#BecauseofHim

Hello my dear Brothers and Sisters,

So this week there isn't much to write about which is actually good because I really wanted to spend this email focusing on the Savior.

So here's a quick recap before we get to the good stuff:

Sick missionaries. 

No investigators. 

No contact with Sienna. 

Bike was stolen. 

Zero mail. 

In 95 degree weather.

But, still happy livin' the good life.

Okay now before you continue reading, please remove any distractions, take a deep breath and watch this video:

 (For more info go to www.mormon.org/becauseofhim)

It's fine. You can watch it 100 more times. I get it. I'm obsessed too.

Isn't it so good!? The church really rocked it this time. I don't think I've seen a better Easter message in my entire life.

It gave me a whole new outlook on Easter. Normally, I am full of gratitude for Christ dying for us and that through that sacrifice we are able to be made whole by the cleansing power of the Atonement. 

Which I still feel 100%, but this video reminds me that the sacrifice was for each one of us, no matter our religious beliefs. 

That we are all here because of Christ. That nothing would be possible without Him. He is our greatest gift, our greatest blessing. It is through Him we can have eternal peace and joy. It's through Him that we can start over and over and over again.

And do you know what's really cool? He lives. And we will too. We will all be reunited once again, in perfect bodies after this life.

But, we can't take that for granted. We have to act now. We've been given all the tools that we need to be the most successful in this life and the life to come, but we must use them every day. 

We need to be on our knees morning and night pleading with the Lord, trying to align ourselves with His will. We must diligently study the scriptures every day to receive answers and to nourish our souls with the word of God. We must be humble and change, repent of the things we've done wrong and strive to become more like our Savior.

Most importanly, we need to make partaking of the sacrament our number one priority. 

Those 15 minutes are vital to our week. That's the fresh start. That's being born again. That's our second chance when we partake of the bread and water in remembrance our Master and King. 

I don't think that we will ever fully comprehend what the Savior accomplished during His earthly ministry, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane, but I do know that we have the chance to come closer to Him each day by applying His teachings to our lives.

And do you want to know the best part? The Atonement doesn't just cover our sins, it's so much more. 

In The Book of Mormon we read "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Seriously, it just keeps getting better. And that's the purppose of the gospel. It's the hope that we all need in mortality.

I know that my Redeemer lives and it is because of Him that I am here today. I know that the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the same one that He Himself established here on earth, is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that He will come to earth once more and that is the day we are all preparing for.

I invite all of you to really ponder your personal testimony of Jesus Christ and how His Atonement has blessed you. I then invite you all to share this video with your friends and in it include your testimony of Jesus Christ.

We are all children of God. We all have trials and heartbreaks. We are all brothers and sisters. And we will all live again.

I leave my testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

With all of my love,

Sister Nelson

(email received April 14, 2014)