May 20, 2008

Hi!
How’s it going?

On Sunday evening, there was a musical fireside at the Stake Center in Abilene, and we got to go to that (Bro. Martinez drove us). It was a series of songs that illustrate the main points of the message of the restoration. It was weird to see the same two elders sing each song, but they were very good.

And since President and Sister Rose were in the area, and since President Rose has to give the missionaries interviews once every transfer, they came to our district meeting yesterday (that's why it wasn't preparation day yesterday). It was my first and last missionary interview with him, since he's leaving in less than six weeks. After the interview, he gave each missionary a blessing. Usually, this is reserved for departing missionaries, but since he's the one who's leaving, he gave everyone one (and probably for every missionary in the mission!)

I got your DearElder.com letter yesterday! It’s great to hear about that family you're helping to teach. (and I did get a letter from Elder Bilodeau just before he left the MTC)

As for things here, they're going well. It’s getting hotter (in the 90-100 range), but that's not too bad, since we have an air-conditioned car, and we usually teach indoors. The bugs are also getting worse, though. I got nine mosquito bites in one evening, and they're still bothering me! I think I'm going to wear long sleeves more often. It’ll slow my tanning, but I'd rather be pale and hot than itchy all the time.

As we were finding the other day, we had one man that really got angry and shouted at us. He threatened to call the cops, and all. The very next district meeting we had, President Rose was there, teaching about opposition. That's not a mere coincidence. He said as missionaries, and as members of the Church, we have opposition: first, for our benefit and so we can progress; second, to show that the Church is true, because Satan would most strongly oppose only his biggest threat; and to stand as a testimony against the oppressor when the time comes.
He also gave us Matthew 5:11-12, and said that after someone rejects us angrily or even physically, we should be happy that we indeed have the truth, and also that we have been deemed worthy to be more strongly tested, and be counted in some way with the prophets of old.

Also, in my readings during whatever free time I have, I've learned that the great apostasy is indeed not a unique event. After the death of the apostles, people started changing the doctrines of the true church, despite having the writings (the Bible). By the time Joseph Smith came, there were different sects, and despite being so different, they unanimously opposed the church that Joseph Smith restored.
In the same way, after the Old Testament prophets (like Malachi), people started changing the doctrines, despite having the law of Moses. By the time Jesus came, there were different sects (Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, etc.), and they had all those little, detailed laws that really had little to do with what the Law of Moses was about. And though they all had different opinions, they all rejected Jesus Christ and His church.
Even today, the only thing that every sect has in common is that we're wrong. We are no more wrong than Jesus Christ is not our Saviour.

Missionary work has probably been the most testimony-building experience I've ever had, and that anyone can have.

Anyways, I hope everything's going well.

I love you all!

-Elder Brandon Wong