Miracles, Rundle Mall, Baptisms

Wow, another couple weeks have flown by! I am due for another email! It has been an exciting and eventful couple weeks! I am at the climax of my mission! 

Weekly Highlights:

-P-day basketball has been so fun! We are getting all our Chinese new members to show up and play with us! One p-day it was just me and 10 Chinese guys playing basketball! Weird being the only white guy on the court, but I loved every minute of it! They loved that I could speak Chinese and in their own words "shoot like Stephen Curry."

-We had zone conference and interviews which were fun! We had Goo Goo chicken for lunch and it was really good, other than the fact that it looked like it was made in a rundown shack haha.  

-We are in a 4 man flat now! Elder Hu and Elder Gunderson and Elder Sun and I! To be brief, it is kinda crazy haha. We all make dinner together and wow we eat a lot of food! Lots of curry and Asian food! I feel very Asian nowadays. I only eat Asian food. 

-The city has been so much fun and we have seen so many miracles! Thursday is our highest key indicator day haha. It is so weird. The Lord blessed us with 8 new friends, 2 LMPs, and we put 2 friends on date in 1 day! The zone is also reaching record high stats for the week!

-Rundle mall is so much fun! I struggle to have fun doing anything else nowadays. It has become a problem. I just have so much fun doing missionary work. If I am not finding or teaching, then I am bored and don't want to do anything, but find or teach. I am truly experiencing the joy of saving souls and it is the most wonderful and unique feeling in the world! If you are struggling to be happy, then I invite you to share the gospel and invite someone to come to Christ and that will wipe your frown away with a big smile!

-Our ward has literally exploded with missionary work! Everyone is catching the fire! Our ward had a record high attendance of 220 people at church! There was no room anywhere left! We are outgrowing the building! We have so many new members and friends that there was no room in the Elders Quorum class! There were literally no seats left so Elder Sun and I had to sit outside haha. And the funny thing is that we have more new members and friends in the Elders Quorum than actual members. The Bishop is doing all he can to keep the positive momentum going haha. He is just stuck in interviews all Sunday long! The members of the ward have never experienced missionary work like this in their entire life! And the best part is that we are retaining all the friends we have baptized! It is truly incredible! The Lord has opened the windows of heaven and is pouring down blessings upon the prepared ward and missionaries!

-We had another baptism this week! He has been the friend that has progressed the quickest to baptism and been the most prepared in my entire mission. Three weeks ago there was a public holiday. There was no one in the mall. But we went down to see if we could find anyone. The first person I stopped was a Chinese guy named Jimmy. After our conversation, he was committed to coming in for a lesson in 2 days. He texts us before the lesson and asks if he can bring his two friends Leo and Joshua! They come in and Jimmy tells us that Elder Liao had stopped him in the mall two weeks ago, but he rejected him. But this time he decided to come check everything out. We had a great lesson with the 3 of them and they came to Easter Sunday the very next day! After church Leo and Jimmy asked how they could join the church! They find out that they have to be baptized. Leo texts us and asks if he can be baptized the next Sunday. We were blown away. We explained we would have to teach him some things before he could get baptized! ....3 weeks later Leo got baptized! He has not missed a week at church since we met him! One week, he missed the bus so he ran back to his apartment and grabbed his bike and biked the 30 minutes to church! He read every chapter in the book of Mormon we invited him to read. He took notes every single time we taught him. He has ordered a suit so that he can look more formal at church! He justified everything we taught him and said the most precious prayers for us. He always thanked "Mr. Sun and Mr. Jones for teaching him" in his prayers. 

He enjoyed the baptism! He was baptized by Shawn that we baptized 2 months ago! And was confirmed by a new member Stanley that had received the Melchizedek priesthood that morning! We had Adam who we baptized 2 weeks ago give the baptismal talk. In the talk he said "I testify that Baptism is the right thing to do". And then Peter Bu, who is also a new member, gave the closing prayer. It was such a spirit filled baptismal service! Leo's testimony was so precious! He is only 18 years old and still got up and shared his experience. He had gone to church in China twice and then read the bible when he got stressed in high school because it provided an anchor for him. And now he is baptized because his roommate Jimmy invited him! Jimmy is getting baptized in 2 weeks! There will be about 7 baptisms on that day! It will be a party! I brought some of my "American ties" to give to Leo and Jimmy and that made them very happy haha.  

-So many miracles!! We have a new member that is one of the head people at Uni Adelaide! And because we have baptized so many uni students they want to start a club at their school for the church! So we are going to meet this week to figure out the logistics of creating a club at the university! So epic!

Spiritual thought:

What is the WHY behind the HOW and WHAT of Jesus Christ? It is HIS LOVE! 

1 Nephi 19: 9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men

Okay I am going to go on a little rant. Elder Sun and I have found that everyone has lost focus on what matters most! Everyone is worrying about small insignificant matters! 

Everyone has stopped talking about Baptism! It is very concerning! This is the most important thing to be talking about! 

Even if you are baptized already, you should be talking about it! Once you understand the importance of baptism, then you will have the desire to do all you can to help others be baptized! 

