I was also invited to address the ward since it was my first Sunday. Unlike my first week in country, I knew in advance that this would happen, so I took the initiative to prepare a brief talk early that week. After introducing myself and sharing a bit about my family (for some reason, there's always lots of laughs at this point), I told the ward that my topic would be repentance. This is the original English talk I wrote and translated from:
"The main message of the Book of Mormon is repentance. In 2 Nephi 3:20, the prophet Lehi clearly teaches this. Quoting a prophecy about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, he said: "And they [Lehi's descendants, the people of the Book of Mormon] shall cry from the dust; yeah, even repentance unto their brethren, even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words." How simple is that message? How important?
"Among the words we use at church, repentance is probably one of the most joyful. We may not be used to thinking of it that way, but repentance is a joyful thing. Of all the gifts God has given to man, repentance is one of the greatest.
"Rather than talk about the method of repentance, I want to briefly discuss the meaning of repentance. In this life, we all make mistakes and commit sins. We know well that repentance removes those stains, but I believe we sometimes forget that there is more to repentance than that.
"Repentance is best described as turning -- turning from failure and darkness, to growth and God's glorious light. In Acts 3:19, the Apostle Peter declared: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (In Korean, the word used here to denote "convert" uses the same root as "to turn" making the comparison even clearer) Here, repentance and conversion were connected actions. Both denote turning to God. The Apostle Paul also described this turning, when relating his call to be an Apostle. Jesus Christ told Paul that his role would be: "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:18, emphasis added) Forgiveness of sin and, even more, reconciliation with God is exactly what repentance offers us. When we turn to God, we have a wonderful promise: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 1:3)
"As Preach My Gospel describes it, this turning "includes forming a fresh view of God, ourselves, and the world. . . As we change [or turn] we recognize that we are children of God and that we need not continue making the same mistakes over and over." We feel greater joy. We enjoy better relationships with God and other people; and we become more Christlike.
"My invitation today is to turn a little closer to God. Perhaps it's through a covenent such as baptism, or those formed in the temple. It could be through more faithful church attendance, or more diligent scripture study. Regardless, we can all turn closer to God, in some way. Today is your day to change! In the words of President Uchtdorf, "You can do it now!" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now," October 2013 General Conference) We are children of God, and need not continue making the same mistakes. Jesus Christ died to provide us the power to change -- the power to repent. It is my prayer that we will use that power often and deeply, even the gift of repentance, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
I think people liked it; a lot of ward members approached me afterwards, and, in the Korean way, told me that they "listened well" to my testimony. "I heard well" is one of the main ways you compliment a speaker in Korea. Eerily similar to another ward member's comment last week, one member told me that it was listening to an Apostle speak at general conference. I hope that more than listening to some good words, they act on what I said, and come closer to God through repentance. After all, inviting others to come closer to Christ is the missionary purpose.
I'm enjoying my new ward, but it was only last Wednesday that I said goodbye to Sanbon. I was able to meet with two of our investigators before then: Jung Hong Ik (정홍익) and Hwang Yong Ho (황용호). With Jung Hong Ik, we decided to go big for my last lesson: we taught him the Law of Chastity. For starters, I like the Korean word much better: 순수함. It not only denotes sexual purity, but also purity in all areas of life, which is what the Law of Chastity encompasses. The lesson went well; he understood that the main point of it was to protect the sanctity of family and marriage, as well as to help us develop self-control. Hwang Yong Ho was surprisingly talkative when we met him, and talked about how his generation "built" Korea after the war -- how they'd stay in colleges because of political oppression, eat the grain for animals, and rebuild the rubble.
After arriving here, I got to teach immediately. We're meeting with a woman named Bak In Ook (박인욱), a referral from a member. It's the ideal situation: a member referred here, and we have a member at every lesson to teach with us. It was interesting to see in that first lesson how my experience as a more seasoned missionary balanced with Elder Ryu's natural fluency in Korean. We taught most of the message of the Restoration, talking about Jesus Christ, His church, the apostasy that followed the Apostles' deaths, and the eventual restoration of it, proven by the Book of Mormon. She understood everything really well, in part thanks to a member who would often compare it to things in her own life. For instance, I compared prophets and the people they work with to her own experience with children: when they're happy, they stop listening, but once trouble arises, they quickly turn back to their parents. She asked why only men receive the priesthood, and while Elder Ryu was a bit thrown off, I was able to share one of the many responses I've picked up while serving as a missionary. It's not that I'm a genius, just that the longer you're here, the more opportunities you have to teach and pick things up from others. I simply asked why men can't have children. The answer to that question is almost always the same answer as to why women don't receive the priesthood, though they receive all of the same blessings that come from it: men and women have complimentary, equal, but different roles.
We met that women twice more, first retelling the Joseph Smith story, complete with a young boy's first vision, a visit from an angel, and the miraculous coming forth of a new volume of scripture. We explained that God restored precious information about life's greatest questions through this prophet, specifically a plan for our happiness that can tell us where we came from, why we're here, and where we're going after this life. At our next meeting, we began discussing the Plan of Salvation, using the concept of eternal life. After sharing Moses 1:39, which teaches that God's work and glory is our eternal life and immortality, we explained that eternal life consists of four things: a body, knowledge, life in God's presence, and family/children. With that in mind, we explored the premortal life, where we lived in God's presence, but lacked knowledge, a body, and family. Then, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had bodies, lived in God's presence, but couldn't have children, and didn't have knowledge, gained through experience. Thanks to their fall, mankind gained families and knowledge, but they would in time lose their bodies, and they no longer lived with God. That's where Jesus Christ comes into the picture: through His Atonement, we can return to the presence of God, and all mankind will enjoy a resurrected, perfect body. Through His gospel, family relationships can be perpetuated through the eternities.
I'm going to have a good time here. We play sports with members on Saturdays, meet in a wonderfully beautiful church building, and give service to the elderly. This is the biggest ward I've ever been in and Korea, and I'm loving it. After church last Sunday, we went with one of the Brothers to deliver the sacrament to a hospital-bound grandma. Though we initially had difficulty being allowed to enter, and were pressed for time, this Brother didn't let that show. He spoke calmly, deliberately, filled with charity for this woman. He asked her if she was exercising, made her show him. He talked to her about our beautiful building, and showed her pictures. He expressed hope that he would see her at ward conference next month. He didn't rush to the ordinance of the sacrament, neither did he hurry to get out when it was finished. He truly ministered to this woman in a manner that I find admirable. Hopefully I can be a little more like that man as I continue to serve in the priesthood for the rest of my life.
Love,
Elder Austin Lynn
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