Merlo- Week #33

Doctrine 101

Hey Fam and Friends!

This week has just been chalk full of experiences. But seriously, I almost don't think it is possible to tell you everything that has happened. I'm glad to hear everything at home is going well, and this Erik person sounds like a good guy. Also, that’s crazy you already got the March ensign, because we just got the February issue yesterday here. Alright I will start with the week of experiences. First my comp is way cool, and he is really funny, but he doesn’t quite follow all the rules or understand all of the doctrine. I will just give a list of a few short examples of things I have had to correct in the middle of the lesson:

1. Cremation: So we were sitting in a lesson with a inactive member and he was talking about how his brother died and his parents want to cremate him and keep him in an urn in the house. Then the member asked us, “Is that alright?” I was about to answer, we Elder Arriola chimed in and said, “We don’t cremate people in the church because we know from revelation that if we are cremated we won’t be able to resurrect.” FALSE!!!!!!!! WOAH DOGGY hold up for one second. I immediately interrupted and explained that Resurrection is a gift that ALL will receive who have come to the earth and received a body regardless of whether they are good or bad. I got blank stares from my comp and the member, so I resorted to the scriptures, and read in Alma concerning the resurrection, then I opened to the part where the Lamanites burn women and children alive for being believers, and proceeded to ask to all sitting in the room if those women and children would be denied resurrection for having been burned alive by evil men. Elder Gilmore and the scriptures: 1 False Doctrine: 0
2. Kingdoms of Glory: This is a direct quote of my companion concerning the three kingdoms of glory, teaching to a family who has never heard this doctrine. “We know that there are the stars, and the evil people live there. Then there is the moon and the sun, but only people who live in the sun live with God, and the moon is in the middle, and that is was heaven is like.” Ok you might laugh now reading that, but I couldn’t believe my ears, I am quite familiar with the doctrine of the kingdoms of glory, and I didn’t even understand what he was teaching. I explained that the stars, moon, and sun are symbolic comparisons to the glory of the kingdoms and the joy we will feel. I just can’t get over the blank stares he gives me when I teach correct doctrine.
3. We have walked into numerous houses of investigators where he looks at me with that blank stare and asks what we are going to teach, or says, it is your turn to share something....this isn’t just scripture sharing time....we have to teach a lesson that helps these people progress. I have never seen this person before in my life, and have no idea what you have taught them in the past haha how do you expect me to just start up a lesson. So I always resort the First Vision, Lesson 1 is always the fallback...always...
4. Daddy Yankee: We walked into the house of an investigator and before the lesson started my comp asked the woman to turn on the music videos on TV. So she did and he started flipping channels and watched music videos for twenty minutes...I was pretty frustrated and just played with the kids while he watched, then resorted to just look at me to teach something when the videos were over....let’s just say, the spirit wasn’t in the lesson. But I am learning, and he is changing, I really think that he just didn’t know how to do the work. He has one year in the mission, and he doesn’t understand, but I am willing to help, and he is a great guy, with desires to serve the Lord, most of the time.

So we still have our baptisms this Saturday, the Figueroa family. When I first met them they were cold...they miss the elder I replaced...but then I made a personal goal to win their affection and went to work, smiling every other second, joking around with them, and just trying to be their friend. Mission accomplished! Sunday when we visited them they couldn’t remember the name of the last Elder that was here. BUAHAHA! I asked Elder Arriola what we still need to teach them, and he said they already have been taught all the lessons. I had a feeling I should ask anyway. Tithing? Nope. Word of Wisdom? Nope. Law of Chastity? Nope. Ten Commandments? Nope. Yeah...that isn’t falling on my head; we now have scheduled many lessons where they will be taught ALL of what we believe.

All in all it has been a good week, just tiring, with worrying about the baptisms and all, I am more tired than I was in Castillo, but that isn’t a bad thing. Castillo called me and is having like 8 baptisms, and we are trying to get things scheduled to see if I can go, but nothing official yet so I don’t know what is going to happen. We had zone conference yesterday and every conference everyone has to write a little talk, well yesterday I was called on by President to give mine...it went fine, and got compliments. Also, we met a woman who named her two cats, Obama and Michelle, but she really likes the Obamas, it wasn’t like a negative thing, but I thought it was interesting.

Alright my time is up but I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Love, Sean