Letter #35 - December 26th, 2012

Alright, well another week ish has gone by and I'm writing another blog.

I'm getting transferred to Alpena, MI. It's right on Lake Huron and way up northeast in MI. It will be mighty, mighty cold. I'm pretty nervous, to be honest. But, it will be, I think, the biggest opportunity for growth for me now as I ascend northward.

I've had so much fun in Grand Valley and this area. I have so little to complain about, truly. Life has been great here. I have had good companions, a great ward, and pretty sweet people to be around all together. I just think about my time here and I can't help but smile, so I'm very much grateful for the opportunity.

Anyway, I have been asking myself recently what my best moments of 2012 have been; what moments have just been so great. To be honest, I couldn't think of anything in particular. I sat there and thought about the spectacular things, baptisms, cool teaching visits, funny moments with companions, arguments with people, and being yelled at. Nothing was really popping out to me.

The only thing that stuck out to me were the people I have met. Maybe I should have figured that out like... 20 years back, but I didn't. All I could think about were the great times with people and all the things that have happened. I just realized the only thing that matters are the people you meet, help, and have the chance to love. I thought about my multiple companions of 2012, and I just sort of smiled. I have had some characters! In a good way. I've met a couple of my best friends as companions. I have been in some really great experiences with them, and some really bad ones too. I think about the fantastic people in Michigan I have met. Some people I have met have become so close I consider them family. It kills to be separated from them. (Being a missionary is this CRAZY paradox where you have to be so close to people spiritually, yet separate yourself emotionally and not become attached. It's very difficult)

So, as I begin to think of 2013, I am trying to figure out what I want my New Year's resolution to be. I make a new resolution weekly usually, but maybe I need to make a bigger one for the whole year of 2013. I think I just need to enjoy the people more. So, that's my goal I guess, to enjoy people? Is that necessary goal? I mean, it's not one that can be quantified by any means, but I guess I'll just be able to "know", I guess. I'm only going to be spending about 8 months of 2013 as a missionary. Then all the distractions are goingo re-enter my life. It's been an amazing 16 months. I guess I'm living a pretty good life.

I'm not really a huge fan of the cold, and the snow is cool before Christmas, and I have both waiting for me up there in Alpena. But, I'm going to make a good time with it. I have a lot of things to be worried about, but much like Heber C. Kimball, "Once I knew the mind and will of my Heavenly Father, all of these reasons didn't matter." (Somewhat paraphrasing)

Here goes nothing...

Letter #34 - December 17, 2012

So, this week will be a pretty good week. The snow is supposed to be falling. The grace of God has given me a pretty easy winter thus far. I'm not complaining.

 

I get to go on trade-offs with former-companion. I'm really excited. It'll be our last sleepover until we're roomies back at college. Should be a pretty fun time, as it always is. Are we the only ones that call exchanges sleepovers? Only this time, I don't have to ask my Mom if I can or not.

 

I'm finished with a project I've been working on. I've been summarizing every chapter of the New Testament (using "Jesus the Christ" and a couple other study sources) and I am basically done. I have to finish up a couple things on the Book of Revelation (I understand about 5% of that book) and then I'll be done. It's taken me over three months and about 100 pages of notebook paper. Now that I've picked it apart, I can just get back to reading it and taking a few notes here and there. This is what I did to the Book of Mormon the first time. I have to do it to the Doctrine and Covenants here pretty quickly.

 

Yesterday during church, I was thinking about why missions are so great. I was thinking about how mine has affected me and the decisions I will be making in the near future and the far future. I realized something... This is probably the only time in my life I'll be able to relate to Peter or Paul. This is the only time I can empathize with Alma the Younger when he wishes he were a better missionary, which he records in Alma 29. After this, I will be an average guy, sharing the gospel as I can, but I won't be "suiting up" on a daily basis. Instead, of "pressing forward with a perfect  brightness of hope" in terms of the people I teach, I'll be pushing on in school.

 

Anybody who's on the fence about going and may read this. You should go. Simple as that. There will be a lot of reasons not to go, but there will be a few VERY important reasons to go.

 

That's my wisdom.

 

Damon Chlarson

Letter #33 - December 10th, 2012

The Rapid Wreck, rebuttal to Anti-Literature, and Christmas

Well this week was a fairly exciting week. We had a Christmas party for the mission, and trade-offs with my boy Elder Masters. We stayed up till 3 and woke up at 6. It murdered me. But, after years of hanging out at Steven Devine's house till the wee hours of the morning, I'm pretty much used to zero sleep.

