November 11, 2019

Week 95: Thoughts

Hello everyone! I have officially made it to my last transfer in the mission! I cant believe it. I feel happy, grateful, nervous, stressed, all of the above. Truly the mission has been the best and hardest experience of my entire life. I am grateful that Heavenly Father has let me go through amazing experiences but also the more difficult ones so that I could be able to know my Savior more. I feel like I just barely got here! To begin this last transfer, I hope to work as hard as I can until the last moment. "Enduring to the end" can maybe be the hardest part sometimes. This past week, we were able to have 3 baptisms of some youth that we found. They were literally a miracle for us because basically we went to church one day and a Sister in our ward basically told us "Hey Elders I want you to teach my grandchildren so they can get baptized!" Heavenly Father literally blessed us with three baptisms out of no where. It was truly a blessing that was freely given to us from our loving Heavenly Father. I know He is merciful and kind. I know that He hears us and that He cares about us. He lives and do not doubt that He knows EXACTLY where you are, what you think, what you hope for, and what you fear. We are on His side and He wants to help us. I cant express the love I have for Him and His Son. They are REAL beings. Dont forget it. This Church is true. The Gospel is true.

Elder Smith


1. (From left to right) Azul, Dorian, and Kevin.

2. Saying goodbye to one of my best friends in the mission: Elder Torres (he went to a different area so he wont be able to say bye to me when I leave)

"Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:10)

October 7, 2019

Week 90: How Great Is Our Calling!

This week I learned many things. I feel so thankful for Heavenly Fathers perfection and His perfect love for us. I realize that even when I think that He maybe isnt aware of us or He doesnt care, He has a purpose in all His ways. I believe in His perfection and that is what gives me peace. I know that He loves me in spite of my weaknesses. I am so thankful with Him for letting me see, experience, and learn so many things on my mission. This week was a little difficult. When I was in Puerto Peñasco, we were working pretty hard. When I got here, I was a little disappointed with the lack of work here. It was kind of strange going from working hard to zero. I was struggling a lot and Satan putting a lot of lies into my head. I was getting depressed. But, one thing that helped me this week when I was in our General Conference and Elder Uchtdorf talked about Job. Later that night I went back to our house and read Jobs story. I had forgotten the story a little bit but as I read I slowly started to remember what they had taught me once when I was younger. Job had so many things happened him that Heavenly Father let happen to test his obedience and his love to Him. In spite of all the things that happened him from his flock being killed to recieving sicknesses Job was faithful and did not sin.


22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

What faithfulness! This story made me think a lot. With an eternal perspecitve and remembering of the Plan of Salvation trusting in Gods perfection, we can move through our problems. I learned an important lesson. And like Job, I gave thanks to God for His perfection and for His desire to make me better. I love Him and I wish to serve Him and I hope He can always trust in me.


1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

I testify that the Lord lets hard things happen to us because He loves us and wants us to be better. Many times we dont understand why He does certain things but His ways are not our ways.


8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Trust in Heavenly Father and trust in His time. Hold on and He wont let you go. He loves you all and so do I.


Elder Smith

October 1, 2019

Week 89: Villa de Seris

Hello everyone! This week I am writing you from Villa de Seris in Hermosillo! We had transfers and now I am Hermosillo! It feels great to be here. About one year ago I was serving here in Hermosillo. Every area that I have been in has a special feeling and I remember many things. Hermosillo has that feeling. It seems like just yesterday that I was here. This last week many great things happened. We were able to have some good lessons and I feel satisfied with the work I did in Puerto Peñasco. It was very hard to say goodbye to our converts there but I am truly so grateful for the opportunity that we had to be instruments in our Heavenly Fathers hands and to help them be baptized. Puerto Peñasco is being very blessed with success. When I left Puerto Peñasco that last day, some amazing things happened. As I hugged Benjamin (our recent baptism) and said bye to him he said "You will always be remembered here." That was something very special to hear. After that, I went to say bye to a family that we had been teaching and the dads name was Jesus Gabriel. He also said something similar to me that night. I literally saw a part of my Patriachal Blessing be fulfilled. It says that "many will come to the waters of baptism" and that "they will remember and be thankful for me." I was grateful to know and feel the Lords kindness with me and his children. It was hard to leave but the Lord needs me here now. I dont know why but He has something prepared for me and my companion. I love Him and I am trying me best to be better every day and to trust in Him. I love you all and I would invite you to do the same.

