week 83

ok

im a little short on stories but i do have an experience i would like to share that happened in my interview with elder martinez that i talk about a couple weeks ago.

after we talked for a moment he said "ok elder sackley you get one question" i didnt have any personal questions so i had one doctrinal question that i would like to share with you today and than talk about its effect on me since than.

"elder martinez i understand death was necessary for the atonement to occur that jesus had to die, but why did he have to be killed, ultimately it was himself who commanded his spirit to leave so why the whips, why the thorns, why the cross"

he sat and looked at me for an uncomfortable moment and said "lets open to my favorite scripture 1nephi13:22"  for all the scriptural scholars it says basically i dont know.

than he paused and said "let me give you my theory though....

elder sackley do you know why they killed an unblemished lamb in ancient Israel

to make an atonement

yes but why was it necessary that him who had committed the sin killed the lamb?  

i dont know

I think it was to help this person remember.  I think it was to in a sense scar him to remember what the price for his sins were.  Elder Sackley have you ever eaten unleavened bread?  

no

Well it has no real good taste and the jews would eat this as well with a green bitter herb for the pass-over.  do you know why?

no

well it sure isnt for the taste!  its to remember.  If jesus would have just commanded his spirit it wouldnt have been much to remember wouldve it?  I think in a deep sign of love the savior endured these tortures so we may more fully remember what he did for us.  But i want you to go now and study and i wil go and study and the next time we see each other we will share what we have learned.

What i have learned.

Another investigator was going to have an interview for baptism this Saturday and he has fallen off the map (not yves andre this is someone else".  i have  contacted a lot of doors and had a lot of doors shut in my face, i have had a lot of people turn me down and now a couple golden investigators turn their back at the last minute.  and in a sense im starting to learn the attribute of remembrance.

We take the sacrament every sunday in remembrance of the blood and body.  Every day people turn down the invitation to come and remember and just like the bitter taste of the unleavened bread, or the scarring image of killing the first born lamb i remember more and more everyday, every door, every face, what the God of Israel did for me and you. 

Elder Logan Robert Sackley