The Atonement of our Savior

Hey everyone.  I feel like I should talk about the atonement of our Savior.  I just ask that each of you consider your relationship with Him and how He can help you overcome anything that you're feeling or going through right now. 

Christ has a lot of different names.  Here are some that I can think of: Lord, Savior, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Advocate, Brother, and Friend.  Jesus Christ literally is all of those things and so much more.  He knows us.  He loves us.  He wants the best for us and wants to help us.  When we've done what we can, He makes up the rest.  He truly is everything.  Christ is our Rock and our Salvation.  He is the beginning and the end.  The way, the truth, and the life.  Only in and through Him can we be saved.  

One of my favorite scriptures is John 3:16-17 which says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  Beautiful huh?  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants us to be with Him again.  I can't imagine how it would be to give up your son but I do know that it takes so much love that we can't even imagine.  Why did He do that?  Because He loves us. 

Our Heavenly Father knew that life would be hard, even overwhelming at times and that we would need help.  So, He gave up his son.  I love 2nd Nephi 2:24.  This chapter is all about the Plan of Salvation and particularly the Fall of Adam and Eve.  In the world, people look down on Adam and Eve.  They blame their problems on them and think that everything bad in the world is because of them.  Well, that is not true.  God has a plan and we are so lucky to be a part of it.  Verse 24 says, "But behold, ALL THINGS have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things."  The next verses go on to say, "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, they they might have joy.  And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall..."  I love it!  Our Heavenly Father knows ALL THINGS.  He knows the good things, the bad, the happy, the sad.  Everything!  How comforting! 

Christ came to the earth for each one of us.  I truly believe that the atonement is an individual thing, sure it all took place at the same time but it is very individual.  Christ suffered for us individually.  He suffered for you and He suffered for me.  In Alma 7:11-12 we learn that Christ suffered for everything - not just our sins.  It says, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."  Christ knows it all.  He knows each of our pains, our sicknesses, our problems and He will lift us all up to help us to overcome everything. 

Remember when Peter was walking on water and started to sink?  All he had to do was cry out to the Lord and IMMEDIATELY He was there pulling him out of the water.  When we are drowning, we can trust that He will immediately pull us out of anything when we call out to Him.  I love in the Bible when Christ tells those who are mocking him that the whole need no physician.  He came for the sick, for the meek, and lowly of heart.  I love Christ.            

This week was pretty good.  I truly love being a missionary.  I can't believe that I only have a month left but I sure am going to give it all that I've got.  This week Devon should be getting baptized.  We're really excited about that.  Rycca is continuing to progress and is doing really good.  We were kind of worried about Candy because we hadn't seen or heard from her since Monday.  Well, this morning I was just studying in Ether and the phone rang.  It was Candy!  She informed me that she and her boyfriend broke up!  Obviously she was a bit upset and crying but through the tears she was able to say, "even though we broke up, I don't want to stop this.  I really want to continue with this."  Amazing!  What a tender mercy!  The Lord really does look out for His people.  He wont give us more than we can handle and He gives us tender mercies in the perfect timing to help us going.  It's amazing. 

Another note worthy thing that happened this week is that a lady told me that I was going strait to hell.  Honestly it was pretty funny.  She was a referral.  So we went by to meet her and she told us that our works are condemning us and that we are saved by grace.  We brought up the fact that we are saved by grace after all that we can do.  She was adamant that that was against the "doctrine of Paul."  I thought that it was so funny and said something to the affect of, "well, I guess it's a good thing then that we believe in the doctrine of Christ."  Don't worry, I said it very tactfully.  It was just so interesting because she mentioned that sometimes she feels like doing nice things for people but then quickly realizes that that would be wrong and she needs to stay in her house, away from good works.  I'm so thankful for the truth.  Pretty much the conversation ended with her crying and saying, "please understand... you're going to Hell and I know that you don't even believe in Hell but that is where you're going.  I'm praying for you."  Basically, I ended it by thanking her for her concern and we went on our way.  Pretty funny.
 
