Dear Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Family, Friends, Mentors, and the rest of the World.
Well... Let`s see how did my week go here in the middle of no where.
Well... We went for a nice bike ride along the beach, knocked on lots of doors and met with the Branch Members a lot. But if I were to sum up my week in Shingu it would be simply one word.... if you could call it a word. Huh!? Yea I understood a whopping 50% of all that was spoken in my time here. and 25% of that 50% that I did understand was most likely me talking to myself, or me teaching Eikaiwa.....
Anyway.. Basically that`s all I did We went on a nice ride out to Katsuura, about an hour away by bike, road along the beach, knocked on a few doors took a few pictures, that was about it. Thursday and Saturday I have Eikaiwa, which is teaching Japanese people how to speak English. Picture this, a 19 year american that can barely speak Japanese, teaching 50+ year old Japanese people how to speak English. YOU TRY EXPLAINING THE WORD "THE" IN JAPANESE!!! (Note the Japanese don`t have anything remotely like "the")
Answers to the Questions:
Do you like eating Dolphin/Whale/squid/octopus?
What's it like to talk to someone who has never heard of Christ?
Are you enjoying your time on your mission?
Yes, fun fun fun. Sadly I have yet to eat Dolphin or Whale yet. But Hopefully my time will come! My tastes in food have changed drastically since I`ve been here. About 3 months ago you would have had to tie me to a chair, pry my mouth open and force feed me tomatoes or anything of the like. Now I eat Tomatoes about everyday, I also have learned to love the Dreaded Mugi Cha. YES, the water that has been mixed with unsalted saltine crackers. :( My typical breakfast involves two pieces of toast and a cup of Mugi Cha. Yes, wheat bread and wheat tea... I think I`m getting enough fiber mother.
Actually almost everyone in Japan has heard of Christ. They`ve heard his name, and generally speaking they know that he Died on a Cross. Other than that they know nothing. As for the rest of the answer to that question, I just tell people what Christ did for us in simple terms. "He atoned for our sins, and taught us to Love each other." If they don`t understand, or if they have questions I refer them to the fluent speaking Companion that usually sits to my right. Yes I Don`t understand what they are asking....
Is this a Joke question?
Elder Tateishi`s Gospel Message of The Week
Ok. It was 4th of July, and contrary to my extremely faulty memory I actually did remember 4th of July. I also know that If I didn`t at least mention it within my email I would hastily recieve a rebuke from Micheal!
Luckily for him, more so for me, I actually choose to center some of my topic around this celebration.
On July 4th 1776 a group of American Rebels gathered together and signed a document that would forever go down in History. That Document was the Decleration of Independance. It declared the seperation of the U.S.A. from Britain, but more importantly within the Decleration of Independance and later within the Constitution the founders of America listed 3 inalienable rights. 3 rights that all mankind are freely given and should never be obstructed or removed by any other man. Thus they are listed: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
1. Life: Everyone has been born a living breathing human being, Each of us has been formed in the image of our divine creator, God. It is not right to take away somebodies life and that everyone deserves to live.
2. Liberty: God has given everyone the freedom to choose, has given everyone agency. If God never has, or ever will force anyone to do something against their will who are we as mere humans to try to force something upon someone else?
3. The Pursuit of Happiness: This is what I wanted to talk about. The Pursuit of Happiness. A Wonderful Ideal is it not? That everyone has the freedom to live their life as they choose and to pursue something to make the Happy and content. But they listed just that, the PURSUIT of Happiness. Not Happiness itself, for they were wise in knowing that not everyone will obtain Happiness. They knew that some people would never find Happiness that they will search and seek and try but it will remain beyond their grasps. So then What is Happiness? Where can we find Happiness? How can we obtain it for ourselves?
Let me answer each of these questions.
What is Happiness?
In the dictionary Happiness is defined as "something that makes us feel good". Well I`d say that`s a fairly correct definition of Happiness, if it is just a bit vague. But it is true, we say we are happy when we feel "good." So according to that line of description I can answer the last two questions quite simply.
Where can we find Happiness?
If Happiness is simply anything that makes us feel "good" than we can find happiness anywhere right? It`s true in fact. According to that definition. The Drunkard is happy for he has succeeded in dulling the pain of the world around him, The Adulterer is happy for he enjoys the heat of the moment in the night, The Murderer is happy for he has succeeded in erasing the life of a person who has invoked in him feelings of hatred and anger. So there is Happiness right!? The Adulterer, the Drunkard, the Murderer, the Thief they all of Happiness.
But they have a different Happiness. Their Happiness will never last. The Drunkard must awake to his living nightmare, made only worse by his neglect. The Adulterer must return with the knowledge that he has shattered the trust and vows of his spouse, The murderer must face the consequences of his deed by the imprisonment and the guilt that will always weigh upon his conscience. That`s where their Happiness leads, it turns from a heated, instant pleasure into burning misery and pain.
Now let me describe to you what TRUE Happiness is, and so I return to the first question yet again. But I must answer both questions together, bear with me for jumping around.
What is TRUE Happiness and Where can we find it?
