WEEK 70 - A SAVIOR is BORN

Good Morning America! (Does this still count as the morning? Well, whatever, I'm just gonna roll with it) 'Tis I, the great and noble Elder Z.S.Weber, reporting in to you live from the Mariana Butte Ward in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week, I've got quite some stories to tell, as a lot gas happened in the last few days since I last emailed y'all. First of all, just to get it out of the way, I got my new companion, Elder NeVille on Tuesday last week. Elder NeVille is actually an Elder that came you the same time as me, and was actually the missionary that replaced me when I left Nebraska for Boulder several months back. He's a great elder, fun-loving yet serious about the work,  so I'm very eager to start working with him. And start working we did.

Tuesday, I'll be honest, not much happened besides getting Elder NeVille. By the time he got down from Casper, Wyoming, most of the day was done. We pretty much spent our day getting him moved into the Andersen's house and then showing him around the area. Wednesday was pretty much the same. We spent the bulk of the day going around and getting our groceries done, as neither of us had any food for the week ahead. Once we were done with that, we decided to head over to the library so that we could work on some of our family history and get our media hour for the week in—which, again, we had both missed due to transfers. However, despite the slow start to our week, we took off strong with the work.

Elder NeVille and I crammed as much finding time into our week as possible. When we weren't knocking doors, hitting the pavement, and doing the serious tracting, then we were looking over the member lists for our area, looking people up, and trying to work with the part-member families. We stay out until nine in the evenings, doing real serious work, the kind of work that I'm ashamed to say hasn't been done in a long time. We're working hard with potential investigators in our area, people that are welcoming and willing to listen to us, and we're working our tails off to get more lessons in every evening. It's hard, working like this, but it feels great, too.

On Friday, Elder NeVille and I had our District Meeting. This was our first glance at our new District. We'd lost a lot of missionaries in the last Transfer, so it was interesting to see who was coming in. Apparently we now have both sets of Boyd Lake sisters in our District—English and Spanish speaking sets. So, the meeting was mainly spent with getting to know all of our new members, and then setting realistic goals that we can achieve for this next month. It was really shocking, as we all set goals that were almost double the needed average for each individual District in our Zone. If we actually achieve all of the goals set, we'll have an incredible month for December. Then, after the goals were set, each companionship was divided up and interviewed by the Zone Leaders, just as a way to see how we're all doing with the new Transfer.

The week came to an end on Saturday, when we were invited to come join the Ward in their special Christmas Party. It was a wonderful evening, not just because of the wonderful food served and the fun time spent, but because it was a chance to meet some potential investigators and progressing investigators of ours. We were actually able to talk for a long while with one of these investigators, a young girl named Billie, and were able to set her with a baptismal date of January the 9th. So, here's hoping we can make it through to then! At the end of the evening, the Ward choir stood in the stage and performed a very cool Christmas play called 'Teach the Children', a story where Santa Claus tells a father to teach his children about the true meaning of Christmas—Christ's birth. It was a wonderful performance, and I'm glad to have witnessed it.

And that also happens to leave me with my Spiritual Thought for the week. I've been putting this off for a while now, because I've had other Spiritual Thoughts that I felt were more pressing at the moment, but this week I've got nothing but this.

For the past couple of years, the Church's social media group has come out with some really amazing and inspiring videos on Easter and Christmas, geared towards the Savior and his mission. There has been Because of Him, He is the Gift, and Because He Lives. This Christmas season, they've brought out another amazing video, A Savior Is Born, a message about the Messiah's coming to Jerusalem all those thousands of years ago. But though the message is many thousands of years old, it still rings true for us today. May I share with you the words of the ancient prophet Isaiah, who I believe shares one if the best accounts of Christ's coming.