Yesterday was the 90 Stake, Stake Conference in AZ.  It was really neat.  Sister Thompson talked about how the Book of Mormon gives us strength.  Elder Cook talked about living in the world and not of it.  President Monson talked about reaching down and lifting up those that are in need.  This is something that we all need to do.  We all need each other.  Please help each other.  Bishop H. David Burtain spoke about being grateful so I want to end this email with what I am thankful for.  

I am thankful for my Savior, my family, temples, covenants, the scriptures, the opportunity to serve a mission, technology, love, life, BYU football, the Gospel, warm weather, mountains, friends, the sacrament, church, callings, a prophet, inspiration, the Holy Ghost, a loving/all-knowing Heavenly Father, prayer, patriarchal blessings, kindness, repentance, the atonement, investigators, people to talk to, and so much more.  I know that each day we can all find something to be grateful for.  The Lord is on our side and we can not fail when he is our captain.  Have a great week.  Stand a little taller and be a little better.  The Gospel is definitely true and because of it we can overcome EVERYTHING!  I love you all so much!  Have a great week!  
Love, Sister Anderson  

I can't believe that this is my last transfer!

(This ones for Heather. Home in our area).

Hey everyone! Like always I just have to say that I love being a missionary. Seriously, it is SO amazing! I love every part of it.

I can't believe that this is my last transfer. There is so much to do and so little time! I'll be ending here in San Manuel and I'm so excited about it! It is going to be an amazing transfer!

Well, we just had an amazing week. It was so great. For a few weeks I've been thinking about this lady that I contacted when I was in the North West this summer. I've tried to explain to the sisters how to get to her house but the couldn't figure it out so I went to the North West to be with Sister Bodily from Monday night to Wednesday morning so that we could find that lady. Well, it was easy for us to find this home. We knocked on the door and they woman's husband opened the door. I basically said, "Hi! We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have a message for you that will bring you closer to Christ and will bless your family." He was like "really?!? I'm busy right now but can you please come back?" Isn't that cool! The Spirit is amazing because I talked to that lady in June for like 5 minutes but I knew that now was the time to go back. The Spirit just tells us what we need to do and when we need to do it. Our lives are so much easier when we are worthy to hear the promptings of the spirit and when we actually open up to hear it. It's like in 3rd Nephi 11. We need to open ourselves to hearing and understanding the words of the Lord.

This week we continued to work with Devon, Rycca, and Candy. It's amazing to see people who have truly been prepared and really want to follow the Lord. They are all doing so great and all came to church! Saturday night President Walker called us and told us that he and Sister Walker would be joining us for church on Sunday. He needed to talk to my companion about some family issues and so he said that Sister Walker would be coming to sunday school with me. Well, I never prepare my sunday school lessons but I read through it twice so that I would be prepared for them to be there. The lesson was on the spirit world and I was pretty sure that it would be a great class.

Well, It was so funny because this elderly less-active sister that hasn't ever been active came and she had all of these crazy comments. They were so funny and I just would smile and try to bring the class back on the subject. One of the comments was so funny that Sister Walker and I just lost it and started to laugh. I was so thankful that Sister Walker laughed with me. The whole time I was wondering what she was thinking. President came in for the end of the lesson and a less-active brother tried to argue with him because he said it doesn't matter what we do in this life because we'll have a second chance in the spirit world. President said, "don't procrastinate the day of your repentance!" That got the man fired up and I just had to end it by saying "thank goodness Christ knows best and He asks us to give Him our very best and then He'll make up the rest." It was really funny. After the crazy lesson Sister Walker hugged me for a long time and said, "Sister Anderson, I just love you. Keep smiling and laughing." I guess that they understood that I did the best that I could considering the comments. President said that we need to visit with the brother about Alma 34. Should be fun!

(District Meeting)

Despite all of that church really was amazing on Sunday. It was probably the best sacrament meeting we've had since I've been here. There wasn't a lull at all in the testimony bearing. When I got up, our investigator Devon gave me a rock on and punched the air in support. Lucky for us he was on the back row. He is so funny. He is probably our age, a redneck, plays Madden football all day, and has a curly mohawk. One lady got up and said, "I'm old and I'm slow but I still love the Gospel!" Amen! It doesn't matter how old we are, we can and should still love the Gospel!

We were so excited before church because Rycca, Devon, and tons of less-actives were there. During the opening song Candy walked in with her 4 little girls. I was so happy that I just lost it and started crying. I'm not a cryer but when I see people that want to come closer to Christ and are willing to put effort into it I'm so happy. It makes everything worth it.

After Sacrament Meeting everyone greeted the Walkers like they were celebrities. It was so funny. In his interview with Sister Thomas, President Walker told her that he could tell that we were being obedient because of the miracles that he is seeing in our area. This area was reopened to missionaries last year and it had been closed for 8 years because of some dumb things done by missionaries. When I first got here everyone (especially members) told me that they were sorry for me because this is the worst area but we are proving them wrong! At church on sunday everyone was saying that this area is changing and that they're so happy to be a part of it. It was so good to hear that. People are starting to want to be missionaries and to help those in the community. I love it!

Yesterday a lot of the missionaries in our zone were getting together for lunch. It was kind of one last hurrah before some went home. Sister Thomas and I really wanted to go but decided that it was a good thing but not the best so we stayed here and we saw so many miracles. When we got to Candy's house she had her daughter Alissia waiting to learn more. Alissia turns 8 two days before Candy's baptismal date so we plan on her getting baptized then as well. I have a strong testimony that when we give up our will and do what the Lord would have us do we are blessed. Sometimes it's hard because we want to do "good" things but they're not always the "best" things. We have to keep everything in perspective.

Last night we stopped by a ward FHE and the brother giving the lesson said, "You can't stand still in the Gospel. Either you're going forward or you're going backwards but you don't stand in place." So true. What are we doing to make sure that we are going forward?

I just really love the Gospel. It's so simple. When we do what Heavenly Father asks we are blessed. When we don't, we aren't. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way. Yesterday we visited with a sister who had lots of issues with going to church but it boiled down to tithing. I know that sometimes people just get overwhelmed and think that they aren't doing enough/can't do enough and just give up. All Heavenly Father asks is for us to do our best.

One of my favorite scriptures is 2nd Nephi 31:20. It says, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." I know that I want to live with Heavenly Father, Christ, and my family forever and all that Heavenly Father asks is for me to go forward. Heavenly Father is merciful as long as we are doing are part. We just need to take things step by step, little by little until those things that we used to think were so hard become easier.

The Gospel is definitely true and we are so lucky to be able to take part in it. I hope that you all have a great week and remember who you are. We're children of a king and entitled to so many blessings. Act the part.
I love you all! Bye!
Love, Sister Anderson
Remember, come what may and love it!

The Snake Slayer

Hey everyone! I hope that you all are doing amazing and had a super happy Halloween! I can’t believe that it is already November! It’s crazy!

We had a really great week this week. It was like we saw one miracle after another. The Lord really blessed us.

On Tuesday night Rycca, Nick, and Dylan all went to the Primary/Mutual activity. It was awesome because we’ve had such a hard time getting them all to the church and they finally went. It was so easy. We simply just asked them if they wanted to go and they were like “of course!” It was so cool. The young men and young women put together lots of little games for the primary and everyone had a lot of fun. We were so excited about them actually coming and enjoying themselves.
(Sister Thomas and I, the Bishop and his wife prior to a competition. I told them it wasn't quiet dignity, but they still made me do it.)