Let me tell you this, Happiness is a Gift from God, and he has promised it to everyone on one condition.
Mosiah 2:22
"And behold all that he[God] requires of you is to keep his commandments."
So Happiness is given to us if we keep the commands and
"Morever I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For Behold they are blessed in all things both Temporal and Spiritual; and if they hold faithful to the end they are recieved into heaven that therby they may dwell in Never-Ending Happiness." Mosiah 2:41
There you have it, if you obey Gods Commandments and endure to the end you can have NEVER-ENDING happiness. That`s a good reward I would say. But doesn`t that mean we can`t be happy now. I mean, we have to follow God`s commandments and give some of our agency in following him don`t we?
Well well well... That`s a good question isn`t it. But let me refer back to the first time I answered the question of what Happiness is. Adultery, murder, Thievery, Drunkery, Pride, Hate, Envy, Jealousy. Those things which the Lord God has told us to abstain from, what do they all eventually lead to? Don`t they lead us to misery, and pain and suffering? I`ll leave that here for a moment and go back just a little bit and define once again what Happiness is.
Happiness is something that makes you feel "good". Well we`ve decided we don`t want a temporary Happiness that quickly leads to misery or pain, so what kind of happiness do we want. Well Let`s think for a moment, What is something that "Never Faileth?" The answer is Charity, Charity Never Faileth, and Charity is Love. So therefore can I define Happiness as Love. Well that`s easy, didn`t God Command us to Love? He said that his greatest commandment was to Love the Lord Thy God, and the second is like unto it, to Love thy neighbor like thyself. So let`s do a little Math, for you people that Hate Math I`ll let you know it`s easier than Addition Math.
Happiness = Love
The Lord Commands us to Love. If therefore the Lord has commanded us to Love, and Love=Happiness, is he not commanding us to be Happy?
So there we have it, the Lord does not tell us, "Don`t do this, Don`t do That" at random, he has told us time and time again that it all comes down to one principle "Be happy!" He has told us to not do things that will in the end make us sad, that will bring misery and pain, that`s all ANY of his commandments are I could quote many scriptures where the Lord uses words that are synonyms to Happy or even Happy itself. I can quote countless scriptures that teach about Love.
But How is Love happiness? Isn`t it happiness when we see someone we love succeed? Isn`t it Happiness when we can hold the one we love dearly? Isn`t it Happiness when we see someone rejoice because we have assisted them? Isn`t it happiness when we raise a child with love and watch them grow? Isn`t it Happiness when together we overcome a trial and triumph?
Let give one last Parable:
Let me give you a quote that all women know. "A Diamond is Forever"
And so is True Happiness, it lasts forever. Love is Charity that Never Faileth.
But where did that Diamond come from? It came from a lump of coal. A piece of carbon dirt that has no other use than to be burned for fire or fuel.
Well, we are that lump of coal. We are dirty and for all intents and purposes we are useless. What can we do with this lump of coal, well one of the most obvious ideas is to burn, to expend it. In that way we provide a bright flame in the darkness, but that Flame will never last. It quickly dies out and then we are left with nothing, left in the deepest darkness with no way out.
But there is one other option that we do have. We can give ourselves over to the Lord. Who as the master and greatest artisan, has promised that if we give ourselves over to him he will turn us into a Diamond. Well through that process it takes time, it also takes heat and pressure pressed upon that piece of coal to turn it into a Diamond. So it will with us, as we give ourselves to the Lord, as we hand over to him our sins, or dirtiness our lump of coal he will help us and guide us to become like him, a shining everlasting diamond that will be forever. It will take time though, there will be "pressures, and heat" there will be trials and tribulations, but remember that you are in the Lord`s Hands. "And if you endure it will" you shall be made into a Diamond!
(Alma 7:15)"Yea I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin that doth easily best you, which doth bind you down to Destruction.." That is what he asks of you.
Let me end by answering the question "Where is Happiness found?"
I can tell you I`ve found it, I`ve found that hope that brings Happiness, that Love that shall Never Fail. I may be far from perfect but I know while I`m in the Lord`s hands I will be protected and in the last days I will be raised up to obtain that Never-Ending Happiness. That is what I have! But I say to those who know not this joy that you can have it also! It`s HERE!! It`s yours!!! TAKE IT!! God has granted unto all men that they might choose happiness. He has laid before our feet the road, he has called time and time again to those that have strayed. They say strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to Eternal Life, that is true, Because it IS narrow, and it IS Strait, because it IS Simple! This is my Joy and my Testimony, Love is here! Happiness is here!! The only person that stops you from obtaining it is yourself!
I have gone on too long on this subject, but I end with the same Testimony that I have always given. I Know that God Lives. I know that Christ lives. And I know that they both Love me, that they Love everyone. That is their Joy, that is their Happiness, it has endured the test of time, and has lasted from even before the foundation of the world was ever laid. I know that this Church is where I have found my own Happiness and Love, and I know that this Church is the True Truth. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, my Redeemer, the Son of God. Amen.
Your Son, Brother, Friend, Mentor, and Missionary
Elder Randall KK Tateishi
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