the men made teriyaki...long story short, it resulted in many of us being
very sick yesterday. Yay Mother's Day!
On the bright side, I got to talk with my family yesterday. Although it was
short and a little crazy, it was great to see faces and hear voices. Time
flies! Crazy to think that next time I talk to them face to face it will be
at home. Yikes!
This week was a little slow. Lot's of people out of town or not home. It
seemed like everyone had gone to Portland, Oregon for the week. Why? Who
knows.
Funny story of the week: I woke up in the middle of the night a couple
nights ago because I heard some loud talking. As I came to my senses, I
realized it was Hermana Richey talking in her sleep. She was teaching a
missionary lesson. I couldn't help but laugh and be proud that she was
teaching even in her sleep. Right as I was about to go back to sleep, she
switched from English to Spanish and began to testify of God's love for
whoever she was talking to in her dream. Again, I laughed. But I really was
very proud. She's a great missionary:)
We had a member in our branch give a fantastic talk on the Sabbath Day
yesterday. In part of her talk, she shared an experience in the conversion
story of her family. They learned of the gospel and were baptized as a
family when she was younger in Peru many years ago. She explained that they
had a "panaderia" or a bread store. She explained that it was necessary
that they be opened 7 days a week by law because they also carried various
medicines that were commonly needed. However, when they were baptized and
learned and understood more fully what the Sabbath Day was, their family
decided to close down their shop on Sunday.
This was a step of faith for the family, but they did it happily. Each
Sunday, they received a ticket on the window with a great fine for being
closed on Sunday. This did not deter their faith. They knew they needed to
keep the Sabbath holy and that the Lord would provide no matter how many
tickets or fines they received.
They decided to go further and share the gospel in more ways that just this
(which already drew much attention). They put a scripture from the Book of
Mormon on their sign outside on Sunday and people would say, "Wow, how
beautiful! Where can I find that quote so I can have it at my house??" Then
they would gladly say "in this Book" as they gladly handed out countless
copies of the Book of Mormon.
Further on, they had a large map that they put out and would say, "did you
know that Jesus came here [as they pointed to the American continent]?" Of
course people said no. And then they would testify that He did and that
they can know for themselves. And again, they began distributing Books of
Mormon is great numbers.
These were just a few of the many examples she shared. They utilized their
shop not to sell on Sunday, but to share the gospel. She testified that her
favorite way to keep the Sabbath holy is to share the gospel. I couldn't
help but agree:)
Lastly, this week I studied the principles of justice and mercy. One of the
most high frequency comments that we get as missionaries is that [mind my
translation]:
"God is great and loves us. As long as I try to be a good person, even if I
mess up-He will forgive me. You wouldn't just stop loving your kid, right?
God will all receive us because He is merciful."
I've dwelt on this comment many times. How is it that so many people can
think this same way? I soon realized though my studied that the answer lies
in the restored truth and understanding of the Plan of Salvation and more
specifically: Atonement of Jesus Christ.
God by nature is just. As Almulek taught Zeezrom in Alma chapter 11:
*... [God] cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and
he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven;
therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven?
Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.*
God loves us infinitely more than we can possibly imagine. He wants more
that anything for us to enter into His kingdom. However, he can not admit
us into his presence if we are not clean. He is completely just and cannot
contradict his eternal nature.
However, His plan was never for us to fail or to never be readmitted into
his presence. With the eternal perspective of the restored gospel, we know
that He prepared the way long before even the first of us were sent here to
be tried.
He prepared a Savior, a Redeemer. He Son. Jesus Christ. Through his
sacrifice, we would be able to become clean again through sincere
repentance. The prophet Abinadi explained this beautifully:
*Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with
compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice;
having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and
their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of
justice.*
Jacob testified of this as well
*...For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice.*
Because of the Atonement of Christ, God became both just and merciful.
Without the Atonement we would have failed miserably in this life and
fallen to the law of justice.
*And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye
must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are
unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of
fire and brimstone is endless torment.* Jacob 6:10
*And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp
of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut
off from his presence.* Alma 42:14
But we know this isn't the plan. It was never the plan. The plan always
centered in our Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement than enabled our
loving Heavenly Father to maintain his just nature, while still extending
mercy to those worthy of it.
As I studied the Bible, sacred scripture, I realized that the focus is
heavily "merciful." It talks very little about the demands of justice, true
nature and purpose of God, His Son, and Christ's Atonement. It is no wonder
people genuinely think what they do. Many of the "plain and precious" parts
of the gospel are missing.
What a blessing it is to have modern day revelation as well as the Book of
Mormon that explains to us so clearly the Plan of God. Reality. Truth.
Precious and simple truth.
What a blessing it is to understand the divine nature of our Heavenly
Father and His divine plan for our eternal destiny. I second Lehi in his
bold declaration to his family, to his posterity, and to each one of us:
*Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the
inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that
can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy,
and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the
flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to
pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.*
I am so grateful for the Atonement as well as a correct and true understand
of it's purpose and power. I know that it is real.
Challenge: Study the Atonement this week. Pray to know who you can share
this knowledge with. Then share it!
The Atonement is the best. Our Heavenly Father loves us.
Hermana Clark