Elder Smith

My new zone in Hermosillo

September 23, 2019

Week 88: Miracles


What a week! I feel so grateful for what has happened this week. The work is great here in rocky point and my companion and I are truly seeing the blessings of our Heavenly Father. I literally feel so blessed to wear Christs name over my chest and teach his Gospel. This week we had two baptisms! Their names are Benjamin and Guadalupe. They are literally miracles. One day a couple months ago when I was with my past companion, as we were walking down the street, I felt impressed to knock on a door that was on the corner of a street. When we knocked, we found Guadalupe and her son Mateo outside. We walked in an started teaching the entire family. A couple weeks later, the family is baptized. I feel so grateful that God trusted us with His Spirit so we could find them that day. Their lives have never been the same. They have gone to church every sunday and if no one passes by for them, they walk. I testify of the reality of missionary work. I truly believe that God was aware of our circumstances and theirs. I love them and I love this work and I love all of you!


1. The baptism of Guadalupe and Benjamin
2. Mexican Independence Day
3. Guadalupe and Benjamin walking to our building to attend church. They are so dedicated

September 2, 2019

Week 85: Gratefulness

Hey everyone! This week was fantastic. I feel so grateful to be able to be a missionary in this time. It is a privilege for us to be part of the Lords true Gospel and I hope you all feel how amazing it is to be part of this wonder work. This week we had our zone conference. We were able to feel the spirit very strong and were taught my many great leaders. This week was normal we were able to work hard. What I want to share with you all most right now and what I feel that is important for me to tell you all is my testimony. I feel so thankful for what I have and for what God has given and done for us. We should truly be grateful. We have so many blessings at our hands and we have much to be grateful to be for. I have been thinking alot lately about what the Prophet Brigham Young said:

Why do people apostatize? You know we are on the “Old Ship Zion.” We
are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as sailors say, she
labors very hard. “I am not going to stay here,” says one; “I don’t believe
this is the ‘Ship Zion.’” “But we are in the midst of the ocean.” “I don’t care,
I am not going to stay here.” Off goes the coat, and he jumps overboard.
Will he not be drowned? Yes. So with those who leave this Church. It is the
“Old Ship Zion,” let us stay in it (DBY, 85).
God is at the helm of this great ship, and that makes me feel good. . . .
Let those apostatize who wish to, but God will save all who are determined
to be saved."

This powerful invitation from a Prohet of God I extend it to you all as my own. We are in the true church of the Savior Jesus Christ. This is His church! What a beautiful blessing it is! Let us stay in the "Old Ship Zion" because the waves are high great storms are coming. I cannot tell you how important it is for us to be ok with our Heavenly Father. We need to be faithful. We need to repent everyday. Many think that repentance is a back up plan for when we mess up. I would add that repentance is the plan. Like our Savior and our Prophet and many other leaders have asked us to do, I would ask of you all the same. We need to repent. "Time is running out." Like our Prohet has said. Notice the words of our Savior in the 19th section of Doctrine and Covenants.

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit.

These verses can seem harsh but if we think about it, why does the Lord want us to repent? Or why does the Lord need followers. Does he want power or gratification?. Of course not. He has all power and it would be disrespectful to say that. Like my Grandma Gigi explained to me once as a very young man, the Lord wants these things because it gives Him joy. Imagine these scriptures. He doesnt want us to suffer and He wants to help us. We owe him everything for that. If there is any that we need to change. Lets do it. If we havent been to church for a while for what every reason it is, lets go back. It is not worth it to miss out on the blessings that the Lord has for us. Time is running out. I love you all so much and I love my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. They have given us everything. No its our turn to serve them. I cant express the gratefulness that I feel and I hope you can feel it as well.

I love you all

Elder Smith

1. Elder Hermansen- my current companion
2. The missionary I trained -Elder Coronado
3. A past and favorite companion -Elder Duarte

August 26, 2019

Week 85: Fotos

1. Reunited
2. Going to Conocilio
3. Elder Hermansen and I

August 19, 2019

Week 84: A Special Week

This week was very special. We were able to have a very special baptism. A young girl named Angeles got baptized. She is 14 and super awesome. We found her family from a member reference and we have been teaching her and her family this last transfer. Her family is reading the Book of Mormon, living the Word of Wisdom, and living the Law of Chastity. The only thing that that they need to get baptized is to go to church. If you could pray for them it would help us a lot so that they can be baptized in this transfer. Their last name is Leyva and it would help us a lot if you all could pray for them. As Angeles was baptized, we really saw a change in her. We could see that she is now calmer and her mom has even told us that she has seen a huge change her for the better since we have been teaching her. This week also something pretty amazing happened. We were able to teach all the youth in the entire district able missionary work. We taught them how to practice inviting their friends in a natural way to church and church activities and it was a super awesome activity. All the youth were really excited and we were able to get almost everyone to participate. Thats all really what happened this week. Thanks all for your support I love you all. Giddy up

Elder Smith

August 5, 2019

Week 82: The Keystone of Our Religion

We had a great week this week. As far as success goes, we are having success but it is moving slower than I would look. We know its just a trial of faith. This week I had an experience that I really believe I should share with you all. This week I have been thinking a lot about the word ¨Testimony¨ and what it is. I have been studying a lot about testimonies and how we can strengthen them. We all know that reading the Book of Mormon is a very important part of having a testimony. We know it as ¨the Keystone of our religion¨ and Joseph Smith himself said...

