February 4, 2013

AHHH, this was a great week to start off! We taught 10 indicator lessons and 10 active member lessons. Since we are in the Tulsa East Zone, we are the only stake/zone that has what we call active member lessons. There is active member lessons, but we keep tract of active member lessons we teach, either it be messages at dinner or scheduling an appointment with members and giving them a lesson. We keep track of it and report it to our District Leaders and then to the Zone Leaders. They then in turn report it to the stake leaders and the stake keeps track of it. It reminds the members about us, and doing missionary work and it helps us to have something productive to do and we get to help maintain our teaching skills.

 

Other than that it was a great week. The Elm Creek Missionaries on Monday got a call from our District Leader that they will get a car for this transfer. We then drove to the mission Home, because we thought that's were it was, and sister Shumway's like, well,..... I don't see a car here. After feeling a little aqward, and the 4 of us talking with her, she gave us juice boxes and a snack. That was really nice of her. Then we drove to the mission office and we picked up their car, drove back to our place and played a game of Settlers of Catan. It's nice not having to share a car for a transfer, so we can be more independent, (plus I don't have to ride my bike!!!!!) which of course I just barely fixed my bike, bought a new inner tube and got the tube that already has slime in it, so both my tires have that slime in it. My bike will have to wait for at least a couple more weeks. I confirmed with President that this transfer is 5 weeks. If I get transfered it will be the 28th of this month. Wow, a transfer that essentially is 1 month!!

 

Well, today I'm getting my haircut, elder Morton wants his, so I figured I would get one too. Usually I get a haircut every 2-3 months which is about 2 transfers. I got one the Monday before Elder Morton got here, so I'm not in dire need of one, like I was last time (hahahaha, I had a mullet essentially.)

 

Last week I was finishing 2 Nephi and starting Jacob, now I'm finishing Mosiah and starting Alma!!!! Book of Alma is my favorite book! I love the dynamic duo of Alma and Amulek. I love how they confound Zeezrom and teach all the wicked Nephite apostates and teach all the people in all the land of the Nephites. Alma 5 is my favorite chapter, I absolutely love that  chapter, it asks you many questions that you must ask yourself. It prepares you for pretty much the final judgment.

 

Anyways, I had read Jacob 5, which is the chapter regarding Zenos and the Allegory of the olive and tame trees. WHich is where the master of the vineyard and his servant, go out among the Master's vineyard and prune and dung and do all manner of things to help the trees grow. Yes, many things in there can be confusing, but the overall story, just testifies to me of the love God has for us. THe fact that he would spend countless hours in trying to nourish his trees (us) and never gives up on them. He does all he can to preseve them, until it gets to the point that the whole vineyard is burned, which to me represents the second coming when the the Savior will come again.

 

Then reading the small books that are between Jacob and Mosiah, shows us how they carried the plates from one person to another. THe book of Omni shows us that in about 15 verses like 5 individuals contributed to the writings of those plates. ONe of them even admits that he wasn't  as obedient to the commandments as he should have been. Then we get the account of Ammon, King Limhi and learn of how King Noah was told to repent of all his whoredoms by Abindadi. All these great stories that happen in the Book of Mormon. THey are here for our benefit. I truly love these stories, these teachings and examples that we have to learn by. WE learn to serve each other by the example of King Benjamin and Ammon. We learn that even though we are Idolatrous and very wicked and destroying the church, we can come back. Yes, our pal ALma the younger was that very person. We learn the zeal the sons of Mosiah and Alma the younger had, in serving a mission. We see the obedience of Abinadi, sent to proclaim repentance to a people who really desperately needed it. Since he cried repentance to them, after he had finished his message he was burned at the stake. Not knowing fully if he really ever was successful in what the Lord wanted him to do. Little did he know, that he brought a young priest ALma, to a remembrance of his sins and he repented of them. Then lead hundreds if not thousands to repentance as well. I believe Mormon and Moroni are descendants of ALma the elder. Very much can be had, from the Book of Mormon, I still awe at those who reject that Book. Usually the most criticism about the Book of Mormon come from those who have never read it. I have read it and love reading it and it's message, I hope we all do. These things I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Elder Colby Stewart Haymond
Oklahoma, Tulsa mission
Owasso, Oklahoma