The Road to Emmaus

Email from May 4.......

Hey everyone! This last week has been another great week! We were able to have MLC and as a mission council one with another about standards that we could set as a mission to increase your vision, and raise the faith of the mission. Some of the new standards that we have established have to do with the number of investigators we have each week at church, as well as the number of member present lessons we have. It just makes so much sense, as we strive to increase things the progress our investigators will make towards coming closer to Christ will increase so much! Its such and exciting time to be a missionary and be apart of the church when so much growth is taking place. 

We also were trained by President Chappel, and he talked to us about how to have more success in our contacting and finding. He had us share some examples of some of the things that have happened in our ward of the past couple weeks. We talked about the miracle with David and teaching him about the Book of Mormon. 

(This is me, and my companion is on the left of me. He is a new zone leader that I am training. Elder Harris is on the left of him, he is the first missionary I trained, and then Elder Platt is on the end.)

  We also had a great training about the Sacrament. We read the account of the Saviors Resurrection that takes place in Luke 24. I absolutely love this so much! 

This talks about to people who were on the Road to Emmaus, and they were discussing about the events that happened previously. So they talked about Christ and his Crucifixion. Starting in vs 13 this is what we read. 

 13 ¶And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

 So an important this to see right now is the fact that Jesus Christ joined with them on there Journey. But did they recognize him? No they didn't, it talked about how there eyes were holden. So at this point in the story, they didn't have the eyes to see. 

 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

Now we see here that Christ is beginning to teach these men. We can see he checks to see what they understand before he begins to teach them. Now we know at this point in the story that they still do not recognize Christ. But Christ will continue to teach them. 

 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

 So from those vs, what did Christ expound to them. How did Christ teach them, what did he use? We see that Christ teaches them using the scriptures. But we see they still don't recognize Christ. Now we can liken this unto our lives. So often as we are searching for answers to questions we are reaching the scriptures we are praying, but it seem like we can't find the answers we need. This isn't always the case, but there are times in our live when we feel like this. But as you read these last few vs, look for what Christ did to "open their eyes."

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

 So what made the difference? We see that it was after Christ gave them the sacrament that their eyes were opened and they recognized Christ. They even acknowledged after that they had felt the spirit. They felt good when they walked with Christ and when they were taught the scriptures but there understanding didn't fully come until they had partaken of the Sacrament. I found that to be so interesting as I studied this. It made my testimony of the sacrament increase so much. I know with out a doubt as we put in the preparation just as the men in the story did, through scripture study and prayer, and then we are prepared to partake of the sacrament we can find a greater sense of peace in our lives, and we can find answers to the questions we may have. I know this to be true! I just would like to invite each of you to think about what you can do this next week to best prepare for the sacrament. I promise you as you do you will truly find so much more spiritual strength in your day to day activities. I know that to be true! 

This week we also had a conference call with our zone. We had a great discussion as a zone to the things that we needed to do to take our zone to the next level in being much more committed to the Lord. And since we had this discussion and zone meeting we have been seeing so many more miracles in the zone. 

One we have seen this week in our area came on Saturday when we taught our investigator named Sundae. We had a powerful restoration lesson with her, and she accepted a soft commitment for baptism. She also came to church the next day, and we are meeting with her tonight so teach the Plan of Salvation and hopefully extend a baptismal date to her! The Lord is truly blessing This ward and this zone. 

We have also been able to meet with our other investigators this week also! Great things are happening with them. Each of them are taking the steps to come closer to Christ! So over all it was just a great week! 

I hope each of you have a great week! Sorry it was a shorter email in terms of the things that happened this last week. We are just short on time! 

Please keep looking for those opportunities to serve others around you. Pray for them and be willing to act upon them and the Lord will help lead you to those who need help! I testify of this! 

Elder Joshua V. Christensen

Just after our zone meeting we had a meeting about service opportunities in the area.