Hey all!
It's a real pretty day out today as I'm writing this email from a Frisbee golf park in northeastern Oklahoma. It's really starting to sink in now that my mission is really almost over. I can't really describe how it feels to write that—just lots of emotions all tangled up and mixed together. What I do know, though, is it's time to leave it all out on the field and go home with no regrets.
As far as news goes this week, the work has been fantastic. We had the most friends join us for church of any week I've served in Miami, we had a blast going on exchanges (switching missionary companions) for a day with the Carl Junction/Pittsburg Elders, and we set a new personal best of my whole mission for lessons we taught with members participating. Life is good. It's not without its difficulties and its setbacks, but it's good.
~
Storytime:
We taught our friends Brent and Shelby about temples this week, but due to a commitment to another friend, we had to leave them and the member hosting the lesson right after we turned on a video tour of the temple. We called to check in with Brent the next morning, and he and his wife shared that they didn't understand why the temple wasn't open to the general public if it was such a special place to connect with God. Wouldn't we want everyone to go there? (If you want to know how we answered them, let me know and I'll send you our notes!)
Shelby unfortunately had to be at work, but Brent, being as awesome as he is, was down to make some time to meet with us and talk about it in-person once. Elder Fichtner (my exchange companion for the day) and I studied together to prepare an answer, and when we met (with Marvin along too 
), he found a lot more peace with his question. What stuck out to me most, though, was that he told us we were the first church in his whole life that ever was okay with him asking them hard questions. Every other church he'd been in had kicked him out and/or stopped inviting him back to their services when he'd ask where they got their beliefs from or how they could know if the Bible was 100% true or if it was messed with so much over the course of history, so he was afraid that when he asked us about temples we'd kick him out too.
), he found a lot more peace with his question. What stuck out to me most, though, was that he told us we were the first church in his whole life that ever was okay with him asking them hard questions. Every other church he'd been in had kicked him out and/or stopped inviting him back to their services when he'd ask where they got their beliefs from or how they could know if the Bible was 100% true or if it was messed with so much over the course of history, so he was afraid that when he asked us about temples we'd kick him out too. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we welcome and encourage all sincere questions asked with faith in Jesus Christ. When a friend asks us a question about something they don't understand, it makes me happy because that means they're actually pondering the things they've learned deeply. Jesus Christ welcomed questioners like Brent and Shelby during His mortal ministry, and so do we. This is because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. We have nothing to hide. In fact, the more we can help them find inspired answers to their questions and gain knowledge of the doctrine of Christ, the more their faith in Christ and His restored gospel will grow. What's more, they'll be that much more likely to follow His example by being baptized and confirmed by one holding the proper priesthood authority of God. As one general authority once put it, "True doctrine, understood, changes behavior."
TL:DR Brent and Shelby are cool and asking questions with faith in God is good.
~
Hymn #251
Behold! A royal army,
With banner, sword, and shield,
Is marching forth to conquer
On life’s great battlefield.
Its ranks are filled with soldiers,
United, bold, and strong,
Who follow their Commander
And sing their joyful song:
Victory, victory,
Thru him that redeemed us!
Victory, victory,
Thru Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Victory, victory, victory,
Thru Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Song of the week: "I Bet My Life" by Imagine Dragons
Photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/
My mission email (oliver.rigby@missionary.org) is going to be deactivated soon after I get home, so if you want to stay in touch, send me your contact info! My personal email is owrigby@gmail.com.
103 emails down, one to go! See yall next week.
Love,
Elder Rigby
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