Email from Elder Lofthouse 5/12/14 The Atonement is the Center of it All

Surprise!  I'm actually e-mailing today.  President interviews got moved to next week.  I will be e-mailing on Tuesday next week though.

Yesterday was just fantastic.  I love the phone calls home we get.  They do exactly what I think they're supposed to.  I feel so re-energized and focused afterward.  We ended the week with 13 lessons with a member present and set a new baptismal date.  His name is M.  In our last zone meeting, our zone leaders had us think of an investigator and look over the baptismal interview questions, thinking about what they needed next to progress.  I thought about him and as I went through the questions the Spirit whispered to me that while he may say he believes that Jesus Christ is our Savior, he probably doesn't really understand that.  He wouldn't accept a date because he feared falling again after baptism.  I felt that question three, which is about repentance, is what we should focus on next and as I did so I realized that it went perfectly with the second part of question one (do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?".  And then my mind was just illuminated with the thought, "He needs to be taught faith in Jesus Christ and repentance."  It felt so right!  Later, my companion and I role-played our lesson with him.  In our last lesson we had taught the plan of salvation but for some reason had skipped over the fall.  We weren't sure why, but as we were role-play we felt directed to teach the fall and the atonement.  We felt so strongly that if we could help him understand the fall and the need of the atonement, that his faith in Christ would increase and he would accept a date.  And that's exactly what happened!  That was one of the most revelatory experiences I've had on my mission.  It has been such a blessing to see Mateo's faith grow.  He said he will try to be prepared to be baptized on the 31st, but it was with determination not uncertainty.  

R is set on being baptized the Saturday.  He's a little older though and forgets a lot and it's going to take a lot of work and a miracle to have him ready for the baptismal interview before Saturday.  He has a very strong desire to be baptized though, he has lots of family in the church, he loves going to church, he reads the Book of Mormon, he prays, and I think that with Heavenly Father's help, we'll be able to have this baptism. 

I just want to share my testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It has grown so, so much on my mission.  It grew even more last night as we taught M.  I was about to bear a general testimony of how Christ paid the price for our sins, but it came out like this: "Jesus Christ came to this earth to pay the price for MY sins and to rescue ME from the fall.  He did that to give ME the strength to overcome my weaknesses and to be able to get up over and over again even as I fall.  Because of Him we need not fear falling.  Because of Him it's okay to fall.  We can fall over and over again as long as we let Him lift us back up."  The Spirit bore a powerful witness to me of the words I was saying.  

We really were lost forever without an infinite atonement.  Death and sin are the two great obstacles to God's plan.  We cannot overcome those on our own.  But how great is our God who sent His son to save us from death!  How wonderful is His plan of redemption! "Repent all ye ends of the earth and come utno me and be saved."  Saved from death, saved from sin, saved from our fallen natures.  Let him heal you!  Let Him purify you!  He has all power and is all-loving.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse