Elder Scott Learning, Living and Sharing the Gospel in Perú: April 2018

I know this picture has nothing to do with the Atonement,
but it is just too cute to not have at the top of this entry.

This week I've been pondering about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I was able to teach the Gospel Principles class on Sunday about this topic so it's been on my mind. I love being able to take the Sacrament each week, and think about what it means to partake of the

Sacrament.

The past two weeks during church my companion and I have had the opportunity to also bless the Sacrament because there are no other priest-aged boys in our ward, and the Elder's Quorum prefers if we bless it. This past week I was also able to prepare the Sacrament to be blessed. I love the opportunities I get to prepare the Sacrament, and felt such a special spirit while doing it. That is something I have missed out on. Really it is such a special duty to be able to prepare the Sacrament to help others remember their baptismal covenants and the sacrifice that Christ made for us. (Sidenote: Preparing the Sacrament is something worthy Aaronic Priesthood holders known as Teachers can help with in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints once they turn 14. When worthy priesthood holders turn 16 they can be ordained as a Priest and then also have the responsibility of helping bless the Sacrament. Partaking of the Sacrament is a very sacred opportunity we have been given to renew the covenants weekly that we have made with our Heavenly Father, and something we look forward to on the Sabbath Day).

Blessing the Sacrament, as always, is super amazing. And afterwards I was able to teach the Sunday School class on the Atonement of Jesus Christ which made it even better! Really it is truly an amazing sacrifice that Christ made for each of us. One that only He could make. A sacrifice that would change not only the history of the world, but the history of all time and eternity. Thanks to His great sacrifice that He voluntarily made, we do not need to be separated from God spiritually or physically because we know He lives and we know His Son Jesus Christ lives, too. Jesus Christ beat physical death, when His body and spirit were separated, and then on the third day He was miraculously resurrected and His physical and spiritual bodies were once again reunited in an immortal state. And because of this we also know that we too will be resurrected. Because of His Atonement we can also beat spiritual death (the separation of us from God). This is all thanks to our Savior's mercy and our Father's loving grace when they granted us the gift of repentance when we sincerely turn away from sins and wrongdoings.

I love it so much, and I really was able to see and feel the importance of His sacrifice for us this past week, and felt the importance of participating in partaking of the emblems of the Sacrament. Super amazing, and a feeling each of us can have each week as we partake of the Sacrament.

Pictures from the past few weeks in Caraz