Elder Ryland Earl Rash: Week 58: "I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands!"

We have had a really good week all around. We got out in the area, worked hard, met a lot of new people, sat with a lot of new people, and walked ALOT!!! One day we walked 20 miles!!! So I was really content with the work that we were able to accomplish. In the end, it all paid off- EASTER AND ZELDA CAME TO CHURCH!!!!! The whole family came with them; grandkids, kids, and friends of kids!!! It was such a good week for them all to come. Every single lesson during church was aimed and focused on Eternal Marriage, the Temple, and Family History work. That night when we went and sat with them they said that it was a sign from God that they need to get their Butts in gear (so to speak). So I really hope they continue progressing and taking steps to show their devotion to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please continue praying for them.

I went on a division with Elder Garcia this week and had a blast with him! It was a killer day as well- 15 contacts, 4 lessons, 6 referrals! We killed it together! So much fun.

Sunday night we were blessed with the opportunity to walk with the Son In Law of President Koch, Erik. It was a really good lesson. In fact it was the lesson with Easter and Zelda! He bore a strong testimony about how the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation has blessed his marriage and helped them make decisions together so that they may be an eternal Family and live with God again.

At church I was asked at literally the last minute to teach Gospel Doctrine to all of the members. They had opened with a prayer and a hymn, and then the 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency had to go and they pulled me out of Gospel Principles to teach the other class... He said, "The manual is open on the table, I need you to go in and teach."

The natural man in me screamed, "What the Heck, Man?!? I have 7 investigators right here and you want me to abandon them and teach some class that you should be teaching?!?" But then the Nephi within me proclaimed, "I will go and do the things which I am commanded. For I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way that he may accomplish the things which he hath commanded them." (1 Nephi 3:7) So I told him of course I could help out. I walk into the room. Look at the manual. And the first thing that pops out to me is the phrase, Teach According to Needs, Don't Simply Teach a Lesson. As missionaries we learn, Teach People, Not Lessons. So on the fly I gave a brief training about Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching and how we need to Teach People, Not Lessons. We all studied the story of Ammon and King Lamoni in Alma 18 and 19. How Ammon continued to serve, followed the Spirit, asked Inspired Questions, and the results of his lesson with King Lamoni, Many were baptized and the Church began to be established among the Lamanites. The lesson turned out really well with a lot of participation on everyone's part. So I was blessed by the easiness of the task.

Lately I have been enveloped in the War Chapters of the Book of Mormon and I love Captain Moroni! What a Man! With the encounter of Zerahemnah, when they refused to depart with an oath of peace, Moroni returned his sword to Zerahemnah and spoke these words, "Behold, we will end the conflict." You can just picture the whole scene in your mind. The war stricken men, dirty, bloody, and masculine. You have some intense music by Hans Zimmerman playing in the background, and you can just see everything play out in all its manly glory as everything unfolds. Zerahemnah tries to slay Moroni. Moroni's soldier breaks the hilt of Zerahemnah's sword and scalps him with one swipe of his sword, and places the scalp on his sword and proclaims, "Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace."

I love the war chapters.

Well, that is all I have for this week. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet.

Elder Rash