Hey Everyone!
Yeah it was awesome to pass the day with Elder Sitati. No he wasn't born in the church. He’s from Kenya. I love when the authorities come to do mission tours. It is always fun cause we normally open the whole conference up to a big discussion, where we can just ask anything we want. It's kind of a once in a life time thing to have this many personal experiences with the 12 and the 70.

That's so cool how everyone surprised you! [While I was in St. Louis for 3 weeks, the family built me a beautiful garden..something I have really wanted!] It's fun to hear how everything is changing! It’s literally going to be a new house when I get back! The garage, dads office, the yard (front and back), new TV, just everything! How fun! (Ps.. what’s 3D TV? How does that work?)

I still haven't gotten any letters or 'special something-something' :/ but I feel like they'll be coming soon! haha I sure hope. I’ve almost done 5 months here in Cocody and I'm starting to doubt that Presidents going to pull me out haha. I think I'm going to do 8 or 9 months here! But who knows? Yesterday there was a transfer, but there's another transfer around the 20th so maybe I'm in it. If I do happened to get transferred the 20th that would be perfect. Because we have 9 people getting baptized the 11th and 18th. I really would love to see these people get baptized before I leave. I don't want to have what happened when I left Toit Rouge, and 3 days later they baptized 7...but if I do leave early its all good. But I'm bummed that you haven't gotten that little something that I sent off!!! It better get there soon! If not the lady at the post office is going to get it! :)

I wanted to share a little bit what I've learned about Adam and Eve. I can’t explain how much I miss the temple and the endowment. I’ve learned a lot on my mission about the importance of the blessings that we receive there, but those will have to wait till after the mission :) But I wanted to share little bit that I’ve learned that might, or might not open up some ideas for the next time you do a session. I love the history of Adam and Eve. I'm thankful for their choices they made.
I wanted to start off by saying how much it gets on my nerves whenever members of the church say that 'Adam/Eve sinned'. It was NOT a sin. But a transgression. I love how James explains that a sin is (James 4:17) when we know 'good' but don't do it. We know that Adam and Eve knew no good, because they knew no evil, not having eaten of the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil' (Gen.2:17). But they rather 'transgressed'. It still is disobedience, but there is a large difference from sin and transgression (when thinking of the word transgression think of the meaning of the words 'progression' or 'regression', and where transgression comes in).
Also God did NOT give two contradicting laws (by saying 'multiply and replenish the earth' and 'to not eat of the fruit'). I loved how Elder Golden (Quorum of the Seventy; in one of our mission conferences) explained it, 'not all of Gods laws are equal. There are certain ones higher than others. (For example: God says 'thou shalt not kill', but what should we do if our family’s lives are in danger or if we are in war?) As Latter Day Saints we always follow the highest laws'. One was higher than the other. And you can also say that one was preparatory to the other.
It kills me when people throw the stone at Eve and blame her for everything. But rather we should be thanking her! Without her choice we could not be here (2 Nephi 2:23). Neither could the Christ, who was chosen in premortality come to earth to be the Savior (1 Peter 1:20). She’s the one who took the first step further in Gods plan; Adam only followed (Gen. 3:12). Now I don't want to bring Adam down at all and I'm not. Adam was only obedient in every way. God said not to eat of the fruit (Moses 3:17) and he refused it. God said to stay with Eve (Moses 4:18) and he did. And after the two were in the 'real world', God commanded him to offer sacrifices (Moses 5:6) and he did, without knowing why. What noble parents!
To understand the 'fall' we need to understand the atonement. The two run hand-in-hand. While studying the fall you'll better understand the atonement and how necessary it is. It’s amazing how often it is spoken of while Adam and Eve were in the Garden. I love how the Lord God says how he will place 'enmity' (separation; uncomfortable feelings) between the 'seed' of Satan (we know very well that he has no seed and never will; it's those that followed him in the preexistence, his 'sons of perdition') and the posterity of Eve (us).
Christ will redeem the fall! It’s interesting that God never cursed Adam or Eve. He only cursed the 'ground' and the serpent. A lot of people today say that God cursed Eve by saying He will 'multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children' but they don't understand what God is saying. He is only telling her of her consequence of eating the fruit. He is just telling her that now she will have children, and its not pain free. In fact it’s actually a blessing that she will have kids. In 1 Timothy 2:14-15, it says that 'she shall (meaning future; meaning in the past she couldn't)be saved in childbearing' (I like it a bit more in French which says "she will, nevertheless, be saved by becoming a mother"). It’s by becoming a mother, or 'child bearing', that she will be 'saved'. So without it, she can not be saved. And Adam wasn't cursed but given a higher commandment, to work. (See the new Gospel Principle book, under 'work') Working is only an eternal principle or heavenly attribute.
Another point that is interesting is how when Adam and Eve heard the Lord's voice they hid themselves. It’s true that Adam said that he hid himself from the Lord 'because he was naked', but what kind of 'nakedness' are we talking about? Because just in the verse before Adam and Eve sowed fig leaves to hide their nakedness, now they're hiding after covering themselves? It’s true that the fig leaves aren’t the most modest things but personally I feel that Adam and Eve felt spiritually naked as well, having disobeyed God (See Mormon 9:5; 2 Nephi 9:14; Alma12:14). But God being a merciful and loving God, made 'coats of skins' (Gen. 3:21) and clothed them. (Which can also be seen as another 'type/shadow' of the atonement. In French the word Atonement means 'to erase' but in Hebrew it actually means 'to cover'). The coats of skins would act as a reminder of the 'atonement' that will be made to redeem their fall. Kind of how we have garments and the sacrament to remind us of our covenants. ('Remembering' is actually a really interesting topic to study)
I wish I could keep going but I just don’t have the time. I can’t wait to sit down with you all and talk about the creation, the different covenants and ordinances that are in the church, and just everything! I find find it all just absolutely fascinating! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you all next week!
MUAH!
Elder Legere