Week 26

6 December 2010

So, Let's get started.

Weather: 3-6 inches of snow, then melted, then froze over, then melted, then froze over, more snow, then melted, then rain, then froze...and we are here...Do not worry I have only fallen down onceish and that was more of "just taking a Knee" =D

I bought a beanie or cap or whatever you want to call it and then I took it off when I got on a bus and forgot to grab it when I got off the bus...Then I found another one already in the flat from a missionary who went home so no worries there!

I have officially had some good Scottish Haggus and I have to say it is not to shabby! Robbie is doing great in the ward with all of the youth. It is strange though, most times you have a hard time getting the new members to branch off from the missionaries but all of the youth kind of do their own thing and he is friends with them all already from school so it is harder to find times TO talk to him for lessons.

I would be happy to have you know that in November I finished the Old Testament which means I finished the standard works for the first time ever. My mission president was not as thrilled that I wasted my free time reading the old testament, but I am glad I did it. I learned a lot about the workings of the temple and the Priesthood when reading through it. The Book of Mormon has been read twice and I am about to finish Doctrine and Covenants for the 2nd time and we will read it starting JAN 1st as a mission marking specifics of details that President Bullock wants us to know. Now I tell you all of this BECAUSE I want you to know how important reading the scriptures is! I never did besides when I was with granpa and a couple times at home, but I never understood the importance and the power that comes from reading them. In PMG it says that daily study of the Book of Mormon will give us increased strength to overcome the temptations of the adversary and I really do know that that is true. I have been strengthened and my spirit has been bouyed up on those days that no one wants to listen (it is England/Europe that happens a lot) and I have been given the excitement or at least the push to go out again into below zero temperatures and find those people who are willing to listen. Yes, they are few and far between, but they are there!

This week as well we had an interesting District Meeting about the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Enoch, which ties in with missionary work because of the Great Apostasy and how our testimonies can be strengthened. There is an article by Hughe Nibley called "A Strange Thing In The Land" which can be found on LDS.ORG and I was able to read up until part 9 (there are 13 parts) and it is about 150 pages long altogether and it is REALLY INTERESTING and something Bob has probably read and that grandpa would like to read. It reads a lot like Jesus the Christ which actually is not that hard to understand once you open it up and if you have read the scriptures at all.

Yesterday in Priesthood we watched the story of Valencia Di Florencio (Completely botched the name) but he is the italian pastor who found an unnamed copy of the Book of Mormon and he read and followed the instructions in Moroni and prayed. Got an answer that the Book was true and then taught out of it in his church. People started coming to his service more than any of the other pastors and they got angry because of his popularity and they blamed "the Book" and told him to burn it or else. They kicked him out of the ministry (twice) and then he ended up finding the word Mormon in the dictionary and wrote to Heber J. Grant and then got a new copy and was then baptised years and years later. He found the copy before WWI in New York and then was baptised after WWII in England I believe or Italy. We had to fast forward that part of the story. Anyways, it ends with his testimony of the Book of Mormon and really really liked that story. Even pastors, ministers, priests, kings, and magistrates; if they follow the counsel given in the Book of Mormon can have the dark veil lifted from their eyes and see the light that is in the Book.

In Sacrament meeting yesterday, the testimonies were mostly about Christmas, but I was thinking more of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Restoration DVD starts off like this

-"I was born in the year 1805 to goodly parents who spared no pain in instructing me in the Christian Religion"

Joseph Smith History tells us the day he was born was 23 December 1805. That day one of the greatest spirits to ever voice his opinion in the Grand Councils of Heaven came to earth. He was no Saviour. There was no Star. But if there was ever a better white elephant gift to the world or repeat gift to the world. It was the birth of the Man Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel. The first gift of Christmas was the Saviour and EVERYTHING He did. The second in our day is the re-application of the Saviour through the Restoration of His Priesthood Authority through His carefully called and chosen servant.

I love you all!

Elder Blackburn