Transfer week with missionaries now in Chaves!

 On Sunday, January 8th after attending the Chaves group with five (5) members + five (5) missionaries we visited the apartment that the mission office had recently leased. Later that evening we learned that Elder Figueiredo, has been transferred to Chaves. Elder Alger from Braganca has been transferred to Almada. In the overall mission there is only one elder leaving this transfer with 3 sisters and 2 elders arriving. The mission now has 180 young missionaries (107 elders & 73 sisters) with 6 senior couples.

On Monday, January 9th we had all the missionaries over for a final goodbye meal.

On the left is E. Thomas Cordova from Walnut Creek, CA serving in Braganca and E. Christopher Rhea, from Tooele, Utah serving in Chaves.

Photos of the new apartment in Chaves. Hopefully the electricity will be turned on soon.

On Tuesday, January 10th the 2 new missionaries arrived in time for English class.

District meeting on Wednesday, January 11th at our apartment followed by a pancake lunch!

Thursday, January 12th we had our car serviced. It now has 86,000 kilometers.

The waiting room was very nice!

This week the office received their order of 2,600 copies of The Book of Mormon in Portuguese. Within a few months these will all be given away!

Thursday, January 12th Kim was the lone adult at a YW activity.

         SCRIPTURE POWER

Appears that Mormon wrote the Words of Mormon and Mormon chapter 7 just prior to being slain in the final battle at Cumorah in A.D. 385. Moroni then writes about being alone (Mor. 8:3-5). From this point until he completes the book in A.D. 421 (Moroni 10:1) is 35 years. He chooses very carefully the last line he writes, which describes one of the main purposes of the book.

 

After completing Moroni chapter 10, Moroni writes the Title Page. "The title-page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates..." (HC, Vol. 1:71) 

 

The last sentence on the Title Page contains 12 words and sums up a major purpose of the book: "that ye may be found spotless at the judgement-seat of Christ"

 

Interestingly in the testimony of the 3 witnesses they use a very similar statement: "And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgement-seat of Christ.."  

 

The word “spotless”is not in the Bible. In the Book of Mormon it appears eleven (11) times. (2 Ne. 33:7; Jac.1:19; Alma 5:24; 7:25 (3 times); 12:14; 13:12; 14:7; 3 Ne. 27:20; Mor. 9:6)  (also D & C 61:34; 76:107)

 

Moroni's final verses describe "the covenant of the Father" that "through the shedding of the blood of Christ" we can be sanctified , receive a remission of our sins "that ye become holy without spot." (Moroni 10:33) without spot is the same as being 'spotless'.

 

This was also Nephi's desire as he concludes his record he reminds us that he has spoken "harshly against sin according to the plainness of the truth" (2 Ne. 33:5) but his great hope and goal in writing is "that I shall meet many souls spotless at the judgement-seat". (2 Ne. 33:7)

 

Jesus himself said: "no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom...save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their 1.) faith, and 2.) the repentance of all their sins, and 3.) their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth...that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." (3 Ne. 27: 19-20)