This week was by and by a calm one, though the weekend always seems busier than normal. For example, we've been meeting with the grandson of a grandpa in the ward, and on Saturday and Sunday we taught him the few remaining doctrines he needs to know before he's baptized, in October. He's a sweet kid, your typical 7 year old. It touched my heart to hear him pray that his father would be able to come to church. His father has lots of interest, but his work schedule prevents him from coming.
One man we met with this week reminded me of a previous investigator I'd taught. He wants to know if God exists, but right now thinks he doesn't exist. His goal is to logically, categorically, prove whether or not God exists. He has lots of questions about really deep concepts, such as if God created ideas, or what God's purpose is after we go to heaven, and various other things that -- as I told him -- simply don't matter right now. He said he's tried praying, but after nothing special, he quit. He doesn't read scriptures. I feel bad for him, because he doesn't understand something very simple that Paul taught: the natural man receives natural things, and the things of God can only be understood by the spirit of God. If God really does know all things, how can we possibly expect to understand Him in our mortal state? Honestly, if I could understand God completely right now, I'd be vastly disappointed. Godhood wouldn't really be much, would it? By definition, He knows something we don't! It astounds me that innate human arrogance can lead us to declare that things we don't (currently) understand don't exist, such as miracles, or, only a hundred years ago, the vast majority of the universe, outside our little Milky Way. (See Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth https://www.lds.org/general-
We were also able to meet our member referred investigator, Bak In Oak (박인옥) after church, and continue teaching about God's Plan of Salvation for us. We decided it'd be a good time to start including some of the commandments, something every investigator needs to learn about, so we addressed the importance of following God's prophet while discussing the various challenges we can face in this life. She took it well, and then, after a few questions, we ended up teaching about eternal marriage, the function of temples, and why we do family history! The Spirit was strong as we talked about the importance of families, and the love of God in making vital ordinances such as baptism and family sealing available to those who have died without the opportunity to receive them.
Another fun part of this last week was the chance to see all 4 Bishops I have served with while in Korea -- there was a meeting at the church for all the Bishops and Stake Presidents in Korea, so while we were taking care of some business, we crossed paths with my former bishops, at different times. How great it was to see them again! They all unanimously commented that I'd lost weight, and gotten better at Korean -- that seems to be a universal sentiment the people I've met hold. Hopefully it's an ongoing one!
This last week my commitment to not become a slave to smart phones was strengthened as I watched two friends -- a member and a nonmember -- sit next to each other during sacrament meeting. The member was looking down at her phone, and her hair fell down, blocking her from view physically, the same way she was currently isolated, emotionally. I was reminded of a general conference speaker who said, "Be where you are, when you are there." I hope that I'm always with my friends when I'm with my friends, at school when I'm at school, with my family when I'm with my family, and at church when I'm at church. The people God places around us will always be more important than anything the internet offers.
I was asked by a relative to list my top 5 most spiritual Book of Mormon scriptures, and then my general top 5 scriptures. There's many scriptures that I love, so I've chosen to list the ones that first came to mind here. I really enjoyed that activity, so I wanted to share it with everybody:
Book of Mormon
1. 3 Nephi 18:32 (This scripture helped my realize that I should never give up on anybody, no matter how painful it is.)
2. Alma 5:29 (The song of redeeming love! Can you still hear it?)
3. Ether 12:4 (Believe in a better world! Then work for it.)
4. 4 Nephi 1:15 (The power of the love of God)
5. Moroni 7:40-48 (The need for hope, faith, and charity)
For overall scriptures, these are the first few ones that come to mind.
1. D&C 18:10 (The worth of souls. Probably the verse that initially sparked my love of the scriptures)
2. 1 John 4: 7-11, 16-21 (God is love)
3. D&C 121: 7-9 (Thy friends do stand by thee)
4. Romans 8: 31-39 (The love of God)
5. 3 Nephi 9: 13-15 (Return, be converted, and healed by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His powerful invitation to the Nephite survivors)
One scripture I want to add, as an appendix, is found in Moroni 10, verses 32-35. These are the final words of the last prophet to write in the Book of Mormon. There is a power in them, that speaks of generations of sacrifice, epochs of love, and hope that reaches beyond time.
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
"And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot.
"And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen."
Pictures: (Just a meal from last week)
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