Hualien - Week 42 - And He Denieth None That Come Unto Him

Tomorrow I will have been on my mission for a year, aka the best year of my entire life. 

This last week I pondered a lot on the scripture 2 Nephi 26:33. As I was trying to absorb the message of the scripture, it hit me that "bond and free" can take on a deeper meaning than I've thought of before. What does it mean to be bond? It's not just about being physically locked up in prison or enslaved, though that obviously counts as well. But  there are many, many people of us who are bound by physical, emotional, and/or mental disabilities and illnesses. Some people are bound by the trials that come upon them as a result of others' poor choices. And some people are bound by the guilt of their own mistakes and sins. 

The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers everyone. No matter who you are, or what you've done, or what challenges you are facing, God does not and will not exempt anyone from inheriting eternal life so long as they desire it and come unto Jesus Christ by making and keeping sacred covenants (such as baptism) and enduring to the end. He invites all to partake of his goodness. I love that promise. And I love being able to teach that promise to these people that I have come to also love.

Sister Lee and I have been blessed to teach a few people, all of which come from different backgrounds, religious and otherwise. All of them are experiencing life in a different way. Some have it especially hard right now. I want to tell you about two sisters in particular we are teaching who have trusted in the promise that Christ's Atonement can make all things in our lives correct.

One sister we taught, an elderly woman, has been suffering deeply because of tribulation within her family. But I've not met someone with more faith in Jesus Christ than she has. Whenever we'd ask her if she was willing to follow the commandment we'd just taught, she would say " 當然會啊! " ("Of course I will!") and when we asked her if she'd be willing to follow Jesus Christ, she said " 我時時刻刻要跟隨基督 " ("I will follow Christ at every moment, all the time"). She knows that He is her hope. In the midst of her darkest time, her greatest turmoil, she said a prayer to God and told Him that she knows He still needs her here. And she will always follow His Son because He is her strength, her light, and her everything. On Sunday, the day she was baptized, she beamed as she told us how happy she was to be able to receive God.

Another, much younger, sister we are teaching has been seeking a way to find restitution and redemption for her past mistakes. She is wounded by a crippling pain and sorrow that she hasn't found a way to get rid of on her own. When we met her almost two months ago, she was anxious and eager to learn about how coming unto Christ and being baptized could help her move on, help her become clean again. Now she has committed to keep all of God's commandments because she understands how they are to protect us. She trusts God, she loves Him, and she can't wait to be baptized soon. She knows that through the Atonement of Christ, her wrongs can be washed away. 

My testimony has been deeply strengthened this week to know that Heavenly Father is mindful of all his people, whatever land they may be in (see Alma 26). And the Savior is so ready to forgive us for our sins, our weaknesses, our shortcomings! All He asks that we truly repent. As I have asked for forgiveness and committed myself to keep trying, keep going, I have felt the mercy of Jesus Christ, the relief, the peace. Almost like a pat on the back or like a side-hug. "It's okay, Sister Love. You're doing okay, and I love you."

I know He loves you too, and He wants each one of us, one and all, to come unto Him (Moroni 10: 32 ). He will not deny you, for He denieth none that come unto Him.

Love you all, and I'll see ya next Monday!

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 Our letter to Sister Zhang, who was baptized last week...