Hey family and friends! This was an awesome week. We watch general conference the week after in Australia so it was awesome to get to see that this weekend. I'm so thankful for the gospel. It rocks:)
We had a cool culture experience this week. Our bishop is married to a Samoan. And his wife's mother just passed away this week. And the culture is when someone passes, that you bring their body to your home for a week with the casket open. And during that week there is heaps of food and songs and stuff. So last night all the Samoans and us got together and piled into bishops house. There was like 80 of us and we sang Samoan songs and it was so powerful. Their language is so beautiful. We all sat around the coffin on these beautiful woven mats from Samoa. The only hard part was that in their culture you must sit cross legged. And your knees have to be on the ground or it is very disrespectful. As many of you know I have very long legs and I'm not the most flexible guy. I just could not get them down. So the two Samaon men next to me (who were literally big enough to eat me) were very helpful and said they knew how to help me. They then proceeded to each put an elbow on my knee and bring them to the floor. And they kept them there. Elder Demke and I kept on looking at each other from across the room trying to hold back tears of pain as we waited for the meeting to end haha. After the meeting was finished a hour and a half later, I was positive I would never walk again haha;) then we all went outside and ate pigs and other manly stuff:) It was a cool night!
Our investigators are doing great. We had a powerful experience the other day with our investigator from Venezuela. We were driving down the road and felt prompted to visit her. We swung around and knocked on the door. When she opened it she was so happy to see us. She invited us in and we saw why she was so excited to see us. On the floor was a disassembled table that she had no clue how to put together. So after some sweat and man skills we had the table put together. Then we sat down and began teaching. We had a powerful experience. She asked us a question that I have been asked more than any other question on my mission. "If God truly loves us so much and is so powerful, why do people suffer, why do little children go hungry, why." This is a question we all have deep down. We looked at her and I felt prompted to pull out my old Book of Mormon. I have carried this copy with me every day of my mission. It's cover and back are almost worn through and the pages show the wear and tear of two years of missionary service. I flipped to one of my favorite passages in 3rd Nephi chapter 9. We read with her about the destruction that had come upon the Nephites. we read and talked about the fear they must have felt, the doubt that a loving God would be able to do this to them. We talked about the anger some of them surely must have felt towards God. Then we read these sweet words from the Savior himself, she read these words out loud.
13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God.
We all were silent for a moment. We continued talking and as we were leaving she said "I don't know where those quotes you have been telling me today come from but I can feel they are true, they are really making me think." We smiled and said "It's all in there" and pointed to the Book of Mormon. I left her with my copy until we can bring her a new one this week. I am so thankful for the knowledge we have of our Savior's love. I know he lives. I give my testimony and witness to the world every day that He lives. I know it with every fiber of my body and soul.
I like this story, it is by President Hugh B Brown
Sometime ago a great actor in the city of New York gave a wonderful performance in a large theatre, at the close of which there were rounds of applause. He was called back again and again. Finally someone called to him, "Would you do for us the Twenty-third Psalm?"
"Why, yes. I know the Twenty-third Psalm.' '
He recited it as an actor would, perfectly, with nothing left to be desired as far as a performance was concerned. When he was finished, again there was thunderous applause. Then the actor came to the front of the stage and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, there is an old man sitting here on the front row whom I happen to know. I am going to ask him without any notice if he will come and repeat the Twenty-third Psalm."
The elderly gentleman, of course, was frightened. Trembling, he came to the stage. Fearfully he looked out over the vast audience. Then, as though he were at home only with one, he closed his eyes against the audience, bowed his head, and talked to God, and said:
"The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pasture: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
"He restoroth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Then changing to address the Savior directly and intimately:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
When the old man finished, there was no applause, but there was not a dry eye in that house. The actor came to the front of the stage. He, too, was wiping his eyes. And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I know the words of the Twenty-third Psalm, but this man knows the Shepherd."
"Why, yes. I know the Twenty-third Psalm.' '
He recited it as an actor would, perfectly, with nothing left to be desired as far as a performance was concerned. When he was finished, again there was thunderous applause. Then the actor came to the front of the stage and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, there is an old man sitting here on the front row whom I happen to know. I am going to ask him without any notice if he will come and repeat the Twenty-third Psalm."
The elderly gentleman, of course, was frightened. Trembling, he came to the stage. Fearfully he looked out over the vast audience. Then, as though he were at home only with one, he closed his eyes against the audience, bowed his head, and talked to God, and said:
"The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pasture: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
"He restoroth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Then changing to address the Savior directly and intimately:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
When the old man finished, there was no applause, but there was not a dry eye in that house. The actor came to the front of the stage. He, too, was wiping his eyes. And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I know the words of the Twenty-third Psalm, but this man knows the Shepherd."
That has been my question to myself every day. Do I just know of the Gospel or do I truly know the Gospel? Do I just know about Jesus Christ or do I truly KNOW Jesus Christ. I think I know him, I feel deeply that I do. I love Him so much. And I will keep doing those things that bring me closer to Him.
Love you all heaps,
Elder White
No comments:
Post a Comment