April 7, 2014
This week was general conference! I thought a lot about what
was said, because they talked a lot about love and family and obedience, and we
saw a lot of examples of that this week. I was sad because we saw a lot of
people who were just struggling, and I didn't know how to help them. They were
struggling with feeling like they didn't
have self worth and didn't even
feel like children of God. They didn't
understand how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but something that
they all had in common was that they loved their families. They loved their
children. As hard as it is to get along with their family, that's something
they held onto in these times of despair.
I thought a lot about how to help someone have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was frustrating me because there is only so much I could do. There is only so much that I could say. Something stuck out to me from conference in Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk. He said that there is something inside each of us that RESISTS endings because endings are not our destiny. Anything that happens on this earth is simply an interruption or a pause here on earth, something that will be continued in the eternities. I testify to you that we are here on earth in families, not so they could be torn apart and broken, but because we are sparking an everlasting beginning. We are developing something that will last forever. There are only everlasting beginnings. I think it's really cool to think about that. Before we came here, we lived with God in a state of eternity. We didn't understand beginnings or endings. We had to come to earth to fully understand what that meant. It's like reading a book - you can read all you want about something like skydiving, but you will never truly understand what it's like until you feel it for yourself. That's part of why we had to come to earth. We heard about earth, about beginnings and endings, but we didn't fully understand until we came here. Now living on earth, we don't understand fully what it means to live forever in eternity. That's the beauty of life after experiencing earth - we will be able to comprehend both perspectives. This life is important to realize that what we do here truly matters. It matters if we are obedient. It matters if we love our neighbor. It matters if we go to church. It matters if we hold our families together. It matters if we try. But it also matters to our Heavenly Father if we're happy. It's not something that might affect us for eternity, it WILL affect us for eternity. The apostles did a good job of raising this voice of warning in their talks- but they also did a good job of reminding us that it is never too late to start trying now, because of the miracle of the Atonement. Like Gary E Stevenson said, it's never too late - so long as the Master says there's time.
I thought a lot about how to help someone have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was frustrating me because there is only so much I could do. There is only so much that I could say. Something stuck out to me from conference in Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk. He said that there is something inside each of us that RESISTS endings because endings are not our destiny. Anything that happens on this earth is simply an interruption or a pause here on earth, something that will be continued in the eternities. I testify to you that we are here on earth in families, not so they could be torn apart and broken, but because we are sparking an everlasting beginning. We are developing something that will last forever. There are only everlasting beginnings. I think it's really cool to think about that. Before we came here, we lived with God in a state of eternity. We didn't understand beginnings or endings. We had to come to earth to fully understand what that meant. It's like reading a book - you can read all you want about something like skydiving, but you will never truly understand what it's like until you feel it for yourself. That's part of why we had to come to earth. We heard about earth, about beginnings and endings, but we didn't fully understand until we came here. Now living on earth, we don't understand fully what it means to live forever in eternity. That's the beauty of life after experiencing earth - we will be able to comprehend both perspectives. This life is important to realize that what we do here truly matters. It matters if we are obedient. It matters if we love our neighbor. It matters if we go to church. It matters if we hold our families together. It matters if we try. But it also matters to our Heavenly Father if we're happy. It's not something that might affect us for eternity, it WILL affect us for eternity. The apostles did a good job of raising this voice of warning in their talks- but they also did a good job of reminding us that it is never too late to start trying now, because of the miracle of the Atonement. Like Gary E Stevenson said, it's never too late - so long as the Master says there's time.
There is time, but it is limited. The world is becoming a
place where love, purity and faith are the most important attributes a child of
God can behold. That is why the prophet asked us to love each other because
love is lacking in this world. We are to prepare ourselves for Christ's coming
and this is what we need. I don't need to worry about how to help someone have
a relationship with Christ- all I can do to help them get there is love them as
Christ would and show them the way through obedience to the gospel, and it will
come. I have seen this work through so
many miracles this past week! We get to witness a family coming closer together
and to their Heavenly Father through the ordinance of baptism this weekend. They
are so happy and ready for the gospel and I am so thankful I get to be a part
of their lives! I can't believe how much happiness missionary work has brought
me and I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only place to find true joy in
this life. I love every minute of being a missionary!
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