E-mail: May 10, 2015 "Substitutes"

"Flip!"
"Dang it!"
"Fluffy Fluff!"
"Junkfellow!"
"Fetch!"
"You Dunkin' Donut!"
"Gaaah!"

...Are just a few of the substitute curse words we've become a little too familiar with here in the India Bangalore Mission. I'm not proud to say that I've probably used all of them at one point or another, but as I try to limit myself to only the one syllable words I'm slowly becoming better. Many of these words I'm sure most of you are familiar with (especially if you live in Utah) but a couple of them have been born and bred in our very own apartment. When I first got to Bangalore we had three Americans and one Indian in the apartment. The Indian who was with us got confused as he heard his American comrades using seemingly useless and random words in exasperation, so he decided to join in by adding a few of his own. Thus the phrases "Dunkin' Donut" and "Fluffy Fluff" have also made their way into the Convent Road Elders' arsenal of insults.

During my Book of Mormon reading this week I studied and marked a lot of passages about repentance. I think the Lord is trying to tell me something...

Speaking of Book of Mormon reading, I've officially made it to Helaman (for any of you who are still competing in the challenge) but I'm kinda sad about it. Every time I've read the Book of Mormon in the past it's taken me a little while to read through all the war chapters of Alma, but due to my companion falling sick and being stuck in the apartment this weekend, I completed the whole account in 2 days. It was quite the experience; all the different battles and stories that before were separate and distinct, melted together and fused the teachings and accounts into an understandable whole. I began to rejoice with each victory and to feel sad at the account of the people's wickedness. As I turned the last few pages and read through the deaths of Captain Moroni, Alma, and Helaman, I actually felt an emptiness inside of me as though someone I knew and loved had just left. It's crazy the way this sacred book can pull you in and has the ability to change your life if you let it. My challenge to each one of you right now: If you don't have a regular habit of studying your Book of Mormon, start one- right now, today. To those of you who feel you're already a diligent BofM scriptorian: change it up. If you're used to flying through the pages and pounding out chapters like there's no tomorrow, slow down and take the time to digest the doctrines. If it takes you a week just to get through one chapter because you mark like crazy and dive into every footnote, try speeding it up and see how fast you can get through the whole thing. There's no right or wrong to either of these methods because they both have their benefits and if you change them up, they'll both help you to get more out of your study. I testify it'll not only change the way you see this book but you'll have greater power to learn and apply the teachings found inside. Will you do it? Promise? Good. ;)

Oh, and one more thing.

Despite popular belief Abraham Lincoln is still alive, and he's an Indian. Psych.

Circus, Afro, Circus, Afro, Polkadot- Polkadot- Polkadot- Afro!

 Until next time everyone. :)

-Elder Cloward