¨Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none.¨

I decided to really focus on the Book of Mormon and the power it has in our conversion to know that the Church is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I have always had a powerful testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel but I honestly felt that my testimony of the Book of Mormon shouldve been stronger. I decided to read the Book of Mormon again, meditate about it, and ask of God again to know that to know that it was true (the awesome part of growing in you testimony is that you can ask many times if these things are true). I started to read a lot every day. Every free moment I had I dedicated it to reading the Book of Mormon. I prayed at the beginning before I studied and after. Little by little I felt small impressions of the things I read. I kept reading as much as I could. One day we went to a far away small town named Sonoyta to do transfers with some other missionaries and the hour ride I read the entire way both ways and even when we got back to Rocky Point I walked off the bus readying with the book in my hand. I remember that I had just started reading the book of Moroni and I started with a prayer and then started to read. I ready the whole book of moroni before we went to bed that night. I finally had arrived to the moment that I was waiting for. I closed the book, got down on my knees on the hot floor and began to give thanks to God and I finally asked him the question after saying ¨God, I have dedicated the time to sudy, meditate, and to pray to thee to know if this book is true. I am willing to accept the answer you give me so that I might continue preaching of this book¨ and then I asked him. After I prayed, I stayed kneeling down for a couple minutes and just waited. I slowing felt a warm and loving feeling come over me. As I waited, it became stronger. I sat on my bed thinking and meditating for a while knowing that God loved me and that the book was true. As I got in bed that night and laid in my bed, the feeling became even stronger. It was one of the most beautiful feelings I had ever had. That feeling never left me once that entire night until I fell asleep. I could recieve an answer again that the Book of Mormon was true. As I write this, my heart continues to burn because I know that the book is true. And like they said before...

¨And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.¨

I can say the same now. I give my name to the world and I lie not God bearing witness of it. If you have not read the Book of Mormon, please do it. You can recieve your own testimony and you can know for yourself. It is time for our to be self reliant in our own testimonies so when the hard times come, we will hold to the rod and not let go. Follow the Prophet Harold B. Lee´s counsel...

¨Youth should let no day pass without reading from these sacred books.¨


I Love you all


Elder Smith

July 15, 2019

Week 79: First week in Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco)

Hey guys! We have officially finished our first week of the transfer in Puerto Penasco. This week was pretty interesting and I have a lot to tell you guys! Penasco is truly a magical and interesting place. To start, in my area there are NO paved streets. EVERYTHING is sand. It is pretty crazy. I have never experienced something like Penasco in my entire mission. The weather is pretty cool here. It feels like really humid but we feel the beach air so its pretty nice.

We have been teaching a lot of families. This week we taught a lady named Maria that wants to be baptized. We invited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and she did it and she told us that she knows its true. Right now she is going through some hard stuff with her husband but we are trying figure things out so that she can be baptized. We taught her about the Spirit and Elder Bednars videos ¨Patterns of Light¨ and we talked about revelation. It was a super rad lesson.

I had some crazy things happen this week! When we went to eat yesterday at lunch, as we ate cockroaches were walking on the table around our food so that was cool. I got to kill cockroaches as I ate lunch that was a first. Also yesterday, we were teaching a man on the street when all of a sudden his wife came and they had a huge fight. I literally thought they were going to fist fight in front of us and we calmed them down, taught them, and then we took their beer so they couldnt drink it. We asked the guy ¨Hey would you like us to take your beer so you can start to change now¨ and hey told us yes haha. It was pretty cool. This week also an american family came to church and they helped us with some rides to take investigators home. I also got to speak in church. It was a pretty cool week. I love Penasco. It was a pretty normal week and we are going to have a lot of success in the next few weeks. Our zone had two baptisms this week and we will have 6 this week! I love you guys thanks for your support!