This week Sister Thomas and I decided to really focus on finding. Not just tracting but doing smart finding. We decided that we needed to work more with members and part-member families. There are so many people in this area that need to be united with their families in the Gospel. I swear, a lot of these part-member families have been contacted by missionaries countless times but you never know if it will only take just one more time or just that certain missionary. You'll never know until you try. So many people say things like, "those people have been tried so many times. Visiting them might be pointless and a waste of your time." Well, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father and we all chose to follow Him before this life so you never know if they will accept it again if you don't ask.

One of the people we decided to visit was this man named Jerry. I'd met Jerry before but it was during NASCAR so we didn't really get a chance to really talk. Like I always say, the Lord's timing is perfect and it definitely was perfect this week. We got to Jerry's house right as he was trying to kill a rattle snake.
His wife wasn't home and he said, "Sisters I have a rattle snake! Run and get your cameras!" He wanted us to take part in this experience with him. So basically after we took a lot of pictures he informed us that he had killed countless snakes during his life and that he thought that one of us should have a chance. I decided that I would do anything to win the trust of a potential investigator so you guessed it, I killed the snake with his garden hoe. The whole time he was saying "harder Sister, harder."
(After I killed the rattle snake with holding my weapon),
It was so funny. After that excitement he invited us to sit down on the porch and to talk with him. It was great! He totally just opened up and shared with us all about his life. At one point I said, "Jerry, I know that you've been asked this a lot but have you ever been interested in joining the church?" It was great because he was totally open and said that he had been thinking a lot about it lately and thinking about surprising his family by doing it. We told him that it was simple to get an answer if he should do it or not. All you have to do is pray. He was shocked for some reason.

So many people think that getting an answer to your questions is so hard and almost impossible but I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants to answer us and guide and direct us. We just have to do our part by getting on our knees and praying. It's simple. God isn't complicated. We complicate things.

Shortly after that his wife pulled up and we ended the conversation. I'm just praying that he decides that now is the time to change and accept the Gospel fully into his life. It was funny because he said that his wife brings them good luck because she's living the Gospel. Jokingly we informed him that it's time that he starts to bring good luck into their lives as well. We'll see where things go with Jerry but I'm excited.

At church yesterday his wife, daughter, and son-in-law sat in front of us. They were calling me the snake slayer and said that Jerry has told everyone about it. He even showed them pictures. I know that the Lord really does give us courage as we're trying to bring others unto Him because there is no way that I would ever have done something like that back home.

Another great thing that happened this week is that a brother in the ward called us and said that he had gone and visited with a different part-member family and invited them to take the lessons. They accepted, went to church, and we had a lesson with them yesterday. It was so simple. Candy, the girlfriend, now has a baptismal date and is excited to have her questions answered. It's amazing because it was all so simple. A man was in tune with the spirit, followed its promptings, and now someone is drawing closer to Christ. I love it!

I always think about the quote from President Hinckley in PMG. It says "So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows that there is a better way. That way is through the members of the church..." We can go out and knock on every door in town and have zero new investigators. But when members are involved, we get so much more done.

I read talks from Elder Bednar and Elder Ballard today about "becoming a missionary" and having gospel sharing homes. Both talks taught that when we truly know who we are, missionary work is not a burden. It's one of the greatest desires in our hearts. It becomes instinctive and who we are. Missionary work is not a program but it truly is a way of life. I love being a missionary because it brings me so much joy. I know that the lessons taught in D&C 15, 16, and 18 are so true. How great will be our joy if we bring just ONE soul unto Christ. It makes everything worth it when you help others. I just love it. Missionary work needs to run through our bloods because it truly brings salvation.

Yesterday was amazing because Rycca and Candy both came to church. They're now progressing and seeing more blessings in their lives. It's so great! We are so blessed to be a part of the TRUE church of Jesus Christ. He is the only way. He is everything. As we truly come to know that our lives become easier and more meaningful. I love the Gospel. It is definitely true and makes me so happy. I hope that you all have a great week and look for the blessings that come from the Gospel. You'll find them. Look to God and Live!

Love, Sister Anderson