For missionaries baptism is central to our purpose! If the thing we do doesn't reflect in a key indicator that will lead to baptism, we are told to reevaluate! 

Pmg chapter 1 "Baptizing and confirming the people you teach are central to your purpose" 

What is something we as the Church of Jesus Christ have?

This is what we have to uniquely offer the world! Everyone is trying to sell certain things or give you things. Each religion has a point that they try to get across. 

But what does the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints uniquely have to offer? Well it comes down to one simply powerful thing. 

Namely: an ability to make a covenant connection/relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. No one else can do this. No one has the power and authority of God (priesthood). 

This is the purpose of missionary work!! Baptism! 

"We do not preach and teach in order to ‘bring people into the Church’ or to increase the membership of the Church. We do not preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives. … We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Purpose of Missionary Work)" pmg chapter 8

(Consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth. Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God. Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God. Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality. But no other organization can and will influence your life after death.- President Nelson) 

Because the Priesthood has been restored we are the one and only church that can provide salvation. It is that simple. No one else can do this work!

If we are not having the desire to share this knowledge with others and help them gain the desire to make a personal covenantal relationship, then we are missing the mark! 

One of the main reasons that Jesus Christ came to earth besides His atonement and resurrection, was to set the perfect example of how we can return home to our Father in Heaven one day. 

What was one of the biggest things He showed and taught? Baptism!! 

What did Jesus start His ministry with? Baptism. 

Matthew 3:17-19- He came to show us the perfect example of how to make it back to the Father. The first thing He did was be baptized. 

Matthew 28:29. What were Jesus’s last words to His disciples? Go Baptize everyone. "19 ¶ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"

Then when He went and visited the Nephites what was the first thing Jesus did/taught? 

Baptism! 

3rd Nephi 11:23-27

3 Nephi 11: 33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. 34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

And what was the last thing Jesus taught before leaving the Nephites? 

Baptism! 

3rd Nephi 30:2 "come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel."

So...how important is baptism?? 

John 3:5 If you are not baptized you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.

What is the gate to eternal life? 

In Matthew 7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

But the Bible never teaches or clarifies what that gate is! However the Book of Mormon does!

2 Nephi 31:17 informs us what the gate is…baptism! 

"17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate;" 

What do we truly gain from being baptized? Why is it so important? 

Gain: 

-Eternal life-true happiness, living with God, living with your family forever.

-Remission of Sins-all prior sins and mistakes are washed clean. Very powerful! You get to restart your life anew with Gods sustaining power. 

-Gift of the Holy Ghost- before baptism you only can have the power of the Holy ghost influence you. After baptism, you can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide, cleanse, sanctify, and teach you at all times!

-Personal connection/relationship with God-love, peace, strength, help, guidance, etc. Without baptism we cannot have a covenant relationship with God! 

-Membership in God's church-community and a clear path guiding your life to God. 

-The gate to all of God's blessings-without being baptized you cannot receive forgiveness of any of your past or future mistakes, so you cannot receive the full strengthening and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Baptism opens the gate to other covenants and ordinances. It allows for all the temple blessings. 

If you are not baptized can you fully receive the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ? No.

Without priesthood authority to baptize, without baptism, and without priesthood authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Atonement of Christ has no effect on people's lives. They remain in sin, subject to the demands of law and justice, and life will be for nothing. 

-A reason to be alive- you have a long life ahead of you. Do you want to do it with or without God? 

Now what do you have to give God? 

Give: 

Faith: (always remembering Jesus Christ, taking His name upon us, keeping His commandments) 

All He asks is that you believe and follow Him! 

Why??? He does all this because He loves you! 

It is incredibly unfair in our favor. GOD WANTS YOU! He is willing to give you everything, if you only but have faith and desire to follow Him! 

You are His child! He wants nothing more but to encircle you about eternally with the arms of His love! However, He won't take away your choice! It is up to you! But He wants to make the choice as easy as possible for you! 

If you want it, God will make it happen! Nothing can stop God. You just have to make the decision to believe and come follow Him! 

Our covenant commitments associated with baptism are a great responsibility. They are also inspiring and joyful. They create a special relationship between us and Heavenly Father through which He perpetually extends His love.

Understanding the doctrine of baptism opened up my mind to why people need to be baptized! I now have the desire to shout on the rooftops and explain to everyone WHY they need to get baptized! 

Whether you are not baptized, baptized for a couple months, or baptized as a lifelong member at 8 years old, we all need to be talking about baptism and why it is so important and what and how we need to do to help others receive the associated blessings! 

I invite all, wherever they are on the path of their conversion, to accept Jesus Christ's constant invitation and questions:

Do you Believe?

If so, will you come follow me? 

I promise as you make a renewed effort in your life to make your covenants meaningful and make your worship more than a habit or tradition, then you will draw the power of Jesus Christ into your life!

Jesus Christ is the WHY for everything we do! 

Don't lose focus on Him! 

All we need is...just JESUS!

In the victorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a great week!

Here are the photos: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mQ9qeqg8Q2ULyEhe7

Cheers,

Elder Jones (zhang zhanglao)