Monday, February 13, 2017
travel. Korean. rice.

Another week of travel and work and Korean and rice. I love Korea.

First off, I know you are wondering if our two investigators, Brothers Bak and Jo were baptized... and the answer is no! But that's okay. We felt that they both needed one more week to make sure they are ready. They are scheduled to be baptized this weekend.

Lots going on this week. Lots of travel. Lots of meetings. District meetings, MLCM meetings, SPM meetings, Bishop meetings. I love every second of it. And my companion, Elder Lee, has become one of my greatest friends. I couldn't ask for a better companion.

​This it what dinner times typically look like. It was Elder Lee Yongjae's turn to make dinner... again :) He's a good cook.

On Wednesday afternoon, I found myself on a bus with good old Elder Romney, my MTC companion, headed to his area--a large island called Geoje. I have hardly seen him since the MTC, so we had a full year and a half worth of mission stories to swap. It was great to catch up. Elder Romney is a great man, and a great missionary.

While proselyting with Elder Romney in the evening, a man walked right up to us and said, in English, "Hello! I am Anton from Russia. You are Mormon missionaries! Where is your church building?" Anton had just arrived in Korea the day before. He came from "a very cold place" called Novosibirsk (sound familiar?). He told us that he has many LDS friends in Russia, and his friends had introduced him to the missionaries a few months ago, and he had taken multiple discussions with them. We showed him to the church building, and he said "Great! See you on Sunday!"

On Friday, I found myself on a bus to Busan for a council meeting with President Barrow. Very neat. Lots of exciting stuff happening in the mission over the next few months. Things are a little crazy right now because President Barrow will head home in about 4 months, so he's really trying to make sure he leaves the mission in good shape. The Busan mission is so different than it was when I arrived a few months ago. President Barrow has made an enormous difference.

For several days on those long bus rides back and forth, I found myself pondering over and over again the scriptures found in Luke chapter 23, verses 39-43, about the exchange Christ had with the two convicts hanging on the cross on either side of Him.

 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

The footnote for "railed" gives the alternate definitions of "blasphemed" and "reproached." In other words, one of the convicts hanging on the cross next to the Lord "blasphemes" Him, and says, with no faith, "If you really were the Christ, you could save us."

 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

The Guide to the Scriptures says about the word 'fear:' "To fear God is to feel reverence and awe for Him."

Using that definition, verse 40 could be read as follows:

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not feel reverence and awe for God, seeing that He didn't even spare His Dearly Beloved Son from the condition we are in? (i.e mortality, pain, suffering, crucifixion)

 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Much can be learned from those simple verses. Truthfully, rejection has been much lately. Hearts are hard. The name of Christ is not a highly esteemed name in Korea, nor in many others areas of the world. When we proselyte, the complaints it seems I hear the most are about the difficulty of life. If there really was a God, why is life so hard? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why won't God just lift my burdens? These people are clearly represented by the first skeptical malefactor in verse 39: "If you really were the Christ, you could save us."

The second malefactor, however, I feel is representative of those who have a belief in the Savior and an understanding of His Atonement. Although sinful, as we all are, in his moment of deep anguish he feels "deep reverence and awe" for the Lord, understanding that even He was not free from trials and pain--even He wasn't spared. And that convict understands that even in that very moment, Christ was, in fact, in the very process of saving all of us.

I feel deep reverence and awe for my Savior. I know He lived and died for all of us.

Alma 7

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Have a great week! Loooooooove you guys.

Elder Sorensen