Yea, I honestly couldn't come up with anything this week, so it'll be a bad pun instead. Haha. Anyway, this week went ok. We had a lot of failed appointments though, and that made things frustrating. A lot of the people we're teaching are more 'learned,' I guess you could say, and thus work in the city. That means they don't get home until evening, and that means traffic. This means that they fail a lot. It also seems that many of them don't quite have that understanding of the importance of all these things. And since we can't meet them, we can't help them with that. Kinda a catch-22 or something. But! We did have some nice appointments this week.
One fun one was with Sam. We met him while trying to teach another person (he failed). He had heard some things about Joseph Smith and wanted to know more. We sat down with him, and he shared that he heard Joseph Smith had had a revelation from God concerning Christ's Kingdom, and was given some lost scriptures from an angel. We proceeded to tell him that he had heard very well; haha. We then went over the First Vision and gave him the Book of Mormon. When introducing it, we mentioned it was written by the people of the American continent thousands of years ago, long before Columbus sailed to the Americas. He then asked, "So, we're talking about, like, the Aztecs and the Mohicans here?" It honestly blew me away. It was first off a major thing for him to even know about the Aztecs - and especially the Mohicans! - but to make that connection to the Nephites? It was awesome. We explained that, yes, these were their ancestors, and read from the Intro. He then had many questions about the Fall and why God would allow something like that, so we left him 2 Nephi 2. He's incredibly smart, and honestly wants to know the truth. I have high hopes for him.
That's about it for this week. We're going to be having Christmas Conference on Friday, and then a Christmas Mission FM thing on Saturday, and then a Member FM on Sunday, and then a Ward Party for New Years on Monday. It means a very busy week; haha.
I just want to share here part of the story of Christ's birth, since I wont get a chance to do so before Christmas:
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:1-14, emphasis added).
And again, in the New World:
"And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:
Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.
Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.
And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.
And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.
And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.
For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.
And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.
And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.
And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word" (3 Nephi 1:11-21, emphasis added).
I find it so interesting to see the differences between Christmas Day in the Old World and the New World. One was in peaceful, quite night; the other was on verge of slaughter, all those believing in Christ to be killed should the sign not be given. Yet, what both have in common, is that both declare 'glad tidings of great joy,' and exhort us to 'lift up our heads and be of good cheer.' This is the purpose of Christmas, to give us a reminder of the peace and the joy that has been given us. To remind us that the Lord will fulfill all words spoken of by the prophets, just as He fulfilled His first coming. I love Christmas so much. It is a wonderful time to remember Christ's birth and set in line my life, so that I might live more worthily of our Heavenly Father's wonderful gift to mankind, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
I love you all, and wish you all a Merry Christmas! Afe hyia paa [efi shia paa]!
--Elder Collings
One fun one was with Sam. We met him while trying to teach another person (he failed). He had heard some things about Joseph Smith and wanted to know more. We sat down with him, and he shared that he heard Joseph Smith had had a revelation from God concerning Christ's Kingdom, and was given some lost scriptures from an angel. We proceeded to tell him that he had heard very well; haha. We then went over the First Vision and gave him the Book of Mormon. When introducing it, we mentioned it was written by the people of the American continent thousands of years ago, long before Columbus sailed to the Americas. He then asked, "So, we're talking about, like, the Aztecs and the Mohicans here?" It honestly blew me away. It was first off a major thing for him to even know about the Aztecs - and especially the Mohicans! - but to make that connection to the Nephites? It was awesome. We explained that, yes, these were their ancestors, and read from the Intro. He then had many questions about the Fall and why God would allow something like that, so we left him 2 Nephi 2. He's incredibly smart, and honestly wants to know the truth. I have high hopes for him.
That's about it for this week. We're going to be having Christmas Conference on Friday, and then a Christmas Mission FM thing on Saturday, and then a Member FM on Sunday, and then a Ward Party for New Years on Monday. It means a very busy week; haha.
I just want to share here part of the story of Christ's birth, since I wont get a chance to do so before Christmas:
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:1-14, emphasis added).
And again, in the New World:
"And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:
Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.
Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.
And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.
And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.
And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.
For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.
And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.
And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.
And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word" (3 Nephi 1:11-21, emphasis added).
I find it so interesting to see the differences between Christmas Day in the Old World and the New World. One was in peaceful, quite night; the other was on verge of slaughter, all those believing in Christ to be killed should the sign not be given. Yet, what both have in common, is that both declare 'glad tidings of great joy,' and exhort us to 'lift up our heads and be of good cheer.' This is the purpose of Christmas, to give us a reminder of the peace and the joy that has been given us. To remind us that the Lord will fulfill all words spoken of by the prophets, just as He fulfilled His first coming. I love Christmas so much. It is a wonderful time to remember Christ's birth and set in line my life, so that I might live more worthily of our Heavenly Father's wonderful gift to mankind, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
I love you all, and wish you all a Merry Christmas! Afe hyia paa [efi shia paa]!
--Elder Collings
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