October 21, 2019

Hi everybody! I'm doing well. This last week, I was transferred from El Paso to Taos, NM. It's definitely different, but it's really cool! It's a lot colder and a lot greener. Our area is really big, our ward is kind of small, and we don't find a lot of new people, but the people we're teaching are awesome and I really look forward to continuing the work here. My new companion is Elder Pritt, who's been out just over a year, and he's cool. I'm actually the driver in this companionship, and we have a truck, so this is the first time I've actually ever driven a truck.

We have two people who have committed to baptism here, and I'm excited to help them get there. We also have a decent number of people we're teaching that come to church, so it's awesome to see that!

Not much else has happened, but I do have something from my studies I want to share. Recently, I've been reading in Alma, and got to the account of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, who were a group of Lamanites converted to the Gospel by Ammon and his brethren. We often talk about how they chose to bury their weapons and covenanted with God to not take them up again so that they would never repeat their sins of murder. What I haven't heard people discuss a lot is how they didnt make that decision right after they converted, but made it once they found out that the Lamanites were preparing to attack them. They knew that if they didn't fight, they would be killed soon, and they decided to not fight and to bury their weapons and promise to never fight again. I've always looked up to their example of keeping their covenants, but I really admire how their faith and desire to follow Christ was so strong that they could make a decision that would kill them because they knew it was what God wanted. And, while the Nephites and their sons later defended them, the first time, over a thousand of them died.

This made me reevaluate how I view the covenants I've made with God and if I'm really so committed to them and to following Him that I would rather die than forsake them. It's definitely a scary thought, but God needs to be the most important thing to us because this life is only a small moment compared to eternity, and Christ is the only way we can have true happiness.

Thanks for all your support! I've really enjoyed your emails and I'm happy to be here. I know that we all need to follow Christ! 

-Elder Coleman

Taos, NM Ward Chapel

Tres Piedras, NM Branch Chapel