Austin with his new companion and the Mission President and his wife.
Saying goodbye to his companion...who is going home!!
Austin and his new comp.
Austin and Elder Maris
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
4/6/2015
On our last P-Day together, Elder Maris and I decided to go to the local park. There, we met with the other Elders and Murphy, our English-fluent member friend. We played soccer and whiled away the time. It was pretty strange for both of us to realize that this was his last P-Day.
On the next day, we met with Gabriel, and he asked us about the Word of Wisdom, which he'd read about online, in connection with the various standards that we live. We had a discussion about the commandments, and how they not only help us to live better lives, but authorize God to give us various blessings. He's impressed with how we live, and really respects us, but he can't see how he could do it. He still insists that he has his own faith (Catholic) and that he's only meeting us because he feels good when he meets us, but I think he's being converted, from the inside out.
We also had dinner with Sister from the ward, and she took us out to a restaurant. The dinner was so spicy, I was having a hard time eating a lot. I've gotten a lot better with spice since I came, but there are still times where it just gets the better of me.
On Tuesday, Elder Maris and I had a really interesting discussion about movies and books and stories in general. My conclusion was that they enable us to have a virtual experience, helping us to gain knowledge from experiences that we could never actually have. Life is short, and good literature helps us to broaden our horizons, without actually doing it!
Wednesday was the day. We went out to the transfer area, then I left with the rest of the trainers to go to the headquarters, where we met our new companions. My new companion's name is Elder Schilling; he's from California, attended BYU Hawaii, and is a bonafide surfer dude. We're a bit different! Actually, we're a lot of different, but I think that's just a tool for the Lord to use to make a really strong companionship. It took us all day to go through the orientation then get back to our area, but I was already seeing one of the benefits of training: not only are new missionaries generally enthusiastic, but everything in Korea is still new and strange to them. After a while, you stop appreciating and being amused by all of the differences between America and Korea; you just get used to it. But when training, you're able to enjoy all of it over again, while not missing out on the things you've learned.
On Thursday we had our first district meeting with Elder Campbell as district leader. We did an activity that I did while I was with Elder Chow in Gimpo: "cross the line." How it works is that each time a statement that you agree with is made, you cross the line. It's a visual representation of how we're all actually pretty similar, even if we have some differences. It was a good discussion about unity, which is important since each companionship in our area changed this week.
On Friday we met with Lee Gi Won (이기원), and, as always, he talked a ton. But, we were able to talk a little about the restoration of the priesthood, and priesthood blessings. We wanted to offer him one, since he constantly agrees to come to church if his body feel's okay (which... considering him, isn't surprising. He's told us about some of his myriad physical deficiencies), but he wasn't understanding very well, so he told us that we'd talk about it more next time.
Saturday was pretty low key; mostly walking around in the rain looking for people to talk to. We were able to get a few phone numbers though, so it wasn't unproductive.
Sunday was a pretty big day for the ward, and for us. We were able to get Gabriel to come out and support Elder Schilling, since all new missionaries speak on their first day here. He was pretty uncomfortable, but stayed through Fast and Testimony meeting. Hopefully he was touched by the Spirit, because we had some really good testimonies that day, not excluding the five missionaries who bore their testimonies.
Above all, I was grateful this week for the chance to remember the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us, from the Garden of Gethsemane, to the dread peak of Calvary, to the glorious empty tomb. He lives, and He's there. We just have to find Him in our lives.
Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn
Elder Austin Lynn
3/22/2015
"We can experience that burst of confidence.We can feel that pride of performance. A three-word formula will help us: Never Give Up."
Elder Thomas S. Monson, Go For It!
Last Monday, I played ultimate Frisbee for the first time in over a year! Several Elders from the zone got together in our area, and we played in a local soccer stadium. It was really fun; and made me think of home; activity nights and camp-outs. All good experiences that went into building a missionary man. We met a young adult at Burger King that night, and had a nice discussion about gospel principles. He's a good kid, even though he's having a hard time finding a solid testimony and acting in faith. He really likes Burger King, for some reason. Maybe that just comes with fluency in English.
On Tuesday we did our regular service project at the cerebral palsy place, and brought Murphy, our young adult, Burger King-liking young adult. I can't express how reassuring it is to see him enjoy giving service, especially the kind that most people would be pretty awkward about (feeding physically and mentally handicapped children has never been "comfortable" for most people). Service is one of the best ways to invite the Spirit into our lives, because service is selfless.
