The Marvelous Work in Mississippi: Week 52: Trump It

Don't think I'm obsessed. But another thing happened at Bishop's last night. So first he tells us about the red heifer that a jew found in the US. If you ain't read about it in the old testament (Numbers ch. 19), the significance of this rare bovine is that a) there's only been nine found previously in all of recorded history, making this the tenth (coughLOSTTRIBEScough) and b) such a heifer is a requirement to purify the grounds and the priests before the Jews can rebuild their temple in Jerusalem which they've been waiting to do for forever, so c) now that they found themselves a ginger cow, THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM IS GOIN UP AND IT PROBS WON'T TAKE BUT A YEAR. I know it's wild, but try to stay calm. True, this is not the LDS temple that's supposed to be up before 2nd coming, however. This temple was prophesied of as well. And the BYU center in Jerusalem could easily be converted into a temple at a moment's notice, so like, that's not too far off either. This isn't all we discussed last night. Bish told us about these weird noises that people are hearing all over the world and no one's sure where they're coming from. But when you play the sound clips sped up, they sound a lot like Jewish trumpets. What's that our eastward facing Moroni's got in their hands atop every temple? A TRUMPET maybe???? And what's supposed to sound to herald the second coming? A...... TRUMPET????? This isn't the crazy part though. When we leave our dinner appointment, we walk outside and are about to head down the dark driveway to our car, when the silence of the night is broken by a strange, low sound coming from afar off. The sound of a trumpet. Next thing, Bishop's wife hears a thud and turns to see four sister missionaries slammed up against her back door, screaming. May or may not have been crying too and got permission to have a sleepover so we wouldn't be alone last night.

25 How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants,and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not! [D&C 43]

92 And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with aloud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye,prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. [D&C 88]

It's everywhere. So the bishop called us back a little while later after we told him about it. He went outside to listen for himself and eventually heard what we heard. Turns out it was a neighbor blowing his hunting horn to train his coon huntin' dogs. But still. Even bishop agreed, it was an odd coincidence that his neighbor would be training at night in the dark at the very moment we went outside on the night we talked about the trumpets. There are no coincidences. It was a sign to let us know that no, we're not crazy, and yes, everything we've been talking about concerning the end times is super real. If you read the Doctrine and Covenants, it's in like, every other section.

Back to like, my missionary work though. Went on exchanges with Sister Parmenter on Tuesday in Richland. We're kinda fed up with young dudes in trailer parks who only talk to us because we're young and attractive, fifteen minutes wasted and they didn't get a word of the Restoration. But we did talk to a young adult in front of his apartment, ended up teaching the full restoration, and he asked where our church was. Then he told us he'd seen the sister missionaries riding their bikes in the rain one day and told his brother that if they ever talked to him, he'd go to their church because of how dedicated they are. Heck yeah. That's why we bike in the rain.

Sister Dailey and I taught the Book of Mormon class again this week, led a discussion about the army of Helaman. Two investigators were in the class, one of theirs and one of ours, and a member with a killer conversion story. Spirit was so strong. And our inv, Brother J, is solid. At long last.... gators that understand what they read and can discuss it. We taught Brother J after church yesterday - well, we meant to. But he ended up teaching US about tithing and fasting and committed himself to do it before we even asked. You're making this too easy for us, Brother J! we said. I had a wonderful living example, he said. His daughter's family are like the most solid family ever.

This week's M-Hall adventure was a guy who drove up to us while we were tracting, looking sufficiently hood with a bandana on his head and studs in his ears. Had this wild and troubled look in his eyes as we followed him into a laundry room so he could ask us for help with his house that is haunted (different from a haunted house, those are not life threatening). He claimed to have video on his phone (which thankfully was not with him) of the bad mumbo jumbo that he's been seeing in the halls, something about child-age spirits, roaring sounds, and the walls turning red. Poor guy seemed legit scared, and swore no drug or alcohol use or satanic practice was going on in his home. He'd stopped us recognizing us as spiritual people, but unfortunately we don't have the priesthood to handle these kinds of things. So we took down his info and passed it on to the bishop, but he said he and his counselors would have to consider and pray about this before attempting a cleansing. I guess even bishoprics get freaked out by bad mumbo jumbo.

Pioneer day was not nearly as extravagant as Cassie's Utah-scale celebration, but there were pancakes and a pie contest (my Oreo pie took first place, shout out to mom for the recipe) and a baptism for a family of five. Glorious day. Next week is our turn. Brother J all the way! In the meantime, the hunt for the elect continues (so we don't go into a state of depression when he's baptized and we don't have a golden inv anymore), and rest assured we'll be raising our voices like unto a trump. The urgency is real.

3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might—

4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you. [75]

6 And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God. [42]

106 And in all his journeyings let him lift up his voice as with the sound of a trump, and warn the inhabitants of the earth to flee the wrath to come. [124]

6 To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation,preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming. [34]