19th & 20th Weeks—January 16-29, 2012

Two Weeks ago while returning from the temple, we took a little detour up through some houses in Beverly Hills.  They live a whole different life style than those people in our wards. 

All of the houses had views of the city.  I'm sure the views were breathtaking at night as well.

Friday, January  27, 2012, we went with Shumans to the Planetarium and Observatory at Griffith Park.  Kay and Wayman Shuman are the new senior couple who moved into our apartment building.  They are from a small town close to Savannah, Georgia.  They are member and leadership missionaries also. 

You can see all over Los Angeles and Hollywood from the huge balconies surrounding the observatory.  It was a beautiful day.

This is the four of us in front of the observatory.  Inside the displays and exhibits were awesome.  It was all free unless you wanted to watch a movie.

This is Kay and Connie in front of the James Dean bust. "Rebel Without a Cause" was filmed there.  Many movies have been filmed there but that was the first movie where the observatory was really a large part of the movie.

This is Dale "visiting" with Einstein inside the Planetarium.

          Time just flies by and here it has been two weeks since I have posted anything. We have a zone conference this week.  Last zone conference Pres. Baker asked us to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year.  Dale and I ended up finishing the 2^nd week of January.  He read it in Spanish which has more pages than the English version.  It takes the Latinos more words to say the same thing in English.  Anyway, I would like to remark about finishing the book before a new zone conference is here. 

          President Baker asked us to read the Book of Mormon looking for the Doctrine of Christ:  Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.  He encouraged us to mark the scriptures with different colors for each of the above titles.  I got a new perspective from reading it this way.  I found repentance mentioned a lot more times than anything else.  I guess that tells us something about our sojourn here on earth.  Faith is also discussed many times in the Book of Mormon.  I really enjoyed reading it this way and it kept what we are to teach—The Doctrine of Christ foremost in my mind. President Baker also has encouraged us to keep a journal of our scripture reading.  This has also given me more insight and has helped me ponder more. 

          Since living here close to downtown Los Angeles I have been approached many times for money—almost daily or at least several times a week.  There have been times I have felt really great about helping someone but there have been times I have felt taken advantage of.  I have never felt good about giving money as I don’t want to help their addictive habits but if I help, it has been with food.  The scriptures in Mosiah 4:16-24 really hit me.  King Benjamin says that we should not suffer the beggar  to putteth  up his petitions  to us in vain.  Perhaps we shall say that the man has brought upon himself his misery. If we hold back our help, we need to repent for are we not all beggars?  Do we not depend on all things from God? 

          In Alma 26:27 Ammon, one of the great missionaries of the Book of Mormon, gave me encouragement on a hard day.  I love the way he expressed how he felt. “Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold the Lord comforted us, and said ‘Go amongst they brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.”  This had even more meaning since we are working with those who have the pure blood of Israel flowing through their veins.

          I love Alma 32 & 33 when he talks about that faith is not a perfect knowledge but he encourages us to “experiment  upon my words and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:26-27)  He then goes on and compares the word of God to a seed. I love that comparison that we need to nourish the word of God with our faith like a tree needs to be nourished.  In Alma 33 he talks about us believing He can heal us. 

          I especially loved the words of wisdom, advice, and comfort I received reading Helaman 5.  I also felt the spirit in Helaman 10:4-5 when we are promised if we declare his word with unwearyingness  we will be blessed forever and we would be made mighty in word, in deed, in faith, and in works.

          In 3 Nephi 7:18 speaking of Nephi the people were angry with him, “for it were not possible they could disbelieve  his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.”  Wow!  What great faith he had.  And so the blessings go on.  I would encourage everyone to read the Book of Mormon again.