As a matter of fact, that's something I pondered quite a lot on Tuesday, and throughout the rest of the week. One of the most tragic moments in the Book of Mormon is when the prophet Nephi confesses that his older brothers are "past feeling" and no longer hear the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. That heart breaking moment is mirrored in the twilight of the Nephite civilization when the prophet-general-historian Mormon makes the same observation, but applies it to his entire people.
Why is this so distressing to me?
Because the process by which an individual becomes deadened to the influence of the Holy Ghost is by doing exactly what the Holy Spirit prompts us not to do.
Let's step back for a second, and look at what the Holy Ghost wants us to do. The Holy Ghost influences all of mankind to do good, to uplift, and to inspire. The Spirit wants us all to be a little more selfless, and a little more sacrificing, and, above all, a little more loving. He prompts us to do that by affecting our thoughts and feelings. We can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost by doing things that will invite him into our life: listening to the words of prophets, modern and ancient, prayer, and wholesome family activities. By rejecting these sources of divine aid, we choose to rely on our own wisdom, and become more self-centered.
So, the opposite direction of this bright, but difficult path, is selfishness and reliance on one's self. So, when a person is "past feeling," we could say that that person has become unwilling to act in faith and trust, and only relies on themselves, and the world's wisdom. So the reason it breaks my heart to see somebody move towards the point of being past feeling is that it symbolizes a person moving further and further away from the gospel, the firm rock men can build on and never fall, and more towards the shifting currents and fail-able sand of the world.
Wednesday was marked by a district meeting focusing on referrals. It bore fruit later in the week, but in an unexpected way. More on that under Saturday! We also had our weekly English class. The most important thing that happened that day though, was our recovery of Wilson! You may ask, "Who is Wilson?" Wilson is a black bowling ball we discovered on the road. Abandoned, injured, and friendless, we took him home with us on Wednesday, a few days after our initial contact. Wilson is now happy in our study room, where we constantly role-play teaching with him.
On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder Rossi. We met with one of their investigators, then we spent the rest of the day proselyting (not an uncommon day here... it's been difficult to find and meet with investigators recently). We did have a neat experience though: as we were walking past a man bending low to look under his car, we said hello and asked if there was a problem. He said no, and looked the opposite direction, so we started walking away. Then, he turned back towards us, and asked us what the best way to learn English is! Well... we informed him that we actually teach English for free, and gave him our contact information.
We also met with Murphy in the evening, and talked a lot about war. We discussed a scripture from Mormon, where he talks about how his people struggled with the sword to preserve their lives, but refused to call upon the being who created them. In life, we often fall into the same pattern, doing everything we can, except for calling upon Him "who is mighty to save."
The next day, we hit the streets and proselyted after weekly planning. We had a break in the form of song practice with the district -- the Relief Society had an activity on Saturday, and they wanted the missionaries to provide 10 minutes of music. We made our final song choices then practiced them for the last time.
On Saturday, we attended the Relief Society meeting. How neat is it that the Relief Society is the oldest and largest ongoing women's society in the world? Pretty tremendous, if you ask me. For our music, Elder Maris played guitar for a few minutes, then the 4 Elders sang the song "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy," accapella. Then, all 6 missionaries sang the EFY Medley of "As Sister's in Zion," and "We'll Bring the World His Truth." (Sidenote: we trimmed out the women's part, so this was far more balanced between men and women. Everybody else thought the same thing I did when I first heard it: What a nice women's piece with a background part for men at the end!) That went well.
Later, the Sisters met a Brazilian man named Tiago off of the street. They met him later, with us, and we were able to talk a bit. He doesn't know much English or Korean, so communicating was choppy. But, he has such a nice face! Just looking at him makes you happy. He coaches soccer here, and his mom became a member in Brazil. He wants to come to church!
I was blown away. I never imagined that I'd have one of those Brazilian investigators. And here he is, within our grasp (and the clasp of the restored Gospel!). He wasn't able to come this Sunday, but we're eagerly anticipating next Sunday.
Afterwards, we had dinner with our less-active friend, Bak J H (박제홍). That was delicious, and a good step for him. Until now, we didn't even know where he lived. He asked us not to share a spiritual message since his wife isn't a member, but we were still able to talk a little bit about Christ and His role in our lives.
Sunday was also pretty good. We were able to attend Ward Council Meeting, and that's always good. There's going to be a ward family home evening in a few weeks... and we're going to a bathhouse! That'll be crazy awesome. More on that when it comes!
