Emails from Mama part 2 Jan 2023- April 2023
Response page 103 Jan 1st
Glad you got a fireworks show. I had brought a bunch of glow in the dark stuff to McCall for the big ring in the new year and totally spaced getting it out- maybe I’ll save it for fourth of July
Fasting anytime is hard but on a mission I bet it is especially hard because you can’ t nap away part of it- but where there’s an increase of faith there’s an increase of blessings and I hope you felt good after your day of fasting to consecrate this new year….
I’m glad you could see more of your island working on the area book. The Lord won’t forget the people you don’t get to see because of your bike situation. Still might be good to mention to a ZL or someone- just an awareness you have of those people—you never know when a mission gets more cars- and the need proceeds that (maybe you won’t get a car, but you might eventually get more areas- more missionaries to cover them)
Jan 2
You aren’t doing a “weak” job of anything—especially being a missionary. Just like you saw the girls struggle, they see a little fo that (but not near as much as you prob did with your sisters) and they begin to understand that to put the Lord first is a sacrifice—that becomes a blessing—and that’s not just a model for being a missionary, but it’s a model for life. I promise they think you are a Bomb missionary and if they are aware of a struggle at all, I think it makes them admire your commitment and willingness to let God prevail even more. Can you imagine if the girls had somehow hid from you that a mission is hard—and then you got out there and found out It was hard, it was a grind, all the things—and you somehow thought that you weren’t doing it right? It’s a blessing to see the struggle and the overcoming. It grows your faith and ours.
IT’s neat that you were able to regroup and make your time with John purposeful with his sister. That’s following the spirit- to not let someone not answering the door put a halt to what you can do. There’s probably no better built in support system for that lady than her own brother sharing his testimony ♥with the missionaries there to guide it. Super neat! Yay for a new friend and a pday challenge met—you go JoAnn!
Things here—Emma is getting a little bored and I am getting a little behind on Dad’s work- I LOVE having Emma home—she serenades us with the most beautiful piano music and she’s just a fun addition, and seems to have such a calming affect on everyone. Routine will be good though- I am sure she’s not ready to hit it again, but in some ways I think she misses her college independence too, her routine of things to do and tackle.
Sadie was able to go Uncle Glen’s funeral with GG and Opah (who flew in) and Aunt Jennie. I think it was really nice service—it’s cool his casket was made of pine and all his grandkids got to use a wood burning tool the night before the funeral to burn messages and their names into his casket top. I think Aunt Becky was pretty good- seemed like she knew Glenn wasn’t living his best life anymore. She’s really busy with volunteering etc, and she’s a blessing to so many. I don’t know if you have time, but even if you just sent her a quick personal email- that you loved Uncle Glenn and have you in her prayers, I’ know it’d mean a lot to her. Esp after the fact—as life gets back to normal and she is left feeling alone. Gg and Opah fly back to SD today I think. They’ve been staying with Jennie and freezing—in the house bc she doesn’t crank the heater and also just in general bc Utah has a ton of snow right now.
Kids are back in school and seem to have settled into that routine. Ave’s game last night was pretty good—she needs to shoot more—dad says she needs to add in 3’s and jumpers not just layups (which she missed a lot of last night) and the random reverse. Her team seems to be getting better. I am a little worried for her with JV next year- JV is rocky’s best team- club team that have played together for a long time and the head coach is a good coach dad says,.. I am sure Ave will make JV, but I hope she can play. She’s been working hard thought—I don’t know if you saw the clips I sent, she was super physical the first clip she collides with a girl and the girl goes down hard… it was a funny clip.
Today Emma and I are off to, you guessed it, LES SCHWAB. I’ve been there 3 times this month- dad’s car, the truck and now Emma’s car. Hopefully they’ll fix her low tire for free
Dad hasn’t been moved yet to priests, which is a bummer bc I think Graham needs him. That Scotlin Madsen kid is a real punk (and he’s president) and it’s just tricky- there are some really immature kids in Lainey’s group too- whispering, excluding, and she sees it and if she wanted to be “in with those girls” she could, but she also sees the ones left out and tries to bridge the gap=-= imagine that as a the newest and youngest beehive. It’s just neat to me to see you kids- the way you’ve always been- such good kids- able to help, not too cool, aware of others, I am so grateful and so proud—They’ll figure it out in their church classes but there’s not any besties coming out of those circles.
Dad has been going to the gym everyday and we stopped eating extra bread and no desserts. It’s hard but we’ve had a good week. We’re trying to be good about our water too- I hope you are hydrating enough.
Dad sent me your email to him, that was so sweet- and his back to you- I save it for your blog. We are so proud of our Elder Miller. I love how much it all matters to you, your time, your effort, your accountability. That’s where the blessings are… and they will pour down! Keep looking for them!
Love you endlessly
Mama
My talk study from this morning by Uctdorf: I loved the part that said, “The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/the-infinite-power-of-hope?lang=eng
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
1-16-23
It was about time for me to send you an email! I hope you know how much you really do mean to me mama! I get emotional thinking about it. This would be so so hard without you. Thanks for all the email responses you send. Im sure it gets to be a lot for you, but I love them and check my inbox many times a day for them. Thank you for always talking to me on pdays, it gets long, but I love every minute of it! I love you mom!
Lift Up Your Heart and Rejoice By Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis
Some other distractions might be experiencing a pandemic, leaving a good job, putting off education, or being particularly interested in someone romantically. Everyone will have his or her own set of challenges. Such distractions can arise at precisely the time of embarking in the service of the Lord, and choices that seem obvious later are not always as easy in the moment.
I know from experience the troubled mind of such a young person. When I was preparing to go on my mission, some surprising forces tried to discourage me. One was my dentist. When he realized my appointment was so I could be a missionary, he tried to dissuade me from serving. I had not had the least notion that my dentist was against the Church.
The interruption of my education was also complicated. When I asked for a two-year leave of absence from my university program, I was informed that it was not possible. I would lose my place at the university if I did not return after one year. In Brazil, this was serious since the only criterion for admittance in a university program was a very difficult and competitive examination.
After repeatedly insisting, I was reluctantly informed that after being absent for one year, I could apply for an exception on extraordinary grounds. It might be approved or not. I was terrified at the idea of retaking that difficult admissions test after two years away from my studies.
I also was especially interested in a young woman. Several of my friends shared that same interest. I thought to myself, “If I go on a mission, I’m running a risk.”
But the Lord Jesus Christ was my great inspiration not to be afraid of the future as I strove to serve Him with all my heart.
He also had a mission to fulfill. In His own words, He explained, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). And was His mission easy? Of course not. His suffering, which was an essential part of His mission, caused Him, “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that [He] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
“Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and [He] partook and finished [His] preparations unto the children of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18–19).
Serving a full-time mission may seem difficult to us. Perhaps it requires that we give up important things for a moment. The Lord certainly knows this, and He will always be by our side.
In fact, in their message to missionaries in Preach My Gospel, the First Presidency promises, “The Lord will reward and richly bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve Him.”4 It is true that all the children of God are blessed in one way or another, but there is a difference between being blessed and being richly blessed in His service.
Remember the challenges that I thought I faced prior to my mission? My dentist? I found another. My university? They made an exception for me. Remember that young woman? She married one of my good friends.
But God truly blessed me richly. And I learned that the blessings of the Lord can come in ways different from how we expect. After all, His thoughts are not our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8–9).
Among the many rich blessings He has given me for serving Him as a full-time missionary are a greater faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and a stronger knowledge and testimony of His teachings, so that I am not easily swayed by “every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). I lost my fear of teaching. My capacity to face challenges with optimism increased. By observing individuals and families I met or taught as a missionary, I learned that the teachings of God are true when He says that sin does not bring true happiness and that obedience to the commandments of God helps us prosper both temporally and spiritually (see Mosiah 2:41; Alma 41:10). And I learned for myself that God is a God of miracles (see Mormon 9).
All of these things were instrumental in my preparation for adult life, including possible marriage and parenthood, Church service, and professional and community life.
After my mission, I benefited from my increased courage to present myself as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and His Church in all circumstances and to all people, even sharing the gospel with a beautiful woman who would become my virtuous, wise, fun, and beloved eternal companion, the sunshine of my life.
Yes, God has blessed me richly, far beyond what I imagined, just as He will all those who “humbly and prayerfully serve Him.” I am eternally grateful to God for His goodness.
My mission completely shaped my life. I learned it is worth the effort to trust in God, to trust in His wisdom and mercy and in His promises. After all, He is our Father, and without any doubt, He wants the best for us.
Dear youth throughout the world, I extend the same invitation that our prophet, President Nelson, has made to all of you “to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.” President Nelson said:
“There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing.
“This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.”5
We were born at this time for a divine purpose, the gathering of Israel. When we serve as full-time missionaries, we will be challenged at times, but the Lord Himself is our great exemplar and guide in such circumstances. He understands what a difficult mission is. With His help, we can do hard things. He will be by our side (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:88), and He will bless us greatly as we humbly serve Him.
Oh I was My heart lept to see a journal entry from you. You’ve been busy and haven’t felt well and I knew those were good reasons- but I’ve been missing knowing how you are--- a week is way too long to wait to talk to you…so thank you for the journal entry.
I’m glad your cold is moving along it’s course. If the cough is too much, you probably have robitussin tablets- much better than liquid cough syrup- but if that’s all you have or need then take it. tHat’s what it’s for.
I’m not sure about taking unknown medicine from people, but I’m
glad you survived and are feeling better.
That was kind of her to share it.
One way to get out of that sort of scenario in the future is to say that
you’ve already taken cough medicine and you don’t think you should mix
medications. But who knows—maybe her
medicine was a good one to help you get through it. Medicine just helps make sickness tolerable, they
don’t cure it
Nice that you have your own helmet—what were you using before a
community one? Maybe you can buy a cool Aruba
sticker to put on it.(and then each island you serve on) Maybe you aren’t
allowed to do that?
I’m glad Benjamin is meeting with you tonight and that you haven’t
given up on him. Keep validating what he
has learned and what he does know and assure him that the Lord has so many
blessings for him as he keeps coming closer to Him (and his journey on the covenant
path) I’m so prayerful for you. A Chasity lesson with Jason is a big deal too—lots
of faith today~!
Tomorrow and transfer news—we’re so excited to find out—bet you
are too- I know where ever the Lord
needs you will be a blessing to you and to your area. Change is a good mix up but also a lot of
unknowns- no matter how it shakes down.
It is cool that you know most of the missionaries that you’ll be
assigned with—at least you don’t go into whatever your companionship is
blind. Have you had Elder Hall write
down his contact info in a book or something—I mean I guess you can find
whoever on social media later- but it might be good to keep a comp list. You think you’ll remember dates and areas and
comps, but it will eventually all lump together a little.
I hope your power is back on.
Your noodle bake looked good. I
love seeing what you are making/eating—it sets me at ease a little bit
I hope the youth activity was fun- it’s good of you to both go and
interact—and bonus if you get some bball in.
It must be weird waiting for transfer news—not really packing, but
having that in the back of your head. I
get why you don’t find out too far in advance- but it’s not much time if you
are moving on to say good bye, get pictures etc with members and friends.
This weekend will be interesting here- Alma and her boyfriend (*who
is from Ecuador, attending BYUI) are coming.
I don’t know that much about the boyfriend other than his family still
lives in Ecuador, he served a mission in Peru, and according to what Alma has
shared with my mom, he isn’t interested in the church at all anymore…which is
so sad. I don’t really understand how
you continue at BYUI and get ecclesiastical (bishop’s) endorsements- but maybe it’s
just an annual thing or upon getting accepted, idk. I am happy for Alma to have someone in her
life she loves, but sad if she chooses the gamble of hoping he'll come around.
I don’t think they’ve dated for more than 5 months or so- so maybe there’s no
real commitment there- and she’s def a person that needs a boyfriend- not too
often totally on her own. So that will
be interesting. Just sort of awkward bc
she’s a little awkward and then to have him too….
They won’t get until after dinner so that will make tonight easy
enough. Tomorrow we have Grahams church
ball (which I’m bummed to not get to see, but I have to get Avery over to Nampa
for pregame. (Dad and Graham will be
able to get there in time for her game).
She found out they are playing Kuna for the first game of districts
(single elimination). If they win, they
go on to play on Monday. If they win
Monday, the championship is on Wednesday.
I don’t think they’ll make it to Wednesday, but I hope to Monday. The Rocky JV team will likely win it all in
their division, so she’ll get to see them on Wednesday even if she isn’t
playing.
I’m trying to think of how to fill the rest of the day with Alma-
might plan on a movie and dinner out at the villages—it’s pretty to walk around
there- I’m not sure. I need to make a plan
with dad so we have something in the works with company. I guess we need to
also work in her dental appointment too sometime. So that’s one more thing to add in…which is
good.
Lainey is going over to a friend in the ward’s house for a movie
party with some girls in YW (the parkers- dad works with him in the deacons’
quorum) they have a girl Lainey’s age (kind of homeschool vibes- but seems nice
and like the parents are involved and aware.
So that’s big kids stuff for Lainey.
Last weekend Baya Fullmer invited Lainey over for a party at her house-
but it was so odd to me bc her text said, “Hey girl- come over to my house
tonight around 7- my parents won’t be here but wanted to have some kids over
for movies/games.” Um no. It’d probably be an Um no even if the Fullmer
parents were there but weird that she’d be doing that knowing they were gone. She’s a nice girl, but seems like she’s 17
not 12 and not really who I want Lainey hanging out with outside of church.
The pups are doing well. We
had a bad deal on Thursday night- we left the house at 3:20 to get Avery to her
game at Capital. Before we left we had
Lainey let the dogs out for the bathroom ( the kennel potty door is blocked off
so the cold doesn’t get in during winter, so we have to let them out by the
dining room door now and always before we leave. We didn’t figure it out till we got home around
6:30 that she had forgotten to bring them in and put them in the kennel before
we left- so they were adventuring and prob freezing in the backyard for those 3
hours) They must’ve rested on the couch
together because neither were too cold when we got back, but they were happy to
see us and both got an immediate bath and then lots of cuddles to dry off.
Still I felt bad—hopefully they weren’t barking the whole time---
I want to always try to leave you with something uplifting…
I loved reading this talk this week—you’ve likely read it before
but it’s a good one – and it’s been awhile maybe…
It’s this one by Elder
Eyring
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2012/04/mountains-to-climb?lang=eng
Of course he quotes the super powerful Doctrine and Covenants 122:7–9
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into
the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of
death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if
fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the
elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all,
if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth
wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.
Also how he ends it is pretty awesome and inspiring: “If we have faith in
Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a
blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the
Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we
choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of
salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need
to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never
are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left
and our right to bear us up.10 And He always keeps His word.
I testify that God the Father lives and that His Beloved Son is our Redeemer. The Holy Ghost has confirmed truth in this conference and will again as you seek it, as you listen, and as you later study the messages of the Lord’s authorized servants, who are here. President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet to the entire world. The Lord watches over you. God the Father lives. His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is our Redeemer. His love is unfailing.”
Love you Miles. Here’s to a great Saturday and some big news! Whatever it is, I know the Lord is in the details!
Big hugs-Mama
♥♥♥♥♥
Miiles—You
deserve the biggest hug. I loved every part of
your journal- mostly because I love every part of how you use your faith
to call down miracles! I am so sorry
about Benjamin- don’t give up on
him. Even if you went this morning and he doesn’t to church- I hope you are still
able to just tell him how much you’ve
missed him and that you wanted to just see him-
help him feel Christ’s love. I
hope he went with you.
That
beach baptism was so beautfiul—that water- wow.. it’s like the most crazy blue ombre. I loved the joy you could see in the pictures
of that little girl. How cute. How wonderful. I’m glad that you all get to participate in
that- all the elders—that’s a neat picture of you arm in arm on the beach.
It
was neat to read about Jason’s lesson. I
love how you let his concerns and feelings lead into the truth you had to
share- it’s like an instant tie in and connection for him that feels
personal. I hope he is able to share it
with his girlfriend in a way that makes her excited about that promise- I know
you said her schedule was tricky- but it’d be awesome to get them both in a
lesson together.
I
also love that you didn’t let the rest of the cancellations of the day hinder
you from the work or from asking for miracles.
It’s so powerful when you think about it—when you specificcally pray and
in the moment ask God to consecrate your efforts- He knows how important this
work is- and when sees faith like that, He answers it…..
I
lvoed the story of the man you came into contact with- It was sweet how you didn’t
even know of his disablity- you just saw him- his heart—that is so much like
what the Savior did—saw people’s hearts- he focused, like you did, on what
matters and the rest will be restored. I
love how you took the time to explain what you look like to make it personal
and connect with him- to care enough to invest like that… also very Christlike. I love that you wanted him to have a Book of Mormon
even if he can’t read it—it still feels important, that he should just have one
and I think it’s the sweetest that you said he needs it so you can come read it
to him. I bet that time with him made him feel so loved and known by the Lord. I felt
so much love in this entire enounter—you truly are serving as an instrument in
the Lord’s hands and I hope you can recognize it. There’s so much power in what
you are doing when you approach it that way and let the spirit guide.
It’s
been hard to wait to hear about transfers but everyone here says we should wait
till Monday rather than try to rig up some emoji communication on messenger- they
are prob right. So we’ll be so excited
to find out the details tomorrow—unless you put a transfer pic on yoru camera
roll. I’m glad you did that last time- not that I need to know early, but I
like to put those transfer docs with all the different comps and areas in your
blog. My best guess is that you are staying
and I feel like the Lord has more for you to do and see through in Noord. I know you’ve been there a long time- and
maybe you’re going to be heading out- but I think Noord needs you one more
transfer. I hope you’ll find peace in
whatever your assignment and companion situation is and just feel some good
energy-taking what’s been improved in this last transfer and keep building on
that.
Alma
and her boyfriend Wil left this morning.
It was nice to have them—really liked Will- he was pretty low key super
attentive to Alma—they were cute together but not gaggy. It was long enough to enjoy them, but ready
for them to head out, too.
We
have fast Sunday today bc of stake conference next week, so we’re all fasting
for you. Love you so much Elder
Miller. You are serving in just the way
I always knew and hoped you would- with your heart. That is such a beautiful offering day in and
day out. The Lord sees and will bless you for it over and over your whole
mission and life through.
Excited
to talk to you tomorrow- Dad works at 8:30- so he can talk like last week from
7-7:45 when he takes Graham. If that
works for you—I am sure your day might look different depending on what’s
happening with transfers- so however it works for you will be great for us.
I
love you!
Talk
to ponder from Elder Hales—he gave it when he didn’t even have strength to stand-
he had a chair to sit in while he spoke—he was going through a lot of health
challenges and chose to speak on waiting on the Lord. I think that’s powerful in and of itself. He
passed away in 2017. His wife just passed away this month. It makes me happy
thinking that they have both “waited upon the Lord” and can now be together. When I read this talk I thougth about you
working with Benjamin – or Jason- wanting progress so much- so earnestly because
you know what kind of peace and happiiness it means for them, but how you are
put into these situations where you just have to keep loving, keep sharing,
keep inviting and “wait upon the Lord” That’s
hard, but also the safest and surest bet.
Keep it up Elder!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?lang=eng
Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I’m glad Hall is on his way and it's go time for you too. I’m sure he’s going to have his hands full but the Lord will bless him. He’ll miss you though. It’s normal to just adjust for a little bit—and for that to not feel easy or comfortable. I’m glad you made the effort to set goals. Some people show nerves differently- he’s so new and new to an area- and so his lack of hype might be just the way that he is coping with the change, the unknowns, etc. Reassure and lift! Lead out, love—I really liked that quote I shared in the chat today, People are lifted whenthey are treated as if they already were what they could be “ Elder Ashton (I know you don’t remember him, but I rememember how sweet and meek he was. I decided to look him up to learn more and it’s interesting that he was a senator and held other important titles, served as an apostle- but he is always talked about, remembered by the way he made people feel. Elder Ashton was witty, kind, and humble, and he was able to inspire people to become better while simultaneously making them feel worthwhile and loved as they were. I see qualities in him that are also in you. Did you read that? These are also your gifts.) Elder Ashton gave a talk once where he counseld BYU students to be honest, wise, and good- saying that the world and church needed direction in these areas.
I loved a story he shared about an experience he had with then prophet, Spencer W Kimball. I’m going to paste it here so you can read it now- 😉
“President Spencer W. Kimball, on one occasion a few years ago asked me to accompany him to the Utah State Prison. He invited me to go to the vineyards with him because I, Marvin J. Ashton, knew the location. He wanted to spend some time with those confined to prison. On this occasion I heard and saw a prophet declare glad tidings in a way that has left me with an everlasting impression. It was a unique invitation. It was an unusual request. I doubt that any other apostle in modern days has had an experience that comes even close to this. I learned much from a prophet who was wise.
May I say in the beginning when he first asked me to accompany him to the prison at the point of the mountain. I felt impressed to say to him. “President Kimball, I don’t want you to go to the prison for a visit. I’ve had enough experience there to know that your life would be in danger, and some people would do anything to get attention, embarrass, or even harm you. Please, President Kimball, if you don’t mind, let’s not go right now.”
A few days passed and he talked to me on the telephone again and said, “Marv, I want to go to the prison with you.” I could tell that he was earnest and very sincere. The time for delay was over. I called the warden and asked him if we could come down the following day and visit with him and two inmates of his choice. He agreed, and I took President Kimball to the institution.
We were greeted by the warden and taken to his office. He hadn’t been there very long when two inmates were invited to come in and meet with us. They were in their prison garb and looked hard. I felt very uneasy when the steel door closed behind them and we were left with the two of them, the Prophet, myself, and the warden.
President Kimball shook their hands before we all sat down. This was followed by a brief period of intense silence. The prisoners were looking at the floor. President Kimball was looking at them, and I was looking at him. After this awkward period of silence was over, President Kimball started off with what seemed to me to be an unusual approach. The thought crossed my mind that he could say: “What are you in here for? Why did you do it? When do you get out? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” or “What is your previous record?” To my pleasure and further education and for their involvement, he looked at the one, and said to my surprise: “Tell me about your mother.” The prisoner responded and told President Kimball and others of us assembled about his mother, the details of which are not important for my purposes today.
When this was over, with the prisoner doing the talking and President Kimball doing the listening, President Kimball finally looked at the other prisoner and said: “What does your father do for a living?” He too responded with comments, and the Prophet gave complete attention and listened intently. In a few minutes I had seen and heard a prophet counsel and interview. They looked at him, responded, and looked in his face while he gently listened. Before our interview was over, word had spread that President Kimball was at the prison visiting, and some of the media were outside the doors waiting for pictures and conversation with President Kimball. President Kimball invited some of the press into the room with a cameraman. One reporter said, “President Kimball, we’d like to have a picture of you talking to these two inmates.” President Kimball granted the interview by standing up promptly and getting between the two prisoners as the picture was taken.
I recall as though it were yesterday what he said after the picture was taken. He shook one hand and then the other and said, “Thank you, boys, for letting me have my picture taken with you.” One of these hardened prisoners was in for murder and the other one for grand larceny. To say they were touched and responsive is an understatement.
I will never forget the impact of this visit upon me and my future. A wise, gentle prophet conducted his interview without embarrassment, without ridicule, and without condemnation. I know I have told this story before and shared it around the Church, but I felt impressed to relive it with you just for a few moments today as we think of interviewing, counseling, instructing, and touching lives with wisdom. Frankly I still wonder if President Kimball’s main purpose for the visit was to see the prisoners or to teach a new apostle in a live classroom. How wonderful it would be if we could counsel with wisdom under all circumstances.”
I loved that for a lot of reasons, his awareness, his acceptance, how he made them feel- but also how he knew to ask the right questions. I read about you doing that in your lessons- and how it has and will continue to open doors, lead to more conversation- and start to define a path to change that begins in a place that is already important to whomever you are teaching. It’s so powerful. And who knows, that story might come in handy to share a training or something 😊
So keep making your goals- make your themed boards, be the hype until he finds his hype and keep working hard. Nothing will motivate and inspire the best in someone else like an example of someone that digs in to work hard, looks up, trusts God, and follows the spirit with all the energy of heart. That’s contagious. Love your companion, find ways to serve and lift him. Pray to have powerful spiritual experiences together. Look for his input, plan together. Even if he isn’t as comfortable with language- include him. You know how important or unimportant that can make you feel. The Lord is ready to magnify you both- individually and as a companionship. Get some fire going - Work this transfer like it’s your last in Noord— because maybe it is ….your comp will see your commitment and how you are accountable to the Lord for each hour of your day—not everyone does that- feels that accountability for ALL of it—every day is a day to leave it better than you found it—to reach more people, to build a companion who is still figuring out the caliber of missionary he will be. Figure that out together, give it all to the Lord and I know He will pour down blessings. Make it a goal to keep going to bed exhausted—not just tired.
“I have always been impressed with an experience President Hugh B. Brown, former member of the First Presidency, shared with me when I was serving a mission under his direction in the British Isles. He told about his mother’s encouraging words as he left on his mission when he was about twenty years of age. This, essentially, was her message, as I recall.
Hugh, you remember when you were a little boy and you would have a bad dream or wake up in the night frightened, you would call from your room: “Mother, are you there?” and I would answer and try to comfort you and remove your fears. Now as you go on a mission and out into the world there will be times when you will be frightened, when you feel weak, inadequate, alone, and have problems. I want you to know that you can call to your Heavenly Father as you used to call to me and say: “Father, are you there? I need your help.” Do this with the knowledge that he is there and that he will be ready to help you if you will do your part and live worthy of your blessings and needs. I want to reassure you that he is there and will answer your prayers and needs for your best good.
What a blessing it is and can be in the future—when we have special challenges, heartbreaks, unusual experiences, or disappointments—to know that he is there and we can cry unto him in faith and complete trust.”
From “KNOW HE IS THERE”- Marvin J Ashton
Oh I’m sorry about a rough first
day. It’s hard with Benjamin bc you are in it for the right reasons, it hurts because
you love him and had so much hope. Even
though it’s not what you want for him, or had expected from him, I’m glad you
can see that he is trying to distance himself- maybe in the kindest way he can-
to just not be ready. He’s not saying
never come back- he’s just saying I’m not ready. It’s hard to just have seeds planted when you
were prepping for flowers- but there are still seeds… and you have given him so
much light and truth and clarity in ways that he needed. I am sure some of your pride is hurt too,
wanting to introduce your new comp to your miracle Benjamin- and to have that
feel like it’s falling apart might make you think (though it’s not true) that
you hadn’t taught him enough or whatever er- but remember that above all God respects
our agency and you have to do that too. Your new comp is going to see how much
love and hope you had for Benjamin. Your comp will learn, like you are, that at
the end of the day, it’s just not up to us- we can’t “will” anyone to do
anything until they are ready to. …all we can do is love, share, invite. I
think the best thing you could do is just do what you did- bear testimony and
show love. Testify to Benjamin that he
is a literal son of God and that the Savior of the world knows him
personally. Direct him toward the peace
that only the Savior can bring. Show an
increase of love- and leave a little of that light with Benjamin when you
go. If it has to be a drop lesson, then
so be it- maybe though you can just keep contact enough to stop in when you are
in the area, not totally cut him off. If
he feels like he has the space from you or isn’t being pressured too much, if he
trusts that it’s okay that he’s not ready or not being pressured- he still
might be willing to learn and not argue…and then maybe you can keep teaching
him and helping him grow into it. I’m so sorry Miles—it’s got to be so
frustrating to have so much to offer him, all right there in the Savior’s open arms,
and have someone not be ready to embrace it—I think that loneliness is a feeling
the Savior lived with every day, still lives with, wanting so much for us each
to choose him over the world, over our habits, over our favorite sins, our
tiredness, over our natural man- to fall into His arms and receive—that’s all
He wants- and that’s all you want for Benjamin too. Take it to the Savior, He knows more than
anyone else what you are feeling.
I know you wanted Jason to
prioritize marriage prepping for baptism, but reread what you wrote- HE REALLY WANTS
TO BE BAPTIZED! That’s wonderful. The rest will work out and you can pour your
faith into that and help him make steps to get things taken care of that he
needs to- Just because it isn’t quick, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Help him get there- validate and reassure and
celebrate his growing faith and the desires of his heart- hype him up on the promises that are his with
a marriage for TIME And ALL eternity… it’s beautiful and a wonderful motivator. If you start to lose hope, your friends don’t
stand a chance—so keep that fire in him going— call down heaven’s help for
miracles.
How are you doing with the
language- I’m so anxious to talk to you about how that’s going, how things are
with your comp. As he gets to know more
people in Noord, he’ll find more reasons to love and to get excited.
Keep your chin up- attitude is
everything! Colin Powell (former secretary of state and first African American
to hold that position, just passed away in 2021) said “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” Isn’t that
a great quote? Maybe it should go on
your board 😊It actually
came from a list he kept under the glass topper on his desk to refer to often
about LEADERSHIP
Colin
Powell's "13 Rules of Leadership":
1 .It ain’t as bad as you think! It will look better
in the morning.
2.Get mad then get over it.
3.Avoid having your ego so close to your position
that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4.It can be done.
5.Be careful what you choose: you may get it.
6.Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good
decision.
7.You can’t make someone else’s choices. You
shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8.Check small things
9.Share credit.
10.Remain calm. Be kind.
11.Have a vision. Be demanding.
12.Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13.Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
When asked what exactly is a “force
multiplier” he said: ”A Force multiplier is a term you'll only hear in the
military. Say I'm planning a battle – I'm always looking for something I can
add to my forces that makes them more effective than the enemy thinks they are.
I have better intelligence, I have better morale, I have more supplies. [read-
power of message of truth of restored gospel, Book of Mormon, calling as a missionary,
etc] These are force multipliers that make my soldiers more effective. If
you can believe, if you can always believe, and if your people, if your
subordinates can always believe, that multiplies the effect of your
organization. [read companionship, district, area]
One of the questions I always
get asked is: What's the difference between management and leadership?
Management is getting 100 percent out of the design of an organization.
Leadership is getting 125 percent out of the design of that organization.
Leadership takes you farther than management thinks you can go. And you get
that by inspiring people, by taking care of them. You give them what they need
to get the job done, building confidence and trust with them, and they with
you. And that creates perpetual optimism – it's a force multiplier, meaning it
makes your force more powerful than the design of the force would suggest it
is.”
So think about how you are
interacting with your companion, and the friends you are working with and add in
a gospel perspective—you don’t need to motivate people with tactical advantage
or worry about so much the scope of your reach- but you can consider how being
positive gives you every advantage and when you couple that with the power and
the truth of your message, and the backing of heaven, and the will of God- Well
then-> Nothing will stop the work and you can choose to let nothing hinder
you in doing it. Let the spirit guide- It
starts in your heart with the emphasis of your own testimony, but it builds
with your willingness to work, your ability
to follow promptings—that’s your force multiplier mindset….
I love you very much!
Mama
Scriptures to ponder on
Romans 2:7- 7 “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor
and immortality, eternal life”
Hebrews
12:1- “ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”
Helaman
6:1 “And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of
the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had
become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because
of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith.”
I’ll just keep this short, knowing you’ll read it on pday
when you are talking to us anyway.. That is super neat about being able to
translate—sooner than you think it will always be like that—it’s super amazing
though bc you aren’t just having to learn one language- you are starting to be
able to think and switch between the two back and forth- that’s amazing—this whole
time I’ve been so amazed at your positivity with that—just being able to juggle
it- and not get too overwhelmed with it—and then you see miracles like at
church where you are able to feel the gift of tongues working like that.
I’m excited Mara is coming and I hope you are hyping her up
to the ZL’s etc to help you get more access to her.
Anxious to hear how Jason is doing and Benjamin.
I
am not surprised at all that things are still building and strong in
Noord. You don’t have to be Elder hall
to make that happen or keep it happening--
you are absolutely capable and that caliber of missionary to keep the
fire—I love you I wish you already knew
that about yourself—but I’m glad you can see the proof of it—the Lord is not
going to withhold any blessings when you keep giving Him your best- and you are a natural leader- not a loud and
intense in your face hype man, but the kind of person that others respect and will
follow. As you continue to develop your
gifts and attributes of the Savior like meekness, diligence, and show an outpouring
of love- you’ll be blessed in your own work and as impactful with others.
And look at you, even with a billion bike issues- what’ the
deal with that, are they getting you new bikes?
It’s got to be frustrating when distance (to get to Mara’s) or
transportation issues (bike probs) are slowing you down doing the work- but
PRESS on! The Lord will find a way if
you are willing.
We are so excited that it’s pday (when you read this probably!) Love you so much!
Mama
I loved this quote-
2-9-23
It was interesting to read about the interaction and switch
up of plans with your comp. I think it’s
good you let him try to explain his thoughts and that you could share yours
too. Weird about the shut down mode- but
that’s just how some people deal with it- personally I’d rather have to wade
through that than a yeller or someone who is really aggressive-= but still-
hard. I loved what you said that you were
just going to “love him through it” until he recovers. Best approach ever! I hope it worked quickly! It’s so good though for you to wade through
all of this- you’re learning so many things about how people operate and are
motivated and expressive differently, social cues, and just how to be a better communicator. I mean we learn all those things in a family,
but we also know each other better, have patterns and expectations, give each
other the pass more, and love each other regardless so this is a crazy 2 year
crash course in people skills. It will
help you adapt easier with roommates in college and coworkers. It will also help you with your wife- who I know
you think will be perfect (and she will be perfect FOR you, but not perfect)
and when you are transitioning into life together there will be moments when
these lessons you are learning now will bless you. Even as a parent, knowing how to approach,
console, love, motivate all of your children- because they are each unique
little creatures… it’s fun to see and a puzzle to figure out. Definitely
something I pray about all the time.
I talked to Marianne today bc the twins were at dad’s office
for wisdom teeth- they have finished their part and are just waiting on Stake
President interviews. I was thinking
they’d already submitted papers, but not yet.
That’ll be so fun to find out.
I think tonight is Kobe’s senior night. He’ll have lots more games with districts and
prob state games though. But he’s a
short timer bc I think he’s graduating early after bball. I can’t remember when he leaves for his
mission? Maybe May?
I saw that Makenna Omer (who is at BYU) just got her mission
call (leaving in May) to the Taipei (sp) Taiwan Mission speaking Mandarin Chinese.
That’d be a crazy language to learn.
Maren Buma (my friend Sarah’s daughter that you saw at the MTC) just
finished her training in Toyoko, that seems like a crazy call to me too. She
asked to be on your email list a few months back. Olivia Tayor leaves Monday
(your pday) for the Philippines MTC where she’ll go for just one week and then
to her mission. She’s ready- done with MTC
food she says.. hahaha
I’m sorry about your watch- it isn’t a big fix- and not expensive
at all- it’s just a padded circular press that clamps the back down-it’s what
they do when they need to change the battery.
A whole battery change here is about $15- not sure there but all you
need is the back put on- so maybe they’ll just do it for free. You can go into any jeweler and they should
be able to do it—(jewelers sell the nice watches, so they have the press thing
for battery changes
I told Sadie that you met one of her Ecuador friends and she loved that. That’s neat that Pedro is willing to have you back.
Keep pushing Miles.
The work will pick up- you just
keep doing your part, and call down your miracles. There are so many blessings that come through
your efforts-not all of them lead to baptism- but they are building the kingdom
when you strengthen new members or less actives- support branch efforts, just
be a constant light and force for good wherever you go.
I’m so glad you could meet with Benjamin and can keep
meeting with him. You and your comp need
to be on the same page- but share those miracles with him- maybe from his
perspective there hasn’t been as much progress as you’ve seen- he was so ready and
then had that carnival set back with tithing- it’s okay if he’s not going fast or
if you are repeating- you can’t drop someone that is still willing to learn,
right? I hope your comp can trust a
little longer—and that you’ll share your impressions that you’ve had along the way
and now. It’s fair that your comp might need
to lean into that a little more than what he sees just looking at the situation
I this transfer. The Lord and your
mission president left you in Noord for a reason- maybe it's Benjamin- he needs
more time and some faith to help him get there.
Keep showing him love and teaching him truth—even if you’ve taught and he’s
accepted it before- it will still ring true- truth is truth and the spirit will
do his part—you just showing genuine love for him and keep inviting!
Sorry to be a party pooper but getting a “ride” from trucks
sounds like a bad idea= your comp isn’t keeping up, it’s not safe if they stop
fast, distracting to the driver…etc I
don’t want you to be the reason they have to make a “rule” about it.
I’m glad you got out for studies—I think that’s really good
for you to be in nature and just mix things up.
Oh just read that you got your watch fixed—that’s great
news. Glad they just helped you out with
that. Don’t worry too much about the date-
glad the time is working!
That’s so neat about your lunch with the members- and agree that a prayer over soup is perfect—you being able to read a situation and follow the spirit is perfect—not going into it like a robot that has to check boxes. It really goes a long way when you show love and build relationships—makes anything that follows full of possibilities because they know you and know that you care That’s my missionary!!
This weekend is kind of low key. Dad and I really need to get over these
coughs. It’s keeping us from the temple. There have been some changes to the temple in
this last week. From what has been
shared with me from people who have gone- changes like in the baptistry no more
saying, “who is dead”, just doing the ordinance like, Sister— for and in behalf
of ------, I baptize you etc… just not the specification of “who is dead” and I’m
not sure about the change in invitatories, but I know there is one, and in the
endowment-it has shifted to a more Christ centered focus (no witness couple- I
think Adam and Eve are the witness couple) and more upfront explanation of all
the covenants before it gets going- I heard they still use clips from the videos,
but it’s just one video now- not multiple ones- all in all I’ve just heard it
is so wonderful and even more beautiful with Christ as the focus. So that’s awesome—I’m so excited to go. We’ll go tonight for baptisms with the kids –
but I can’t do the other ordinances till I am not coughing involuntarily.
Hopefully soon. We did make an appt for
the family to do baptisms next weekend when Emma, Sadie, Seth (they are coming
bc it’s his birthday on Monday the 20th and there’s no school here
or BYU bc of President’s day) are here.
I’m so excited to do that with you when you come back and have all my
children in the temple together- that’s the ultimate dream!!!1
Tomorrow morning Gtrham has a stake bball game—hopefully they
have enough players, that’s been a little dicey getting enough guys out. He had a by last week so he’s excited for
this week. In the evening we’re going
out to dinner with the Mauricios. That’ll
be fun- we’ve been trying to do that for awhile. It’ll be nicer to have them over in the
summertime when the kids can be outside-
Sister Danner came home from the hospital back to her
daughters in Meridian. She did suffer a
small stroke but was taken in quickly enough that it wasn’t overly serious-
just another hurdle in her recovery. I’m
sure she’s frustrated- but glad she’s not still in the hospital or that there
weren’t aftermath complications that are
serious. I haven’t seen her yet- kind of waiting for her daughter to tell me
when she’s ready for a visit. We need to get to the Rickseckers too, but haven’t
wanted to go with coughs.
Grham and Lainey are teaching their church classes (g
Teachers quorum and Lainey in her yw class) lesson on Sunday- somehow it just
worked out that they are teaching the same lesson same week. It’s on how can I
improve my worship—and at first I didn’t love the lesson, but as we prepped it-
it was really neat. One part of it is
about the woman from Sumaria at the well.
These are the points that stood out to me as I read about that experience
From lesson: ““The woman of
Samaria described in John 4 probably went to the well to get water frequently.
But this time was different. She met a Jewish man who asked her for a drink.
That alone was unusual because Jews generally didn’t associate with Samaritans.
But there was something else unusual about this man. Perceiving that He must be
a prophet, she asked Him questions about worshipping God. Was it acceptable to
worship God there in Samaria? Or must people worship in Jerusalem, as the Jews
claimed? (see John 4:19–20). The man explained that where we worship isn’t as
important as how we worship: “True worshippers shall worship the Father in
spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).
Then the man told her who He was—He was the Christ, the Savior of the world
(see John 4:25–26).”
My thoughts:
b. Jesus knows that we all sin. He knows that we
struggle to follow Him, and at some point, we all get a little lost (or a LOT
lost). We can’t hide these things from Him, but I find great comfort in the
thought that I don’t HAVE to hide them from Him. I can talk to Him about my
struggles and sins, knowing that He still loves me!
c. He wants EVERYONE to come to Him. Do you ever
feel like you are the last person on the whole planet that Jesus would call to?
I can bet that this woman had that thought more than once. But He wants us ALL.
And he wants ALL of us. He wants us to forsake the worldly water that can never
fully quench our thirst and drink deeply from His living water that makes us
never thirst again. No matter what we have done, or even the situation we
currently find ourselves in, He is calling to each of us to follow Him.
d. If
you are struggling, find that well. He will come to you. He will know you. He
will accept you. And He will call you to become more than you ever thought
possible.
Peace
and joy await - never thirst again!
I love you Miles. I know
it’s a lot. (as best as I can without
really being there- or as a missionary)
I see you digging in and keeping up the pace and the bar is high. You are reaching it. Decide everyday to reach it and the Lord will
bless you and Noord.
Love you with all my heart-
Mama
Graham just got back from stake basketball, I didn't go bc of my crazy cough but he said, it was a good game. "Man I wish we'd moved here a year earlier- if Miles and Cache played together- we'd be unbeatable- think of it Miles and Cache in the paint" It was cute. He had 12 points- 2 threes, a reverse and a couple lay ups. They lost by 2 (playing with 2 priest and Graham and then some deacons to fill in the spots) but it was fun. I wish I could've seen him. Next week we'll go with the BYU troops and that'll be fun
I loved reading about Quito Gomez- mostly because I love that you see a need and aren’t slow to respond-and follow up- whether he's interested in the message or not, he felt loved and that's the way of the Savior-- just loving people. Proud of you. it wasn't me that taught you that- you kids did that all on your own, I just had to take you there....
Glad you had a good exchange- prob interesting to be with someone you came out with.
This is short, but just wanted to respond to your journal. Love you Miles. so so proud of you.
I can't remember if I sent this talk already- it's so good- for any of us when we try to step up and serve but reading it today I thought of you as a missionary.
This is probably my favorite part:
"You can
have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the
Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it
cheerfully and with the prayer of faith. The Father and His Beloved Son will
send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be
magnified in the lives of the people you serve. And when you look back on what
may now seem trying times of service and sacrifice, the sacrifice will have
become a blessing, and you will know that you have seen the arm of God lifting
those you served for Him, and lifting you."
2-15-2023
Happy 6 months--- we love you! I hope each of the kids sends you a "6" picture to commemorate such a big day! I missed you a lot on valentine's dayy (and Buggy and cakes too) It sounds like you had a good one though. I hope you got that window fixed! Any bike news?
I associate Subway with McCall too- not sure I've eaten there without some sort of road trip involved.
I'm glad
you got a pic with that couple even if you had to do a drop lesson- it's neat
that you can have a positive perspective on that and realize that every contact
and interaction for good is a reflection of Christ's light. I know you
are MORE than ready to see the harvest of all your labors, and it'll come-- and
be so so sweet- but for now you are doing the best you can and seeds are
planted. Keep finding new friends!
Elder
Christofferson said in his 2020 Conference address: "Perhaps it goes
without saying that despite genuine love and sincerity, many, if not most, of
our invitations to share the message of the Restoration will be declined. But
remember this: everyone is worthy of such an invitation—“all are alike unto
God”;11 the Lord is
pleased with every effort we make, no matter the outcome; a declined invitation
is no reason for our association to end; and a lack of interest today may well
turn to interest tomorrow. Regardless, our love remains constant."
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/56christofferson?lang=eng
I love when YOU notice progress with your language- that is so exciting-- pretty soon it will just roll off your tongue- I can't wait to read that journal entry when you realize it's just happening that easily.
I'm glad you meeting with Ovito went well. Grace Assisted living-- I know that vibe and that smell. ♥ I am sure you were the best part of his day and I'm glad you can count him as a new friend.
You are
so loved- I hope you know how much!
xoxo Mama
p.s. THis is a really good talk https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/called-of-him-to-declare-his-word?lang=eng
This is my favorite part, but I hope you'll read it all when you have a minute:
"Wherever you are sent, to whichever mission you are
assigned, know that a member of the Twelve duly recommended that assignment and
you are called by the Lord’s prophet. You are called “by prophecy, and by the
laying on of hands.”5
The Lord then gave the conditions for this promise to be
fulfilled. He said, “Inasmuch as [which means the promise will be
fulfilled if] they [meaning the missionaries
who are sent] shall [1] humble themselves before me, and [2] abide in my word,
and [3] hearken to the voice of my Spirit.”6
The Lord’s promises are clear. In order to have the spiritual
power necessary to open the door of the kingdom of God in the nation to which
you are sent, you must be humble and obedient and have the ability to hear and
follow the Spirit.
These three attributes are closely interrelated. If you are
humble, you will want to be obedient. If you are obedient, you will feel the
Spirit. The Spirit is essential, for, as President Ezra Taft Benson taught,
“Without the Spirit, you will never succeed regardless of
your talent and ability.”
♥♥♥♥♥
2-23-23
Elder Miller
We had
ridiculous wind yesterday and the BYU kids got a snow day- weird weather!
I am sure
missing you! We got the kids off, and
Melody came all in the same hour and it’s good to have her here, but also
tiring for me. But that’s okay- I think
she needs the distraction from her regular life and she’s pretty good about
letting me work some for dad and then I try to spend the rest of my time with her. She flies out on tomorrow. Dad made it to Arizona and I hope he soaks up
lots of sun and has the best time- but I miss him. No one to watch a show with at night- luckily,
I have two boys to cuddle—Watson (in our room since Mel’s here) and Copper J.
Watson seems
to cough less since I took him to the vet- dad was sweet and didn’t get too
flustered with the $125 vet bill for exam and meds- but he’s still coughing… I
hope it gets better day by day. You can
tell when he settles down into sleep that the coughing stops and he rests, but
when he’s up and going it’s pretty regular.
He still eats and seems pretty normal, except for right after the
coughing fits, he’s worn out, like anyone would be.
I got kind
of emotional reading your journal. I can
tell how much the spirit whispered to you during those zoom meetings- it’s so
special. I love that you were able to be
taught what you needed- I love how the spirit is a gentle teacher and helps motivate
us to do better and be better. I like
what you said about not looking for every comp to be ideal- to love them, not
just tolerate them. It’ll be a sweeter experience
for sure when you do. That’s really neat
and I could tell your heart was all in with that prompting to love your comp-
to look for the good and build from there. I’m anxious to read in future
entries about how you see this playing out- how you find blessings in your
efforts. IT’s also neat the wife spoke
about how missions affected her sons in so many ways- and even in their
marriages and their whole family dynamic- it’s neat to see those blessings and “life
lessons” so valuable even after the tag comes off.
My heart
breaks for Benjamin- but I love that you still invite him to let you come and
share and that even though his heart isn’t in the most receptive place- he isn’t
pushing you away- he might not be on your white board as “on date” or super “progressing”
anymore- he is still semi receptive and as you keep sharing truth, it will
continue to ring true, and in God’s timing- he’ll be prepared. Don’t give up as long as he’ll let you come.(at
least I don’t think you should stop even if it’s only a little productive- still positive- still
sharing the light)
I won’t make
this too long, bc I want to send it off—hope you had a good exchange day with
Tufisi…. Keep taking lots of pictures—hopefully dad does on his trip! I’m
interested to see if Uncle Nate takes off his hat in any pictures—hehehe- so we
can see the new hairline!
I wanted to
share two talks-
Ill paste in
my fave quotes from them in case you don’t have time to read them:
Really good talk by
Elder Holland (1982) https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-and-patricia-t-holland/inconvenient-messiah/
“All but a
prophetic few must go about God’s work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways.
And as you labor to know him, and to know that he knows you; as you invest your
time—and your convenience—in quiet, unassuming service, you will indeed find
that “he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they
shall bear thee up” (Matthew 4:6). It may not come quickly. It probably won’t come quickly,
but there is purpose in the time it takes. Cherish your spiritual burdens
because God will converse with you through them and will use you to do his work
if you carry them well. Do you recognize this struggle? “
And this was a good one
too: It’s a lot about a missionary who
questioned his own personal success as a missionary and the counsel his mission
president gave him to help him understand his impact and the magnitude of his
efforts- it’s just a really neat talk with experiences of the price paid in consecrated missionary service--- too much
to quote, but a good one to read—print and read or whatever
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/f-melvin-hammond/one-man-can-make-difference/
I love you
Miles. There is a light in you. I can see it in every picture—also your smile—it’s
genuine and 18 years I worked to get just that smile when I took pictures of you
and there it is – easy every time now- I think because you love the work and
the Lord and it shows- can’t wait to see it in person. Keep turning out—that’s where the joy is.
Love you
endlessly,
Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
2-25-23
I love how you said, as long as God knows, that’s what matters. You are working your area and doing all you can- keep the energy up and call down miracles. You can do that with your faith and your effort.
Kids are excited to get dad home tomorrow from his brothers golf trip—I hope he can adjust back into real life and let go of bachelorville—hahaha… I think he’s missed us. We have really missed him
That’s cool that if that one guy was the only reason you needed to set up that white board—on a day that an Elder Miller would be there- to connect with that member—then it’s the Lord’s design and you are his hands. I love it. I’m glad transfers went well.
I think I know what you mean about leadership vibes—good to observe and remember when those assignments are yours- but also it is an opportunity to step up and lead out- and that’s a good thing—esp when its done by someone who digs in and works just as hard along with everyone else. That’s motivating. High Energy, High love, High expectations- added to faith and boldness and the ability to hear and follow the spirit and there’s no stopping that.
That’s neat you could do cleanup service at the new branch bldg. I’m excited for you to get a different area and mix things up- still- 2 weeks more in Noord (right?) and it’s important to make the most of it. The Lord has needed you in Noord for this period of time. I wish you could see a whiteboard full of all the big and small ways your love and warmth and kindness have been just what was needed- bringing the light of Christ to Noord—
I have to run to play a game with the kids… it’s called “tacocat spelled backwards” Think about that. Tacocat spelled backwards. Also “yo banana boy” spelled backwards. Same both ways. Fun times in Meridian—I told dad that while the “cats away the mice will play” but this isn’t exactly what I meant. Hahaha
I read a good talk this morning and the part I liked most was a focus on this scripture in 2 Nephi 31:20
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
This was the commentary that I thought was helpful: ““Pressing forward” implies resistance. The scripture doesn’t say walk forward, or move forward, or simply proceed forward. It says to press forward! In order to do this, you must have a vision of where you are going. The Holy Ghost will help you remain steadfast, and your testimony of the Savior will help you proceed with a perfect brightness of hope”
I love you so much! You are a rockstar of a missionary- don’t forget it! Keep “pressing” in Noord and be hopeful! God sees you, loves you, and has great plans for Noord and for you!
Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
March
is here! Crazy and glad!
Graham
had a power breakfast of an egg this morning and I think was feeling good about
tryouts. It was so sweet and so
important what you said to him on pday- it meant a lot coming from you and I
could tell it made him feel more serious and more confident going in. I’ll keep you posted about tryouts on
messenger. I know it will all work out- it’ll be nice to just get through these
first days of tryouts- although it’s good for him to have something “hard” or “scary”
to work through… things should settle down once he’s made a team.
You
are so handsome! your haircut looks amazing!
You can tell that sweet lady that your mom thinks so and is so
grateful! How kind of her. It’s prob good to have those pics (keep them
handy) so the next time you get a hair cut, you can just show them those pics
of how she did it so they have an idea) I wish you’d taken a pic of it “up high” Graham and I argue about that daily! That’s so funny you felt “naughty cutting your
own hair… hahaha… proud mom moment!
Response
for 2/28/23 I’m so glad you felt good about your training. That will mean a lot
to dad that his thoughts were helpful to you for your training—That’s a gift of
his for sure- in his patriarchal blessing.
He was worried that he’d sent it too late- but wasn’t worried that
whatever you’d prepared would be by the spirit.
You two are alike that way- how you dive in and study and apply. It makes us both so proud and so happy to see
you immersing yourself in the scriptures
and words of the prophet and finding applications that are personally impactful. It’s your gift too.
It's
wonderful to read about you following a prompting to talk to a new friend and I’m
so glad you did. I loved what you said about
one person hearing the message of the retored gospel. ♥
Everyone counts- the shepherd knows each of His sheep.
I’m
glad you have a better bike situation and that was a cute little lizard mascot
on the tire. Hopefully this bike is good to you through transfers
I’ve
been thinking a lot about you today with interviews. President will be able to tell you heart. Share your love of the work and the
people. Tell him about your personal
study. Just know he will be able to feel
your intentions and your effort- the Lord knows your capabilities and will
impress upon the mind of your mission president what He needs from you and for
you- it might not feel like that’s happening in a quick interview, but I am
sure in pondering and prayer, the Lord makes it all very clear as President
makes adjustments at transfers.
Tomorrow
will be a good day with zone conference.
I am always glad for these weeks that have things to mix it up. I am prayerful that you’ll get just what you
need from zone conference. Speak up and
share as prompted!
I
love you so much Miles. You keep
impressing us, week by week.
Here
is a talk I read that of course reminded me of you: My favorite quotes in it:
“In one way or another, every good
thing that has happened to me since that day has come because of the commitment
made to serve the Lord and His children and give two years of my life in His
service.
I
say again: Come and join with us. Come and be clean. Come and be happy. Come and
experience the very thing that the Lord has said is of “most worth” (D&C 15:6) to you at this time in your life. Come
and be part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever
known.”
Let’s
GOOOOO!
Xoxoxo
Mama
Your Mission Will Change Everything
By Elder
David F. Evans
Of the Seventy
Come and be
part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever known.
It
has been a year since I was sustained in general conference. I am grateful for
this year and for all that I have experienced. I love the Lord and am so very
grateful for His sacrifice and for His gospel. I love President Hinckley and
sustain him as the Lord’s prophet on the earth. Together with faithful Saints
everywhere, I testify of prophets and apostles in our time and pledge my life
to His cause.
A
few years ago, I was interviewing missionaries. A winter storm was blowing in
as missionaries came and went throughout the day. The storm changed from icy
rain to snow and back again. Some missionaries arrived by train from nearby
cities and walked to the church through the storm. Others rode their bicycles.
Almost without exception they were cheerful and happy. They were the Lord’s
missionaries. They had His Spirit and felt joy in His service regardless of
their circumstances.
As
each companionship concluded their interviews, I will never forget watching
them go back out into the storm to preach the gospel and do what the Lord had
called them to do. I could see their commitment and dedication. I could feel
the love they had for the people and for the Lord. As I watched them leave, I
felt an overwhelming love for them and for what they were doing.
Later
that night, I attended a priesthood meeting in the same city. The storm had
continued and was now mostly snow. During the opening song, the branch
president of the smallest and farthest branch and his two missionary
counselors, Elder Warner and Elder Karpowitz, came into the chapel. As they got
ready to sit down, these two wonderful missionaries took off their winter hats
and gloves. They took off their outer coats. Then they each took off a second
winter coat and sat down. Like the missionaries earlier in the day, despite the
weather these missionaries were happy. They felt the Spirit of the Lord in
their lives. Through service in the Lord’s cause, they felt a certain love and
warmth and joy that are difficult to describe.
As
I watched these great young missionaries that evening, I had a remarkable
experience. In my mind’s eye, I saw missionaries throughout the mission going
out into that winter night. Some were knocking doors and facing rejection as
they sought to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some were in homes or
apartments teaching individuals and families. In spite of the conditions they
faced, they were doing what they could to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to
those who would listen, and they were happy. Into my heart came a feeling that
I cannot fully explain.
By
a wonderful gift of the Spirit, I felt His love, the pure love of Christ that
He has for faithful missionaries everywhere, and it changed me forever. I
understood how precious each missionary is to Him. I caught a glimpse of what
prophets would describe as the “greatest generation of missionaries” the world
has ever known (see M. Russell Ballard, “The Greatest Generation of
Missionaries,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2002, 47). I began to understand why
it was necessary to raise the bar so that missionaries everywhere would be
entitled to the protection, direction, and happiness that accompany the Spirit
of the Lord. I also began to understand why—as parents, bishops, stake
presidents, and other leaders—we must do everything we can to help the young
people of the Church become worthy of the blessings of missionary service.
President
Hinckley described what happens to the heart of every missionary who commits
his or her life and work to the Lord when he talked about his own missionary
experiences. It was early in his mission, and he was discouraged. The work was
hard, and the people were not receptive. However, there came a time when discouragement
turned to commitment. For him, the beginning was a letter from his father in
which he read: “Dear Gordon, I have your letter. … I have only one suggestion:
Forget yourself and go to work.” In describing what happened next, he said: “I
got on my knees in that little bedroom … and made a pledge that I would try to
give myself unto the Lord.
“The
whole world changed. The fog lifted. The sun began to shine in my life. I had a
new interest. I saw the beauty of this land. I saw the greatness of the people.
… Everything that has happened to me since that’s been good I can trace to that
decision made in that little house” (in Mike Cannon, “Missionary Theme Was
Pervasive during Visit of President Hinckley,” Church
News, Sept. 9, 1995, 4).
President
Hinckley continued by saying: “You want to be happy? Forget yourself and get
lost in this great cause, and bend your efforts to helping people” (in Church News, Sept. 9, 1995, 4).
To
every young man I would say, do you want to be happy? If so, come and join with
us, 52,000 strong and counting, and serve your fellow man as a missionary for
the Lord. Make the commitment to give two years of your life to the Lord. It
will change everything. You will be happy. The fog will lift. You will come to
love the culture and the people you are called to serve. The work will be
difficult, but there will also be great satisfaction and joy as you serve. If
you are faithful during your mission and thereafter, you will look back on your
life and say with President Hinckley, “Everything that has happened to me since
that’s been good I can trace to that decision to serve a mission and give my
life to the Lord.”
President
Hinckley has reminded us that it is not only young elders who are entitled to
these blessings. Couples serve wonderfully and are needed so very much. While
young sisters are not obligated to serve, the President has said: “We need some
young women. They perform a remarkable work” (“To the Bishops of the
Church,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, June 19,
2004, 27). We also know that there are some who, for health or other reasons,
are honorably excused from service. We love them and know that our Heavenly
Father will provide compensating blessings in their lives as they serve in
other ways and live faithfully.
A
year ago, Elder Ballard asked that parents, bishops, and branch presidents work
together and help at least one more young man, in addition to those who would
normally be prepared to serve, become worthy and be called from each ward
and branch of the Church (see “One More,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2005, 71). Many have responded. As
leaders, we should all recommit ourselves to following this inspired request.
Brothers
and sisters, many good bishops have been doing for a long time what Elder
Ballard asked. Thirty-six years ago, Bishop Matheson called my home and invited
me to his office. Because of world circumstances, the number of missionaries
any ward could send was limited, but an additional space had become available,
and he had the responsibility to recommend one more missionary. He told me he
and his counselors had been praying. He told me that he was impressed that now
was the time that the Lord wanted me to serve my mission. I was stunned. Never
before had anyone said to me that the Lord had something He wanted me to do. I
felt the Spirit of the Lord testify to me that I should go and that I should go
now. I said to the bishop, “If the Lord wants me to serve, then I will go.”
For
me, everything changed. The fog really did lift, and happiness and joy came
into my life. In one way or another, every good thing that has happened to me
since that day has come because of the commitment made to serve the Lord and
His children and give two years of my life in His service.
I
say again: Come and join with us. Come and be clean. Come and be happy. Come and
experience the very thing that the Lord has said is of “most worth” (D&C 15:6) to you at this time in your life. Come
and be part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever
known.
This is the work of the Lord. Our Father in Heaven lives, and His Son, Jesus Christ, leads and directs this work today. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
♥♥♥♥
3-3-23 Elder Mller:
Happy Friday! I bet
it’s weird to get back into the prothelyting mode after a day of zone conference
but hopefully you are fird up. I loved
the picture you posted- glad you got ice cream sundaes—noticed that Elder Lopez
found the sisters to stand by in the picture 😉 Hope it was uplitign and what you needed.
I am worried about your arm. You are going to have lots of scars (reminds
me of movie quote on Croods 2) when you get back!
Here's our update
Avery still has not heard from Fred Meyer. Boo Fred Meyer. She's calling again today- If they don't need her they should at least call...grrrr
Graham is on his last day of bball tryouts—I hope
you’ve been able to watch his little updates—he does that for YOU!
it's kind of a different deal in Meridian than Nampa (or McCall) just with 48 kids showing up for tryouts-- that's a lot. They don't cut anyone so they have A, B, C, CC teams. (why there isn't a D team instead of a CC team I don't know- they sound equally bad to me) Anyway- he said there's lots of tall kids-- not sure how he's stacking up- he felt good after the first day, not as good after second day. I think they divided them in half and the "better" kids were in the main gym and he was in that group- but he's not feeling like he's starting A team- not sure how it will go.
Avery's experience this year taught us that it's better if he's starter and scorer on B team than bench on A- so we'll see- it will work out. I guess you know all that from the updates he’s given, but there you go—we’ll find out soon and that’ll be good so he can just settle where’s he’s at. We’ve started calling hm “29” bc that’s the number they sharpied on his leg for tryouts- I don’t think he appreciates it. haha
Kids(and dad) have a ward youth missionary retreat with our ward this weekend at a gym place in Middleton that has rock climbing and pickleball etc. Thank your for your thoughts on PMG 1-2- that was so helpful and they’ll be better prepared bc of that! I am looking forward to a bath and a movie maybe at home—just some chill time.
The boys state games are this weekend. I updated about that on the chat. Dad said All Millers are in town and wearing Kobe Kesler fan gear. It's a little overwhelming... as usual. But I’m happy for Kobe-- It' a little easier to cheer for Kobe than Cooper bc Kobe is genuinely a sweeter kid- not so big headed... but the level of fandom gets a little ridiculous.
I remember not caring that much about the state games last year (well ever! haha- but esp last year) when we went bc we had picked up Emma that day from the airport from her mission and all I cared about was that she was finally home-- Sunday is her year mark. I know she's feeling all kinds of pressure (that she puts on herself) that she's not on a time table that she should be with serious dating/engagement etc-- I keep telling her to ride the wave and the right guy is worth the wait! God hasn't let her down yet, He's not about to with this- but I think the Provo Mojo is a pressure pot! I really believe that the right guy will never have to be chased-- and that if he's right, she will be his priority- no one has been that guy yet-- so she needs to keep looking and doing the things she should and it will all work out. Blake from Arizona doesn’t seem to be as invested as she would like to be, so after his ghosting and then this week not making it to institute (which Em reads as she’s not that important to him) I hope she’ll just kind of let that go. I think the guys she wants to move forward with really do like her but they aren’t ready to commit or to prioritize her- and that’s hard- but it is what it is. It will all work out….But still, I know she worries. She's got midterms this week to distract her-
Sadie still has not heard from Ensign college and she needs to start applying for the design program—it feels like a lot is hinging on this so I hope she gets word soon and they can move forward. Seth’s older brother, Caleb is getting married in Portland in early April and they are going to that and so that’ll be a good get away for them even if it is a little dicey with the Family scene.
I wanted to share a part of a great talk given recently by
Elder Neil L Andersen- 2018-I guess I just hope it can be uplifting, bringing some
peace and that the spirit can help you draw from it what might be helpful.
“Look
backward, remembering that you proved your worthiness in your premortal state.
You are a valiant child of God, and with His help, you can triumph in the
battles of this fallen world. You have done it before, and you can do it again.
This is a good one too, and maybe you’ve already studied it with dad, but I loved reding it today- Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives
I don’t think I shared this with you yet but I was preparing
this week for future come follow me lessons (making the assignments on papers
for the family, studying them and there is a section coming up) about how God
will help us be prepared to serve Him in the way that He needs. It was neat to think about how sustaining that
power is. In reflection of that Id studied
commissions—missionary commission and the commission of the Savior to His apostles
and they were empowering to read
I was just thinking as
I was prepping a few weeks ahead for Come Follow me how powerful commissions
are. Here’s a couple to read- one to a
missionary said to be shared in an MTC address years ago by Bruce R McConkie and
the Savior’s apostles as recorded in the scriptures:
My Missionary
Commission
I am called of God.
My authority is above that of kings of the earth.
By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him–to stand in His place, to
say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering
to the very people to whom He has sent me.
My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts.
My doctrine is His doctrine.
My Commission is to do what He wants done, to say what He wants said, to be a
living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and
marvelous latter-day work.
How great is my calling!
-Elder Bruce R. McConkie
Apostles commission
New Testament
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing,
that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving
ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge,
by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by
the armour of righteousness on
the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good
report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway
rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46
Doctrine and Covenants
34 Behold, there are many called, but few are
chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so
much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that
they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the
priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the
powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor
handled only upon the principles of
righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but
when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain
ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or
compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves;
the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the
priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself,
to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is
the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as
they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will
immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
41 No power or influence
can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only
by persuasion, by long-suffering, by
gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and
without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth
afterwards an increase of love toward him
whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger
than the cords of death.
45 Let thy bowels also be full
of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall
thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood
shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
I hope I didn’t share that with you already and I hope it was upifting to you. I thought it was!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
after seeing pics on his google photos of a bunch of scratches and then reading a journal entry about a bike accident that could have been even worse
3-3-23
OH buddy I am so sorry. That sounds awful. It’s hard to not be able to be there and know you are going through things like this but what a blessing you had good care. I know you probably didn’t want the whole mission involved- but feel loved because you are. It’s okay to need help. And I’m glad you got it and a blessing. I am sure if you are taking it easy that your day is dragging on but head injuries aren’t a joke- and you need to be careful. I love you so much. Keep taking advil- it will help with the pain and maybe check in with the mission nurse again- I hope that the bike situation can be improved—it’s dangerous in traffic to have a bad bike. It’s neat to read about so many kindnesses (you remembered them well, even if you couldn’t remember their names at the time) that were extended to you. It’s sweet to me that so many people who don’t know you would stop. It think it’s a testament to the good you do- and even if it’s not done to them personally- people see and feel your goodness and respond with genuine are and love when you needed it. I also loved that every language was represented. Dab a little Vaseline on your roadrash areas so they’ll heal up better. Hydrate and if the nurse thinks you are doing okay, trust her- you will be sore with your hip for a while—you probably hit the ground with a lot of force. I absolutely believe angels protect you… if I didn’t know that and cling to it- I never could have left you at that security line at the airport. Just be careful, okay. You’ll have quite a story)(with an emphasis on the kindness of the Aruba people) to share with Benjamin next time you see him. I’m so glad you went there to see him and pray with him. Love wins. Take care of your self but also try to shake it off as much as you can and the Lord will strengthen you. Love you so much. Xoxoxo.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
I’ll start with a thought.
One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is faith- what it means, what
it should look like, how I should grow it- and what it should do for me…. I
thought about how at the very beginning and fundamental start of our growth of testimony
and faith is the knowledge and belief that we are literal children of God- that
knowing Him is the place we build from- and in order for us to have faith in the
Lord, we have to get to know Him. The more I learn about Him, the more I also
learn about myself and who I am to Him. As I’ve pondered that the last
few days my heart has been so full.
I see
your application of that in how you approach your lessons and how you love your
Aruba friends. You are leading them to
their Father in Heaven. You are leading
them to the Savior- His truth, His light, His love. As they begin, even with very small steps to
trust that He knows them and has a plan for them and longs to be close to them,
they’ll make way for faith in every other thing.
I am
so grateful to read that about Rubenita.
What a miracle and a blessing! It’s
so neat when you can see how from small things, like you listening to a
prompting to be kind and reach out, and painting her house in acts of service-
that miracles can happen. It would be special
to be able to be there in person for her baptism and even to baptize her- but
even if that doesn’t work out- she is one of your “least of these” and she will
be your “joy” when she does get baptized.
I think it’s neat that she is praying about baptism. I hope she understands that being willing and
ready to be baptized doesn’t mean you have all knowledge—but it does mean you
have enough faith to trust that great truth that you are His and enough faith
to make those covenants and begin a progression with the Savior that will give
you peace in the journey and will bring you home. It’s a life line, that even
when there is a struggle, in those
moments, you can cling to knowing who He is and focusing on whatever level of faith you have in Him- it’s
then that you are reminded to have faith in yourself
too.
I love that you made it personal in your lesson with
the comparison to bball goals—you made it an action item, not a this is a nice
abstract thing for her. I’ll share this
experience with her at Come Follow Me today and we’ll be praying for her too! Wouldn’t it be cool to visit with her post mission
when you visit the island. Off topic-
but as you prepare to leave Aruba- write down in the back of your journal
contact information for the people you’d like to keep track of-= there will be
many in your mission and you won’t remember them all so just write names,
addresses, and phone numbers under each area
you serve in. Emma did a good job of that and it’s a whole blog post of
contacts- anyway- just this last week she was frustrated because she’d lost
contact with some of them, but I remembered she’d sent it to me in her journal
(even if you send it to me after each area- then I can keep it in order) So I
got her that entry and she was able to reach out to several people and I think
it was a sweet experience (prob esp because today is her year mark since
getting home and she’s had all the feels associated with that)
I hope you had some friends at church today- your board looks awesome! Very nice golf
detail. Dad and Graham loved that.
Don’t worry about pday- whatever it looks like will
work for us… even if you can’ talk long in the morning- whatever makes sense is
good- it’s so kind of the Packards to have you over (and that’ll be a blessing
if you funds are stil low) I think it’s
good you are all doing something fun for pday after - I think that’s a better mix-up
when you get out than when you just go grocery shopping and play cards at the
church or whatever.
I am glad you are feeling a little better but sorry
you are still sore. That’s normal though
considering the impact. Hopefully it
gets a little better each day.
I hope things have been going well with your comp- this
has been a different week between zone conference, the other elders in your
apt, the bike ordeal- but you’re getting through it and still prioritizing what
you need to and it’s so wonderful. When I saw the screen shot of the convo with
Benjamin, I don’t know how he heard
about your bke accident but it’s so cute to me that he messaged and was
concerned and followed up. Those people love you Miles. You are making a difference and at transfers
when it’s time to go, you will be leaving Noord better than you found it.
I loved the pic with the little guy- pics with kids
are always cute!
Everything here is good. Kids and dad can report on their missionary retreat—I think it was a good experience. Dad and Lainey had fun at the state game and it’s fun Kobe’s team won.
Tonight,
I think we’re well enough to go visit the Rickseckers- it’s been awhile and it
will be good to see them.
Graham has practice every day from after
school till 5:30- I think it will be good for him to be busy like that. His first game is on the 14th. He said he didn’t want me to video and share
clips, but I told him you’d want to see- so make a big deal about watching them
when you talk to him tomorrow!
I think
Emma is planning on coming home this next weekend—which will be good—she seems
to really need to escape and reset from college life and we’re glad to see
her. It’ll be fun when you can come
together for weekends home from school.
Avery
didn’t get the Fred Meyer job- there’s
other places around that they are building that might be good options, btu I don’t
know if she should wait that long—maybe we should try Walmart?
I
think dad works at 9 tomorrow- so you can catch him (and Graham) anytime that
works for you- even for a minute
I’m going to leave with you a scripture Joshua 1
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have
I given unto you, …
….5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days
of thy life: as I was with aMoses, so I
will be bwith thee: I will not fail thee, nor cforsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good acourage: for unto this people shalt thou bdivide for an cinheritance the dland, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very acourageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all
the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: bturn not from it to the
right hand or to the
left, that thou mayest cprosper whithersoever thou goest.
Love you with all my heart- we’re all fasting for you today!
Mama
I saw a picture that someone posted on your mission fb page from some tourists who were hoping to find the missionaries to take them lunch while there were there— I didn’t comment except to say, that it was sweet they were looking for them! Anyway they had taken a picture by an I LOVE ARUBA sign. I don’t think you’ve done that yet and you should before you go- if it’s around where you are- maybe next pday.
From your pictures that looks like a great day with a sunset
beach baptism—Do beach baptism happen on other islands or is that an Aruba thing
or just a choice thing? I love all the
pictures with you missionaries with your arms around each other and the little
boy. The skies and water pics are amazing-
what beautiful water!
I wasn’t totally following about the lady who makes trips
back and forth- but I’d LOVE to send her some things for you (like more white
shirts, etc- not a lot but a few things) if it makes sense- you’ll have to
explain it to me on pday- I guess I wasn’t following how that lines up with you
leaving Aruba if she’s in Aruba- but maybe if it was kept at the church or with
the missionaries when you flew over for zone conference or whatever you can get
it- anyway remind me to ask you about it on pday 😉
Update here—oh boy.
Graham is going strong with practice—he seems to really like
his team and feels like he’s doing well.
Tuesday is his first game (and then Thursday) so I’ll have clips for you
next week. He’s pretty happy about it all
Ave hasn’t launched out to more job applications yet and we need
to -even though her availability will now need to be after spring break
Last night We were on our way to see the twins open their
mission calls (dad was already in Middleton helping out with something) but it
was snowing hard and it was dark and Emma was having a crisis (more on that
later) so we turned around and headed home and watched it on the live
feed. I texted Mar and told her why we
weren’t there. Grandma told Dad their
house was bursting at the seams with people, so I think =it’s okay we weren’t
there. I’m pumped for them. Interesting leaving 2 weeks apart- maybe that’ll
be good to give them their own MTC and own send offs—I think home mtc is only a
week, and I think they will likely miss each other in Provo MTC bc with English
speaking they aren’t there that long—but idk.
Emma’s crisis- So Monday night we got a call from Emma in tears-
which is no that out of the ordinary- could’ve been stress, or boy drama, or a
test grade- lots of things but she cried and said the five dreaded words, “ I
got in an accident” It makes your heart drop as a parent. She was okay, the other driver okay and the
damage seemed minimal- police on the way- the other driver was nice enough she
was just flustered. I am still not sure
I totally understand how it happened—but in the end – the short story is- it
was both of their faults, Emma for making an illegal left turn over double
yellow lines, and the other driver who hit her, for not seeing her. The other driver was able to drive her car
away from the scene after all the police reports. Emma thought she could drive her car away
(damage was just over driver front tire area) but we got ahold of Seth and
Sadie and they went down and we had Seth see if her car was drivable. It wasn’t- the torque is all messed up. So then we had to figure out roadside assistance
(which we have for our kid cars through USAA)
But it was in the later evening and a tow truck couldn’t come for awhile
so they waited as long as they could and finally left keys for tow truck. They towed it to Sadie and Seth’s until
morning. This morning the tow truck took
it to a collision shop in Provo or Orem that works with USAA. Emma got a
citation for the turn and has to prove insurance bc she didn’t have a current
insurance card in her glove box( and she didn’t know she could prove it with
the USAA app by showing police that) so she’s got to clear those things up- but
gratefully her car is at the shop and even though they can’t get to it for a
couple weeks- it’ll get taken care of with insurance… so there will just be our
deductible to pay. It’ll be a pain for her to not have a car for awhile but
Sadie can take her shopping and her roommates have cars. The biggest downer for her was that she’d shifted
around her work schedule to have this weekend off and was planning on coming
home after her morning class on Thrus- Sunday- esp because with our Spring
break trip, we will be gone two weekends in march so she can’t come home, and
then conference weekend she has a Hawaii mission reunion so she can’t come home
then- so pretty much she’s there till finals are done which will be okay but
was a big disappointment and frustration for her. I think mentally (and prob socially) she was counting
on the break. We just keep telling her it’ll work out, could’ve been worse and
once her car is fixed and back to her, she can let it all go. But still.. lame and it was scary and hard to
be far away when this was all happening—grateful Sadie and Seth could be there
soon after.
On the downlow and between you and me (so don’t bring this up in the group or to dad) but Uncle
Kyle and Aunt Bel have really been struggling—marriage, personally,
church. Things kind of came to a head
last night (same time as Emma and accident) and all of it just contributed to
how flustered I was feeling when we tried to drive out to Middleton. The short-ish story is that during the day Dad
left work bc hs sisters were all freaking
out, calling him, worried- kyle was locked in his house, kicked his family out –
dad went in house through back doggie door and kyle came out- prob surprised to
see dad but was able to talk with him and it was a good thing. I am not sure that dad wants me telling you any
of this so don’t ask him about it-but it was a sweet experience for dad to be
able to have some tough and pointed conversations with Kyle that he’s been
wanting to have for a long time. When we
talked about it later he said he was able to share his fave scripture (surprise
surprise- but really, it’s a good one!) and really ask some tough
questions. He was there as long as he
could be (an hour or so) then came back to work. I was there filling in all day
for Madie at the front desk at work so I kind of saw what was going down during
the day. Poor dad- he was juggling all these dental procedures and this kyle situation
all together and until he could get over there- it was his sisters sending up
all kinds of flares and freaking everyone out.
In the night, Dad had gone out
to Middleton bc Kyle had gone out there to stay at his parents (which was a better
thing to do than kick his family out- so he’d gone to Middleton and bel and
kids had gone back home- were staying at Marianne’s I guess) but the whole
thing got super weird and overload of drama (mostly thanks to Marianne and
Marquelle and Tee from a distance) harboring Bel, having Bel and the kids at
their house, taking things to a crazy level on all fronts. That drives me nuts- good intentions but they
are like gasoline on a fire- just stir the pot than call each other and make
things a billion times more dramatic- tell you all the ways they rescue and
make everyone else feel disengaged- it's like they want you to know what they
are doing, without considering that others are also very aware and willing and capable
and trying. It breaks my heart a little because
I know dad always wants to help kyle and being here close and in the same ward amplifies
it & he keeps trying without overstepping or being pushy- or shouting about
it to everyone else in the family so they know how wonderful he is- waiting for
the right time (which actually this was) all the while the Miller sisters are swooping
in, making crazy assumptions, becoming part of the problem and escalating the
stress and interaction. Well intended
but WOW--- Like next level. So that same night- this whole mess was going
down with Kye and Bel, there was this weird storm, Emma was reeling from her accident
and trying to talk to police etc. I was
just al lot- and I prob shouldn’t have spilled all that- but there you go. Dad ended
up going to Gmas to be with Kyle later that night while everyone else was out
at Marianne’s for Boys’ mission calls—and that was a second opportunity to really
talk with Kyle and explain that literally president Nelson’s talk on overcoming
the world was speaking directly and specifically to Kyle (to all of us, but to
him particularly in this struggle) in the feelings Kyle has about being lost
and tired and frustrated and looking for what he can’t find and can’t fix. Since everyone was away, and it was just the
two of them at Granma’s, (which was a big blessing) Dad was able to listen to
that talk with him and stop it and explain and emphasize parts and I couldn’t help
but think how neat that dad (and you) had spent so much time studying out that
talk (and others by the prophet) to be prepared for this moment. Dad was able to ask questions about faith and what Kyle wants
and ultimately helped Kyle get that he does want to change, he does want the
Savior, he knows that repentance and being fully active are needed, and he wants to use the atonement- but
the big “ah-ha” moment for prob both Kyle and dad- is that as much as Kyle wants
that believes in that power he doesn’t understand
how to access it…. So that was a good launch point and dad really encouraged
him to meet with the bishop and to lay it all out- so that he can work back-
first work on himself and then his marriage.
It was a good thing how it all went down, and just like you do as a
missionary, Dad was teaching the plan of happiness and our relationship with
our Father in Heaven- and about the Savior’s invitation and gift to each of us. Same principles. So what you are doing now will help you the
rest of your life- in your family, your marriage, your callings etc….anyway- Dad
did keep Kyle accountable to get in touch with the bishop ( Dad explained how the
bishop has the keys to help him) Anyway-
it was a lot and kind of heavy but I think it will be good to start addressing some
of it more directly now.
So that was a lot to
read and process—but I wanted to share it with you to give you context of the
situation but also to make the point how imperative it is to live close to the
sprit- to keep studying the counsel of the prophet and to live the gospel in an
“all in” kind of way so it can fill up every aspect of your life and
heart. So you have the constant companionship
of the spirit and the wisdom to know where to turn for strength every time you
need it. About Kyle- I can let you know
how it’s going generally when it’s just you and me on pday if there’s time. But just if it’s us. Just keep them in your prayers. I feel bad for the kids—it’s too much for
them to have to witness and it isn’t being hidden from them.
I need to leave you with something uplifting-- 😊
I am starting to get to the point that I don’t know if I’ve
shared these with you yet or not—but as I study them out- I can’t help but
share them with you. This is a good one
from Elder Holland 2014
He talks about people today and what they want and will
accept in the idea of a “GOD”
“Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a
characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them
to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only
don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us
giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.”
And then he hammers it home, in
true Elder Holland style:
“ Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike
love flowing from true righteousness can change the world. I testify that the
true and living gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and you are members of
His true and living Church, trying to share it. I bear witness of that gospel
and that Church, with a particular witness of restored priesthood keys which
unlock the power and efficacy of saving ordinances. I am more certain that
those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again
available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am
certain I stand before you at this pulpit and you sit before me in this
conference.
Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them. A long history of inspired voices, including those you will hear in this conference and the voice you just heard in the person of President Thomas S. Monson, point you toward the path of Christian discipleship. It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, “with … steadfastness in Christ, … a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.”19 In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall.”
I love you Miles. I am so grateful that you don’t just share this message but that it is deeply rooted in your heart. Your testimony is strong and growing more sure and more powerful by the day. This pleases your Father in Heaven so much as you continue to draw near unto Him and gather His children back to Him. Everything you do is in His name and He will reward you openly for it.
Keep going hard—get after it—we’re so proud and truly grateful for
our missionary!!!!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
3-10-23
So a talk to share with you- this was a talk I read yesterday from BYU speeches and the speaker made some really good points- and this part in particular I really liked and thought I’d share:
“ Faith, hope, and charity may be likened to the three legs of a stool. As a boy visiting my grandmother’s farm, I was impressed with the three-legged stool used for milking cows. Just as the stool’s three legs enabled it to rest firmly on uneven ground, if we are grounded in faith, hope, and charity, we too will be on solid footing, even when the ground beneath us is rough or bumpy. Just as a one- or two-legged stool will teeter precariously, we too will be vulnerable to toppling over if we neglect any of these three virtues.…faith, hope, and charity are mutually reinforcing. An increase in one tends to result in an increase in the others. If we are feeling weak with respect to one, we can gather strength by focusing on the other two. There is also a temporal dimension to the relationship. Faith is rooted in the past—in Christ’s death and resurrection and in His Atonement for our sins. Hope is focused on the future—in the promise that through Christ’s Atonement and by the covenants we make and keep, we can return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. And charity is enacted in the present—because it is only here and now that we can really love. There is also a dimension of progression and culmination: faith and hope lead to charity, and it is charity—Christ’s love for us—that never fails.5 If we desire to develop and be endowed with this Christlike love, it will be by traveling the road of faith and hope.”
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brett-g-scharffs/important-three-things-world/
Well love- I’d better get working on dad’s list. Thank you for the fun pictures and the journal entry- it makes my day every single time. You are in our prayers and we love you so! You were right when you said you’ve done good (and eternally impactful) things in Noord. Keep striving to make each of the rest of your Aruba days count- God doesn’t worry about transfers- let Him continue to use you and prep you for whatever is next! Excited to find out-- whoot whoo!
XoxoxO
Mama
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I read this talk from 1979 about missionary work and I
really liked this part that I’ll paste here below. I guess I liked it so much
because I see you being that friend, reaching out, smiling, serving, just being
a light in whatever area you are in.
“ President Kimball has
continually emphasized the urgency of this work. Hardly a conference passes in
which he does not remind us of the need to pray for the work to expand and
grow. Just a year ago, in the October general conference, President Kimball
made the following statement:
There
are many nations where we have not been able to get in, to get visas, or get
passports; and it is very important. If we are to fulfill the responsibility
given to us by the Lord on the Mount of Olives to go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature, then we will need to open the doors to
these nations. . . .We’ve hardly scratched the surface. We need far
more missionaries, and we need more countries that will think of us as being
their friends and will give us an opportunity to come to their nations and give
to their people the finest thing in the world—the gospel of Christ—which can be
their salvation and their great happiness…Helaman’s
children remembered their father’s counsel, as I pray that you will. “They went
forth,” the scripture indicates, “keeping the commandments of God.” They taught
the gospel from city to city with great power, and they were so convincing that
“eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round
about [were]baptized unto repentance” (Helaman 5:14,19). -Jack Gosalind,
BYU Speeches, 1979
I also read another great one from Elder Groberg,
also 1979:
Let me begin by asking you a very simple question. The question is
this: What is your mission? You might think, “Well, I served in Japan,” or “I
served in Virginia,” or wherever, and that is fine; but it is not what I am
asking. I mean—what is your mission now? What is your mission in life? What
does God expect you to accomplish during your sojourn here upon the earth? And
are you doing it?
I
hope that in the next few moments, with the help of the Spirit of the Lord, we
can all realize, if we have not realized it before, or, if we have known it,
reaffirm in our lives the importance of at least three things: first, that God,
our Father in Heaven, does have a specific mission for all of us to fulfill and
perform while we are here upon this earth; second, that we can, here and now in
this life, discover what that mission is; and third, that with His help we can
fulfill that mission and know and have assurance—here and now in this life—that
we are doing that which is pleasing to our Father in Heaven. These are all very
important concepts; and they are all true.
If
we do not know what our mission it, if we are not sure, if we are uncertain as
to whether we are in fact fulfilling it, or if we do not have the positive
assurance in our lives that our actions and our performance are pleasing to our
Father in Heaven, then it does not really matter what else we are spending our
time doing—it is not as important as finding out what we should be doing and
having the assurance that we are doing it. Or to put it another way, if we are
really interested in doing our Father’s will we had better pay the
price—whatever price is necessary. we had better pray however fervently, study
the scriptures and listen to the Brethren however intently we need to, or in short
do whatever is required so that we can have the assurance that we are doing
what our Father in Heaven wants us to do—that we are moving in the general area
of the mission he has for us to perform. Obviously, that mission will be
different for each of us.
Such
a revelation will not come all at once. God will unfold it to us line upon
line, according to what is best for us and how capable we are of handling it,
and what is best for the progress of his work. But remember that you must start
somewhere. I assure you that you should and can know that you are on the right
path and that your performance, no matter where you are on that path—student,
missionary, newlywed, or whatever—is pleasing to the Lord.
Listen
to what Nephi tells us in 2 Nephi 32:9:
But
behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must
not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto
the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto
thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
That
is powerful doctrine—powerful because it is true. Everything we do should be
done for the Lord; and we ought to make sure that it is what he wants us to do.
Many
of you will say, “Yes, I believe all that, but how do I go about finding what I
am supposed to do? How do I know what my mission and calling is? If I were
going on a full-time mission, I would send in a group of papers to Salt Lake
and someone else would make the decision for me and send me to Germany, or Texas,
or Japan, or somewhere. But what about this—this lifelong mission? How do I
understand? How do I know? Who tells me?”
It
has been said—not of this, but of another subject—“If you have to ask the
question, there is no way of giving you the answer.” That is only partially
true in this case, for while every person must ultimately receive his own
revelation and assurance as to his life’s mission, there are great helps
available to us. I will review some of these with the hope that they will help
all of us in discovering what our mission in this life is. I use the word
“discover” advisedly, for it connotes the correct feeling of something that
already exists but needs to be found by those who would benefit from its use.
In
our quest to discover our calling in life, the first and most fundamental thing
we must do is to follow the Savior—our Savior, the world’s Savior. Learn of
him, and learn what he did; then do it. The things that he did, even though
they occurred two thousand years ago, have universal application. This may seem
rather general to you, but it is the basis of all else. You will have to do
this by personally studying the scriptures and his life and personally becoming
acquainted with him. (And, incidentally, as you do that you will have your questions
answered.) But en route to achieving this personal relationship with the
Savior, let me give you five specifics to help.
1.
Become and remain worthy to honestly hold a temple recommend. That covers a big
area. I am not going to go into detail; you can get the details from your
bishop, and I suggest that you do so.
2.
Obtain your patriarchal blessing; or, if you already have it, study it
carefully and prayerfully yourself—not necessarily with others.
3.
Read the scriptures daily and prayerfully. We must all do that.
4.
Pray diligently and fervently at least every night and every morning.
5.
Start moving in some direction. Start doing something—take a course, go on a
date, choose a major. Start somewhere, in some area about which you at least do
not feel negative. If you feel negative about everything, start in the area
about which you feel least negative. In other words, do not just sit and wait
for a big revelation. Do not wait for a change, or a transfer, or a move, or a
different situation. Start where you are, now.
Let
me mention an experience that fits directly into this subject. I had the
opportunity, as was mentioned, or serving a full-time mission in Tonga over
twenty years ago. I had two great and wonderful mission presidents. The first
one, when I arrived, said, “I’ve got just the place for you. It’s a small
island several hundred miles from here. It is nearly seven miles around and has
about seven hundred people living on it. There are no white people there and no
one speaks English. I want you to go there and not come back until you know the
discussions and know how to speak Tongan.”
I
went, and to put it mildly, there were lots of problems. I did not have a
companion, in the traditional sense of the word. (I did have a priest, a better
man that I was, who went with me.) Despite the problems—or more correctly,
because of the problems—I experienced lots of growth. At one time we came close
to literally starving to death because of a hurricane and a wrecked boat. On
another occasion we were subject to some serious physical threats and actual
abuse. At one time we went a little over four months without mail. (I do not
cry very often when missionaries tell me that they had had no mail for a week.
Of course, things have improved there and everywhere.) Still, one learns to
live with these things. We kept working. Even though there were only seven
hundred people in a very limited area, even though I did not know the language,
we kept moving—we were doing something.
I
am sure that we did some things wrong—although I must add that whenever there
was the possibility of our doing something seriously wrong the Lord let us know
in no uncertain terms that it was wrong. And while we still could have done it,
we could only have done it in deliberate defiance of his definite impressions
to us. Thankfully, we never did. I give you the assurance that if you are
striving to do right the Lord will let you know if you are starting to do
something wrong—so listen! I am sure that we could have done much more good,
but at least we never stopped. We kept going—we did something, and that is
important.
The
facts are that when I left that little island after thirteen months I was alive
and well. I knew the discussions; I knew the language. Many souls had been
baptized into the restored gospel. I had been present—not out of desire, but of
necessity, because they thought white men knew everything—when many infants had
been born and when several people had died, and I had held some in my arms as
they passed away. I had learned quite a lot about life. But most important, I
came away knowing at least three things—and we can all come away from our
life’s experiences knowing these things; in fact, we should and we must.
1.
I knew that God lived; that he had all knowledge and all power; that he was
literally the Father of our spirits; and that he loved us as his children,
which we are. I knew that he loved us each personally and individually and that
he especially watches over his missionaries. I did not merely have faith or
confidence in that—I knew it.
2.
I knew that Jesus Christ was his Son, our Savior and Redeemer, a real person,
and a true friend; one who gave his life for us and will let us know that he
gave his life for us; one who loves us and who we can love in a way that defies
human comprehension; one who has helped us more than we may ever know and who
now helps us in many great ways that we as yet do not comprehend; one through
whom we can look forward to a glorious resurrection of our bodies, a
forgiveness of our sins, and an eventual opportunity to stand in the presence
of our Father in Heaven cleansed and pure—and this is very important. I plead
with you to love him with all your heart; you will be a better person for it
and you will be on the path to knowing your mission and calling in life. And
that is the third point:
3.
I knew that God had a mission for me and for all men and all women. I did not
know exactly what is was in every detail, and that did not matter. I knew where
to start. I knew that I had to live more closely in tune with him, and that I
could trust him. I knew that our purpose here was to fulfill our mission. I
knew that he would, in his own way and according to his timing, let me know
what other things he would have me do to fulfill this mission he had in mind
for me so that I could receive the joy that comes therefrom. I have not been
disappointed, and neither will you be disappointed.
When
the new mission president arrived, he eventually found out where I was and
transferred me to another area. (I worked in only two areas my entire mission;
and in those days missions were a little longer, so it was nearly three years
from the time I left home until I returned.) This second area consisted of
sixteen small islands. The new mission president told me that because we were
so short of missionaries I would have to go out alone. He told me that I should
preach the gospel and build up the Church on those sixteen islands; those were
my instructions. (He forgot to tell me that we were supposed to fill out
reports, and I thought that they had changed the procedure; so I did not fill
out any more reports for the rest of my mission. I suppose that gave me more
time to work; I am not sure.) But again I kept moving and trying to do some
good.
There
were members on some of those islands, and I often took them with me on
preaching trips. Mostly we traveled in small sailboats. I suppose the Lord has
his way of testing all of us. It seems that I was born with a weak stomach and
most of my boat trips—which were many—found me very ill. We would go to an
island, tract all day, and invite everyone out to a meeting that evening. The
whole island usually came. (I must admit that there was probably not that much
else to do on those tiny islands, and it was a novelty to hear a Palangi, or
white man, speak the language.) The average island would have from a few
hundred to several hundred inhabitants. I do not think any of them had into the
thousands—possibly there were one or two.
When
everyone had arrived, I went through all the lessons, because I knew that I
would not be back for several months. I started with lesson one and spent three
or four hours teaching all the lessons. When I concluded, I asked the people to
pray sincerely that evening about what they had heard. Then I explained that
those who felt it was true and had a testimony of it should come down to our
boat by 8:00 A.M. the next morning to be baptized and confirmed before we left
for the next island. We often baptized people, and they became good members of
the Church. We gave them instructions and called couples from some of the other
branches to come and help them. Then we left for the next island and tried to
come back a few months later.
Thus,
by constantly going around, we gradually built up several good branches that
have today evolved into some strong units with some fine leaders from among
those people. There was lots of persecution in those days, so when people
joined they were quite committed. They had had a spiritual conversion. It was
not a social thing to join the Church; converts had to believe it.
I
remember heading home, after completing one of these rounds in a more than
usually successful way, in a very happy and grateful mood for the success with
which the Lord had blessed us. The sea was rough; but we were not concerned,
for we were in the hands of the Lord. As we got close to our home island, the
rough weather became more severe, the wind became stronger, and the waves rose
higher. Suddenly we found ourselves in the midst of a regular tropical squall
which, though of short duration, can be very dangerous.
I
felt, “Well, we will get through this all right. After all we have done and the
success the Lord has blessed us with we shouldn’t worry about this.”
But
the storm increased in intensity and suddenly, with the emergence of two huge
waves, the captain shouted those fateful words to the six of us aboard:
“Abandon ship!” You may hear a lot of phrases in this life, but there are few
as fearsome as these, spoken by a captain in the midst of giant waves and the
inconceivable turmoil of elements.
We
did what we had to do and dove in as the gargantuan waves thundered down on our
frail little craft, leaving it broken and listless as the six of us, sprawled
on the surface of the boiling sea, struggled for our lives. I probably had not
read all of the missionary rules, but I knew that missionaries were not
supposed to swim; but sometimes one has no choice. We struggled against huge
odds to make the nearest shore, a small island that we had just passed. I
remember thinking that this really should not be, that we should not be going
through this; but we were, and all my thinking or wondering did little good.
Only swimming and exerting all the energy and effort I had helped at all.
After
a long time—well over an hour of swimming, as I recall—we finally made it to
shore—exhausted, but alive and gratefully so. Just to feel the firm ground
under our feet was a great blessing. How much more I appreciated life and solid
ground than I had before! Just to be in that boiling sea and to realize how tenuous
life is, how quickly this earth life could come to an end, made a great
impression on me. Sometimes we literally have to travel over rough waters in
order to appreciate some of the fundamental blessings we have—life, for
instance. We probably do not begin to understand or appreciate life as we
should until we begin to see or sense or recognize death and its closeness to
all of us. as we sense these things, we can more clearly comprehend that there
is a reason for our being here—in actuality, a mission for us to perform—and
that we had better get with it.
The
storm passed rather rapidly, but we were still stranded for several days before
we got things together and were able to make our way home over much friendlier
seas. The whole experience gave me a new outlook and appreciation for life that
I had not had before. As I look back now, I see that there was much more than
our strength involved in that horrendous task of getting to shore; but it still
took all that we could do. In a similar manner, even though it will take all
the effort we can put forth to fulfill our missions here, there will still be
much more than our own efforts involved in accomplishing them.
I
remember reading a poster once that said, “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that
is not what ships are made for.” I think that saying also applies to our lives.
We may pass through troubled times, but if we constantly seek nothing but
physical security, we are probably not doing what we should. We need to seek
the spiritual security of knowing that we are doing the Lord’s will. Sometimes
that will not give us all the physical security we may desire, but it will give
us all we need.
Again,
the important thing is: we made it. You will make it, too. Everyone will make
it if they will do what they should. As you see, I am here. Some of you
probably wish that I had drowned, but I did not. I am alive, I did return home,
I did get married, we have been blessed with a family, we have been able to
make a living, and we have received many great opportunities to serve in the
Lord’s kingdom. No matter what the Lord requires of you, if you keep trying you
will be able to fulfill the mission he has in store for you.
While
I would not have chosen that experience, or some other experiences I have
had—and I must admit that there were times when I was not as positive as I
would like to have been about the outcome—the fact remains that a big part of
my subsequent happiness—and your subsequent happiness and joy—has to be traced
back to some of those so-called “unwanted” experiences. We do not need to seek
them; heaven knows they find us out more often than we may desire. All we need
to do is try with all our might to live as we should, keep our eyes on our
goal, and leave the rest to the Lord. Then we will realize the truth of the
statement that problems are what we see when we take our eyes off the goal.
Once we incorporate the available God-given directions in our lives, find our
mission, and discover our calling—look out, world, here we come! That is the
way we need to feel. That is what must happen for us to be happy and for us to
do what the Lord wants us to do. We must have that assurance and the attendant
drive in order to accomplish his purposes and build his kingdom and achieve the
potential he has in mind for us.
Let
us bring this thought back to reality and apply it to us here today. Most of
you are students at BYU. You are concerned about several things. You are
concerned about getting married if you are not already married—about meeting
and being sure of the right person who will be your eternal companion; you are
concerned about gaining a knowledge of some profession and finding a job and
having time and means to help build the kingdom. This concern is, in effect,
your desire to know your mission and calling in life.
Maybe
you would like to be a teacher, but you know that there are not many teaching
jobs available now; what do you do? Do you go into teaching, or do you go into,
say, cabinetmaking, which may not require all the college education teaching
does but could surely make you a lot of money? These are very valid questions,
and they deal directly with what we are talking about: fulfilling your mission
and calling in life. As you are obedient to the principles about which we have
talked, I promise you that not only are you entitled to revelation,
inspiration, and answers to these fundamental questions, but you will receive
them. They are important to you and they are important to the Lord. You can
receive that inspiration here and now, and you can feel good about the
direction in which you are going.
As
previously mentioned, I got a master’s degree and taught for a while. I loved
it. I would still be doing it except that I did not feel that was my calling—at
least not in a professional sense. I went into the contracting and development
business and felt a positive assurance that that was what I should be doing. I
did not have any great revelation saying, “Be a contractor,” or “Do not be a
teacher,” but I did experiment with a few things, and I turned from those about
which I did not feel right and moved in the direction of those about which I
did feel right. I soon ended up building homes, apartments, commercial
buildings, and so on.
Such
a course is not for everyone (and, fortunately not, because some of the greatest
teachers I have run across are here at the Y, and I am glad they chose their
calling in that field), but it was right for me. You have to decide and know
what yours will be.
Let
me spend a moment on an item that I think a great many people, particularly
members of the Church, do not understand. A lot of our people—including a lot
of you—have great amounts of faith but sometimes tend to distort that faith a
little by saying, “I am not going to move until I receive a positive
assurance”—a burning in the bosom, as it were—“that that is the right thing to
do.”
You
are all familiar with the scripture where Oliver Cowdery was trying to
translate and could not do it. The Lord explained that Oliver had to figure it
out himself, and if it was right He would give him a burning in his bosom; and
if it was wrong he would have a stupor of thought. Many people say, “I am not
going to move because I do not have that burning in my bosom. I am not positive
about this, that, or the other . . . .” Too often we want to be positive
about everything. We feel that we need to have this burning all the time. Often
people say, “I am confused. I don’t know what to do”—and so they end up
treading water and not doing anything, not making any real progress—and that,
in and of itself, is a great sin. We should not do things wrong—and, as I said
before, the Lord will let you know when things are wrong—but, for heaven’s
sake, we should do something! This lengthening of our stride and quickening of
our pace about which our modern-day prophet, the Lord’s spokesman, talks so
much cannot happen if we are standing still. We must be moving, and we should
be moving in the right direction.
Let
me tell what I have discovered—and this is somewhat repetitious. I do not say
that we will not get that burning in our bosom, for we will when it is the
right thing. In my life there have been quite a few occasions where there was
absolutely no question about it—that burning was there. For instance, I have
had the experience of installing stake presidents when there was absolutely no
question, when I was positive that “that is the man to be the stake president
now.” It has happened in other situations also, but generally it has worked the
other way—that is by eliminating the wrong directions to reveal the right
direction, especially concerning our opportunities for progress in life in what
we often term the temporal sense. We must try to figure it out ourselves. In
the past I have tried out whether I should go into business or into teaching or
into the arts or whatever. As I have begun to proceed along one path, having
more or less gathered what facts I could, I have found that if that decision
was wrong or was taking me down the wrong path—not necessarily an evil one, but
one that was not right for me—without fail, the Lord has always let me know
just this emphatically: “That is wrong; do not go that way. That is not for
you!”
On
the other hand, there may have been two or three ways that I could have gone,
any one of which would have been right and would have been in the general area
providing the experience and means whereby I could fulfill the mission that the
Lord had in mind for me. Because he knows we need the growth, he generally does
not point and say, “Open that door and go twelve yards in that direction; then
turn right and go two miles . . . “ But if it is wrong, he will let
us know—we will feel it for sure. I am positive of that. So rather than saying,
“I will not move until I have this burning in my heart,” let us turn it around
and say, “I will move unless I feel it is wrong; and if it is wrong, then I
will not do it.” By eliminating all of these wrong courses, very quickly you
will find yourself going in the direction that you ought to be going, and then
you can receive the assurance: “Yes, I am going in the right direction. I am
doing what my Father in Heaven wants me to do because I am not doing the things
he does not want me to do.” And you can know that for sure. That is part of the
growth process and part of accomplishing what our Father in Heaven has in mind
for us.
Let
me quote from 2 Nephi, again from the thirty-second chapter, in verses one
through three, where Nephi says:
And
now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your
hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the
way [that is, after you have become members of the Church and been
baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost or after you have really and
seriously decided that you want to find out what your mission and calling
is]. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts [—why
are you not sure]?
Do
ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost
ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the
tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
Angels
speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of
Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ [that
is, study the scriptures, and listen to the modern-day prophets and your
priesthood leaders]; for behold, the words of Christ [that is, what
the Brethren tell you and what you read in the scriptures] will tell you
all things what ye should do. [Emphasis added.]
That
is rather powerful, is it not? All things? Even what I ought to do
for a living? You read it—there it is in the thirty-second chapter of 2 Nephi.
Yes, all things that are necessary.
I
assure you that by following these procedures you can receive answers and
assurances of all things necessary to the fulfilling of your mission and
calling in life. That includes at least those two most important concerns of
whom you should marry and what profession you should enter.
This
talk is not on courtship and marriage—although I realize that this is a popular
subject at the Y, but I do want to make just one point in this regard. Unless
the feeling of love and desire to want to be together forever is mutual,
between the boy and the girl, it is probably not of God. I have been a mission
president and have known the positive sureness and aggressiveness of
outstanding young elders, and I would only caution you—all of you—that you
cannot receive a one-sided revelation from God that is sure and true and
correct in regards to an eternal marriage. Only as both parties feel the same
way can you have the assurance that it is from the Lord. Those who try to force
another’s free will into their supposed-revelation mold are doing a great
disservice to themselves and to their friends. Until the feeling is mutual, the
good envisioned in such a union will not come to pass. So do not succumb to a
one-way revelation; but on the other hand, when you feel it is right—and it may
not come all at once—do not try to fight it. The Lord’s greatest institution
and the means whereby he always has and always will bring to pass his greatest
blessings is the family unit you have the opportunity of creating by making the
proper decision. Just make sure that you are right—not forced, but not
withholding either—and God will bless you now and forever.
As
to the second concern—namely, a profession or occupation—I want to leave you my
assurance that He will bless you in this area. You can know within general
areas what He wants you to do for a living. Sometimes we feel that God is
interested in helping us choose a companion, that he is interested in helping
us on our full-time missions, and that he is interested in helping us fulfill
our assignment as a bishop or elders quorum president or Sunday School teacher
or whatever, but that for some reason or another he is not interested in
helping us as we struggle to decide whether to become an engineer or a teacher
or a building contractor or whatever. I do not believe that. I believe that God
is very interested in what we do for a living. I believe that he is interested
in our relationship to him, to our fellowmen, and to this earth that he has
created for us. All things are spiritual to the Lord.
I
have often thought that in our day and age—and I believe that there is some
precedence in the scriptures for this, such as references to pollution in the
last days and so on—one of the areas at which we could look seriously and about
which we could feel good is this area of cleaning up our environment. I have a
feeling that pollution is going to get worse and that there are going to be a
lot of jobs in this area.
I
am convinced that the Lord is against pollution. He is against perversion. He
is against prostitution—and prostitution has a much broader meaning than just
its limited sexual sense; it really means perverting something from its correct
use to an incorrect use. I would think that prostitution and pollution and
perversion are all about the same, and God is against such things. How we treat
him is reflected in how we treat others who are his children, and how we treat
the elements and other forms of life on this earth, which are his. He created
them. If there were one safe area in which to look for a livelihood, I think it
would be in this area. I do not know whether this would be your avocation or
not, but you might think about it.
I
am convinced in my own mind that we have not really fulfilled our mission in
life as individuals or as a Church until we have demonstrated and shown as much
advancement in other areas as we have in theology. We know how government ought
to be, we know how society ought to be, we know what cleanliness ought to be,
we know what the environment really should be; we should lead out in these
areas. For instance, we recognize that we have environmental problems. I am not
sure what the answer is, but I do not think the answer is what some
“environmentalists” think it is—that is, to stop whatever we are doing—because
we as a race must produce. I am not sure how to do it, but I am sure that there
is a right way; we just need to discover it. I do not believe that the Lord is
pleased with the constant corruption and pollution we so willingly endure—not
just spiritually, but physically—to achieve some of our goals. I personally
cannot help but believe that there is a better way. I cannot help but feel that
God knows how to transform all of these base materials into useful tools
without all the choking clouds of dust and the stench of pollution in our
rivers and streams. He put our resources here, he put us here, and he knows
what we need. He knows what is here and how to get things done. I do not think
that he is against energy. I think that he is for all of these things, and
wants us to use them in the proper way to get around, do his work, and build up
his kingdom. But my faith is that there is a better way than we now know. He
wants us to use the elements—to mold them for our use—but in a different way.
