The Missouri and Independence of Elder Kelly: Scriptures are so Powerful

The clouds here are so pretty and move at a ridiculous speed sometimes.

This is the Missouri River

I'm not trying to be a bum. It's just that not that much exciting stuff happened this week especially in comparison to last week. But I did want to tell you guys about something that was pressed very firmly against my mind by the Spirit this week.

I have been trying to memorize all those scriptures I sent a couple weeks ago and I was working on the Atonement one: 2 Nephi 2:6-7

"6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered."

That is a pretty profound scripture. One morning during my morning prayers I asked Heavenly Father to help be able to use the scriptures I have been memorizing in lessons. I didn't mean recite them, but use the principal they teach and/or have the investigator read it. Well that day or the next day we were teaching a lesson to Sean and Mary (some neighbors up the street we helped move in two weeks ago) They had lots of wonderful questions and it was a lot of fun answering them as we taught. One thing that Mary asked was, "Why, if Heavenly Father is all knowing... and can do all things... did He have to send his Son into the world to suffer and die for us? Why doesn't he just forgive us?" When she asked that I won't lie I was a little bit stumped. I thought, "That is a really good point... Why did he make his son suffer. Seems kind of tedious if God could just forgive us." And then the Spirit was singing in my head and I explained to her what Nephi is teaching us. Jesus Christ had to suffer literally in the physical and spiritual sense. Why? Because there were laws irrevocably decreed in heaven before the world was. When we abide by or break those laws there will be a consequence, good or bad depending on the choice we made. Well someone had to suffer the consequences of the bad choices if God also declared that we must be perfect but put us in imperfect bodies. Some one had to physically and spiritually take on the consequences for any misstep, any mistake of all of God's children so that we can all be lifted from the physical and carnal state into the spiritually eternal state. That way we don't have to suffer the consequences if we are willing to sincerely turn to Christ with a broken heart and contrite spirit prepared to change and be made new. Justice is swallowed by grace. Isn't it just marvelous? The love that is shown is both thrilling and almost impossible to comprehend. How joyful it is to know that we have a Savior. How exhilarating it is to know we can change and experience a rebirth through Christ! This thought and idea has filled my heart with rejoicing over and over again as I have continued to ponder it throughout the day.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that little thought. There was one really cool thing that happened this week. Sister Snider (best cook in the whole ward) heard it was my birthday this next week and so she made a special dinner for me when we came over on Saturday. She made fondue! We had steak chicken and pork that we could fry up in some peanut oil with 3 different sauces to dip it in. Oh my goodness I ate so much food. She even made me a cheesecake! The Horrocks family came over since sister Snider's husband past away years ago. I'll send a pic of the dinner.