On Tuesday we did our regular service project at the cerebral palsy place, and brought Murphy, our young adult, Burger King-liking young adult. I can't express how reassuring it is to see him enjoy giving service, especially the kind that most people would be pretty awkward about (feeding physically and mentally handicapped children has never been "comfortable" for most people). Service is one of the best ways to invite the Spirit into our lives, because service is selfless.
As a matter of fact, that's something I pondered quite a lot on Tuesday, and throughout the rest of the week. One of the most tragic moments in the Book of Mormon is when the prophet Nephi confesses that his older brothers are "past feeling" and no longer hear the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. That heart breaking moment is mirrored in the twilight of the Nephite civilization when the prophet-general-historian Mormon makes the same observation, but applies it to his entire people.
Why is this so distressing to me?
Because the process by which an individual becomes deadened to the influence of the Holy Ghost is by doing exactly what the Holy Spirit prompts us not to do.
Let's step back for a second, and look at what the Holy Ghost wants us to do. The Holy Ghost influences all of mankind to do good, to uplift, and to inspire. The Spirit wants us all to be a little more selfless, and a little more sacrificing, and, above all, a little more loving. He prompts us to do that by affecting our thoughts and feelings. We can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost by doing things that will invite him into our life: listening to the words of prophets, modern and ancient, prayer, and wholesome family activities. By rejecting these sources of divine aid, we choose to rely on our own wisdom, and become more self-centered.
So, the opposite direction of this bright, but difficult path, is selfishness and reliance on one's self. So, when a person is "past feeling," we could say that that person has become unwilling to act in faith and trust, and only relies on themselves, and the world's wisdom. So the reason it breaks my heart to see somebody move towards the point of being past feeling is that it symbolizes a person moving further and further away from the gospel, the firm rock men can build on and never fall, and more towards the shifting currents and fail-able sand of the world.
Wednesday was marked by a district meeting focusing on referrals. It bore fruit later in the week, but in an unexpected way. More on that under Saturday! We also had our weekly English class. The most important thing that happened that day though, was our recovery of Wilson! You may ask, "Who is Wilson?" Wilson is a black bowling ball we discovered on the road. Abandoned, injured, and friendless, we took him home with us on Wednesday, a few days after our initial contact. Wilson is now happy in our study room, where we constantly role-play teaching with him.
On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder Rossi. We met with one of their investigators, then we spent the rest of the day proselyting (not an uncommon day here... it's been difficult to find and meet with investigators recently). We did have a neat experience though: as we were walking past a man bending low to look under his car, we said hello and asked if there was a problem. He said no, and looked the opposite direction, so we started walking away. Then, he turned back towards us, and asked us what the best way to learn English is! Well... we informed him that we actually teach English for free, and gave him our contact information.
We also met with Murphy in the evening, and talked a lot about war. We discussed a scripture from Mormon, where he talks about how his people struggled with the sword to preserve their lives, but refused to call upon the being who created them. In life, we often fall into the same pattern, doing everything we can, except for calling upon Him "who is mighty to save."
The next day, we hit the streets and proselyted after weekly planning. We had a break in the form of song practice with the district -- the Relief Society had an activity on Saturday, and they wanted the missionaries to provide 10 minutes of music. We made our final song choices then practiced them for the last time.
On Saturday, we attended the Relief Society meeting. How neat is it that the Relief Society is the oldest and largest ongoing women's society in the world? Pretty tremendous, if you ask me. For our music, Elder Maris played guitar for a few minutes, then the 4 Elders sang the song "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy," accapella. Then, all 6 missionaries sang the EFY Medley of "As Sister's in Zion," and "We'll Bring the World His Truth." (Sidenote: we trimmed out the women's part, so this was far more balanced between men and women. Everybody else thought the same thing I did when I first heard it: What a nice women's piece with a background part for men at the end!) That went well.
Later, the Sisters met a Brazilian man named Tiago off of the street. They met him later, with us, and we were able to talk a bit. He doesn't know much English or Korean, so communicating was choppy. But, he has such a nice face! Just looking at him makes you happy. He coaches soccer here, and his mom became a member in Brazil. He wants to come to church!
I was blown away. I never imagined that I'd have one of those Brazilian investigators. And here he is, within our grasp (and the clasp of the restored Gospel!). He wasn't able to come this Sunday, but we're eagerly anticipating next Sunday.
Afterwards, we had dinner with our less-active friend, Bak J H (박제홍). That was delicious, and a good step for him. Until now, we didn't even know where he lived. He asked us not to share a spiritual message since his wife isn't a member, but we were still able to talk a little bit about Christ and His role in our lives.
