Cayce's Baptism

Cayce’s baptism was amazing! There were about eighty people there, including her family! That is more people than are usually at church in our ward! Her boyfriend, Martin baptized and confirmed her. Cayce also asked me to speak about baptism. I also talked about the Atonement, covenants in general and the sacrament. The Atonement is how and why we change, we change through making and keeping covenants, and the sacrament lets us renew our covenants and continue to change and become more Christlike.

Martin’s dad gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and talked a lot about what a special girl Cayce is. The Relief Society organized a notebook for Cayce by handing out pieces of colored paper so we could write her our testimonies. Later, they will arrange them all in a little journal for Cayce. It was so special to finally see her be baptized!

Maria was also at Cayce’s baptism with her aunt. Maria is going home this weekend and has decided to talk to her parents about how much she wants to be baptized and to set a baptismal date with their help.

The Church extends to all an invitation to find out for themselves if this is God’s church by asking the only one whose opinion actually counts-God’s. The introduction and the end of the Book of Mormon offer a challenge and a promise-that every person who seeks to know if the Book of Mormon is scripture will learn by the power of personal revelation that the Book is scripture, Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was His prophet and that this is God’s one true church on the earth right now.

Maria has a strong testimony of these things. Her testimony, like so many others, is not a passing thing or a phase-it is a belief that completely changes the natural man to become a man of God through the Atonement. Right now her parents are just trying to protect their daughter. Maria is just trying to have their approval and do what she feels is right.

PLEASE pray for Maria…and for her parents. She is an amazing young woman going through a very hard time. I worry that she will decide the Church is not worth the risk of losing her family, when in truth, the Gospel is the only thing which will save her and her family and everyone else for that matter!

On another note, Angela and Aaron are now engaged! They haven’t set a date yet, but if they need any help, we’re pretty good at helping others do that.

Also, I’m teaching a Preach My Gospel class at Duke and UNC Institute and a short lesson on the four Gospels every week at Duke. It’s going well and is challenging.

I hope you are all happy and doing well!

Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Elder Walters