Hello my amazing family!
How are you all doing? Congrats on your successful
cut-overs Dad, that's so awesome! So Savannah, tell me about Star Wars
rebels! Don't spoil it, but how was it? What are the storylines and
characters like? Has Ahsoka come up in the series yet? No spoilers,
but let me know! What's the status on Paraguay, Landon? Is it a
go? How's school going for you both? Well, the language is coming
along really well. My companion and I are trying to gain a decent facility
with the past-tenses right now, and it's coming a long. While we were on
our Sunday walk at the temple a guy came up to us and started speaking in
Portuguese. We able to understand and talk back! It was so
cool! We've still got a ways to go, but it's coming along quite well.
I have gotten some news on my Visa. I know that the
Brazilian Government has received the application. The next phases, or
'landmarks," if you will, are processing, granted, and ready for pickup if
I remember right. One of the guys in our Zone got his Visa yesterday and
shipped out to Brazil this morning. They don't waste time here! Our
Zone leaders also shipped out today. Elder N.... and Elder B..... were
re-assigned to Virginia as Visa wait-ers, and Elder G..... was reassigned to
Indianapolis waiting for his Visa. Several of the guys in our Zone did a
haka for them last night. One of our Elders from New Zealand, Elder
P...... taught and led the haka. I've never seen another person who can
do a haka like that, the only word I can think of to describe it is
terrifying. He did it so well. If I can get my hands on a recording of it
I'll let you know!
Elder N...., the guy we met in Capitol Reef, and I are
talking about meeting up in Capitol Reef after the mish. It would be so
cool to do that, so we should make it happen! Capitol Reef has an ability
to permanently capture people's hearts like no other place I've ever heard
of. Elder N.... and I were talking about how beautiful the storms there
are, and he mentioned how stunning it is to see the water start running over
the cliffs. You've got to be careful in that situation, but I would love
to see the park like that someday. There's nothing quite like storms in
Southern Utah!
I'd be at a bit of a loss to give you my favorite scripture,
there are just so many that I love. There is, however, one that
definitely stands out as the one that I want on my plaque. It is
1
Corinthians 15:10 - "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
I love the phrase "but by the grace of God I am what I
am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain." Isn't
that just beautiful? One of the things that I've thought about a lot is
what does it mean for Christ's grace, which was bestowed upon us, to be in
vain? This is the best I've been able to come up with, so feel free to
share your insights as well! Christ has paid the debt for our sins,
regardless of whether or not we accept the fullness of the blessings of the
Atonement so that we won't have to satisfy justice ourselves. All of us
receive the blessings of resurrection; every man, woman, and child that will
ever live gained that blessing when they accepted God's plan in our pre-mortal
lives. In this life we must be baptized, and repent when we sin for
"He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them
[our sins] no more." D&C 58:42
Finally, we can all have access to the transforming power of
the atonement. We must never lose sight of the purpose of everything in
the restored gospel: helping us become Christ-like people, or making the
character of Christ manifest in the way we live our lives. If we keep
this end in mind always, then every commandment, ordinance, and covenant will
fulfill its purpose in us. There is a very real transforming power in the
atonement, and we can feel it in our lives as we keep our covenants with God
and repent when we, inevitably, fall short. I know that as we do this, we
will feel Christ lifting us up to be more than we ever could be on our own, and
we "shall know that it is by
me [Christ] that [we] are led." 1 Nephi 17:13
I love you all so much, and I know that I am were God needs
me, feeding his sheep. Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you all soon!
Love,
Elder Logan Sweet
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