I honestly don't know where to start. I have so much to say, so much to cover, and so little time to say it all. I am sorry for not emailing last week. We had a Stake Missionary Christmas party that took up our P-day and did not allow me enough time to write an email. But some great things happened over the past two weeks that I want to talk about. Alright, I am just going to drive through everything as best I can.
Let me fill you in on how David is doing. David is GREAT! He's come out to teach with us quite a few times over the last two weeks. I love this kid so much! He referred us to his friend who is just as awesome as he is. He came to teach the Style family with us on Saturday and then on Sunday he came to see a less active lady with us. I think that David gets so much out of coming out with us. You can tell that he is growing and learning more and more as he has these awesome missionary experiences. I am convinced that the best way to strengthen members of the Church is to get them to do missionary work. David and I get along so well and we are sure to be life long friends. He really looks up to me and I really really look up to him. I am so excited to remain in contact with him after I leave this area.
We had an awesome new investigator named Edythe come to Church today. Having new investigators come to Church truly is the greatest. The joy that you feel when they walk into the Chapel can't really be described. It turns out Edythe is really good friends with a lady in the ward. They worked together for many years. What Edythe said to this member was awesome. She said, "You didn't tell me you were part of this Church! Why didn't you ever share this with me?" Haha. This statement shows that maybe our friends do want us to share our Church with them, and to not be scared because it may be exactly what they are looking for! I am very happy that we found Edythe.
Ugh. I can't really even remember all of the things that have happened over the past two weeks that I wanted to write about. I had the intent of filling you guys in on all these things that have happened. My mind is so clouded right now that I cannot even think clearly. I am so caught up in an experience that Elder Robison and I had last night. It is all that I can think about. I guess that I just need to write it down. I am sorry that sometimes I don't tell all of my, funny, cool, interesting missionary experiences. I like writing, it is a way that I can get my thoughts organized and out of my head where I can see them. I may spend a lot of time writing about one thing that happened and leave out a funny experience that happened with me and Elder Robison. I think that in the end I and the reader (whoever reads this) gets more out of the short time that I have to write this.
A couple weeks ago we got a referral from some missionaries saying that this one guy wants to meet with us. Simply to make a long story short, this person's intent in meeting with us was to argue and to try and convert us. Which doesn't really quite make sense. Most Christians today believe that baptism is not escential for salvation. Thus they weren't trying to "Baptize" us. I love what my muslim friend Rizwan said as we were discussing religion. He told me, "Christianity is apparently the easiest religion to be part of. All you have to say is 'I am a Christian'. And there ya go, you're a Christian!" I thought his statement was very funny, and extremely true. When you look at anti-mormon attempts to "convert you" or "shake your testimony", and they may say, "We are telling you these things because we love you and are concerned about your salvation." Their real intent is to get you to deny the doctrines that you know to be true, because that is the only thing that will satisfy them. Because they don't care if you are baptized into their Church . Baptism is not an ordinance of salvation in mainstream Christianity, they aren't looking for you to DO something, because works are also not a part of their doctrines of salvation. All of you have to do is believe a certain set of beliefs, and you're good to go. What they wanted me to do was to deny what I know to be true. There are so many thoughts, and so many things that I want to say right now about this conversation. My mind is a doctrinal hurricane right now. I have never been so inspired and had such a desire to write a book on the doctrines of the Bible, and other scripture. That sounds really lame, but I am serious. I am going to write a book. I am going to get my thoughts down on paper. I am going to break down the scriptures and show that this all makes sense! I have learned so much on my mission. I have learned so much about other religions. I have learned so much about the scriptures. I have had so many amazing experiences and because of all of these things I just KNOW that this Church is true. Goodness people, PLEASE READ YOUR SCRIPTURES! Study the Doctrines, study the context, understand the history. What I got out of this experience is that hard hearted people will never come to a knowledge of truth because they DENY it. Our message, the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, it all makes sense. It just simply makes sense. The Christian world is in confusion and so divided because their doctrine does not make sense. They are searching for the truth, but they don't know where to find it. Like I said, I have a lot on my mind. I am sorry for this burst of random thoughts. My experience from this conversation follows the EXACT same trend that has followed with other anti-mormon individuals. They have NOT read their New Testament, and they surely have not read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. These folk's were not an exception to this trend. I want to make clear that my intent in this conversation was never to degrade, bash, or whatever. At the end of the conversation we all shook hands and no hard feelings were left between us.
I love this Gospel. I know it is true, and I wish that I could just spend time writing and writing about how true it is. I wish each week I could just write about what I learned about in personal study about the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I wish I could just pour my mind out in these emails and show you truly how much I love this Gospel, how much I love the scriptures, and how much I love Jesus Christ and his Church. The Book of Mormon is nothing less than a miracle. It's purpose is, "unto the dconfounding of efalse doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing fpeace among the fruit of thy loins, and gbringing them to thehknowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord." And that is exactly what it does. I love the scriptures.
Time is up and I have to get going. I love you all so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment