My family is forever.

The best Christmas gift that I received this December 25 was the chance to talk to my family on Skype. That is a privilege that missionaries get only twice a year and it is truly precious time.

Needless to say my family is on my mind.

Someone once said, "Missionaries leave their families for 18 months (or 2 years) so that other families can be together forever." 

It's true.

Because the priesthood, or God's power, has been restored. Families can be sealed together for eternity. Not just "till death do us part", but for ETERNITY.

Matthew 16:19 says, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven."

This can only happen by someone holding the priesthood sealing power of God inside the House of the Lord, a holy temple.

This is one of those holy temples. 

This also happens to be the temple that my parents were sealed for eternity over 22 years ago.

In the temple, a couple makes promises with each other and with God. If both husband and wife stay true to these promises, they have the promise from Almighty God that their marriage will not only last here on earth but will continue on throughout the eternities. 

Because my parents chose to and were worthy to be sealed in the temple I have the privilege to spend eternity with them.

This is my family.

I am so grateful that I was blessed to be born into an eternal family. That our relationships will last forever. Nothing brings me more joy.

As long as all of us are faithful and live worthy, we will see each other again. 

My daddy left this life more than two years ago. As hard as that was, I am comforted in the fact that he is in the spirit world and is free from all pain and suffering. I know that I will see Him again. 

It's that eternal perspective that keeps me going. It helps me on good days and also on hard days. 

I know that not only my family can be together forever but your family can also have the opportunity to be sealed together for eternity.

You can make that happen. Through our Savior Jesus Christ's atonement we have the opportunity to have faith and repent so we can one day be worthy of these blessings. 

I can hear the bells.

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

 

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along th'unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

 

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

 

Till, ringing, singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

 

LDS Hymn # 214

What matters most to me.

"The more commercialized and busy the Christmas season becomes, the easier it is for the sublime message of the Savior’s life to get lost along the way. If we notice that planning for parties and scrambling for presents begin to detract from the peaceable message of Jesus Christ and distance us from the gospel He preached, let us take a step back, slow down a little, and reconsider what matters most."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

What really does matter most?

 

What matters most to me is my family.

That they know that I love them and miss them.

And that we can be together not only

"until death do us part"

but for eternity.

 

What matters most to me is the people I love.

My friends, neighbors, and loved ones

That they are safe, protected, and happy.

That they know that they are loved.

 

What matters most to me is being a member of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Which is Jesus Christ's restored gospel on the earth today.

Where I can learn about how I can become

more like my Savior each day.

 

What matters most to me is being a missionary.

To teach complete strangers about Jesus Christ.

And about how they can draw closer to him.

 

What matters most to me is that a boy named

Joseph Smith

had enough faith in God to ask him which church to join.

That God's love is so real and he wanted to restore

His gospel on the earth once more.

That he called Joseph Smith to be the prophet to restore the gospel.

 

What matters most to me is God's Plan of Salvation.

That perfect plan that He gave us

so we can know

Where we came from,

What is our purpose on earth, and

Where will we go after we die.

 

What matters most to me is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That has taught me

That through

Faith

Repentance

Baptism

Receiving the Holy Ghost

and Enduring to the end

I can return to live with God again.

 

What matters most to me is my Savior

Jesus Christ.

More than 2000 years ago he was

born of a humble birth.

He lived a sinless life

He set a perfect example.

Who suffered, bled, died, and rose the third day

to know exactly what I am going through

to pay the price for my sins

to make it possible to return to live with God again.

He is my older brother,

my best friend,

my healer,

my Savior.

I love Him and trust Him.

I will follow Him.

 

This is what matters most to me this Christmas Season.

 

St John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way, the truth, and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

 

 

 

Take His hand.

D&C 78:17-18

 

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings therof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

 

This scripture makes my heart feel so full. Sometimes I am completely astonished thinking about how much God loves each of us! We are truly His "little children" and He loves us with the purest most eternal love. He has blessings that we can't even begin to comprehend waiting for us.

 

He knows that we can't bear all things now and that is why he has given us a way to follow him. That way is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end we will be able to live with God forever! And this scripture promises us that He will lead us along. He always has His hand outstreched ready to lead us in the way we need to go. He will walk with us. We need to humble ourselves and submit to His will. He has a most perfect plan and if we are faithful to it, we will receive all the riches of eternity and the blessings of His kingdom!

 

 

 



They call me Sister.

So what does a Mormon missionary do, anyway?

 

Very simply, my full time responsibility and privilege

is to invite and help others to come unto Christ.

 

We have a Heavenly Father who loves us.

He wants us to return to live with Him again but the scriptures tell us that

No unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God.
God knew that we would make mistakes so

He sent His son to earth to pay the price for all of our sins.

 Through our Savior Jesus Christ
We can repent and be cleansed of all our mistakes.
We can live with our Heavenly Father again.

And this brings me so much Joy.
This Plan.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That is why I am on a mission.
To help others come to the same knowledge that I have.

The gospel is the "good news" or "glad tidings".
I love my Savior.
I love my Heavenly Father.
I am so grateful for the privilege I have been given
to help others come closer to him.

So how do we come closer to Him?

Well, I hope that through this blog I can assist all in this endeavor.

His arms are reaching out.
Come unto him.