Entry Eighty One: The law has been fulfilled

August 10, 2026

Entry Eighty One: The law has been fulfilled

Woah, hey there! How’s it going today? I think you dropped this btw 😁🫴👑

But welcome back to another installment from my life as a missionary! These last couple weeks were pretty solid! The Melton Lake ward is just absolutely fantastic and we are seeing lots of great things happening. I’ve already gotten more member referrals here than in all of my previous areas combined, which is an absolute tender mercy.

Funnily enough one of those member referrals was by pure random chance. Let me take to back to last Saturday when we were doing service for the ecumenical storehouse (I absolutely love these kinds of things! Haven’t had a chance to do something like that since Fam in Lebanon). We just finished up, and the member that was with us took us all out to this really good Chinese buffet place.

At the buffet, there was this woman right behind me in line trying to get a glimpse at my tag, so I boneheadedly started declaring who I am as a Mormon missionary 🥸 (just kidding, I obviously used the correct name).

But, she stopped me and said she was a member who had just recently moved in the area and was returning. Not only that, but she has an 8 (almost 9 like within the next few weeks) year old daughter who she’s wanting to get baptized and take the missionary lessons! Then, we stopped by this past week and her boyfriend was interested too! And they all came to church yesterday! But they’re super cool, I’m excited to teach them more.

I had a really good exchange with the GOAT Elder Pinkerton that changed my perspective on involving members (he served in this ward previously and so he knew the members a lot better than I did at that point). I also had an equally good exchange with Elder Parker up in good ole Whitley City, KY, which is a spot I’ve always been so curious to see. Spoiler alert: it’s just like Jamestown (flashback to a year ago haha) with more people but less members. Very pretty countryside I will admit.

Lastly, we had an absolutely epic zone conference with the Croshaws! It felt weird to not have it like the Barlows ran things, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. And there are lots of changes coming to the mission that I am excited about! It feels like the old law is being fulfilled and a new and higher law is being set (shoutout Elder Hales for that phrasing)

I think it’s easy for me to say as a missionary, I’ve been pondering on the Atonement of Jesus Christ a lot lately. But even in just my personal matters, I’ve been wrestling with trying to understand the application of the Atonement for me. Because I will admit, sometimes it feels like a monstrous task to be clean and worthy of the blessings the Lord wants for me. Sometimes it feels like I can’t do what I need to be doing to find the joy the gospel brings.

What I testify to you all today is that Christ has an abundance of grace and it is sufficient for you and your needs. He loves you. He is cheering you on! He will walk with you no matter how long and painful the road is.

Because of His grace, we can be cleansed of all sin. And let me share some thoughts I developed from my studies this week:

We know that we have a sinful nature, and because of this when we sin we reap the consequences or punishments of those sins. But Christ took upon him your sins by suffering in that garden of Gethsemane 2000 years ago. He allows relief from the burden of sin as long as we let him intercede. To let him intercede, we reconcile our sin and ask for forgiveness.

Yay! We’ve made progress! But, to God we are still sinners. He can’t trust us with certain blessings. So, in Christ’s infinite grace, he allows us an opportunity to build that trust by entering into a covenant relationship with Him. He sets the terms, and as we submit to Him, we earn that trust. As He begins to trust us more and more we just feel good about ourselves. Our joy is fulfilled, and we begin to become like Jesus Christ.

I am not suggesting we are earning blessings or salvation in any way. I am stating that thanks to the Savior’s grace we don’t need to worry about our sins damning us. The covenants we make with Him are divine gifts that through time and effort, unblock our access to Heavenly Father’s greatest blessings. I testify that Jesus Christ lives and He can be actively involved in your life so long as you make these covenants. And I close these things in His Holy name, amen.

Tis sweet to sing the matchless love of Him who left His home above and came to earth- oh wondrous plan- to suffer, bleed, and die, for man!

Love you! Remember to floss,

-Elder Clayton

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