October 5, 2015 "Atonement & Miracles"

This week has been great!! Everything is just amazing.  I love my area, my companion, and South Africa.  South Africa has really left in imprint on my heart and it is going to be hard to leave.  This place and more importantly the people mean so much to me.  Mom you are lucky that SA is so far away cause if it wasn't I would live here.  

Well I don't have much time today.  We are taking out the Special Needs missionaries and so we have to pick them up soon. I am going to be brief so sorry!

I just want to explain an experience that I had which was sad but that I learned a lot from.  We went to go visit a part member family.  The Dad and Son (who is on mission in Uganda) are members and we are teaching the two older brothers and one younger sister.  They have been progressing so well and have come to church for the past 5 weeks.  As we were walking up the stairs to their flat we saw one of the brothers in the hall way.  It was very clear within seconds that he was drunk and he said to us that he will join us in just a second.  We got to the flat where the rest of the family was and waited for him and hoped that he would come to his senses and join us.  15 minutes went by and he never came so we decided to teach without him.  As we then went back down he was in the stairway with a girl that had him in control like a puppet.  It was so sad to see that he had no control over himself and there was no part nor portion of spirit with him.  As we walked out of the building I thought to myself ok now when he wakes up tomorrow he is going to feel guilty and unworthy, which is good, but then he is also going to feel he is too unclean to be at church.  That last thought comes from satan.  The next day he wasn't there and unfortunately I was right.  I just wish he knew and could see the healing power that came from the atonement and that it is panacea to all of his troubles and worries. If only he knew that Satan's grasp on him isn't as tight as he thinks. As I walked away I was sad but this week I cannot wait for the opportunity to share the atonement with him.  

I know in my emails talk about the atonement a lot and the miracles that come from it and that is because I learn more and more about it every day.  It is so simple that even a child can understand it but it is so infinite that it takes eternities to learn how to use it to its full capacity.  I know that sounds paradoxical but study it and use it and you will see what I mean.  The atonement has made me see things in a different way and just maybe I am starting to see a glimpse of what Heavenly Father sees.  If you are new to the gospel or feel that your understanding is limited start off with studying about the cleansing and enabling power that comes from the atonement.  It will change the way you see as well.

ElDeR OlSoN