Week 16 This is the Truth

November 25, 2018


Good morning from the great city of Darwin, located in the NT of Australia, and enveloped in storm clouds. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Well what has happened this week? We'll start with Elder Liao. He is a wonderful Elder from Minnesota, USA, of Taiwanese descent, speaks fantastic Mandarin, Chinese, which is much needed here in Darwin City where there are a lot of Chinese people. With that, I have downloaded the app, duolingo, and am now working on my own Mandarin skills. Elder Liao and I both have determined hearts and minds to serve the Lord and bring the world the truth of the restored gospel. We are working quite well.

Also we decided that we didn't want to wear our white shirts this transfer so we just wear polo shirts instead. The Darwin City government doesn't want us to wear our white shirts and ties because we stand out too much, so we get to wear polo shirts instead.  It is not quite what I was expecting while out on my mission. I am grateful for it though because the heat is more intense here than it was in my previous area.

In the City we ride the bus everywhere and don't ride our bikes hardly ever. We walk the same 4 streets all day. Might sound boring, but I love it because I know that it is exactly where I need to be to benefit my God the most. Something else I have noticed about Darwin are the bats. I had always thought they were big birds...but then Elder Liao pointed them out to me, and I noticed that they are bats with a 3 foot wingspan.

A cruise ship came into the harbor on Tuesday, and I met people from Malaysia, China, England, Thailand, Taiwan, Egypt, Austria, other parts of Australia, Vietnam, Germany, USA, Canada, Phillippines, Fiji, Trinidad, Singapore, India, New Zealand, France, Samoa, Cambodia, and others that I probably forgot. It is extremely diverse.


      This is the Truth

The only truth. Every time I ask God about the truthfulness of what I am here to share, I get the same confirmation..."you already know, you always have." Sometimes people believe that if you are going to get an answer from God, it is going to be God coming down from the ray of sunshine in the clouds, with an Angelic choir singing and blowing their trumps, or beating their drums, or doing whatever an Angelic choir may do in a situation like that. As Elder Bednar said, you may not get a "text message from Moroni."

That is the hard truth. You probably won't get a text from a Book of Mormon prophet, or a choir of angels. But what you do have is endless amounts of talks from modern Prophets, and the tabernacle choir on temple square. You have the Spirit of God, and countless witnesses of others. I know that this is the truth. God is real, and His Son is Jesus the Christ, who gave His life for you. Each of you. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and Joseph Smith truly saw God and His Son Jesus Christ. All of the truths, principles, commandments, and other things taught by the church are the truth.

If you know that that is true...live by it. If you are looking for an answer, keep looking, and it will come. If you are not a member, and are a friend of mine reading my emails, I promise you that if you want to know all truth with the same conviction that I have, it is all there for you. It is all yours. If you but ask God with a sincere desire to know the truth, and truly believe that He will answer, He will tell you that this indeed is the truth.

If you want to get better at running you run. If you want to jump higher you jump. If you want the truth, you seek it. Please, seek to know the truth, and your soul will be filled with joy. Not just happiness, but true, lasting joy. I promise you that. This. Is. The. Truth. I don't seek to change anyone's beliefs, I only seek to help those who have the desire to know. This is why I have given up two years of my life, and why I will continue to give my life to God. I love you all, and so does your Savior Jesus Christ.

Firm in the Faith,

    -Elder Cozzens

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