The Baptism for Morgan was really good. We had great ward support. We had a bunch of people there. The spirit was there and I was pleased with it. Most importantly, Morgan was happy with it. She was Confirmed yesterday by her brother-in-law named... Morgan Salisbury. So Morgan confirmed Morgan.
We had a good week. I went on Exchanges down to Hazard, which was fun. We went to an Applebee's while we were there and we walked in and it smelled like smoke. UGH! It was nasty. It made the food not taste as good. They allowed smoking in there, and it was nasty. But the people in there are still children of God and they need the Gospel.
My studies this week have really led me to the Doctrine of the Resurrection and the Atonement. I have been deeply studying the Plan of Salvation. I realize the blessing it will be to have a perfect body and the reason why we need one. We need to have a resurrected body to be in God’s presence again. Christ overcame the obstacle of physical death with his resurrection. He had power over death, he didn't die when he suffered in Gethsemane because he was able to call upon his Godliness and preserve his life. A normal man would have died from the pain, but Christ, being the Only Begotten of the Father, did not die. Therefore death had no power over him, but he laid down his life voluntary, no one took it from him. He then took up his life again. Because he did this, he has overcome physical death, and we all will be reunited, body and spirit. What a blessing! He also overcame the obstacle of spiritual death. He paid the price of our sins. He took the punishment, and all he asks us to do is to be clean, and follow him by living the gospel and we will live with God again. Here are some scriptures I like.
Helaman 14:
15 For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.
16 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
18 Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.
19 Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.
And this scripture
Alma 11:
42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is cone Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
Ya, that is a lot of scripture, but I like it. All will be resurrected. We can know that death is NOT the end for anyone. So many people in the world need to know this.
Another thing I thought about this week is how in the spirit world the gospel is preached to the dead.
1 Peter 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (there is a JST on this verse.)
I realized more fully why there can only be ONE gospel and one way to live with God. There are so many churches that teach good things and they have part of the truth, but they don't have everything. They each teach little differences in how to be "saved." There can only be one way because God is going to judge us one way, and by one law. If he judged each of us different ways it wouldn't be Just. Everyone needs to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel. It wouldn't make sense nor would it be just if the spirits in prison didn't have that opportunity. It wouldn't be just to us or to them. There is only one way we are judged and God gives everyone an opportunity to know the law. And the way we will be judged was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. It is the Law, and the Gospel that we learn from in the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures. I want to know how I am going to be judged so when I get to the judgement bar I don't just say "OOPS!"
I don't know why I just shared all this stuff with you all. I hope it made sense. It is just what I am excited about right now, so I hope you learn something from it. It has really made feel like I understand things a little more and it has helped me see how much God loves me and how much this gospel just makes sense. I love you all. Have a great week!.
Love,
Elder Spencer
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| This is Morgan after the baptism interview. Elder Stavely, Elder Spencer, Ben, Morgan, Elder MacPherson and Elder Fielding |
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| Elder Spencer and Elder MacPherson in the Halloween Costumes |
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| Elder Spencer, Richard, Ben, Morgan and Elder MacPherson |
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