Sunday was also pretty good. We were able to attend Ward Council Meeting, and that's always good. There's going to be a ward family home evening in a few weeks... and we're going to a bathhouse! That'll be crazy awesome. More on that when it comes!
Best Wishes, and Love for All:
Elder Austin M. Lynn
Elder Austin M. Lynn
Monday, March 23, 2015
3/15/2015
It's not about going to the celestial kingdom, it's about becoming a celestial person.
This was the crux of a spiritual thought we shared with a member family last Sunday evening. We had a wonderful meal with them, then we were able to talk with the whole family -- including their less-active father. We'd talked to the Sister earlier that week, so we knew heloved baseball. Keeping that in mind, I presented a spiritual thought somewhere along these lines... Since I was young, my family's gone to a number of baseball games. But, our team never won! That was disappointing, but I've come to realize that what mattered the most was the experiences we had together, the family time.
Then, last year, out of the blue, our team -- the Kansas City Royals -- started doing well! They made it all the way to the championship game of the World Series, where they took second place. Nobody was expecting that.
In life, we don't always expect the blessings that come to us, nor can we determine exactly when they'll come. In the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "Some blessings come soon. Some blessings come late. But, for the faithful, they come."
I don't think that "salvation" or "eternal life" is going to the celestial kingdom. Rather, I believe it's becoming a celestial person. Similarly, if we just live, we're missing out. It's our privilege and mission to experience life. It's not always about whether your team's winning or losing -- sometimes it's just about who you're spending the time with, and if you're having fun in the summer.
Then, who knows? Maybe next year your team will win the World Series.
Last Monday, we actually visited the Sister, Ha Song Hi (하송희), and talked with her for quite a while on her doorstep, which led to our meal invitation. Working with members is so important!
Tuesday, we went to our weekly service project, accompanied by one of the young adults in the ward. He's always been something we keep a close eye on, so it was really rewarding and reassuring to see how much he enjoyed giving service, even in an environment where it's easy to feel awkward and out of place.
On Wednesday, we had interviews with President! That was a really good experience. At the very start, he asked me about training. We talked about that for a while, and President told me that while he couldn't be certain I'd be training, since the number of Elders coming in next transfer is so low, he knows that I'm ready. That meant a lot to me, since training is one of the biggest responsibilities in the mission. He told me that, furthermore, he felt I was ready for any position in the mission -- from assistant to office elder to zone leader to trainer.
One vision I've had since the beginning of my mission is to be a missionary that President Morrise can trust, that he can use in any situation or position, and know that I'll do it effectively. What interviews did for me was take me by the shoulder, and say, "Yes. I do." So, I guess it's time for some new goals!
On Thursday I went on exchanges with the zone leaders, and had the opportunity to sit in on a district training about promisingspecific blessings when teaching. That's something I can definitely do better on, so I really appreciated it. It's a double-edged sword though; sometimes we're afraid of promising something that won't come, and being mistaken. I thought about that, and I said something that the others really liked: "Sometimes I think, "Wow. I want to be Dan Jones, 'one of the greatest missionaries in this dispensation.' Or Wilford Woodruff, or one of the other missionaries we read about in church history, who perform miracles and convert thousands. Then, I catch myself thinking, "Well, that was nice, back in the day." And I forget that that's what the people in their day said -- talking about the Apostles. Or what the people in the Apostles' day said, talking about the Old Testament prophets. Sometimes we forget that the day of miracles is ongoing, and the only thing that stops us from participating, is ourselves."
Friday was consumed by weekly planning and a meeting with the bishopric. Those meetings are intrinsically valuable, in the sense that we're able to coordinate with the ward leaders, and receive advice on how to help our investigators, as well as how to help the ward.
Saturday was the first session of stake conference, and boy was it great! During the priesthood session, both Elder Lee, one of the senior proselyting missionaries, and President Morrise spoke. Elder Lee gave a powerful talk exhorting members to involve themselves more in missionary work. He also made all of the missionaries laugh pretty hard when he stated, "Ammon didn't go around giving people his card and asking them to call back if they need help." You wouldn't believe how often missionaries have to do that! And, we rarely get calls. There's a more effective way to do missionary work -- and that way is through members. President gave a good talk about Preach My Gospel, and it reminded me how valuable it is both for members and missionaries.
Another enjoyable facet of stake conference was that Elder Koichi Aoyagi, of the Asia North Area Presidency, was presiding. He came to our mission last year as part of the mission tour, and we had a great time with him. He had to speak through a translator, so we had a Japanese man speaking to a Korean, and then we had to translate in our heads! Wow.
