December 27, 2005
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From a letter dated 12/26/05:
Dear Friends, Family, and fellow Xangans,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I had a great Christmas. It was so nice to talk to my family. I really miss them. Christmas Eve was certainly full of adventures. We played Santa with the “Hermanas” and helped deliver gifts and food to less fortunate members of the Spanish ward. It was very rewarding to see the reactions of the children. It made me a little bit of a better person.
We came home and my companion accidently stabbed himself in the pad of his thumb with a knife trying to open his Christmas gifts early. Blood gushed out everywhere- over gifts, sink, and dishes. I tried to convince him to go to the ER, but he would not. In morning he decided he should have gotten stitches, but he thought it too late. I got to brush up on my first aid skills, lol. Butterfly bandages and lots of gauze let me tell you.
I hope that on Friday you all got to enjoy the Joseph Smith 200th Birthday Commemoration. I want you to know that I have learned for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet who talked with God face to face. What a remarkable thing. From Joseph Smith we get an ancient record with teachings that bless us in our day. It is the Book of Mormon and I am so grateful for it. Just today I was reading in Moroni 6:10 and was touched by a concept I’d like to share (you can follow along with the online Book of Mormon at http://www.scriptures.lds.org).
“Relying on the Merits of Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith”:
As the missionary Aaron taught, “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself” (Alma 22:14). Too many people think that the Latter-day Saints believe that we can save ourselves by our own good works, or merits. This is simply not the case. As the Book of Mormon clearly demonstrates we cannot of our own righteousness earn salvation. No amount of personal righteousness can save anyone because all fall short of the glory of God. This is, however, the beauty of the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can overcome our own short comings because of HIS merits- HIS good works.
This is a remarkable thought worth pondering. I mean, “How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presense of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). “And if ye believe on his name[, Jesus Christ,] ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits” (Helaman 14:13).
Repentence is wonderful, but it works not by our own actions, but by the actions of our Savior. Please do not think that this concept undermines personal responsibility. Yes, we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ regaurdless of our falling short, but this is the very reason we need to repent and make sure our merits are good.- Not because we want to “earn” our way to heaven, but because we are so much more indebted to our God for that grace. And though we will never repay that debt, we must not turn away from He who has paided that debt. We must go about following His example, doing those things that He has asked us to do.
Read Moroni chapter 6. It really conveys this beautifully. And for more reference, read Helaman 14:12-13; 2 Nephi 31:19, Alma 22:14 and 24:10. I promise you will be blessed as you put these principles into action in your lives.
Take care, until next week, Elder Embree
