This week, I learned a lot about the atonement of Jesus Christ, and repentance.
Before
the mission, when you make mistakes, you feel bad. Big mistakes of
course feel worse. And maybe it's just me, but since being a missionary,
the littlest mistakes cause my heart to heart, and I think it's because
as a missionary, you are closer to the spirit. You have the unique
opportunity to fully represent the savior. And when you don't always
live up to that, it hurts. (I'm talking about mistakes/transgressions
like not opening my mouth to share the gospel or letting people pass me
by, not serious sins, although those can apply, too). The little things
make a huge difference.
I used to
think the apostle Peter was a pretty silly guy. Why would you deny
knowing Christ three times of you had walked with Him, seen His
miracles, especially if He warned you before hand? Wouldn't you be proud
to represent Him? But this week I realized that I'm a lot like Peter. I
fall short. I wear my Savior's name everyday, but I'm not perfect like
He is.
And, like
Peter, we all fall short every day. We fail to be 100% dedicated and
consecrated. The little things cause us to fail. And when the cock crows
and we recognize how we've fallen short, we weep bitterly as he did.
Which
brings me to the atonement! There's a quote in Preach My Gospel that
says, "As your understanding of the atonement increases, your desire to
share the gospel with others will increase also." So, I decided to study
the atonement. And would you believe it if I told you PMG is right?! I
began to study the atonement and the effort that it took for the Savior
to give absolutely 100% of himself for our Salvation.
Check out these awesome quotes I found:
1.
"The Savior’s submission to the will of the Father in the Garden of
Gethsemane set an example for us, inviting us to submit to God’s will in
our life. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
explained: “It takes great faith and courage to pray to our Heavenly
Father, ‘Not as I will, but as thou wilt’ [Matt. 26:39]. The faith to
believe in the Lord and endure brings great strength. Some may say if we
have enough faith, we can sometimes change the circumstances that are
causing our trials and tribulations. Is our faith to change
circumstances, or is it to endure them? Faithful prayers may be offered
to change or moderate events in our life, but we must always remember
that when concluding each prayer, there is an understanding: ‘Thy will
be done’ (Matt. 26:42). Faith in the Lord includes trust in the Lord”
2.
"First, an enormous sense of responsibility, for He realized that
except it be done perfectly, not one of His Father’s children could
return to Him. They would be forever banished from His presence since
there would be no way to repent for broken laws and no unclean thing can
exist in the presence of God."
3. Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the
significance of the Savior’s plea to His Father in the Garden of
Gethsemane: “In that most burdensome moment of all human history, with
blood appearing at every pore and an anguished cry upon His lips, Christ
sought Him whom He had always sought--His Father … [Mark 14:36]. This
is such a personal moment it almost seems a sacrilege to cite it. A Son
in unrelieved pain, a Father His only true source of strength, both of
them staying the course, making it through the night--together” (“The
Hands of the Fathers,” Ensign, May 1999, 16). On another occasion Elder
Holland commented further:
“Mark says [Jesus]
fell and cried, ‘Abba, Father.’ This is not abstract theology now. This
is a Son pleading with His Father, ‘All things are possible unto thee;
take away this cup from me’ (Mark 14:36).
“Who
could resist that from any child, especially the perfect Child? ‘You can
do anything. I know You can do anything. Please take this cup from me.’
“That
whole prayer, Mark noted, was asking that if it were possible, this
hour would be stricken from the plan. The Lord said, in effect, ‘If
there is another path, I would rather walk it. If there is any other
way--any other way--I will gladly embrace it.’ … But in the end, the cup
did not pass.
“In the end, He yielded His will
to the will of His Father and said, ‘Not my will, but thine, be done’
(Luke 22:42)” (“Teaching, Preaching, Healing,” Ensign, Jan. 2003, 41).
4. “What
weight is thrown on the scales of pain when calculating the hurt of
innumerable patients in countless hospitals? Now, add to that the
loneliness of the elderly who are forgotten in the rest homes of
society, desperately yearning for a card, a visit, a call--just some
recognition from the outside world. Keep on adding the hurt of hungry
children, the suffering caused by famine, drought, and pestilence. Pile
on the heartache of parents who tearfully plead on a daily basis for a
wayward son or daughter to come back home. Factor in the trauma of every
divorce and the tragedy of every abortion. Add the remorse that comes
with each child lost in the dawn of life, each spouse taken in the prime
of marriage. Compound that with the misery of overflowing prisons,
bulging halfway houses and institutions for the mentally disadvantaged.
Multiply all this by century after century of history, and creation
after creation without end. Such is but an awful glimpse of the Savior’s
load. Who can bear such a burden or scale such a mountain as this? No
one, absolutely no one, save Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of us all” (The
Infinite Atonement [2000], 105).
Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, truly was our Savior and Redeemer. His Father-- our
Father-- commands us to be perfect, but knew we would not achieve
perfection in this life. And that is why Christ came here. That's why He
suffered for everything we would ever feel in this life. So that
He could perfectly understand us. So although we fall so short of
perfection, we still have the glorious hope of returning to His presence
by having faith in Him, repenting daily, being baptized by the property
authority, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant
companion, and using the rest of our lives to follow Him just a little
bit better.
“Now, if there be those throughout
the Church who by word or act have denied the faith, I pray that you
may draw comfort and resolution from the example of Peter, who, though
he had walked daily with Jesus, in an hour of extremity momentarily
denied the Lord and also the testimony which he carried in his own
heart. But he rose above this and became a mighty defender and a
powerful advocate. So, too, there is a way for any person to turn about
and add his or her strength and faith to the strength and faith of
others in building the kingdom of God” (“And Peter Went Out and Wept
Bitterly,” Ensign, Mar. 1995, 2, 4, 6).
I know
my Savior lives and love us. I know repentance is essential to His plan
and I know that this restored gospel brings us the hope we need in this
life, and the only way back home to our Heavenly Father.
Love,
Hermana Abram
This week has been full of tender mercies and miracles. I wish I could share all of them, but some are too personal, and there are so many that I will definitely forget to share all of them. The biggest one was about our baptism. We have struggled a lot to have a baptism recently, and someone finally committed to be baptized on November 7th. We were unbelievably excited. And then a few days later, when we asked her why she wanted to be baptized, she told us that she had actually changed her mind. And then we were heartbroken. 
have been working very hard with them. The last month, Hermana Luna
have changed some of your beliefs because I don't think you believed in Jesus Christ fifty years ago." It was a huge blessing because she seemed much more open to the Church and the Gospel, and she was very appreciative to understand more of who we are.
speak Portuguese. Turns out the only thing we know how to say is "Temos uma mensagem sobre Jesus Cristo para compartiliar com voces" and I think all of that is actually wrong. Everyone said yes to a return appointment, it was wonderful! But at one point we asked the Portuguese Elders to come show us where a referral was. When they did, they ended up finding and teaching a family on the way back to their car. So it was really cool to see how the Lord helped people find the gospel through us!
Life in the GANM is going well. There are so many people here to talk to and so much to do! We spent the majority of the week informing the world about the upcoming general conference where we would hear from the Prophet! It was so fun to testify about the Lord and His mouthpiece.
You guys, I know this is true! Each day my testimony grows more and more. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith was His prophet. I know that families don't end after this life but they have eternity to spend together. And I know that any sacrifice you make to live this gospel is not only essential, but you will be rewarded 100 times more.
.JPG)