The Sunday session was also really good. Sister Morrise and President Morrise both spoke (in Korea, of course). We were so proud of Sister Morrise; she's definitely not fluent, but she certainly knows how to write a talk and figure it out! Her talk was about gratitude; and President talked about inviting, which is our main purpose as missionaries. We invite people to come unto Christ. In everything we do, there should be an invitation. I'm glad that he talked about that, because that's something I forget to do sometimes, and it really is vital to help others.
That was my week, in a nutshell. I love all of you!
Elder Austin Lynn
3/8/2015
We had several training meetings this week, all of which have gotten me excited for the future. There was a big focus on leadership, and the new "Because He Lives" initiative the church is launching this Easter. When I first heard that, I remarked that it sounded an awful lot like the "Because of Him" theme we had last year. I really like it though, because that concept is so beautiful. A few of my thoughts are...
Because He Lives:
All mankind will, too.
Families can live together, forever.
There is no such thing as "the end."
Mankind is reconciled with God, on conditions of repentance.
We can start over, and try again.
Ultimately, if Christ didn't live, then this life would be the end, men would be unable to overcome their failures, and our world would be without light and hope. Pretty dreary. But because He lives, we have the firm promise that all of us will be resurrected, to stand before God again. Because He lives, death is conquered, man is free! Because He lives, we can overcome sin, and come unto God again.
Last P-Day I met with the missionaries from my MTC zone, to celebrate our year mark. We ate bingsu (빙수) [a dish made with shaved ice, beans (sometimes), and various other ingredients (ex. strawberries, cookies, etc)] in a cafe and reflected on how far we've come, and how much we've learned. It was very special to be able to see all of us together again... probably the first time since we came to country that every single one of us has been together.
Our less-active, Bak Jay Hong (박재홍) didn't come out to church, but we haven't given up on him. Our plan is to help him keep small commitments, that will strengthen his faith, and slowly bring him him back to Christ. We regularly share scripturally based spiritual thoughts with him, and one thing we've noticed is that he seems sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord. The problem is that despite this, he continues to place work first... we're hoping that as his faith grows, he'll realize in his heart that the Lord will provide a way for us to keep His commandments. This past week, we talked a lot about the heroic Captain Moroni. He exercised great faith, which led to victories over innumerable enemies. We discussed their motivation for obtaining and maintaining their faith, simply outlined in the title of liberty: in the memory of our God, our freedom, our religion, and our wives and children. The reason for religion -- for fighting, for struggling, for standing up for what we know in our hearts is true -- isn't for vainglory, for recognition or advancement, but for the duty we hold to God, to the love we have for God and fellow-man, and especially to the bonds we have with family and friends.
We were pretty blessed to even have that conversation -- when we first came to his shop, he was busier than normal. Just when we were about to give up, everybody left, one by one, leaving us alone with home. I count that as a miracle.
One significant theme from zone training was that baptism is not a taboo word in our mission. Sometimes, we tend to avoid talking about it because we're not a South American mission, baptizing hundreds each year, and we don't want to appear as though we've forgotten that baptism isn't the end of a person's conversion. Baptism is our goal. We want to bring people to Christ, and the gate to the path that leads to Him is baptism. Baptism is the ordinance, established from the beginning of the world, to signify faith in Christ, and a determination to follow Him.
Another thought from this week is that to achieve faith, hope, and charity, we have to make room in our hearts for them. Likewise, if we seek to eliminate selfishness, greed, and lust from our lives, we not only refrain from them, but we have to fill our hearts with good things. This is why it's important for us to be filled.
I apologize for the scattered structure of this week's letter; that's how the week felt to me, too! I love all of you; and I hope that all of you will seek for opportunities to show somebody you love them this week.
Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn
3/5/2015
3/5/2015 Weekly Letter
First off, here's my talk from last week. Mentally, I titled it "The Culture of Gods."
Because last week was Sollar (Lunar New Year's), I've been thinking quite a lot about culture. I've been especially pondering the concept of accepting a culture. To be a great missionary, one must accept the culture of the people he serves. To achieve that goal, Preach My Gospel states, "One of the greatest things you can do to gain people's trust and love is to embrace their culture in appropriate ways. Many great missionaries have done so (see 1 Corinthians 9:20-23)." To show my love for the people I Korea, I want to learn about Korean culture. To live happily in Korea, one has to accept the culture.
