We have had a miserable time trying to get internet access this week. That is why I am emailing today, we got permission. No I am not dead, thank heavens. Our regular email shop was closed, the backups were either down or not open or not compatible with myldsmail, the library system was down and the branch computer wasn't working either. We tried our best to email monday, nothing. Tuesday, nothing, and we finally got through with the library on wednesday. They finally got the server repaired and now we should have no further problems.
There was a LOT of rain this week. On Sunday there was a lot of flooding of our neighbors yards and the drains were so full! Plenty thunder and lightning too. Because of all the rain, there was a lot of mud. Because there was a lot of mud on the ground, we got a lot of mud on our clothes. #bikeswithnofenders It was fun though. It really makes a good contacting technique, people come up and start talking to you about your clothes, then you relate it to our souls and the atonement. :) Maybe i will stop doing laundry for a week too...
Because of the rain we had a slower week, but thats alright, this week is looking sweet! Time is really starting to fly by, and with my 18 month and 20 year mark next week, its really dawning on me how fleeting this life is. As I realize that my mission is growing much shorter it helps me want to work my tail off to use whats left of it to the best of my abilities. The gospel is really cool
I gave a talk this week on the Book of Mormon in church. that was fun, very easy. first time I have had a problem with too much content and not enough time. Its a good problem to have. At the end I committed all the members to take a Book of Mormon and share it with a friend. I pray for a lot of success from that, our members are so great here!
We met a cool person last week (week im supposed to be emailing about). Cindy was a lady we met as we sought shelter in the rain. We started talking to her and introduced the Book of Mormon to her and set up a return appoinment. By the time we had come for our first appointment the next day she had already looked it up online, read a portion of it, and prayed about it. By the time we came for our 2nd lesson she had read throught 1st Nephi 8. She feels its true and that it helps her get closer to Christ. She is currently praying concerning the matter of baptism for October. Bringing it up the first time we met her brought huge progression for this prepared lady.
My own studies of the Book of Mormon have been great too as I have been trying to study it every time with a gospel question in mind. today I read Jacob 5 with the question "how important are covenants (the roots in the parable?)" I learned a lot, and I recommend this method of study to anyone who hasn't tried it. start with a prayer first too!
Funny story of the week! We got invited to a catholic funeral by some members who's relative had died. We went as we had some investigators going as well. It almost turned into a disaster for us because the priest talked EXACTLY like the priest in "the Princess Bride", lisp and all. The first time he said "...Chwist Jesus..." me and Elder Anderson looked at each other with a knowing grin, and as he kept saying it we were nearly reduced to laughing out loud in a funeral! The only thing that saved us was pinching our noses and doing our best to not laugh. We probably looked like a pair of grieving mourners (hopefully) with our faces covered and chests heaving from "sobbing." It could have ended bad had we LOLed at this funeral. Fun times! But on a more serious note, the funeral was nice, but I am very grateful for our restored gospel. No offence to the Catholic church, but I found a lot of the things the priest was doing seemed showy and not like something Chwist would really want. :) Oh, and they also PASSED AROUND COLLECTION BASKETS to the grieving congregation. That seemed pretty low to me. Anyways, not condemning, just observing.
Thats all I have time for this week, I will be in touch in a few days. I hope you all exercise faith in some way this week and get closer to God for it!
With care,
-Elder Jeppson
Here is a spiritual thought I was given by our mission president in his emails. I thought it was pretty sweet so I want to share it with you all.
2 Ne 9:8-9 What would happen to us if the flesh should rise no more?
The scriptures teach us of several different things that would happen if the flesh should rise no more:
1. All faith is vain (1 Cor 15:17)
2. We could not receive a fullness of joy (DC 93:34)
3. Those who had died in Christ would inevitably perish (1 Cor 15:18)
4. We would have remained in our sins (1 Cor 15:17)
5. We would become angels to a devil (v. 9)
6. We would become like Satan (v. 9)
While in Gesthemane, Christ prayed Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Lu 22:42). What would have happened if the Father had removed this cup? What would have happened if Jesus had decided not to go through with it? Jacob encapsulates the answer in his explanation, our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil. What does it mean to become as Satan, to be an angel to a devil? Again the scriptures tell us of several unpalatable consequences:
1. We would have remained in a lost and fallen state (Mosiah 16:4)
2. We would remain with the father of lies, in misery (v. 9)
3. Like the sons of perdition, we would be cast into the lake of fire, or the second death (Rev 20:14)
4. We would return again to [our] own place (to live in the kingdom of Satan) (DC 88:32)
5. We must remain filthy (DC 88:35)
6. We would have a perfect recollection of all our guilt (Alma 11:43)
7. Our words, works, and thoughts will condemn us (Alma 12:14)
8. We will not dare to look up to our God (Alma 12:14)
9. We would be shut out of the presence of God (v. 9)
10. We would be forced, by the justice of God, to suffer as Christ did (DC 19:17-20)