'No it's okay, because Adam and Eve drank tea too."
"...Brother, what?"
"In the garden of Eden there were many trees, right?"
"Yes."
"That means there must have been a tea tree there, and God said that Adam and Eve could have any fruit from the garden, which means that they must have made tea."
"..."
It's amusing at times to see what kind of justifications people will make to continue with their "favorite sins". That was a real conversation we had with a less active member and we tried for 10 minutes to correct his flawed logic and teach why we need the Word of Wisdom, but he rebuffed everything we had to say and argued to prove why he was right. It made me think about my own life, and how I sometimes justify the wrong things that I'm doing because I don't want to give them up just yet. I think that's one of the ways that Satan traps members of the church, because most of us have grown up being taught the commandments which gives a solid knowledge of what's right and what's not. We've been taught about why we need to be obedient and what the consequences are if we're not, but if the devil can make us think that some sins "aren't that bad" or if he can provide us with a loophole to the commandments we justify our transgressions to remove the guilt that always accompanies them. Someone told me a while back that people will "justify themselves to Hell", and I think that's a perfect reminder that God doesn't care if "everyone else is doing it", there is never an excuse to knowingly and willingly break any of God's commandments. There should never be an excuse to "Justify yourself to Hell".
Oh, and I got transferred to Bangalore this week. I was supposed to leave tomorrow but due to some legal procedures it'll probably take until the end of the week. I learned that God can have a unique, and at times almost cruel sense of humor. I love Hyderabad, but it's so dense and crowded that I've been yearning to go somewhere more open and more green. I dreaded the thought of going to an even bigger city, but I figured that the lord knew my desire and I felt like the odds of being transferred to Bangalore were slim.
"Elder Cloward, you're being sent to Convent Road in Bangaluru, the busiest, richest, and most crowded part of the biggest city in southern India."
I've been reviewing these past few weeks in my mind to figure out what major sin I committed that brought about this trial. Oh well, come what may and love it, I guess.
Thanks also for the birthday wishes everyone, it made my day. :) I was able to go out for lunch and enjoy the day with the other missionaries and some members, and one of the missionaries got me a larger than life color poster of himself as a gift. Oh, and President Obama even came all the way over here to India to personally wish me a happy birthday, but it looks like he got lost and ended up in New Delhi. Oh well.
Until next time everyone. :)
-Elder Cloward
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