I applied for tickets for this year's Christmas Concert but was not chosen since tickets are in such high demand. Which is disappointing because they're going to have flipping John Rhys-Davies as the narrator (Gimli the Dwarf). But the good news is that if I get in the stand-by line early enough (like two hours early) I'm guaranteed to get in. The line isn't like a standing line either thankfully, they have you sit in the Tabernacle. And in case you don't get in they have big screens that you can watch the concert on so I'm going to do that.
But yes, quite the week for me. Christmas is definitely closing up on us. Temple Square is covered in decorations of all sorts. Snow is falling frequently and the sirens are blaring just as frequently due to all the accidents on the interstate. And the mail is getting scarier and scarier.
The most interesting thing that happened this week is that my district got rearranged for the new month (I think I said that last time.) My apartment was completely unaffected at first, but then an elder in my district surprised us all when he went to the mission office and told them that he wanted to go home. So I spent all of Thursday morning helping him pack with Elder Andersen before his parents arrived. (It was his choice and he was happy about it but his parents were absolutely furious.) The elder that left was just given a new companion that has a lot of anxiety issues and can't be companions with just anyone. So it was decided that Elder Earl who was living with me should be his new companion and he had to move out unexpectedly. Which meant that his companion had to move out because we didn't want to have a tri-panionship. And because there are no more two-man apartments left Elder Pickering and I are now living together in a four-man apartment.
On Sunday I went to that very...different Christmas Devotional. I know you probably thought that nothing could beat the picture of President Monson from the Pioneer Day Concert but this time I got an even better one:
Aww yeah.
Here are some more pictures:
This tree only gets lights put on it every other year.
Love,
Elder Larson
Eric's Testimony for the Young Men and Young Women:
First of all I'd just like to thank you all from the bottom of my teeny and fragile little heart for sending me a Christmas Care Package. My brain pretty much exploded when I got that because I had no idea that you guys cared about me and stuff. Thank you all so much and you are definitely the coolest youth in a ward that's ever existed.
If there is any principle that I can share with you that I've come to learn more fully out here on my mission than anywhere else in my life would be that of faith. It's something we talk about a lot, in fact it's the very first principle in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I just want you all to know how great it is to exercise. It will give you power and strength when you have none left, and holding fast to faith will help you through the hardest of times; whether on your mission or not. Frequently I find myself in situations where I feel lost or scared and I'm not really sure what to do, in fact to be perfectly blunt I have no idea what I'm doing half of the time. But I believe in Christ, His hand is evident in all things to me. When I remember that and know that he will never forget me nor forsake me I find the strength and the spirit I need to overcome all my challenges.
One day not too long ago my companion and I were casually walking to our destination through Temple Square when a group of three men excitedly saw us and called us over. Two of the men introduced them to us and told us that the third member in their group was named Samuel. Samuel was a new convert to the Church and had been having some problems in his life and he requested to have a blessing right as we walked into sight and they wanted me to give him one. Terrified out of my mind yet not wanting to show it I found us a room where we could be in private.
Samuel was going through some struggles and he had been reverting back to his previous addictions to smoking and drinking. He also suffered from schizophrenia and had been having a very hard time combating that. It was his request that he have a blessing to have enough faith to overcome these challenges so that he could be clean again, as he knew what he was doing was wrong. Not knowing what else to do but give him a blessing I went ahead and did as he asked.
I do not recall how long I took or even what I said, but when it was through the presence of the Holy Ghost was prevalent. Samuel thanked me profusely for being a worthy Priesthood holder and for giving him a blessing and saying the exact words he needed to hear. I think we all know who told him the words he needed to hear, and it wasn't me.
No matter how shy or weak or inadequate we feel, we must remember that the physical limitation is not in the divinity of this work. God has always used weak things to show the world how strong they can become, and I have a perfect testimony of that.
I know this Church is true brothers and sisters, and I know that the Lord is indeed hastening his work. I know that this is God's very Church restored to its fullest on the Earth once again and that He offers the blessings that come from it to all souls whether living or dead. Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God; and Thomas S Monson is the living prophet today. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and through Him we may be saved, and there is no other way. I leave this testimony with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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