The Body and the Blood

We are continuing teaching our recent convert's husband. On Saturday night we had a lesson about the plan of salvation with them. He had a lot of good questions about life and everything. At the end of the lesson we extended a baptismal date for October and he accepted! We are stoked to complete this family. Last night we had a family home evening with them and a really cool family in the ward. We talked about temples and marriage. The gospel is really bringing them closer together and helping their marriage problems. I'm so excited for them.

We shared a message with quite a few people this week about church attendance and why it's important. Obviously the central purpose of church is to take the sacrament. In Matthew 26 it talks about Christ suffering in the garden of Gethsemani as well as instituting the sacrament. It's much prettier in Spanish but it will do in English. 

36 ¶Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Christ takes a few apostles with him and asks them to just stay there and wait for him. He then goes and begins to take on the sins of the whole world. He asks the Father if it cannot be done another way. He is in so much pain, but he forgets his own cares and turns his will to the Father's.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

The apostles, his friends, couldn't even stay awake and support him. Not even for an hour. This pattern happens two other times. How would you feel if you were an apostle and Christ asked you why you couldn't just stay up for him. You could support him and remember him for that one hour. It's the same with us. Why can't we just go for that one hour and remember him and be grateful for all that he did that night in Gethsemane? Why are we so prone to trust in the flesh rather than in God? As we take the time to really think during the sacrament about this crucial moment in history, we will become closer to our Master. I know that Christ lived, suffered, and died for me. He is my example as well as my Brother. I want to do all that I can to let others know of Him. Next Sunday remember Him. Prepare yourself throughout the week to partake of His flesh and His blood. Change your perspective on the Atonement, and you will change your life.

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen