Hello family and friends,
That package (I guess it was from Christmas Kick-off?) was so fun to get.
Just so you know, I'm rocking that tie today. Can't beat light blue and white
during the winter, ya know?
"Whitewashing" has turned out to be amazing. The Lord has prepared this
area and I'm so excited to be able to work to tie SO MANY loose ends that are
leading to so much productivity right now. The amount of work that has been done
here the last 6 months is basically nil, and so there's six months worth of
backlog on people that the missionaries basically neglected to teach. So things
are crazy.
But it helped that we took a surprise Trax trip to the Salt Lake Temple on
Thursday. Didn't expect to get to go to the temple for two years, but got a
chance this last week. What a historic temple. They didn't let us bring cameras,
so no pics, but it was a great chance to reflect and settle a few personal
thoughts. I have a feeling the trip was more to fix a few very disobedient
missionaries with an emphasis on the first temple covenant but hey, I'm not
complaining. Any chance to get there is worth it.
A couple of loose ends we've been able to tie:
- A mom and dad who haven't been to church in a decade now deciding that
it's time to turn around, including their three baptism-aged children: 11/9/8.
Katie, Alison, and Bryson.
- A family that adopted two Ukrainian kids, ages 15 and 11. Max and Jenya
are awesome! A lot of families out here are adopting Ukrainian children. I think
it has something to do with gathering tribes but I'm not sure.
- A kid who's older brother was baptized a year ago and who now also wants
to follow in his brother's footsteps
- A couple apartments with the sheer amount of people that that brings in
contacting power
I'm still handing out 21-day promises over here. Still working very closely
with the youth. It's imperative with these Ukrainian adoptions that we get them
comfortable with us since a lot of times they come with some social blocks. So
we're making it a point to play ping pong with them at least once a week with
some of the other youth to keep a good, friendly relationship with them. (Yep,
here in Utah too, Elder Koch). The youth are awesome everywhere. They network so
well.
SO GUESS WHAT THAT MEANS, FAMILY? It means you should all network too! And
use that network to share the thing that's most important to us all, the gospel.
The best way to prepare for a mission is to do missionary work before you come
out, so get to work. Don't be afraid to give someone a Book of Mormon. You can
even just say it's touchable, see-able, smell-able (???) proof that angels
minister on the earth today, that God still works through prophets, that all the
weird intricacies of the Joseph Smith story actually happened! So go give
someone a book of mormon Jaron McKay Jami Trenton Holdy Lewis family and
everyone else gogogogogogo it's not that scary I'm promise it's really just
super coollllllll
~Elder Chandler
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Thought from last week: role of works kinda
Just reading in Helaman. Really liked the phrase "restored unto grace for
grace." Really thought a lot about the phraseology. How interesting that we receive the grace of Heavenly Father based on our own grace that we give unto
others. What an unequal trade, but an amazing one.
Thought for this week: "three kingdoms of glory" in society
I was reading in 3 Ne 7 this morning. Verses 2 and 3 got me thinking:
"the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one
from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and
friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land. And every tribe
did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and
leaders of tribes."
Secret combinations, when they prevailed, didn't create a "higher society".
They were responsible for a regression, a degrading of societal values.
When you get a group of dissenters, or even factions, you're creating a
society based on, not a higher, but a lower law:
Celestial Society - based on one; "one heart, one mind"; the will of
God
Terrestrial Society - based on factions; representative democracy; multiple
wills expressed
Telestial Society - based on all; "every man for himself"; Darwinian
rule
It is only through the grace and power of God that humanity is even able to
be at a societal level above that of the law of the jungle and Darwinian rule.
Satan will do anything to have societies regress - any law except Celestial
isn't enough to live in God's presence again.
Examples of societal patterns that relate to regression in recent
times:
- language: experts in this field actually see regression of language over
time. We can't express ourselves as well as we used to. The language of heaven
is perfect. We've gone backwards since Babel.
- law: We're seeing our own judicial system start to create laws, not
protecting the minority, but promoting the minorities, thereby increasing
factions and groups
- warfare: warfare during the revolutionary war was based on honor and
cause. Now based on sending as many people to their deaths as possible.
Also random afterthought: 2 Ne 12:3; out of Zion will come forth the law
for the millennium I really believe the Constitution was an inspired document
of Terrestrial law that is fit to be the governing document of the millennial, paradisaical world. Maybe I'm preaching false doctrine here but I think it makes
sense. Whatever. See you all soon--
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