Week 16

Hola!

Most importantly Happy Mother's Day on Sunday! I am so grateful for all the role model mothers I have had in my life especially my mom! I cannot wait to talk to her on Sunday! My mom is hard working, funny, adventurous, intelligent, and loving! I love you momma!

I've been given this advice before, but never put this way: "Here's how life should be lived: when you walk into a room, decide if your the smartest person there. If you are, you can be content, but don't become prideful. If your not, decide who is and stand next to them, talk to them, and learn something." Can you imagine how different the world would be, if this is how we all lived?

So this week our lesson with J----- and his family fell through but on Sunday we went and visited with them for a bit. And a little mission miracle happened...A----- was talking about how this week was especially hard and she was really sad because of the war that's going on in Venezuela and her son is still there. They are trying to save up the money to bring him to Chile. Anyways she told us that the other night she woke up, really worried, and couldn't sleep. She then proceeded to get out of bed and read from the Book of Mormon!! And she was really excited because she had found the answer she was looking for! It's incredible how the Lord softens the hearts of those who are truly ready for the gospel. She didn't want a baptismal date because she doesn't want to feel pressured, however, all by herself to find comfort she chose to read from the Book of Mormon. She has progressed and her testimony is a lot stronger than I think she realizes. I am so excited to see them be baptized they are going to be a "power couple" in the church!

I read a talk this week about the atonement. "Atonement, Agency, Accountability" by Boyd K Packer. In it he talks about the scriptural uses of the word "Atonement". So I did a little digging, it is used in the scriptures very little:

Old Testament- 94

New Testament- 1

Book of Mormon- 40

Pearl of Great Price- 1

D&C- 9

As Elder Packer talked, I am also marveled at the fact that the word is used only ONE time in the New Testament. As Nephi taught in 1 Nephi 13:24, the Bible once contained the fullness of the gospel. But over time we see the formation of the great and abominable church. While the New Testament contains only 1 reference and the Book of Mormon 55, we see another witness that the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. It is the only book that contains the fullness of the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ. How blessed are we to have it! On my mission we are told to be cautious of who we give Books of Mormon to. When I was first told this I thought to myself, "why?! I'm a missionary and we give free copies to people all over the world!" But here, the sad fact is, people use the pages to make joints, to do drugs. Sacred pages disregarded and disgraced. I thank the father daily that i was born into the family I was, and so, being born into the covenant and taught by example the importance of The Book of Mormon. 

The phrase, "the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people" has always been an interesting statement to me. For most my life I always thought that that meant that He worked through visions, priesthood authority, missionaries, personal revelation, etc. As I have studied my scriptures this week I read in Alma 24.  This chapter is talking about the Lamanites coming to bring a war upon the people of the anti-Nephi-Lehi's.  In verse 19 it says, "...we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried their weapons of war for peace." Those who have come unto God, quite literally put all evil aside and came to God for peace. When the people saw that the Lamanites were coming they went out to meet them, swordless, full of faith and they began to pray unto the Lord. The Lamanites killed 1,005 of the Anti-nephi -Lehi's.  The Lamanites were astonished that these people would lay down their lives and praise God even at the very moment of perishing under the sword. Because of this act of faith, in verse 26 it says, "And it came to pass that the people of God who were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved." The Lord looked at 1,005 people and knew that they could all die and come unto him and because of their faith and sacrifice more would join the church than had died. In verse 27 it says, "....thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people." Now I don't know if we will find anything this extreme as a way to convert people in our day, but either way it gave a whole new aspect to God knowing the bigger picture and knowing what is needed of his children. 

Love you all!  Hope you have a great week!

Hermana Sullivan