Hey all!
This week I smashed a plant, gave a Book of Mormon to a McDonald's cashier, met an Apostle, and ate a muffin in the House of the Lord.
Note to my non-LDS friends:
This week's email might be a little confusing if you don't know the context behind temples or our church leadership, but I'll say this: every aspect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is intended to help us draw nearer to our Savior in thought, feeling, and action. If you're ever not sure how that might be so with an unfamiliar policy or doctrine then shoot me an email and let's talk about it. Once again, I do this kind of thing 24/7, so I'm more than happy to.
News:
- The first House of The Lord in Arkansas is now dedicated and operational! I'll talk more about the Bentonville temple and all the cool stuff I got to be involved with for it later but it's been an awesome experience.
- I hit my 3-month mark yesterday! I've officially been out for one summer break's worth of time. Weird.
- Good news: we finally got in contact with Harrison!
Bad news: he doesn't really care anymore, which stinks. Harrison told us on Friday that he realized he had been going to church just because he didn't know many people in the area yet but now he did so he was good. Ouch. We think he actually might have run into some doctrinal issue that he's just too nonconfrontational to bring up but that's a whole other can of worms. He didn't try to give us back his Book of Mormon though >:) so I'll keep y'all updated on him in the future.
- random little bags and packages from Walmart keep showing up to our door. Apparently the big online order of snacks my parents had delivered to my apartment ended up getting split into the 12 Days of Christmas haha. A happy accident for sure.
- shout out to my main man Brock for becoming the next Elder Rigby in a long and illustrious line of Elder Rigbys. He'll be at the Provo MTC for a couple of weeks before he heads out to serve in Orem. All y'all Orem folks, keep an eye out for my cousin, yeah? He's a cool dude.
A ton happened this week so I'm just going to cover the second half so y'all don't have to read a chapter book. This weekend's highlights:
SATURDAY
- Jacob 5 is cool. The 77-verse allegory of the tame and wild olive trees is super interesting now that I'm finally starting to be able to make sense if it.
- Angel: a Seventh-Day Adventist who believes in the Book of Mormon but just doesn't wanna switch religions. Ight. Your choice I guess. He was "getting his mule outta the hole" (fixing up his car) so he could get to work so he didn't really say much besides that.
- My bike has started to whinny whenever I stop or slow down and I'm a little leery about how wobbly the rear wheel is now. My noble steed is riding into its twilight years, unfortunately.
- BYU actually beat the Razorbacks like 20 minutes away from me in Fayetteville. Big W for my Cougs. Wish I coulda watched it. Ah, but the work goes on.
SUNDAY
Temple dedication!
Elder Bednar (a global church leader and one of our current Twelve Apostles) spoke with straightforwardness and clarity unlike most anyone I've ever heard. He and his family lived in northwest Arkansas for like twenty years while he taught at Arkansas State and man, he truly loves this place. I was kinda blown away. This guy, one of the most serious and composed speakers of all the Church leadership, shed tears over being able to open a temple to The Lord in his home. I could go on and on about everything that he and the other speakers shared with us but saying more wouldn't capture what I'd hope to express so I'll keep it short.
Some invitations he left with us:
1) Replace the word "temple" with the name "House of The Lord." Just like President Nelson encouraged us to use the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints instead of "Mormons," using "House of The Lord" rather than "temple" better captures its true meaning and purpose.
2) Do not call it a small temple. You do not make "smaller promises" in a smaller building. Don't get the pearl confused with the box that holds it.
2.5) "Everyone's excited when a new temple opens...for a time. Don't let that excitement die down. Overuse it to the point that they need to build a second one."
You can read the full dedicatory prayer Elder Bednar gave here: https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/9/18/23878909/bentonville-arkansas-temple-dedicatory-prayer-elder-david-a-bednar?utm_campaign=churchnews-en&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social_share
After that, the Hosanna Shout (a traditional cheer we do when a new House of the Lord is dedicated) was led by Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, a General Authority Seventy from Nigeria. He had this super thick accent and the way he literally shouted "hosanna" was super cool and intense. Not really sure how to describe it but yeah. Nigerian accent + Hosanna Shout = cool.
After that, we were invited to help the AV crew again for some crazy cool service opportunities.
Some of the things I did in the Bentonville House of the Lord:
- Organized the waiting room
- Moved Endowment room furniture
- Helped set up an altar
- Appreciated the art in the maintenance basement
- Found a sick workshop with the complete blueprints of the building
- Ate a pumpkin muffin in the breakroom
- Shook Elder and Sister Bednar's hands. We also met the two other General Authority couples accompanying them. Elder Bednar made fun of how Elder Cebollero pronounces his name. "Two L's make a Y, Elder."
The works.
MONDAY
Apparently the whole Bednar family came and chilled in the church during our weekly District Council just down the hall. We didn't get to meet them again but the hosts let us chow down on all the food that got left over so that was a nice consolation prize. Apostle food is delicious.
Beverly: met an RLDS lady for the first time. She reads the Book of Mormon and believes in Joseph Smith everything but thinks the main Church is corrupt so she goes to a tiny 20-person congregation called Rogers Remnant Church with her family. Speaking of herself, she basically just told us "I was born into this church so I'm going to stay here until I die." It made me sad.
Learn a lesson from this lady. Think for yourself. "Study these things out in your mind" as the prophets wrote. Don't be content with just staying where you started. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is all about thinking and acting for yourself. Study the scriptures yourself. Check out a church service yourself. Pray, personally and sincerely. It'll be different, yeah, but honestly ask yourself if it's brought you closer to Jesus Christ and if being closer to Him has brought you greater peace and joy. If your goal is finding the number-one surest, straightest, and truest path to God, then don't knock this path until you try it.
TUESDAY
- Finally starting to exercise again but now I'm four days behind in my journal. Ay caramba. That's not a curse in Spanish, is it?
- Biked up some hills like a champ
- Knocked some apartments with Brother McKinney. He's like if Matt Damon was a firefighter who served a mission in Fresno. Cool dude.
Tuesday was a good day. Seems like Tuesdays usually are. Not sure if that's because they're right before my prep day or if it's been long enough since my last one that I'm finally back in the swing of things.
WEDNESDAY
- P-Day: bought groceries, got another Pokémon happy meal, played volleyball, took a quick nap, practiced the piano, and did my best to write to a few friends. Not bad.
- Learning music on the piano brings me joy. I've learned five (well, almost five) songs so far this summer, most of them from video games haha. Gotta nerd out out here somehow.
Ate "Hobo Soup" at the Cannons' for dinner and it was much better than the name had me expecting. Plus, the recipe's super simple. Here's how to make some classic Arkansas cuisine:
- 1 can minestrone
- 1 can rotel
- 1 can ranch style beans w or w/o jalapeños
- 1 sausage link
Crockpot on low or warm until it's done and enjoy.
Thought:
Alma 32: 27-34 (and 35-43 if you want to read more.)
In this section, the prophet Alma proposes an experiment on faith to his audience. Similar to Christ's parable of the sower in Mark 4, Alma compares faith to a seed that needs to be nourished before it can grow into a tree that bears good fruit.
Whether or not you're interested in joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, give this one a read. It's not super long and it's good spiritual insight for everyone.
Going along with that, here's a speech on the power and beauty of faith in Jesus Christ by our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson. Once again, it's good for anyone and everyone seeking to grow nearer to the Savior, so give it a listen if you've got a few minutes:
"Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains"
Love you all! Thanks to everyone who's emailed me already this week! I appreciate the kind wishes and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Elder Rigby
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