1. Presidente Zepeda
2. Rocky Point El Camaronero

July 8, 2019

Week 78: Super week

Hey guys! This email isnt going to be super long but I justed wanted to let you guys in on somethings that happened this week. My last week in Caborca was a great one. We baptized 4 people and confirmed 5 people on Sunday. It was truly a miracle. Last week I talked a little about Satan and his tactics that he uses. This week we say ALOT of that again with the baptisms. Our first convert that got baptized is named Ximena. For a long time her mom didnt give her permission to be baptized and finally her mom gave it too us after MONTHS of waiting. On the way to her baptism, a man almost hit us in his car on the way (I have it recorded) and at the other baptism with Esmeralda and Yolanda their sister came and she is crazy. She literally was making a huge deal of everything in the baptismal service and was acting like a little girl. However, we were able to have success. I am truly grateful for all that I have learned in Caborca. I am not going to lie it is a hot, dusty, and run down place but Heavenly Father was able to teach me a ton and humbled me a lot. I was able to make friendships that will last forever. I love Caborca. I truly feel satisfied for all that I could accomplish in Caborca. We ended up baptizing 16 people in this transfer! All of it was made possible thanks to our Heavenly Father.

July 1, 2019

Week 77: A week to never forget

This week was one of the hardest and most amazing of my entire life. Doing the Lords work here we truly see miracles and we feel the Spirit daily. It is truly an extremely hard experience but it is something so special that it is all worth it. This week I only want to share one experience that happened this week but it was one that really made me think and changed my point of view on many things. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I have known a youth named "Ramiro" that is 16 years old. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I saw him spending time with the youth in the branch and to be honest, we thought he was maybe a member. One sunday, we ate lunch with the Branch President and he was there with his friends (after we all went to church). After lunch, out of nowhere, we started talking about the mission and the experiences we have had. Ramiro heard every one of our 4 testimonies of the mission and the youth there got really excited about serving missions. Ramiro even got excited and said he wanted to serve a mission. Little by little, we started to teach him and we could see that his testimony was growing. We also saw how strong Satan started to attack him. Out of no where, he started to work every day except sundays. He would go to church but we could never teach him during the week for work. We taught him over the phone and thought of everything we could do. After that, out of no where, he had to work on sunday. He had never had to work on Sunday. He wanted to get baptized but he had so many things in his life that were holding him back. One day, we were super down. My companion and I had fasted, prayed, and tried to get in contact with Ramiro the entire week and nothing. One day at night we were going to go to an appointment but we felt the impression that we needed to go to Ramiros house. We got there and knocked and he had arrived from work. We could talk to him and explain that Satan was trying to do everything that he could so that he wouldnt be baptized. He agreed and also told us that his parents gave him permission to get baptized but that they werent going to support him. In spite of the conflict, we set up a day so he could be baptized. We all decided that Sunday would be a good day. That sunday, his boss WITHOUT notifying him beforehand told him that he had to work. Then we set up the baptism for wednesday because every day he has a lunch break and we were going to baptized him on his lunch break. Out of nowhere, he had to work longer that day. Finally at 9 at night, Ramiro was baptized. It was literally the hardest baptism I had had in my entire mission. Satan literally was attacking Ramiro the entire time and the ENTIRE day. I had never seen Satan work so hard so that a person wouldnt be baptized. That night when my companion and I got back to the house exhausted. We talked and we hadnt told eachother but both of us had been been tempted and tried in that day. I personally had a really difficult day for some reason and I felt like Satan was throwing lies at me the entire day like "you arent a good missionary..." "He wont get baptized..." "Why are you even trying?" I felt a spiritual burden the entire day and I was struggling. My companion experienced something similar. We realized how true it is that we are in Gods work and He is real but something even scarier. That satan is really real. He doesnt only want us to feel bad but he literally wants to destroy our souls. That night we discussed a scripture and that I had found a couple days before hand. Its is found in 3 Nep
hi 1:20-23

20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.

22 And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.

23 And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land.

Even though Satan is working hard, Satan will never have success. I want you all to know how important it is be shield against Satans attacks. Even though it sounds harsh and scary I promise and I say this of experience if you are not ready and those darts come and you are not ready and dont have a plan, you will fall. I promise you. You need to be built on the foundation of Christ (Helaman 5:12). The scriptures say that when man build on that foundation, they cannot fall. I know that to be true. This sunday, during Ramiro`s confirmation, President Jimenez said in the blessing, "I bless you that one day if it is the Lords will, that you will be able to serve a mission some day." Hearing those words, it was all worth it for me.

