Graven Images

This week we saw some incredible faith!  We found a new investigator that used to be super rich, but wasted all of his money on alcohol and other bad decisions, and ended up breaking his leg really bad in a motorcycle accident, and doesn't have any family close to help him except his sister and his son.  He is mending his relationships right now, but he can't move really.  He has metal bars in his leg, like 8 of them, and his leg swells up any time he's not lying down.  But, as a result of this experience, he is determined to be a better person and preach the gospel.  We were teaching him for the second time, and he asked us if he should wear his cross necklace.  We explained to him that it wasn't a good idea, because it was trusting in graven images, or at the very least, remembering the death of Christ above His life.  He immediately removed it, and said he wouldn't wear it again.  We told him that church attendance was important, and he insisted that he come to church, so we brought him this Sunday, and he came, not having eaten anything, because he didn't have anything, and stayed for all three hours, even though we gave him every opportunity to leave after the Sacrament.  We talked a little bit about the importance of baptism on Saturday, and he told us that he wanted to be baptized the next day when we brought him to church.  This is so incredible, because he hardly knows anything about the gospel, and is already extremely faithful to what he does know!  He is truly a miracle!

We also were teaching a family about graven images and crosses, and how we shouldn't pray to a sculpture, or a photo, or a drawing for miracles, and we also shouldn't have them, because we are then conveying to others that we do worship these things.  At the end of the lesson, they asked what they could put up to remember Christ, but not to worship, and we explained that other drawings of Christ that are not associated with a particular name, scriptures, and the words of the prophets, are a great way to remember the Savior in our homes.  They then told us that they were going to put up a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World in the place of the Virgin Mary, and other scriptures up in place of the Lord of Miracles and another sculpture of Christ.  It was incredible to see the faith in these families, as they learned about the truth, and changed their lives to comply with the commandments of God.  I was so impressed!

This was so cool this week!  I love you all so much!  This Christmas was so much better with the photos of everyone and the little gifts every day!  Your support is something I treasure!

Love you all!