t been taught much and Artyom said that he had already been baptized and declined so Nakita followed suit and also declined. Then one day I found out I was going to Chilly, met Elder Pulsipher at President's house and asked about the area and he told me about this pretty good investigator who they almost got to commit to baptism but he brought this [fool] along who ruined it. So we set off to Chilly to work with Nakita hoping his friend wouldn’t come to the meetings, but his friend kept coming and was a pretty tough cookie, not easily persuaded or outwardly receptive. He was a lot more intimidating to teach than Nakita. But then one day we decided to re-commit them to baptism, to set a goal date to work towards and if they felt the church was true by then they would be baptized, if not, they would not. Artyom, not instantly, but firmly, agreed to the test first and Nakita agreed as well. Then bit by bit Artyom started keeping commitments we gave him and changing, accepting the Gospel one commandment at time reading the scriptures and attending meetings and institute and he came to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's church, that it was restored through Joseph Smith and that Thomas S. Monson leads it today. That the Book of Mormon is true and modern prophets have given us modern commandments such as the word of wisdom and that living them blesses our lives. He was baptized two days ago by Elder Pulsipher and confirmed a member of God's church yesterday by us and the Branch Presidency. He was found worthy of the Aaronic Priesthood and that same circle ordained him to the office of Priest, witnessed by a quorum of his new brethren, to whom he will have a calling to teach soon in coordination with the Elders Quorum President. He is excited and proud to be member of this Church. He will have many callings, challenges and trials as he endures to the end but will have confidence and strength as he does so with the help of the Holy Ghost and will qualify for salvation as he lives life understanding its purpose and depends on his Savior.
I am eternally grateful to have been able to see these steps of the plan of salvation for one of God’s sons, and am grateful for this Gospel that lets us understand these sacred blessings.

Thanks Elder Boles, Ты молодец

-Elder Magleby