Just like that, we have to accept God's culture in order to show our love for Him and live with Him again. As a matter of fact, God commanded the ancient Israelites to do this, saying: "Ye shall be holy: for I, the Lord thy God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) The risen Christ said this, to the Nephites in America: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect, even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." When I look at these verses, it looks like God is commanding "Learn about my culture," to me.
There's a large difference between man's culture and God's culture. Paul said, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man can't understand God's culture. God's culture is all about giving, sacrificing, and feeling. Man's culture focuses on seeing and getting. Because of the Fall of Adam, we all begin life as "natural man." The prophet Abinadi taught that natural man is "carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." From one point of view, we're all kyobo (the Korean word meaning a person of their race, born in a foreign country and raised with their culture). Even though we're God's children, we're born as natural people, and have to learn about His culture. We weren't born with it; we have to find it and accept it. We have to replace mankind's culture with God's. The great king, Benjamin, taught his people that, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord..."
How can we do this? How can we "yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and put off the natural man?" How can we truly accept God's culture?
This question's answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We come to understand and accept God's culture by obedience to its principles and through accepting gospel ordinances.
Among the principles of Jesus Christ's gospel are the principles of enduring to the end and obedience. Enduring to the end means we do our best to be obedient, until the end of our lives. I want to share an analogy about these two principles. Right now I know a bit about Korean culture. I've been a missionary for a year; I've come to know a bit. But, what if, hypothetically, I were to return to America tomorrow? I would stop learning. On the other hand, if I married in Korea, raised a family in Korea, and lived here for the rest of my life, I just might come to understand Korean culture completely. Likewise, in order to accept God's culture we have to be obedient to the gospel throughout our lives. Momentary obedience is insufficient.
It'll take our whole lives, and maybe a bit more, to completely accept God's culture. But, that understanding will come, for the faithful. The Apostle Paul said that, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." As we do our best, our ability will grow larger. As we receive a little, we're given a little more. Our joy becomes full. Our understanding grows deeper. God said the following through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "And no man receiveth a fulness, unless He keepeth his [God's] commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and is glorified in all things." And again, "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
Lifelong obedience brings incomprehensible blessings to us. If anybody is trapped in a pattern of disobedience, please remember this expression: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. We can always start anew. I testify that Jesus Christ made this possible, through His atoning sacrifice. He is our Savior. In our time, He has restored His gospel through Joseph Smith. I pray that we may all do our best to learn of God, and accept His culture, that we may live with Him again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Just like that, we have to accept God's culture in order to show our love for Him and live with Him again. As a matter of fact, God commanded the ancient Israelites to do this, saying: "Ye shall be holy: for I, the Lord thy God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) The risen Christ said this, to the Nephites in America: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect, even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." When I look at these verses, it looks like God is commanding "Learn about my culture," to me.
There's a large difference between man's culture and God's culture. Paul said, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man can't understand God's culture. God's culture is all about giving, sacrificing, and feeling. Man's culture focuses on seeing and getting. Because of the Fall of Adam, we all begin life as "natural man." The prophet Abinadi taught that natural man is "carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil." From one point of view, we're all kyobo (the Korean word meaning a person of their race, born in a foreign country and raised with their culture). Even though we're God's children, we're born as natural people, and have to learn about His culture. We weren't born with it; we have to find it and accept it. We have to replace mankind's culture with God's. The great king, Benjamin, taught his people that, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord..."
How can we do this? How can we "yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and put off the natural man?" How can we truly accept God's culture?
This question's answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We come to understand and accept God's culture by obedience to its principles and through accepting gospel ordinances.
Among the principles of Jesus Christ's gospel are the principles of enduring to the end and obedience. Enduring to the end means we do our best to be obedient, until the end of our lives. I want to share an analogy about these two principles. Right now I know a bit about Korean culture. I've been a missionary for a year; I've come to know a bit. But, what if, hypothetically, I were to return to America tomorrow? I would stop learning. On the other hand, if I married in Korea, raised a family in Korea, and lived here for the rest of my life, I just might come to understand Korean culture completely. Likewise, in order to accept God's culture we have to be obedient to the gospel throughout our lives. Momentary obedience is insufficient.
