It's been a pretty normal week here. We're just focusing on working. My companion's really chill. I can't remember if I told you guys, he's from Mexico, name's Elder H. But yeah, we get along great.
And yeah, this week's been more of the usual. Work work work. I'm trying to remember interesting things. Let's see. Tuesday we had District Meeting with our new District Leader. It was pretty weird to just be a normal missionary in District Meeting. I will say that after being District Leader, I do participate more in District Meeting than I did when I was Junior Comp. But yeah, the District's pretty cool.
Oh, in the Mother's day call, Jameson mentioned a kind of special Mate that I could try called Mate celestial. With Coconut and crushed peanuts and warm milk. We tried it on Thursday while we were doing Weekly Planning. It was good.
On Friday, it was 25 de Mayo, which is a holiday here. So there was a bunch of parties and we didn't have a whole lot of appointments. Though we ate so much that day that I was ready to barf by the end. (I may have lost weight in the mission, but if I'm not careful...) Cuz everybody was just inviting us to eat their food.
Let's see, yesterday we found three new investigators, really sincere, it was really nice to find people who genuinely want to learn. As opposed to what happened earlier this week. Last week we contacted a kid, who told us to come back another day. We went back and his dad comes out. And he's super evangelist, and just wanted to fight with us. He was talking all pretty and stuff and insisted that he just wanted to hear about what we teach about Salvation, but he gave himself away when I tried to share with him a part of the Plan of Salvation pamphlet. He was just like "No, no me interesa eso." So we told him the address to the church and left. Here in the mission, I've come to realize something: Atheists are so easy to teach. Cuz all you gotta do is convince them that God is real, and they'll accept your teachings. Whereas other people, well...let's just say I like a quote from that Avatar movie, with the blue people: "We cannot fill a cup that is already full." Or something like that.
But, onto another topic, that has to do with what you guys said Grandpa was talking about. The Light of Christ. This also has to do with my letter from last week.
Lately, I've been trying to figure out more about the Light of Christ and what exactly it is. Cuz it's pretty vague in the scriptures. And basically, I've come to the conclusion that it is "every good thing that makes us one."
I used to read a bunch of articles before the mission, where lots of people were talking about some kind of psychic force that unifies the human race or something like that. And now I realize that those people were trying to study the Light of Christ.
Also, the Light of Christ is made easier to understand when we study it by contrast. What is sin? Spiritual death. And what is death? Separation. Therefore, sin means separation. What does the scripture say? Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Or as it reads in Spanish (translated) Let no man separate.
We are joined with God as we worship him. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Separation. God placed man's spirit into his body. Thou shalt not kill. God created familial bonds. Honor thy father and thy mother. God sealed man and woman. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (fun fact, Adultery and Idolatry come from the same root word.) Wherefore everything that is "bad" in the world, that is, everything that is darkness, are those things that divide us. And so everything that is "good," that is everything that is light, are those things that unite us.
That's what the gospel is about. That's what Atonement means. Reconciliation. Mankind amends. Bringing together two subjects that were once estranged.
So, I invite all of you to put away anything in your lives that divide you from others. I'm not saying lose your individuality, I'm saying to put away things that are divisive. Bitterness, Unforgiveness, racism, sexism, discrimination.
I don't know, for me, when I think about it like that, it changes everything.
Also, if you want a better sermon on this than I could ever give, read Moroni chapter 7. It's amazing.
I love all you guys,
Elder Blaylock
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