Anyways, on Friday the bus we were on got in a wreck... Here goes the story and dream, of a lifetime.

So, it all started about Friday, December 7, 2012 at roughly 2:40 pm. We were running late to an appointment, like we always do because I'm a terrible planner. So the bus system in Grand Rapids is called "the Rapid" which is ironic because it's anything but, but it's always a good time. Bus stories are always crazy, but this one trumps all.

The bus was packed, except for a few open seats but I didn't really want to share a seat with any of my potential seat companions, so I stood up at the front and started zoning out, pondering out the front window. We live by Alpine Avenue, which is the craziest street in GR, because it's got 1000000 businesses and tons of traffic, it's 45 MPH and people just don't care.

So, we're speeding along and this little Honda Civic just cuts over in front of us (the driver on her cell phone) and slams on the breaks, trying to turn into a Jiffy Lube type place (ironically located right next to "Alpine Collision Care"). Our bus driver slams on it to avoid demolishing this little car, but hits her back bumper. The first row of seats faces forward without anything in front of them, and no seat belt. So, as she slams on it, something whispers in my ear telling me to get ready to catch something. I move into the aisle and stick my leg/arm out and as I do so, this big ol' guy just barrels through the air, being pulled forward due to the momentum, and as he hits me, I also get pulled forward. He hits his head pretty hard, but I held on to the bar and just fell off my feet slightly.

Nobody was hurt but everybody was riled up. I had a good time and vouched for the bus driver. The man who fell may have had a concussion but nobody listens to me... I would never take my medical advice from anyone on the Rapid. The guy was acting a little special, but I think he may have been so before the wreck.

ALSO

I have been informed by multiple sources that my previous blog post (posted with 100% pure intentions hoping to perhaps brighten somebody's day) was not completely well received and I apologize. It was not my intention to stir up any contention. One of my favorite Book of Mormon teachings is that contention is of the devil, and love is from Christ. So those who stir up evil, spread hate, or wish to demean others are well... just that. Remember the six things, yea seven that the Lord hates? (That's in Proverbs 6:16-19, a book which we apparently don't read...)

Continuing on, I must say that I serve in Grand Rapids, MI. Everybody hates us here, and I've received more hostility on the subject of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, the premortal existence, etc. than I ever thought possible. It almost reminds me of the way the Pharisees, afraid of the abandonment of their loyalties of the soon-to-be-fulfilled Law of Moses, rejected the new teachings of a better way.

I would love to discuss the knowledge I have received after two years devoted to study, teaching, and persecution in about eight months. I must assure all that I have read the Bible, I have read the Book of Mormon and the two are in harmony with one another. I must say I have had much of my faith strengthened in Christ, and in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from the Bible. On a personal note, I must say John is my favorite, the light he sheds on the life of Christ is seemingly unparalleled than that found in the other gospels. I do however, wish I could read more of what Peter wrote, but thanks to Constantine (the man who defaced Christianity and basically decided what people were to believe) we lost the Gospel of Peter, the presiding member of the church after Christ ascended to our Father. Read the book "Constantine's Bible" if you desire to know more of the idea.

I also must say I've never seen anything in the Bible that says revelation has ceased, or that there is to be no additional scriptures (Please do not quote Revelation 22-18 out of context). Also, what about the time Jacob saw God and became known as Israel? That's in Genesis, or the first book of the well-renowned Bible, (which I must emphasize I have accusedly never read).

Anybody who is to say that we follow Joseph Smith, and that makes us a cult or that we minimize Christ, must also remember that their religion too, was based on the writings of another mortal man, not only Christ. I tell you that John Calvin shaped many of the protestant beliefs (the idea of predestined grace and hope alone in the shedding of blood, though we learn that "faith without works is dead, being alone" in the epistle of James 2:17), and the teachings of John Wesley have been manipulated (as he clearly states in a journal that the Holy Ghost appears to be off the earth on account of the spiritual gifts, or "signs of the believers" having disappeared, found in "the Great Apostasy" by James E. Talmage) and that Martin Luther never intended to have a religion based on him, and that he reviles infant baptism.

However, I must say I just want us all to get along. Arguing, debating, and pontificating has never brought any sort of spiritual benefit. Theologians decided to do that. (Reminds me of the 27th verse of the first chapter of Romans "Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools" or in 2 Timothy 3:7 those whom are" ever learning but never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth") Pray to find truth, guidance, consolation. Look to Christ for salvation. Practice what you preach, and believe in what you feel the Holy Ghost is saying.