It'll take our whole lives, and maybe a bit more, to completely accept God's culture. But, that understanding will come, for the faithful. The Apostle Paul said that, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." As we do our best, our ability will grow larger. As we receive a little, we're given a little more. Our joy becomes full. Our understanding grows deeper. God said the following through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "And no man receiveth a fulness, unless He keepeth his [God's] commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and is glorified in all things." And again, "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
Lifelong obedience brings incomprehensible blessings to us. If anybody is trapped in a pattern of disobedience, please remember this expression: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. We can always start anew. I testify that Jesus Christ made this possible, through His atoning sacrifice. He is our Savior. In our time, He has restored His gospel through Joseph Smith. I pray that we may all do our best to learn of God, and accept His culture, that we may live with Him again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Anyways, this week:
Monday
We hung out with some grandpas at a park near the place we email. They motioned over one of their grandma friends, who they told us, "Gave good sermons!" I almost asked if I could share one, having given a talk the day before. Nobody ended up sermonizing anything, but it was a nice, peaceful talk.
We then traveled to our own little "Central Park" located in the center of the city. We played basketball with some students, and they invited us to come back and play again sometime. We intend to visit them tonight.
Finally, we visited our less-active friend, Bak Jay Hong (박재홍). He hasn't come out to church in over two decades, but he's a wonderful family man. That night, we got pretty real with him. We asked him if it'd be possible for him to get work off on Sunday, and he told us that he didn't think it would be. I shared 1 Nephi 3:7, and testified that God would provide a way for him to keep His commandments. We talked more, and decided that he would need a miracle. In order for him to receive a miracle, we've been sharing a scripture with him everyday, and have been fasting. We really hoped he'd be able to come to church on Sunday, and bring his non-member family.
We hung out with some grandpas at a park near the place we email. They motioned over one of their grandma friends, who they told us, "Gave good sermons!" I almost asked if I could share one, having given a talk the day before. Nobody ended up sermonizing anything, but it was a nice, peaceful talk.
We then traveled to our own little "Central Park" located in the center of the city. We played basketball with some students, and they invited us to come back and play again sometime. We intend to visit them tonight.
Finally, we visited our less-active friend, Bak Jay Hong (박재홍). He hasn't come out to church in over two decades, but he's a wonderful family man. That night, we got pretty real with him. We asked him if it'd be possible for him to get work off on Sunday, and he told us that he didn't think it would be. I shared 1 Nephi 3:7, and testified that God would provide a way for him to keep His commandments. We talked more, and decided that he would need a miracle. In order for him to receive a miracle, we've been sharing a scripture with him everyday, and have been fasting. We really hoped he'd be able to come to church on Sunday, and bring his non-member family.
Tuesday
We fasted today, and tried to visit various potentials. Nothing major happened. We ran into one missionary friend, who called our baker friend and purchased fifteen dollars' worth of bread for us! We would run into her again on Friday. Apparently, her nickname among the Elders is "Cute Hippo." Interesting name for an upper-50s to 60s English teacher.
We fasted today, and tried to visit various potentials. Nothing major happened. We ran into one missionary friend, who called our baker friend and purchased fifteen dollars' worth of bread for us! We would run into her again on Friday. Apparently, her nickname among the Elders is "Cute Hippo." Interesting name for an upper-50s to 60s English teacher.
Wednesday
We had district meeting. There, Sister Pratt shared something she learned from Sister Bradie Johnson, while she was training her. It goes like this: Pick up a Book of Mormon, pray to God, asking a specific question, then flip through the pages until it just "feels right." Then, you open up and start reading until you find your answer. I was skeptical, and decided to put it to the test right then. I asked God how we could find new investigators, then read in 3 Nephi, where Christ tells the Nephites that all things are become new. Uncertain if that was my answer, I asked for a confirmation, like Gideon of old, and flipped through again. This time, I read about a Lamanite army attacking the Nephites and being routed in the same place they'd been defeated a year prior. The message was clear. Time for new techniques, and new ideas!
We also prayed that night to see how many people the Lord has prepared for us to find, teach, and baptize here in Sanbon. I've never done anything like this before, so it was a very.. different experience. Elder Maris and I both received an answer, but decided to wait until the next day to confirm with each other.
We had district meeting. There, Sister Pratt shared something she learned from Sister Bradie Johnson, while she was training her. It goes like this: Pick up a Book of Mormon, pray to God, asking a specific question, then flip through the pages until it just "feels right." Then, you open up and start reading until you find your answer. I was skeptical, and decided to put it to the test right then. I asked God how we could find new investigators, then read in 3 Nephi, where Christ tells the Nephites that all things are become new. Uncertain if that was my answer, I asked for a confirmation, like Gideon of old, and flipped through again. This time, I read about a Lamanite army attacking the Nephites and being routed in the same place they'd been defeated a year prior. The message was clear. Time for new techniques, and new ideas!
