Random things I wrote this week that I thought were good and spiritual that I wanted to share with you, feel free to put any on blog too:)
SENT TO JAMIE:
When I first came to my mission I was SO incredibly unhappy and homesick and I felt so lost. I was just sad and lonely all the time. All I wanted to do was cry, and I did at least once a day. One day during my study I came across the scripture in 2 Nephi 10. Which is where Lehi is teaching his son Jacob about how the Jews will crucify Jesus, then he is also teaching him about America and how it will be a promised land, a land of liberty. This verse struck me:
20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea.
I knew that whatever my sins were I was not cast off. That was a huge comfort, to know that no matter what, no matter where the Lord leads me it is for a purpose, not just to "cast me off." This next part was my favorite. . . nevertheless, [Jamie, you] have been driven out of the land of [the county building]; but [you will be] led to a better land, for the Lord has made [this your] path, and [you] are upon [a small piece of your path]." I know that it is hard sometimes to accept where the Lord is leading you. All of us are comfortable and happy where we are at. If there is never change, there is never progression, and progression is what this life is all about. This is something I have struggled with a lot too.
Elder Holland gave a talk once called The Best is Yet to Be. This talk helped me realize so much about myself and things that I had never realized were a lack of Faith in myself he said:
"As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.
"So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently, she thought that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as what she was leaving behind."
The whole talk was SO good and definitely worth reading but I especially loved that part. It must be a huge challenge to be in your spot and to be trying to decide where to go but I know that The Lord has a bigger vision for you, he is leading you to "the land of a better" He is taking you somewhere where you will be happier, and you will be able to use your talents to bless many many more lives. You are his Daughter and He loves you. Don't hang down your head, this is simply a transition point, the Lord will lead you as long as you let him! Study the Book of Mormon every day and pray morning and night.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
SENT TO MELANIE:
I am doing great! We just had a missionary meeting, and our Mission President talked to us about the family and how that is the next biggest step in our lives, after a mission, we need to be married. Marriage is such a sacred calling!
He talked about The Family: A Proclamation to the World and how much it talks about how divine the family is. I wanted to share what I learned with you.
"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained (ordered, commanded) of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness (for us to recieve eternal life) enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other. . ."
It goes on for a lot more but President Clements Hi-lighted how much it talks about this divine plan that our Father has for us.This was our eternal destiny to be married. and our first responsibility is to love our spouse and to be loyal to them. I loved it! He mentioned that the power that the Earth was created with was given to men, but the power to create life here on Earth lies within a woman, and how essential both men and women are to the Plan God has for us. We each have a plan! We have a purpose! I want the whole world to know that because most of the world does not.
He also shared this video, that made me cry:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-06-24-let-us-be-men?lang=eng
SENT TO CASSIDY
We are finding people to teach, it is a lot of hard work, and some days are discouraging, but I would not trade all of this hard work for anything in the world because It has brought me so much closer to my Savior. I have a much stronger desire and determination to serve Him for the rest of my life, no matter how hard it gets. Because I have come to Love Him and all that he has done for me. The discouraging days almost always end in a huge blessing anyway. I have learned that you just have to endure to the end to find HUGE blessing waiting for you. There is a scripture that this reminds me of that is one of my favorites :)
1 Nephi 8
"30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he (Lehi) saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."
Holding on to the Iron Rod is not easy, It is HARD. When the people in Lehi's vision got to the end they fell down, exhausted, and partook of the fruit (or the amazing blessing God is waiting to give us) The blessing is only made sweeter when we consider how much we went through to get the blessing:) I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON. I KNOW IT IS TRUE. I love you!
SENT TO GRANDMA:
Things in Maple Grove are going great! We just got to go to our ward for the first time:) I LOVE this ward so much. everyone is so nice, and all the sisters want to come teaching with us and to feed us because we are new, they have not had sisters in the ward for 3 years! We only have 2 investigators, so we are doing a lot of finding trying to have more people to teach. I am confident that when we meet more of the ward and when we gain their trust they will give us some referrals! This ward is GREAT!
With Love,
Sister Smith
