Exerpt from The
Living Christ..."Such then is the need of a Redeemer, for without
Him mankind would forever remain in a fallen state, and as to hope of eternal
progression would be inevitably lost. The mortal probation is provided as an
opportunity for advancement; but so great are the difficulties and the dangers,
so strong is the influence of evil in the world, and so weak is man in
resistance thereto, that without the aid of a power above that of humanity no
soul would find its way back to God from whom it came. The need of a Redeemer lies
in the inability of man to raise himself from the temporal to the spiritual
plane, from the lower kingdom to the higher. In this conception we are not
without analogies in the natural world. We recognize a fundamental distinction
between inanimate and living matter, between the inorganic and the organic,
between the lifeless mineral on the one hand and the living plant or animal on
the other. Within the limitations of its order the dead mineral grows by
accretion of substance, and may attain a relatively perfect condition of
structure and form as is seen in the crystal. But mineral matter, though acted
upon favorably by the forces of nature—light, heat, electric energy and
others—can never become a living organism; nor can the dead elements, through any
process of chemical combination dissociated from life, enter into the tissues
of the plant as essential parts thereof. But the plant, which is of a higher
order, sends its rootlets into the earth, spreads its leaves in the atmosphere,
and through these organs absorbs the solutions of the soil, inspires the gases
of the air, and from such lifeless materials weaves the tissue of its wondrous
structure. No mineral particle, no dead chemical substance has ever been made a
constituent of organic tissue except through the agency of life. We may,
perhaps with profit, carry the analogy a step farther. The plant is unable to
advance its own tissue to the animal plane. Though it be the recognized order
of nature that the “animal kingdom” is dependent upon the “vegetable kingdom”
for its sustenance, the substance of the plant may become part of the animal
organism only as the latter reaches down from its higher plane and by its own
vital action incorporates the vegetable compounds with itself. In turn, animal
matter can never become, even transitorily, part of a human body, except as the
living man assimilates it, and by the vital processes of his own existence
lifts, for the time being, the substance of the animal that supplied him food
to the higher plane of his own existence. The comparison herein employed is
admittedly defective if carried beyond reasonable limits of application; for
the raising of mineral matter to the plane of the plant, vegetable tissue to
the level of the animal, and the elevation of either to the human plane, is but
a temporary change; with the dissolution of the higher tissues the material
thereof falls again to the level of the inanimate and the dead. But, as a means
of illustration the analogy may not be wholly without value.
So, for the
advancement of man from his present fallen and relatively degenerate state to
the higher condition of spiritual life, a power above his own must cooperate.
Through the operation of the laws obtaining in the higher kingdom man may be
reached and lifted; himself he cannot save by his own unaided effort. A
Redeemer and Savior of mankind is beyond all question essential to the
realization of the plan of the Eternal Father, “to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man”; and that Redeemer and Savior is Jesus the
Christ, beside whom there is and can be none other.
-------------
We need Christ in every aspect
of our lives, this is without question.
Another awesome week! We went
to the university last Friday and talked to the college kids there. First we
met a guy named Oliver. He didn't believe in God or anything but he said we
could talk to him anyway. We talked about families being together forever and
he said he definitely would tell his friends and his mother because she would
be really interested. Next we talked to a guy named Ito. He broke his leg being
hit by a car and apparently both his parents are dead, he just wanted some food
or something. I felt really bad that we couldn't help him with money or
anything but I asked if he read the Bible or the BoM, and he said he would
except he didn't have one because he was poor. I gave him one so fast it wasn't
even funny. I knew and testified that it would help him in his life in every
aspect. Another person we talked to was a woman named Haidee (Heidi.) She said
she talked to the missionaries about 19 years ago - so i asked if she had read
the BoM. She didn't have one anymore because she used to live on the other side
of the island (Santiago) and didn't bring it with her. Another enthusiastic
person and another BoM placed! She sounded really interested. The last guy we
talked to was the best I thought. He actually spoke English so we got to fully
communicate with him. He fully believes in God and Jesus and he said he used to
attend church when he was 16. He said something I really liked. "In our
daily lives we often forget why we are here and what we are supposed to be
doing in our lives. When it comes down to it, Christ is the center of it
all." We explained that it is for that exact reason for why we are here on
a mission for 2 years in the D.R. To invite others to Christ. I feel like we
were meant to meet him that day. I am so grateful for this gospel and
everything in it.
So I sang in the Choir! Me and
a bunch of others sang Come thou fount of every blessing and it was very
spiritual and appropriate for sacrament. We watched the testimony of
Jeffery R. Holland on the Book of Mormon {HERE}
and I still cant believe how strong the spirit was. Everyone should watch it if
you get the chance. In priesthood we gave our most important scripture to them
and I gave Alma 48:17 (Yea, verily,
verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like
unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken
forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the
children of men)...and how Mom told me to replace
Moroni's name with mine. Hah! President Romney said that is probably
one of the best compliments my future wife will say to me. To be her
"Captain Moroni."
Later we watched an MTC devotional with David A
Bednar speaking. He talked about spiritual gifts and how my family can pray for
me to help learn the language! That would be really great! One quote from that
devotional was this. "I'll give you 100 years, unlimited resources, as
many professors, editors, and scholars as you want and I promise you, you could
not write a single page of the Book of Mormon". Wow. Later that night we
watched Meet The Mormons. Mom and Dad I want to just thank you for all you have
ever done and I am working so hard to show it. I cant wait to tell you everything
in person. I have been thinking and this is definitely the hardest, yet
best thing I've ever done. Even harder than Rapport. But yeah! Thats been my
week!
New photos on Dropbox! Loved
all the pictures you guys have been sending! LOVE ALL OF
YOU!
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