Elder Daniel Tolman: Chapter 35: Just One More

Hello! T'was a quick week! Here it is in package form.

It started off with interviews with President Merritt. I continue to be amazed at the personal love the Merritts have for each of us and it's been cool hearing more and more of their testimonies over the course of the mission. Since it was at the stake center, which is a 30 minute drive away, we carpooled with the zone leaders, who had their interviews last, so we ended up being stuck at the stake center for a good chunk of the day. That wasn't ideal, but as we waited for interviews to finish up, we heard an animated story from Sister Merritt about a squirrel infestation, which made it pretty worth it. In the middle of interviews we had a mini zone conference with just our zone, and the Merritts offered insights that blew my mind and illuminated my spirit. You know how I can monologue, so I'll have to just sum up here: what is the "secret sauce", the "silver bullet" to successful conversion in missionary work? It is how loved the friends we are teaching feel. It all comes down to charity. The pure love of Christ. How do we obtain this? That comes down the submission of our will to God's will. Charity is a majestic outgrowth of our surrender to Him. Thus, in a way, converting others to Christ comes back to converting ourselves to Christ.

We had dinner with two of our favorite families combined! We were so excited when we found out that morning that our lesson would actually be a double lesson. We focused our message on the ways we remember our loved ones when we're separated, how each individual participating in the lesson remembers Christ, and Christ's enduring promise that He will never forget us, even when we assume He has.

"But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

(1 Nephi 21:14-16)

On Saturday, we biked a half hour out to San Ysidro and spent the evening making visits to inactive members. Of all the people we tried, we had just one long, solid conversation with a follow-up appointment scheduled, and we reached a point where we needed to make our way back so we could start our end-of-day calls. However, Elder Tolman murmured in his heart and saith unto Elder Rhodes "Aw man, we biked all this way! Can we make just one more visit?" And it came to pass that Elder Rhodes rebuked him, saying "O ye wicked and perverse generation!" ...jk, he saith "Yeah sure we can do that." We made one last visit, which turned out to be a house we tried last transfer with no answer, and they were home! We checked in on them, learned more about their situation, and set up a lesson! Fast forward to Sunday, and that exact family was brought up in Ward Council! The Spirit often works through "just one more".

That same day, we met with Myron at a member's house and went over Lehi's Dream so we could reference holding fast to the iron rod whenever we check in on his scripture study. At the end, we told him of the promised blessings associated with diligent scripture study and then turned to the member hosting us, asking if he had any final thoughts. The member...turned the topic to baptism! Elder Rhodes and I were stunned, as we've still been very concerned with whether Myron can keep the small commitments, let alone the big ones. But, there we were. Myron had expressed an interest in being baptized before, and he expressed it again. We are glad a member gave the invitation (that is ideal!) but we were totally caught off guard. Nonetheless, Myron's on date for baptism! It will be good to have a specific timetable to fit lessons and commitments into. We look forward to continuing to teach him! He's such a great mix of chill and energetic, and we enjoy talking with him.

The next morning, we were trying to call Myron to confirm he could make it to church—something we had a whole truckload of emotional investment in. This call had our heartstrings wrapped around its digital finger. But alas! *I'm sorry, but the person you are trying to reach cannot accept calls at this time* That was all we got. We texted first thing in the morning, we called during companionship study, we called before Ward Council, and we called after Ward Council. Nada. Greeting people before church came and went, and not a Myron in sight. I sat next to Sister Kaae (a wonderful person!) in the back row of the chapel and the meeting began. After the sacrament, I glanced at the doors to find Brother Tizzard walking in! Now, Brother Tizzard is the main member fellowshipping Myron, and we'd been trying to reach him all week with very little success. He's been very under the weather, making it hard for him to be up and about, let alone make it to church, so I was delighted to see him! I shook his hand as he passed by, and he whispered "Myron's sitting over there." I turned to see Myron in the back corner sitting next to Elder Rhodes (we sit separate to cover more ground)! Brother Tizzard had picked him up! I assumed the two had been in correspondence the whole time, but after the meeting, I talked with Brother Tizzard to discover that he had actually spontaneously decided to pick Myron up! ...when he was stressed about being late to church, I might add! He couldn't reach Myron over phone either—apparently it turned off and wouldn't turn back on that morning—but when he arrived, Myron was ready to go. It was a direct answer to prayer.

We went over the Articles of Faith with Francisco, and I gotta say I'm so grateful we've got a concise, comprehensive overview of the church's beliefs that we can turn to in the standard works. It was the perfect thing for Francisco, who we're basically just reviewing things with until he can start coming to church. That should be in a couple weeks!

Hope you have a marvelous week! Remember that our covenant relationship with God is not just a means to an end, but it is itself the end. Christ is not just the way to eternal life (John 14:6), but also the subject of eternal life. Both doorman and host. We are currently building the same relationship with God that we will have with Him when we dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven. Eternal life is not a gift separate from God. Rather, we learn from D&C 19 that "eternal" means "Godly". Eternal life is Godly life. Life like God's and life with God. That is why it is not synonymous with the immortality all mankind has been guaranteed. Remember that closeness with God is not reserved for after judgement day. It is a decision you must make every day.

God be with you,

Elder Tolman

Pictures:

The South Bay District at the temple this morning!
It's truly an incredible place, and the truths taught inside have increasing power in my life.

Eating at Snooze after the temple. A couple members of the district definitely snoozed afterward. I wanted to as well; early temples sessions are wonderful, but they do make p-day exhausting.