Dear Family,
How are you? I am well. This week we had more lessons than usual, but, sadly, investigators didn't came to church this week. Thus, we're working extra-hard to help them to do so!
This week I've been studying the centrality of the Saviour in God's plan, and how it is only through him that salvation can come to us. As Jacob says, "If there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost." I think that it's important for us to teach the centrality of the atoning sacrifice of the Saviour, as many people that we meet or teach are confused about His role and importance. I think that Peter and John taught this doctrine clearly enough (Acts 4:11-12), the Book of Mormon is replete with it (Mosiah 3:17, Alma 21:9, 22:14 and 38:9, 2 Nephi 25:20, etc), Moses himself made it clear (Exodus 20:1-5), as did other old testament prophets (Hosea 13:4, Isaiah 43:10-11, 44:13-20), and whatever the prophets might have left unclear, Christ clarified (Matthew 4:10). I know that it is only through Christ that we can come to God and be saved, that 'all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Rom 3:23), and that without the Atonement, we would "return to God, and behold his face, and remain in [our] sins," (2 Nephi 9:38), and that "He hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can [we] be saved except [we] inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, [we] cannot be saved in our sins," (Alma 11:37). It is only through the Atonement, the infinite sacrifice of God's Holy Son, that "mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircle [us] in the arms of safety. ... Therefore, only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption," (Alma 34:16). I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, and for modern revelation and living prophets, that teach us to worship God in God's way, to become disciples of Jesus Christ, and come unto Him and be saved—to have peace in this life, and eternal life in the world to come.
Hope you are well, love you all,
Elder Schlachter photos
P.S. I've been unable to send the fax to the SAAQ to cancel my driver's license so far—I'll continue trying this week, and if I don't succeed, I'll send a photo of the scan home so that it can be send from there!
P.S.S. Thank you Mom for the articles from the Liahona. It would be better if you copied the text and sent them to me, because I'm not to use the internet except to see email! Thank you for the article about pronouncing the "rr"—I'll be running through the exercices this week in my language studies! Right now, I'm also rereading my grammar book; I'll have to revise my plan once I finish it again (this week!).
