N's email 7/5/2015

area: Jennings Branch (Crowley, Louisiana)
zone: Orange
companion: Elder Kohler


I got too used to the city... The work is easy there. All you have to do is walk outside and bam! there's 4 million people to talk to. There's always something to do. I hate living in the city, I felt too claustrophobic. But being a missionary there was far easier than being a missionary here.


But that's all besides the point, because this is where I've been called. This means that there are people here who have been prepared by other missionaries, by other church members, and by angels, to receive me and the restored Gospel. And as I work with faith, I know the Lord will lead me to them.


One of the greatest missionaries of all time was Ammon from the Book of Mormon. I will summarize his story for those of you who don't know it:

Ammon and his four brothers were sons of a King named Mosiah. Mosiah was king for all the Nephites (the "good guys" in the Book of Mormon). Mosiah was getting pretty old so he brought his four sons together and asked "who wants to be king after I die?" (not exactly quoted).


These four brothers all say that they don't want to be kings, they want to go on another mission. Mosiah is puzzled because they've already gone on missions to every Nephite city, so he asks them where they plan on going on this mission. They say "well, we're going to go teach the Lamanites" (the "bad guys" in the Book of Mormon at that time).


This is like someone today basically saying "Dad, we don't want your inheritance. We want to be missionaries! And we're going to go to Afghanistan on our mission. Because they really need Jesus."


Of course King Mosiah begins to be astonished and then prays and asks if he should let his sons go to a land to teach a people who hate him for being the King of the Nephites, hate the Nephite nation, hate their religion, hate everything about them, and usually kill Nephites on site, or to make them stay in Zarahemla (Capital for the Nephites).


The Lord tells him "Let them go, I’ve got their backs. Nobody will be able to hurt them with me on their right hand and with angels round about" (again, not exactly quoted). Mosiah 28:1-10


So Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni go to the Lamanites and are able to baptize thousands there - after cutting off a few arms and threatening a couple kings. When Ammon recounts the story later he says that the Lamanites were extremely prepared. Alma chapters 17-27


That's the outlook I'm working on acquiring.


I love all you guys. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.