Family,
This
weekend, José R. got baptized, confirmed, and received the Aaronic priesthood.
The Saturday baptismal service was good but it was also very long.
We did the service combined with the sister missionaries who baptized
four kids. The 8 year old boy had to get baptized four times because the
person baptizing him didn’t say the prayer right. He was very nervous and
he struggled, but on the fourth try, he got it right. Anyways, José is
very happy, and we made sure he got a High Priest version of the Book of
Mormon. (Giant Words) Every other day, José has to go a clinic where he
gets his blood cleaned. I am not exactly sure what he has, but basically,
his kidneys don’t work. Something like that.
I
had two experiences this week that made me think. Sunday morning, we were
fasting, and a lady offered us cola. We told her that we were fasting and
it was for a good purpose and we asked if we could come back later to drink the
beverage. She told us to just drink it and said that a little cola wouldn’t
hurt. We told her, ‘no’ again and she got a little more upset. She
then said, ask God for forgiveness and drink the cola. He is powerful to
forgive all sins. We told her, ‘no’ again and she went back into her
house moping. As I thought about what happened, I felt really bad for the
lady. Not because I didn’t accept her drink, but because she really thought
that it was okay to ask God for forgiveness later, to willing disobey a commandment.
I realized how much people do not understand the atonement. Why don’t
people get it? God´s mercy does not break the demands of justice. There
is a scripture in 1 Nephi 14:7. It is difficult for me to explain, but I
think it is perfect for this situation. The gospel requires us to CHOOSE.
Or we choose the right and are saved, or we choose the wrong and we are
damned. But there is no median. And the gospel doesn´t offer an
easy way out.
The
other experience happened today in the morning. We went to get some
papers filled out by José and he was asleep. His wife talked to us for a
while and the conversation made me think again. She started off by saying
that years ago, José was a very angry person. He demanded respect and was
willing to use physical abuse to gain that respect. She talked about how
he would hit his children when they were not obedient. She told us that
now, he is more passive. He doesn’t raise his voice to his grandchildren
when they don’t obey. She said that instead of hitting or yelling, he
tells his daughter to not hit her kids. She says he is always looking to
protect his grandchildren, and avoid problems. It sounds good right?
Well José´s wife is upset with him. She is mad at him. She
doesn´t like his new attitude. She said that she hoped that his baptism
would help him to change and be the person he once was. She told us that
her grandchild is a brat and that José doesn’t let his daughter chastise him,
yell at him, or hit him. When I heard her tell us all of this, I couldn’t
believe what I was hearing. How did she not realize that this change was
good? How did she not realize that this is José repenting? These
two experiences made me remember that the world is so far away from God and his
Gospel. The world is very lost. It is true when God said, with
their lips they honor me… but their hearts are far from me (con sus labios me
honran, pero sus corazones están lejos de me). Everyone here believes in
God, but no one obeys his commandments.
So
we should be so thankful that we have been raised in the true gospel and have
learned to live the true principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder McRae
