Luke 7:41-43

This week we had interviews with President Augustin again!  IT was real nice.  Strange, though, cause it was over 6 months between the last two interviews and now we've had one this transfer and last.  It was real good talking to President, I learn so much every time I come in contact with him.  This time I decided to ask him a question that has been destroying me for forever.  In Luke 7:41-43 the Savior gives a real short, but pretty neat parable.  I've always been confused by the answer Peter gave, so I decided to ask president to help me out!  He told me to study some more and then ask the new mission president in 2 transfers..-_-..gah!!  I studied it a little and I think I am beginning to understand it more.  So the scripture compares 2 men who owe a master money, one 500 and the other 50.  The master forgives them both and the Lord and Peter say that the guy who owed 500 loved the master more.  That always seemed wrong to me.  I applied it to the Atonement and I always kinda took the view of "well, just because I don't sin as much so I don't need to use the Atonement as much makes me not love the Lord as much?"  then I would think "maybe that is why good people have so many trials, they need to have the equal chance to love the Lord."  Neither answer is acceptable to me.  So this is what I have come up with:  Christ suffered for all of us and for everything, no matter what the price.  We don't need to suffer or sin, though, to take advantage of the Atonement.  We can apply it every day and in everything.  It's as if the master in the parable had told the servants they could take as much as they wanted to, but he would only give it to them 10 at a time.  The 50 guy decided he only wanted 50 and went to the master 5 times, to get the money.  Each time he went he got to know the master a little better, they became more acquainted, but it only happened 5 times.  The 500 guy too more advantage by taking the 500, he went to the master 50 times to receive the money.  He got to know the master a lot more and therefor he loved him more. 
I know none of that is doctrine, but it makes sense to me.  We all have the equal chance to take advantage of the Atonement, to apply it each and every day.  The more acquainted we become with the Lord, through his Atonement, the more we will love him.  It doesn't matter how much we sin or how many trial we have because it is an infinite and eternal Atonement.  All we have to do is apply it!!  That's my conclusion.  I'm excited to find out what president thinks about it and even more excited to see what President Heap has to say about it!!!

Elder Martin and I have been going hard in the morning with the exercise.  We wake up at 6:15 and end at 6:45, that way I have time to take a nap before studies start...I can not make it through all 3 hours of studies without that nap!  haha.  We did a whole lot of running and cardio crap, it is pretty fun working out hard again, it's been a long time!!  We went on Saturday morning (6:00) and played football with the other elders.  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!  It felt so good to be on a football field early in the morning, it made me miss football a whole bunch.  It rained like crazy on us as we played, it was a dream and a half. 

Easter was sweet.  Really, it was my first time spending a majority of my day actually focused on the Savior and the Resurrection, it was pretty nice!  There was a special spirit at church, even though I couldn't understand it haha.   Elder Martin's mom sent us some eggs to hide from each other, we hid them in the morning and we didn't find the last ones until late at night hahah.  IT was a lot of fun.  A real good holiday. 

WE bought pinewood derby kits from Hobby Lobby and have been carving a car with pocket knifes....I'll let you know how that goes when the story unfolds a little more. 

 

I love you all so much and miss you a ton!  Be safe and smooth and whatever:)

 

Love,

Elder Porter