"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel...For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever." (2 Nephi 17:14; 2 Nephi 19: 6-7)

How great a declaration that is for us today! We live in a world of chaos and confusion. Truth is taken for lie, wickedness is taken for good, and evil reigns supreme in the hearts of men. In this world, people who seek to do good are few in number, and could easily be discouraged by the endless throngs that surround them. But there is no need to feel such discouragement! Why? Because two-thousand years ago, a child was born—a child that would change the world forever. With his birth came the promise that we need never stand alone against the forces of the world. Just as Elisha said in the ancient days, "they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16)

Today, I share my testimony of this message of truth. I know, without a doubt, that Jesus Christ truly was born to save us. He came, and because he came, our weaknesses can become our strengths, our simplicities can make us the great and mighty, and we can be saved from our own imperfections and be raised up into perfection. I bear solemn witness that he did come, and shall soon come again—he that is called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Rejoice greatly, for unto you a Savior us Born! I say this in his holy name, the name if the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

—Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 69 - I WILL GO and DO

Happy Holidays, everyone! This is your handsome and hilarious host from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z.S.Weber, reporting in with another (hopefully) quick email on how life is going in the mission field. But before I get to that, may I just say—dang, December is already here? Just what the heck happened to 2015?! I mean, seriously, I don't know about you, but for me this past year has just flown by! Wasn't it just yesterday, the New Years Ball was dropped in Times Square and 2014 ended, and now all of a sudden we're here at the end of the first week in December?! Now, I realize that as a missionary, time goes by at light-speed, but still! Where did the time go to?!

Not only is this the end if the first week of December, but this is also the end of Transfers. Yeah, that's right, we're there again! Time for the big mission-wide switcheroo! Now, this Transfer brings with it a lot of big changes, a lot of new trials and blessings...but before we get to the harrowing news, let's get to the overview for the week! I promise, it'll be quick this time (most likely not).

So, not much if significance happened this week until we got to Wednesday. I'm sorry, but I just don't remember anything really going on on Tuesday. Wednesday, however, is a completely different story. As it was to be the last District Meeting of the Transfer, the Zone Leaders decided to make it one large Zone Meeting with all of the Districts in the Zone and end it with a nice lunch in the gym. The meeting was actually really great—Elder Torres gave a powerful message on the principle of sacrifice on a mission. This was going to be his last training on the mission, so he wanted to leave a powerful witness on the importance of sacrificing our whole selves to the Lord's work. While I wont go into great detail on his message, I will say that it was truly incredible.

Then, afterwords, we had the Zone Lunch, which was a large roast-brisket-thing, potato salad, and fries that Elder Torres cooked up for us. Along with the meal, we had some awesome entertainment as well, as our roast came with a Roast—y'know, where you're able to give an honest opinion to the entire audience on a victim of your choice. The victims were the leaders of our area—Elder Torres, the Trilby District Leader, Elder Hancock, the Berthoud District Leader, and Elders Shawcroft and Lete, the Zone Leaders. From what I could remember, there was an impersonation of Elder Hancock's attempts to get in a house tracting (regardless of how uninterested the person might be), an impressive roast on how Elder Lete speaks with a monotone/apostolic voice, and an imitation of the various types of snores Elder Torres goes through at night.

It got to the point where we were laughing so hard, some of us (mainly me) seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. All-in-all, it was a great final Meeting, from the lunch, to the final testimonies of the departing missionaries, to their subsequent death-by-lightsaber at the end of the lunch (you'd have to be there to understand).

This led on to Thursday, where Elder Oaks and I went on another Exchange with Elder Hancock. We had been struggling in our area with finding people, and as such he had taken it upon himself to work with us in our area, and help us out with finding. And, I'll admit, he was a great help. There's just something about Elder Hancock, and other men like him, who hold themselves with such confidence, it makes you believe you can stand strong too. Besides, after a few doors getting slammed in your face, and hearing the interesting excuses given, you loosen up and just have fun with it. However, we weren't able to actually find anyone, so we ended up going home empty-handed. Still, we went home happy, glad we were able to do the Lord's work.

The week finally came to an end on Saturday, which was mainly spent flying through the day as fast as possible so that we could get to the Transfer Doctrine. So, with that said, I believe it's time we got to the Transfer News. After six weeks with Elder Oaks, he and I are parting ways. Elder Oaks is moving on to Laramie, Wyoming, where he may be for the rest of his mission. I am staying here in Mariana Butte, and getting one Elder Neville (neh-Vill, not Neh-vill) as my companion, which means I'm FINALLY SENIOR COMPANION!!! The Lakeside District, which was dissolved with the early departure of the District Leader a few weeks back, will be the District I'm in, with Elder Thompson as District Leader. Elders Blaylock and Torres are going home, and Elder Shawcroft is moving on to be a Zone Leader in Cheyenne.

