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| Snowy Pennsylvania |
So...it's 2011. Did everyone know that? Just checking. Time is FLYING!! I'm going to hit my 6 month mark during this next transfer! That's 1/3 of my mission! Holy tamole! That'll mean only 1 year left. Crazy. My bet is that I stay here and Sister Longmore gets transferred. That's her bet too. We're just not sure whether Sister Chamberlain or Sister Cahoon will come here. Sister Cahoon is apparently a lot like me, so I hope I get a chance to serve with her at some point. I think it'd be TONS of fun! Next Monday I'll know whether or not either of us is getting tranferred, but ya'll won't know until the NEXT week who the new comps are.
So, the best news of the week is that we have a new investigator! He is absolutely incredible. His friend, Stephanie, got ahold of us to give us his information. She and Sam (our investigator) served in the Air Force together. She joined the church in 2004 or so and about a year and a half ago, Sam met up with her again and saw what the church had done to her. He said that she was a good person before, but it turned her into a great person. He said he's not necessarily lacking in his church, but that that doesn't mean that he doesn't think there might be something better. Sister Easton came with us to the first lesson and was AWESOME. At the end of the lesson, she invited him over to dinner with her and her husband! So that Saturday we went over after dinner and had another lesson. Sister and Brother Easton testified like crazy and the Spirit was awesome. The church is so true. I love it! He went out of town this morning for a week and a half, so once he gets back, we'll teach him and he'll come to church! Yay! Sam is awesome.
We also had a less active family that we've been trying to see come to church! The non-member boyfriend wanted his kids to participate in community events and we told him about Young Mens/Young Womens and church, so the mom and three of the kids came! The 8-year-old wanted to stay for all three, so the mom came back and picked her up later. :D Now we just need to get her to stay and bring her boy friend!
Today for P-Day, a couple in the ward took all of the Lancaster missionaries to the Mennonite Information Center where they have a lifesize replica of the tabernacle that Moses had in the bible. The guide gave a 30 minute tour and talked a LOT about it. It is SO similar to our temples today! It's amazing. I kept smiling as he talked about things that we do today and things they didn't understand. For instance, the Priest wore this thing with a pocket, and inside the pocket was the Urrim and Thummim! What was that!?! Ya! The Urrim and Thummim! It's in the Bible! And the guide said they don't make a replica of them because we don't know what they look like. Au Contraire! I little study of Joseph Smith's history will tell otherwise!!! And he said they didn't know what the Urrim and Thummim was used for except that it helped the Priests make decisions.
Here are some more things they told us at the Information Center:
In the courtyard, people placed their hands on the animals as they confessed their sins and the animal was then killed in place of (or for and in behalf of) the person. Proxy ordinances. Hmmmm. Never heard of those before, right?! There was a wash basin right outside the tabernacle. Before a priest performed his first duty, he had to cleanse himself completely from the wash basin so he was clean. Thereafter, the priests just washed their hands and feet. In the courtyard of the temple (different than tabernacle), there was a large basin on the back of 12 oxen. Hmmmm....
Only the Priests could go in the temple. They wore a white linen garment, robes, the thing that holds the Urrim and Thummim, a sash, a hat, and some other stuff. There was a veil dividing the holy place from the holy of holies which was rent in twain at Christ's crusifixion. The incense offered showed the prayers being offered up to God. On the movie Between Heaven and Earth (phenomenal movie), a Temple President mentions that today we still offer those prayers in temples.
Even the placement of the tabernacle was similar to today. It was the center, and the tents were aligned on all four sides going out---just like Salt Lake is set up today!
Apparently I need to read the Temple and the Cosmos by Hugh Nibley when I get home. Bro. Wilson said it's a great read and he teaches a lot more of what the symbolism in our temples today it. Apparently I need to read the entire Faith and Teachings section at Deseret Book when I get home! lol. I'm so hungry for knowledge!
Well, I guess that's all for today folks!
Have a fabulous week!
Sister Denton
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