Tranfers

Transfers were Sunday. I now spend my days serving in Nauvoo. I loved Carthage. I didn't want to leave. But, I feel so good about this move. For the past four weeks the Lord needed me in Carthage, for the next four, In Nauvoo. My new P-day is Tuesday. My new companion is Sister Binkerhoff. She hails from Arizona and is 5'8". We make quite the pair. :) She is a really good missionary and we have a lot of things in common. She's a health nut when it come to eating (how perfect) and loves to run. We ran down to the river this morning and back and I thought I might die! at least I'll stay in shape for the next couple of weeks huh? It was a really good work out. We served in the site yesterday! It was fun. Pioneer dresses, as unfashionable as they are, are actually quite comfortable.
I will never forget Carthage. I grew so much there, My testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration and the early saints grew SO much. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. That he was called of God to do the work that he did, to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth in its fullness.
To understand all of this we need to understand that because God loves us so much, and truly wants us to succeed, truly wants us to return, He has always tried to communicate with His children. Not only through prayer, but through prophets that He calls to be His mouth piece. Through these prophets we learn the will of the Lord for His children. They give us instruction from the Lord, instructions, that if followed, make it possible to return and live with Him. When they speak to us it is as if God Himself was speaking to us. We see this throughout the Bible. Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham all these men were called of God to teach the people. We also see a pattern of Apostasy...... when the people of the earth rejected the words of the prophet, rejected the direction from their Heavenly Father. After all, no one likes to be told what to do, or that what they are doing is wrong.
When Christ lived on this earth He lived and died for us. He also set up His church. With a Prophet and Apostles. He gave to them the authority to act in God's name. The priesthood. He then told them to go forth and preach His gospel. They faithfully did so. However, the people of the earth, as in times of old, rejected the words of the prophet and these apostles. In fact, many of them were hunted down and killed. That priesthood authority, the authority to act in the name of God was taken from the earth. The world entered what we call The Great Apostasy. The priesthood authority was taken from the earth and the doctrines began to be changed by men who did not have the authority to do so. Many precious truths were lost. There were men, many good men who noticed this. They tried to fix it, setting up their own churches. But the gospel was like a piece of broken glass. It needed to be restored by the living God and Christ Himself. As time went on the earth was prepared to receive the Gospel again. And in 1820, a boy, fourteen years old, confused about the will of God and concerned for the eternal state of his soul knelt in prayer under the direction of James. "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God". When His prayer was uttered he saw "a light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of the spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my beloved son. Hear Him!". Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. They appeared to Him and answered his prayer, explaining that the true church was not upon the earth. He was instructed to continue as he was until He was instructed other wise. He was intrusted again. He brought forth a new book of scripture; The Book of Mormon, a second testament to Jesus Christ. A record that had been protected from the world, leaving it unchanged from the mouth of God. He translated this record by the power of God.. Heavenly messenger continued to attend to Him. That Priesthood Authority was restored to the earth to Joseph Smith by those who had gone before. He lived and died for this Gospel. The early saint sacrificed everything to make this Gospel and the blessings that come from it available to us if we chose to have it in our lives. I am so grateful for that sacrifice. If there is any doubt about what I have said I would encourage you not to take my word for it. This is a testimony that I gained through earnest prayer. Truths that have been witnessed to me by God. Ask Him. Humbly kneel and pray. Pray and ask God, who knows all things and is perfect and cannot lie, if these things are true. If Joseph Smith is the man that I profess him to be. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given Him". (James1:5).
I hope that all is going well with everyone back home. I hope that I did not offend anyone by the things that I have written, but I cannot apologize for the things I know to be true. I would die for this gospel, but I have been asked to live for it. I plan to do so until that day that I can return to live with Him. And I hope to see many of you there with me. :) I love you all. Know that my prayers are littered with your names.
I love this work. I cannot believe I have past my two month mark. 18 months just isn't long enough.

Sister Bailey
2Nephi 33:10