Down the street from the National Mall

     Hello from the Library of Congress! Elder Synelnikov and I biked from our apartment on 16th street all the way down to the white house. Then we biked around and saw all the memorials. It's sooo much easier on bike! Remember how painful it was walking? We could go from the Lincoln to the capital easily :) The whole time we looked at the memorials the hymn "Faith of our Fathers" played in my head. In spite of all the opposition, they did great deeds on our behalf, and I am so eternally grateful for that. They prepared the way for the restoration. The only memorial they're missing is man who has had the greatest influence on us all.. Christ. They need a huge Christus or something, because there is none greater. None who deserve greater respect. Yes there have been many great free thinkers, but what of the author of freedom itself? Who made the great gift of agency available to us. That's just my rant for the day. We went through every bit of the air and space museum, and it's so weird being back there! I remember looking at the exhibits before, but I appreciate them even more now. Big museum though! I'm so tired!
     Last night I shared a message in Family Home Evening about how we can have peace in trying times. In unjust times. We have a lot of investigators and recent converts there, so I wanted it to be really practical, and have immediate application in their lives. So in Helamen 5:47, the Lord says that Nephi and Lehi will have peace, because of their faith in the only begotten. Then we had a discussion about how we develop our faith. Of course that's by working every day to become more like the Savior. I know this is a true principle. For some reason on Monday, I felt the difficulty of the work getting to me. Like, really getting to me. I haven't felt so down in such a long time. So for lunch, I poured over the Book of Mormon. And something changed. That book has power, it changed the very thoughts of my mind. I felt hope and peace, and the love of my Father. Then I was ready to go out. Instead of that feeling that my heart would break at another rejection, I felt the Lord before my face, and I couldn't stop smiling! I love how in his mercy, he made a way for our existence to be like His, full of joy.The people we're working with now are great! They're very pleasant and somewhat open to learning. But they're not really progressing. They're not picking up the book and reading! I know that if they do things will change for them, and I always express that, but people are kinda slow to do those things they really need to. As long as I'm giving them the best chance possible! I think that's what we can all do in our every effort, just give people the best chance possible. That may be from an invitation, or just being an example, but that is a duty each of us has.