We also prayed that night to see how many people the Lord has prepared for us to find, teach, and baptize here in Sanbon. I've never done anything like this before, so it was a very.. different experience. Elder Maris and I both received an answer, but decided to wait until the next day to confirm with each other.
Thursday
Temple day! Had a great time at the temple, then, confirmed with Elder Maris as we prayed in the celestial room. We were both inspired to believe that there are 3 people waiting for us to find them and teach them. Considering how difficult it is for us to find people right now, that'll require some huge miracles, but I'm hopeful. I believe in a God of miracles. Thursday also marked one year of missionary service. Today (Monday) I'll be gathering with the rest of my MTC "class" and celebrating during P-Day.
On our way home from the temple, we ran into a grandma from our ward, who took us to a traditional Korean restaurant. She got us fish -- head and all. We were pretty worried for a bit, but she took the head. It was a bit spicy, but quite good once you figured out how to eat it without getting a mouth full of fishy bones.
Temple day! Had a great time at the temple, then, confirmed with Elder Maris as we prayed in the celestial room. We were both inspired to believe that there are 3 people waiting for us to find them and teach them. Considering how difficult it is for us to find people right now, that'll require some huge miracles, but I'm hopeful. I believe in a God of miracles. Thursday also marked one year of missionary service. Today (Monday) I'll be gathering with the rest of my MTC "class" and celebrating during P-Day.
On our way home from the temple, we ran into a grandma from our ward, who took us to a traditional Korean restaurant. She got us fish -- head and all. We were pretty worried for a bit, but she took the head. It was a bit spicy, but quite good once you figured out how to eat it without getting a mouth full of fishy bones.
Friday
Pretty calm day. Visited a baker friend after weekly planning; ran into Cute Hippo again. Less busy, she took us to a nearby restaurant and purchased lunch for us. That's surprisingly common here. I don't know if it's being a missionary, or a foreigner, or both.
In the evening, we met with our ward mission leader and did a practice lesson. He acted like an investigator, misunderstanding and asking questions just like one would. He mentioned how impressed he was by my grasp of Korean phrases (he specifically mentioned the Korean equivalent of "fall" into apostasy), and said that I almost have the vocabulary of a fluent speaker.
Pretty calm day. Visited a baker friend after weekly planning; ran into Cute Hippo again. Less busy, she took us to a nearby restaurant and purchased lunch for us. That's surprisingly common here. I don't know if it's being a missionary, or a foreigner, or both.
In the evening, we met with our ward mission leader and did a practice lesson. He acted like an investigator, misunderstanding and asking questions just like one would. He mentioned how impressed he was by my grasp of Korean phrases (he specifically mentioned the Korean equivalent of "fall" into apostasy), and said that I almost have the vocabulary of a fluent speaker.
Saturday
This was the long-anticipated navy base trip! We bussed over, and then toured the base. It was really neat; the place focused on the "NLL" -- the Northern Limit Line -- set up by the UN and defended by South Korea since the armistice. It definitely puts things in a different light to be learning about these things in the country.
This was the long-anticipated navy base trip! We bussed over, and then toured the base. It was really neat; the place focused on the "NLL" -- the Northern Limit Line -- set up by the UN and defended by South Korea since the armistice. It definitely puts things in a different light to be learning about these things in the country.
Sunday
Church and a meal with our recent converts, where we shared the classic story of Nephi busting free of rope in chapter 7 of 1 Nephi. Discussed the significance of what he specifically asked for when he prayed (strength to change his circumstances, instead of an instant solution) and the way his answer came (the ropes were loosened, something he wasn't expecting, but answered his prayer).
Bak Jay Hong didn't come, so we were kind of disappointed, but we have a new game plan to get him active, founded on lots of small reading and prayer commitments that will eventually prepare him to come back.
Church and a meal with our recent converts, where we shared the classic story of Nephi busting free of rope in chapter 7 of 1 Nephi. Discussed the significance of what he specifically asked for when he prayed (strength to change his circumstances, instead of an instant solution) and the way his answer came (the ropes were loosened, something he wasn't expecting, but answered his prayer).
Bak Jay Hong didn't come, so we were kind of disappointed, but we have a new game plan to get him active, founded on lots of small reading and prayer commitments that will eventually prepare him to come back.
Sorry for the quick report; time seems to slip by faster than ever. Thanks again for all of your support, prayers, and love! It means the world to me.
Best wishes to all of you,
Elder Austin Lynn
Elder Austin Lynn
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