October 29, 2012

Missionary Slim sees some amazing transformations (Week 38 in Pennsylvania, Week 2 in Washington, PA)



Here comes another story about food. This time, our cuisine comes from the deep south - New Orleans. Sister Southern, a less-active member in the Washington Ward, had us over for dinner. The dish: Yah-Yah Gumbo. I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but that's what she was saying over and over as huge billows of steam came billowing out of her kitchen from the great pot bubbling over her stove. She brought bowls over from the kitchen. I have no idea what I was looking at. It seemed like a smorgasbord of whatever you could imagine being in there - shrimp, sausage, crab meat, leaves of some kind (okra, I think) chunks of lemon, all in a deep brown rue. It wasn't bad. It's just another interesting thing added to the list of things eaten on my mission.
We met with Brian and Katrina again. Brian is preparing to be baptized on the 24th of November, and is so stoked. He's eating up anything that we teach him and loves it. This time, we had a short lesson and then a mini-testimony meeting. The missionaries went first, followed by Brian. He bore the most clear, simple, powerful testimony I've heard out of any of my investigators, with the exception of Michael a few months ago. He said how much he wants to be sealed; how excited he is to join the Church; how much peace the Book of Mormon gives him. It was awesome.
His wife's was just as good. She served a mission, but went less active shortly after that. We also found out that she was on a "Do not contact" list for a long time, until she moved to Washington and had the desire to come back. She told us in her testimony of how she's always had a testimony, and never imagined going less-active. It just happened. She said how disappointed she felt because of the time that she had wasted and wanted to have back. "Never turn your back," she told us. She then told of a story which I don't feel at liberty to share in full. I'll give what I learned from it. The Savior was mocked and jeered and spat upon because of his plainness of doctrine and his simple, pure love. "He is despised and rejected of men, and man of grief and acquainted with sorrows." Yet, we are invited to be like him. We are told that we need to take upon ourselves his countenance. "But what," we may ask, "What if the world starts abusing and reviling us, as they did the Savior?" It doesn't matter, because we are like the Savior. Words to ponder.
We had a really cool visit with another less-active gentleman. He was never converted. He was baptized because his aunt wanted him to, and then left the Church. He's been gone for many, many years, but knows the doctrine of the Church pretty well. In fact, he knows the doctrine of just about EVERY church pretty well. He's a serious seeker of truth, but he has no idea where to look. We sat down and he started going off about his questions, his concerns, his thoughts and ideas and theories. He basically sounded agnostic to the extreme. As I listened to, it reminded me of another man who I had read about that very morning, a man just as confused and troubled, a man who knew of the existence of God, but had no intention of worshiping. That is, until a courageous missionary taught him the truth. This missionary invited this man to kneel down and prove the Lord. And so he did. "O God," he prayed, "Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day." Boom. He got an answer. And boy, was it a powerful one with so many incredible effects. After sharing that story with this gentleman, he got really quiet. Instead of throwing out all of his questions, he thought and pondered. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon. "Oh yeah. I'll read it. I'll read it by the next time you come by." Oh. Wow. This guy was desperate. But I'm sure and confident he will get his answer.
The problem this man has is how many doubts he has. He doubts everything. He doubts Christianity because of Constantine. He doubts Joseph Smith because of anti-Mormon literature. He doubts God because he has yet to see any sign of God caring about him. One thing that I've found so apparent while I've been on my mission is how important it is to question. Questioning finds answers. Questioning invites the Spirit to teach you. Question everything, and then fnid your answers. Most importantly, though: question your doubts. Question those things that poke against the testimony you've already gained. "So this person is telling me Joseph Smith is a fraud. Why?" "I don't agree with what the Prophets are telling me. Why? Do I really believe them to be prophets? How can I know for sure if what they are saying is true?" "This person at Church offended me. What does that mean about the Restored Gospel?"
These examples may or may not be accurate. But I know that the Church is true. Period. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Jesus Christ called another Prophet and continues to call prophets and apostles. He runs the show. This is His team. We cannot let ourselves be blinded or deceived to give up such a good gift, like those who partook of the fruit of the Tree of Life and then fell away into forbidden paths. If you have tasted of the fruit of the Gospel, do not go away from it. Stand firm and strong. If you haven't tasted of the fruit of the Restored Gospel, give it a go. I know it will give you joy beyond comparison. Search the scriptures. Ponder them. Pray. God will answer. I know it. And when questions come up, or people start jeering at you because you have tasted of the fruit or because you look like Christ, remember: Joshua 1:9.
Take care, everyone!
Love,
Elder Alex Anderson, AKA Missionary Slim

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