So, that's what's gonna be happening starting tomorrow. A lot of big changes, all around. New District Leaders, new Zone Leaders, new companions. While I'm sad this Transfer went by so quickly, I'm honestly happy and excited to make this next one even better! It's time for another great and epic adventure! Come, Elder Neville, let's follow that trail! The Trail We Blaze!!

...I know, bad choice for a movie reference, but...

So, with all of that said and done, I believe it's time for this week's Spiritual Thought. I know, usually on Transfer weeks, I don't have a Spiritual Thought, because of how busy we are. But, with all that happened this week, I feel the Spiritual Thought I've got right now can't wait. So, here we go!

For the last few weeks, I've been struggling with finding the desire to go out and do the work. It was easier to go out when I was on Exchanges with Elder Hancock, but that was because he made it fun, and less like work. But without companions that can make the work more light-hearted and fun, it's hard to find the resolve to go out and serve. It was while I was labor in under the depression caused by my lacking desire to do this work that I came across a scripture that I was very familiar with already—1 Nephi 3:7. Many of you can repeat the scripture from memory, and so you recall what Nephi says in that verse; "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Stop and think about what Nephi is saying here. He has just been asked by his father—and through his father, God—to return to Jerusalem and reclaim the Brass Plates from Laban, a man Nephi already knows to be a wicked and evil man, cold and ruthless. If he goes, there is a very good chance he will die in the process. Nevertheless, Nephi found faith in the promises his Savior had given him so long as he was faithful to the commandments given. He knew the risk of going to Jerusalem, but he trusted that his God would stand stand with him and help him through it. Eventually, after several failed attempts, Nephi succeeded in reclaiming the Brass Plates, and fulfilled the commandment given him.

There are two points I'd like to draw from this story. First, often times in our lives, we are given trials that we struggle with. Some of us, like Laman and Lemuel, will complain and claim the trial set before us is too hard, impossible to overcome. It is our purpose, however, to change our manner of thinking from that if a Laman to that of a Nephi. No matter what obstacle stands in our path, if we put our faith in the Lord, we will not fail. He will never let us fail. He wants us to succeed. So long as we put our faith in the Lord, we will overcome our personal Labans, and succeed in the missions the Lord has given us.

My second point is this. Sometimes the commandment given isn't just to fulfill the commandment. Sometimes, it is to help us grow in ways we never knew we could. Remember the story of Nephi and Laban. In order to finally reclaim the plates, Nephi needed to slay Laban. It was by slaying him, and taking on himself the armor of Laban, that Nephi was able to trick Zoram, the servant of Laban, into unlocking the treasury where the plates were held. Now, let me be clear. I am not saying it's okay to kill—that's not the message Nephi, or I, is trying to get across. The message Nephi is trying to tell us is that sometimes we need to make sacrifices in order to grow.

Nephi, as the scriptures say, "[shrank] and would that [he] might not slay him." (1 Nephi 4:10) Yet, when the Lord explained His purposes to Nephi, the young man found the courage to slay Laban. In that moment, he realized just how far he was willing to obey his Savior and Lord. In that moment, the prophet Nephi—the man that would speak with angels, craft the great vessel to sail to the promised land, and lead his family safely into the wilderness, away from his traitorous brothers—was born.

We all have moments in our lives when we will be tested and tried. These moments are not simply moments where we obey God—it isn't simply about obeying his commandments. All that God does, and all He ever has done, has been for our benefit. Whenever we are given a trial that makes us stretch ourselves, it is Him giving us a chance to grow and see just who and what we truly can be. Be courageous, therefore, and stand strong against the fierce winds that buffet ye, for it is in these moments if trial and error, moments of trouble and inner turmoil, that our own Nephis, our own Lehis, our Alma's and our Ammons and our Amuleks; indeed, our own heroes are born. May we like Nephi proudly say, "I will go and do," in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z.S.Weber