June 10, 2019

Week 74: What whilt thou have me do?-Paul

This week was one I will never forget. So many things happened and I have learned so much. I hope I can remember the most important things to tell you guys. This week we had our Zone Conference with all the missionaries of Caborca. President Myers told us that we could teach anything we wanted to the missionaries but something that would help them progress and have more success in the work. We decided this week to fast to be able to recieve revelation to know what to do. This fast that we did was one of the hardest I had ever done. It was super hot, we were thirsty, and sometimes we felt like we could have fainted but we needed the extra help. In fact, that night when we slept my companion and I both woke up super early in the morning really week and we couldnt move. We were super thirsty and we kind of started to panic. Luckily, we could relax again and we feel asleep again.

I had an amazing experience that morning when we woke up. Before that point, we didnt really have an idea what to teach the missionaries and I was started to get stressed out. That morning, the alarm went off, and as soon I opened my eyes, I immediatley started thinking of the apostle Paul. I started to think in his life as a missionary and everything he went through. In my bed I turned my eyes to my night stand and saw my book "Jesus the Christ" by James Talmage (one of my favorite books) and I right away started to study the section that talks about Paul. I jotted down ideas and studied that morning about his life. I told my companion what had happened and we decided to teach the missionaries about Pauls conversion story and how our investigators can have a conversion. In the zone conference, we taught about the Pauls beautiful conversion story and life. I was truly grateful to be able learn of him and will always be an example to me. In some sense, I feel that Paul and I have went through similar experiences (except being in jail jaja) and we both have the same goal to be faithful servants our Heavenly Father.

This week as well with the fast that we did we were able to see many miracles. This week two of our investigators told us that they recieved an answer that the church is true. They said "When I said my prayer, I waited for an answer and I felt something and I started to cry but I dont know why." We were so amazed and explained that it was an answer from God. Those 2 people will be baptized the 29th of this month.

The last experience that I want to share happened this week as well. On saturday, we decided to say a prayer to be able to find a family that we could teach and be baptized. In the street, we said a prayer and as soon as we finished, we saw some kids outside a house and we went to go to talk with them. We started to teach them and soon their mom came out and presented herself and said her name was Merarith. She told us a little about herself and told us that she has had many problems in her life. We taught her a little and explained that if she would go to church that her life would be better and she could trust in the Lord. We invited her to church and said she would go. We told her the address and everything. Honestly I didnt think much about it. The next morning, we recieved a text message that said "Hi its Merarith I am getting ready to go!" She went! Even her kids. I am excited to see what is in store for her because we believe it was the family we have been searching for.

I love you all

Giddy Up

Elder Smith

1. Marieath and her family at church
2. Leon Bridges style
3. Caborca Zone in Rocky Point Zone Conference
4. The Dorks
5. Coming home from Rocky Point with Sister Myers
6-8. Dumb bike crash from getting chased by 4 dogs

June 3, 2019

Week 73: Caborca

This week was pretty cool. We recieved transfers and I found out that I will be staying Caborca again. Wow. That means that when I leave Caborca, I will have probably been here for 6 months. I love Caborca and honestly I wouldn't like to leave but, there isn't much here hahaha. Its ok because it just motivates us to preach the Gospel more. We say "well there's nothing to do, might as well just knock doors or teach." I had some really special experiences this week that I would like to share. This week we found an older man named Trinidad that went to church. We found him outside his house and he was delighted to see us. We took him to church and as soon as he saw our Branch President Panchito Jimenez, he got so happy and almost cried. They both gave each other a big hug and said "How have you been?" Its was truly a special sight. Small world (small Caborca). We have many people we are teaching and we have two people with baptismal dates for the 15th of this month. This week we also went to Hermosillo to have a Mission Counsel and it was pretty awesome. We feel super excited for this transfer! We had a really cool lesson with a young man named Ramiro. He is 16 and wants to go on a mission. We taught him about the Restoration and it was pretty awesome. He is going to be baptized on the 15th of this month! Something really special that happened this week, happened yesterday. There is a man in our ward named Tito Sotelo. He is 84 years old and since I came to Caborca he has been a special person to me. He has been a worker, cowboy, and faithful member of the church since he was young. I look up to him as a humble person, a faithful priesthood holder, and one who keeps his temple covenants. This Sunday, he asked if we could give him a blessing because he wasnt feeling very well. After church, we went to his house and there he was waiting with his wife. He greeted us in and sat down so we could give him the blessing. My companion annointed his head with oil and the spirit became strong. As I sealed the blessing, I felt a small portion of the love that the Lord had for Tito. The spirit I felt was something strong and sweet. My blessing was simple but I felt every word spoken. We finished the blessing, expressed our love and friendship for the Sotelo Family. As we left, I reflected on Gods kindness for all his children but especially his faithful children that live their covenants. I will look at Tito Sotelo as an example of that in my life. I love you all I thank all of you that do your best to stay true to the covenants you have made our Heavenly Father.