Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

I woke up this morning and it was snowing again! It is still snowing
and we are supposed to get more snow this weekend. Who knew I would
get a white Christmas out in the dessert of New Mexico. And a couple
nights ago we got transfer news for the last transfer that I am in the
mission field. Any guesses for what happened to me and Elder
Davenport? Drum roll please... Yep, we are both staying! I am so
excited to spend my last six weeks in such an incredible ward with so
many people that I have absolutely fallen in love with over the past
three months.

The Lord used me in an unexpected but awesome way this past week. A
trait I am blessed with, which I have further discovered on my
mission, is the ability to be bold when needed. It is a trait I am
known for throughout the mission. Last week I went on an exchange with
my zone leaders in Panorama Heights, the area I last served in, and we
had lunch with a great man who is on the path to re-activity. He made
some of the best enchiladas I have ever had! During our conversation
he mentioned a desire he had to get a tattoo on his side that said
"Thank You God", but he had not fully made the decision yet.

Immediately I told him not to do it. He looked strait into my eyes and
asked me why he shouldn't since he wanted to show the Lord how
thankful he was. I told him that if he really loved the Lord he would
show it by following his commandments, and that if he got the tattoo
it would serve as a lifetime reminder of his disobedience to God every
time he saw it. A big smile came across his face and he said the
decision with now made and he was not going to get the tattoo. He
praised God vocally and said that he has been struggling with this
decision for a long time now and had asked many people, including
several missionaries, but had not received a clear answer other then
"pray about it". Him and I are now really good friends and we both
know he was one of the reasons I was needed in that area on that
particular day. It is so amazing how perfectly the Lord works for His
children!

Quick subject change...

A while ago Elder Davenport and I felt we needed to read through the
Book of Mormon and mark every single reference to Christ we could
find. We started the day after Thanksgiving with the goal to finish by
Christmas day and we are now in 3rd Nephi and have found over 6000
references to our Savior! I have noticed that while we have been doing
this the scriptures have been filtering through my mind all day and I
have been looking at so many things differently, including something
as simple as tracting. Last night we had 30 minutes until dinner so we
decided to knock doors around our dinner appointment. While knocking
all I could think of was Nephi and other prophets preaching to their
people and how many rejected them. Their rejection of the prophets
led to their entire destruction at the death of Christ and they were
not able to be part of the multitude who felt the prints in His hands
when He visited the Americas, nor will they be able to return to His
presence after this life.

The first door we knocked on a guy came out waving his hands saying he
does not agree with our beliefs and is not interested in our message.
I asked him what beliefs he does not agree with and he admitted he
knew very little of our beliefs and asked what they were. As I began
teaching he saw that our beliefs were not far from his own so he cut
us off and told us that he was happy with his church, Calvary. What I
taught him does not match the doctrine of his church by the way. I
bore testimony to him and told him that I was aware that within his
church they hold many anti classes directly against us and promised
him that what they taught was false and invited him to learn more. He
said no and left us on his door step.

Door after door we were rejected and each time I bore strong testimony
and did everything I could to help them see what they were missing by
turning us away, but still they would not listen to us. We got one
return appointment, which is no less successful then tracting usually
is, but this time I left each door step with tears in my eyes as I
thought of the gift they were turning away.

They said they were Christians already, were happy with their church,
were to busy, or even that the Broncos were playing and the game was
more important. Were the Sadducees not happy with their religion? Even
the apostate Zoramites thought they were a religious and highly
favored people of the Lord before they were destroyed for priest
craft. Imagine what would have happened if Peter, Christ's head
Apostle, had said he was to busy with his work to follow Christ or
listen to His message. I'm willing to bet almost every home we knock
on would say that if they had lived at the time of Moses, Noah, or
Christ they would have followed and not stoned the prophets. Yet in a
time when the gospel of Christ is more readily available then ever
before they choose football over it. I want so badly to lead them to
the tree of life where they can freely partake of greater joy then
they could ever imagine, but many of them will not even let us into
their homes and instead chase of off their door steps. I now know a
little more how Alma or Nephi must have felt, and I have tasted a very
small portion of the pain Christ must feel for His wayward children.

Give someone the best Christmas gift they could ever receive and open
your mouth to tell someone you love that the Church of Christ is again
upon the earth!

Love,
Elder Inman