In saying this, I must apologize for some of my own conduct in the past as I am not always the most Christlike person. I hope this ends any debates.

"I know the scriptures and I understand them."

Damon Chlarson

Letter #32 - December 3rd, 2012

Okay, here I am at 10:44 am in Grand Rapids, MI.

 

Things are going pretty good I must say. I've got a couple good stories and thoughts to share, so I'm writing this.

 

I'll start with my thoughts that are semi-serious:

 

I have been thinking a lot about righteousness, the will of God, the commandments, how to stay true to covenants, and how to strive forward on to eternal life: our entire purpose.  There are no grey areas when it comes to the commandments. I think when we speak about grey areas, we think about things that will not be asked to us in a temple recommend interview. I think we believe that we can somehow escape God's will by hiding behind the bare minimum. I must admit I have been terribly guilty of this throughout my life, and I still work on it daily. Is there really a grey area? When it comes down to it, would you do it if President Monson was in the room, let alone Christ?

 

Now, no one need suppose me guilty of modern-day Pharisaical customs and traditions, but I think there are decisions that must be made with a "what is going draw me nearer to the Savior?" sort of attitude. Also, no one needs to think I have found myself on the path to perfection further than I truly am. My flaws become ever more noticable as I read, ponder, and pray. As Joseph Smith said, "I have a subtle demon in me, and I can only curb him by being humble." I am a long way off of that.

 

Another thought is about Christmas. Have you ever noticed that you hear people often say "I love Christmas but the commercialism of it just tires me out"? People constantly complain about the commericalism year after year. Yet, we seem to support it. I guess that's the hypocrite in me as well, I think to myself "Man, what can I do to really make this Christmas about Christ and serving others?" Then later on, I find myself thinking "Man, I wish I could watch 'Elf' with my family and just sleep in." That thought (though not really wrong and I absolutely cannot wait until next Christmas when I can, in the words of the Killers, "Roll around like a kid in the snow...")needs to be replaced with thoughts of making others happy.

 

Last night at the Christmas devotional, I loved the words of all three members of the First Presidency. President Uchtdorf is always great and really reminds us that we must be happy, positive, joyful, and really live in the moment. He said, in a nutshell, "Experience Christmas as a child, full of wonder, excitement and joy, and love those around us." I love the idea of being child-like, not childish. Maybe it's because there really isn't anything more joyful than just playing. My idea of unwinding is playing with the little ones. I think about playing with my many nieces and nephews, and it makes me feel calm.

 

President Monson BLEW my mind when he spoke of the Christmas season and said (I'm paraphrasing), "Don't get so caught up in the pressure of the season that you lose the Spirit of the season." That hit me in the face and is super applicable to my mission at this time.

 

Anyways, I turned 15 months recently. Mid-August and I'll be back where I began, but not all at once. I'm running out of time it seems, and it goes way too fast, some days. In the words of the great punk band the Wonder Years, "I know I've got miles to go but, I'm putting my shoulder to the wheel."

 

So, on the bus this week (of course) I had a fella sit across from me (he was about 55-60, with his hair permed straight and he was acting hood, saying "ohhh we on the west side baby. We go hard out here") in the isle and yell to his friend, "Yo homie, I gotta spot fo' ya right hurr." The spot he was referring to was the empty one on my left. The man sat down. I was overwhelmed with the smell of marijauana and Jack Daniels. But they start chatting, and they get on the topic of a woman in they know is jail... He says, "Ahh man, I heard she cut somebody... I heard she was defending you. Didn't she hit somebody wit a brick?" I pulled the cord and got off the bus, because I was laughing too hard.

 

Then, we were on the bus and there was this mom who had a son that was being rowdy. She said, "Boy, you better shape up. You gon' make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here!" For those of you not familiar with the black culture, that's a referrence to a DMX song.

 

When the bus was stops, it sort of rocks almost, as it uses its hyrdaulics. This old dude goes, "Errybody on the bus gettin' tipsy!" Also, another reference to a rap song.

 

THEN, we were in the bathroom at central station downtown in Grand Rapids (brace yourself, this is about to get graphic), we saw a guy using the urinal and he just dropped his drawers. I couldn't hold it together and I left laughing hysterically.

 

Anyways, that's it, I think.

 

Things are good. Sorry this is long. Nobody is still reading, but I wanted to write something.

Be still.