Now
should that not be something that you students here at BYU could figure
out—with the Lord’s help? (And who should be closer to him than you?) We have
talked about missions for individuals, and we are all aware of the Church
mission. In my mind, BYU, as part of the Church, should become the
pollution-control center of the world—not only spiritually, but physically. I
feel that this is important. We take the gospel to all the world in a spiritual
way; we ought to do it in other ways, also.
We
can make great contributions to the world as we find better sources of energy,
or a way to conquer cancer (and I understand that you are making some progress
on that here at the Y), or a better method of transforming iron ore into steel,
and so on. These are all things on which we could work and feel good. I guess
we could say that, as far as our life’s mission is concerned, both spiritually
and physically, we could feel good about doing away with pollution and putting
purity in its place. That is a real challenge and is something that we should do.
You at this University should be the leaders in doing it.
I
hope that you can catch the vision and see clearly the truth of these things. I
hope that you can really understand that our Father in Heaven does have a
mission for you to perform. I hope that we all understand that we can know what
our mission is, and know it now—at least the part that we need to know—maybe
not a long way ahead, but enough for the present. I hope that we can all
understand that principle and fulfill that mission, and I hope that we can all
have the assurance that we are on the correct path right now.
What
does the Lord mean when he tells us that we cannot be saved in ignorance and
that we must gain knowledge in order to be saved? Knowledge of what? (You are
here to study something, I hope.) Knowledge of the gospel? Of course, but even
more than that, I think. I believe that the knowledge he is talking about—the
knowledge that saves and that he requests us to seek—is the knowledge or
assurance that we are fulfilling our mission, that we are doing his will, and
that he is pleased with our efforts.
Let
me close by briefly relating an experience that occurred a few years ago, again
in the islands. It will demonstrate the universality of the basic premise with
which we began: That all people do have a mission and can perform it, no matter
where they are or under what circumstances they may live, be it here in the
United States or on a small island in the Pacific. As I conclude with that
story and testimony, let us reevaluate our lives and make sure that we are
doing with them what the Lord would have us do.
Years
ago, as a young missionary, I was impressed by an older island couple who
always seemed to be helping the missionaries and others. Every time I went to
their home I would find them reading the scriptures, fixing a meal for a
missionary, tending a neighbor’s child, preparing a Relief Society lesson, or
rendering some sort of service. They were not blessed with children of their
own, but they were always helping so-called “outcast” children.
I
was soon moved to another area and left for home without ever returning to that
area. I often wondered about that couple who had so impressed me. I was sure
that the Lord would bless them.
Years
later I was again in the area and a messenger came and asked if I would visit a
certain widow named Luisa. Upon inquiring, I realized that it was the family I
had wondered about all these years. Her husband had obviously passed away; and
as the messenger gave me the address I realized that she still lived in the
same old house where she had lived those many years before. Of course we made
arrangements to visit her.
It
was late afternoon when we drove up to the home. I was surprised to realize
that hardly anything had changed; it was a neat and clean home, but a very
humble one. As I walked up to the house I noticed her waiting by the open door.
She held her hand out in a slightly waving fashion, and I realized she had gone
blind. As I took her in my arms, I realized also that she had not long to stay
in this life, for I felt nothing but the frailest body of skin and bones.
As
we sat and visited, she talked about her desire to help the “poor” people. I
suggested that she might need some help herself rather than giving help. She
kindly informed me that she was rich and had nothing to worry about. I was a
little confused and began to inquire. I found that they had often saved money
to pay their airfare to the temple, only to end up lending it to someone else
who needed it more. When all the facts came out I asked, “Luisa, how can you
say you don’t have anything to worry about? You have no husband, you have no
children, you’re blind, you are in poor health, you live in a poor home, you
haven’t been to the temple. How can you say that you are rich?”
She
stopped all of my questions by quietly informing me that she was rich because
she knew that the Lord was pleased with her life. She said, “I know that I will
be with my husband soon. I know that the Lord will bless us with a family. I
know that I have not done all that I should, but I know that the Lord is
pleased with what I have done.”
I
cannot express fully what happened at that time. However, I would like you to
listen to the seventh verse of the sixth section of the Doctrine and Covenants,
wherein the Lord says, “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the
mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you [even the discovering of your
mission and calling], and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath
eternal life is rich.” You see, Luisa had taken the time to discover her
mission and calling in life and had done whatever was necessary to fulfill it.
Again,
what is your mission? I plead with you—discover it and fulfill it! I assure you
that it is worth it. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Miles- you look so happy in Bonaire! I am so glad.
Happy that you are loving your companion- your attitude is so great
about being new again and finding your way- it will come! I am sure having that great comp who is
dedicated like you are makes dealing with the things that are rough- like the
smell- bearable.
I’m glad you have a President Nelson talk you are loving—It
makes my heart happy to see you “treasure up” the prophets words. I hope you always retain that love for the
words of our prophet (we all do, but
mean with a real “seeking” heart for truth and application)
That’s great you are meeting new friends! You are improving things there already! I am
sure Richie felt loved and seen—just validated in that interaction you had with
him and your companion. I loved the video
of the English class—maybe Creole will be your 4th language (“Can’t
you read? Why yes, several languages” Lady and the Tramp)
I’m glad your comp is clean and organized.. there’s no
stopping you two! Keep up the great work….
Miracles will come!
I am off to Graham’s second game. He said practice wasn’t so hot yesterday for
him so we’ll see if he’s starting- I
felt like he was in the right group after watching A and B teams play on Tuesday. I think he’ll have a great experience and one
big bonus is he’s getting to know more kids- and more LDS kids- and that’s a
win bc the friend scene has been rough.
Tonight I need to get planned and packed up for our trip-
we’re going to head out early on Saturday morning – I think it will take us 8
hours. That’s a long ride with the dogs.
I am so proud of you. You are working so hard and with so much
energy of heart! I know blessings will
follow for new friends, less active friends, etc. you are amazing to me. (not
surprising, but amazing) and I love you with all my heart!
Mama
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
3-19-23
We are having a great time in gig harbor- these first two days pretty low key. Tomorrow we’ll go to a late breakfast & check out downtown gig harbor and on a hike loop with pups and later go to harbor museum- best of all talking to you! Just message me in the morning and give us a heads up of what time or times work for you guys best
Obviously with just one comp you need to be on the same page/ not do much as before where your comp could hang out with other elders if you were talking more…
The baseball looked so fun
Love all those smiles
What a great gathering activity
I’m so sorry about the smell
And glad you are out of there - and that thr senior couple took it seriously-besides being gross- it was probably unhealthy
To breathe that in- so I’m glad you’re out
Air bnb like us this week :)
The BosNoji guy sounds awesome- it’s easy to see what the Lord can do with a heart full of faith and how there are those who are elect and prepared in this gathering
It’s super neat he will get to do the baptism for mackenley reminds me of your cousins name but here’s is spelled Meckenly ( Blackwell) that will be a special bond for them and the baptism and Holy Ghost will be such an immeasurable strength as he goes thru treatments
I will put his name on the temple prayer roll when we are at the temple Wednesday 
and he will be in our prayers
It’s neat to read about your love for the people already - I am sure they see your light and feel your genuine love
I read this quote by Marvin j Ashton that I’ve heard before but really loved
Elder Marvin J. Ashton counseled each of us to “be one who nurtures and who builds. Be one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. . . . If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.”
I love you Miles
We are so so proud of the kind of missionary you are and how you have consecrated your time, energy and heart into sharing what you know
Xoxoxo
Mama
♦♦♦♦♦
3-20-23
Just as discouragement and depression feed on themselves (can’t you just hear Satan saying, “You can’t do it, you are no good, you’ll never make it”—sometimes he says that right to your heart, and sometimes he uses others as his agents), so does hope regenerate itself. Can’t you likewise hear the Savior saying, “You can do it, you can make it, you are worth something. I laid down my life for you. I love you. I redeemed you. I paid for you because I know you can make it. You can come home. Trust me. Follow me.” Again, sometimes he speaks directly to our hearts and sometimes uses others as his agents. But there is always hope in him.”
I liked this one on hope from Kevin worthen:
You may feel that you do not have enough hope to generate faith, but I can assure you that the Lord has enough love to let you feel His charity. His love for you is perfect—not because you are perfect, not because you got admitted to BYU, not because you aced a test, and not because your parents are proud of you, but because you are you and you are His. If you feel that love more fully, you will find more hope in every circumstance and in all you do. My greatest hope for you is that you experience that kind of hope through God’s love in this coming year. ”
We love you miles - keep following the spirit and trust that the lord is giving you every needful experience to do this work right now where you are! He’s not waiting for you to settle in totally- He needs you now
Tomorrow is our all day ferry islands adventure but I’ll be watching gif pictures etc- love you like crazy 
Mama
♦♦♦♦♦♦
3-25-23
Happy baptism day!! I wanted to email you yesterday but dads tablet was being funky and I couldn’t get it working
What a blessing that we are given moments to feel a small measure if that kind of love!
I dud pit mackenly on the Seattle temple prayer roll and gave had axel (sp) in my prayers - trials ate so hard in the middle- at the beginning you gave hope and at the end. You can see gods hand and how it all worked out- but faith In the middle is hard
What a sweet experiencing calling down the powers of heaven with the priesthood
I also loved that you are going to get the branch Pres over there/ more able to engage and support. So many scriptural examples of faith and patience in trials and how hard things happen to all- but Christ is the healer and as you continue to guide him toward his Savior - to yoke with Him- he will have that he needs and the lord will work it out.. somehow
I csn tell by reading your entries that you are a light wherever you go & vessel for Gods power-exactly what the Savior needs you to be in Bonaire right now
I love you so much- your service, awareness, love, testimony, promptings, promises are in Christs name and as He would- lifting wherever you are
Xoxoxo
Mama
4-5-2023 So I hope I gave enough context for that talk
(the Answer is doctrine, from Elder Bednar MTC talk) that Sarah Buma sent.. I’ve
been studying it this week- there’s a lot to it- so I am taking my time with
it. Obviously from her email you know how impactful it has been to her and her
family- but I hope you can print it out and study it- if you can’t, I can paste
it in an email for you somehow- Dad says he’s going to study it too
Thank you for all the
fun pictures—we all like your house—that cute pink and peachy color! And yes, the wolf vibes!
I was wondering about
that video- very interesting- but good to see people worshipping God- It was
fun that you got a video of that.
Things Here-
Viry leaves tomorrow-
and Emma comes tomorrow. VIry’s had some
family drama (her mom and sister) and it was neat last night she asked dad for
a blessing. It’s neat to see her faith. I think it’s been a good break for her and a
good amount of time. She’s needed at
home with her work which she can do remotely, but also because next week is their
week with Leila (their daughter). It’s
really sweet how VIry has stepped up and embraced Leilia and motherhood 100%.
She’s had a couple miscarraiges over this last year too which have been a heart
break for her/ I hope that works out
soon- but she’s a good mama, especially stepping into that situation. It’s good of Nathan her husband to let her
come “home” as she calls it. We sure love
her.
Dad’s had a rough work
week. Some are just like that. He was
happy they fenced off his lot though and started moving dirt. I put those pics on messenger
The kids had school
off today- we went to the temple (sooo busy, even with an apt) this morning- but
it was really nice. Kind of weird to
have a day off for teacher workday in the middle of the week, but we’ll take
it.
Avery- has decided
not to go with Walmart and is going to do do a lot of babysitting- which is
prob a good thing bc it’s flexible and no taxes- so she’s been doing that a lot
for different families in our Bainbridge Ward and the Bruneels in this ward. I
think she’s enjoyed having Viry here- they like to talk and Viry makes an
effort to make special times and they like the same kinds of shows.
Graham has been super frustrated with bball-
the way his coach subs I don’t know if it’s the coach or just the way they want
to run the program for 7th graders- but he just rotates all players,
no matter how they are playing so Graham plays about half the game- just not
very many minutes and not like you are “earning your time” or whatever. I’m glad he’s had the experience though- he’s
made points every game and they haven’t had a lot of competition. He has two more games next week and it’s
over. I am glad for him to have met some more kids, some LDS ones and to just
have been more involved… it’s been better without so much free time for him,
esp when the weather hasn’t been great. He teaches his quorum lesson this
Sunday, you’ll have to ask him about it
Emma finished up her
speeches for her speech class today and was happy about that- she still has
some stuff to do in that class but no more speeches. Things with Ethan haven’t
really developed other than friendly consistent texting bc he was out of town
for conference and came back sick so he’s been under the weather. Emma seems unsure if she’s really interested ot
not- prob doesn’t know him well enough to be really interested yet- so we’ll
see what happens in the next three weeks before the semester ends—he’ll go home
and be a dental assistant at his dad’s dental office for the summer—it’s a nice
buffer—things can’t move too quickly even if they were going to with a summer
breaking it up…. And bc he’s going home, I don’t think she feels like she’s bailing
on a prospective opportunity by leaving herself to come home to work. (Dean is going to be so happy!) So we’ll see
what happens. She’s got a road trip to AZ in early May for her roommates
wedding… with her roommates and Sadie is going too- to visit Tia who she lived
with on her mission) So that’ll be
fun. I’m excited to have her home for the
summer- she’s our peacemaker- and I will be able to make sure she’s eating well
(something she hasn’t done well at school really) when I see the pics of your dishes you make
it makes me happy bc I know you’ll take care of yourself (or at least have the
ability to) in college—though I am sure your sisters will have you over a
lot. That’s going to be a fun time for
you BYU kids to do that together. And road trip home to see your mama together!
Sadie and Seth leave
tomorrow for Portland for Caleb’s wedding- it might be wonderful, and it could be
a nightmare— both outcomes equally likely and it might just be a mix- with
Sadie trying her hardest not to be reactive and Seth trying to keep boundaries that
are healthy and keep Sadie sane….hard to say with his mom so unstable- but I
hope it’s good. I am so grateful our
family can be able to be the steady for Seth- he’s needed that from us---over
this year I’ve realized how much he loves Sadie and how much he loves/needs us—we
aren’t perfect, but we are a supportive SafePlace-
something he’s never had—ever ☹ He’s pretty great and so good to Buggy- we got a winner with
Seth! Love him! Anyway, I hope it’s a good weekend for them and a fun “get away”.
She’s still figuring things out with Ensign- it’s a joke. Not sure why so many roadblocks
with concurrent cre3dit- esp. when it wasn’t an issue for BYU- but hopefully it
gets cleared up soon. It’s snowed a bunch there today- but I think there’s no
more snow the rest of this week which is good.
Heard a funny quote—This is no longer snow, it’s harassment! Ha.
Poor Utah- it’s been dumped on!
Lainey- doing her
thing and pretty low key! We’re all
doing Duolingo- but boy is it impressive to watch her- the rest of us have had
some schooling with a language (such that it is) but Lainey is solely self-taught
with duo lingo and it’s something. Her
accent is better than dad or Graham and a think she just has a natural aptitude
for learning a language- you’ll have to practice with her (in very simple terms)
but she is levels ahead of Graham and dad. (it’s a little competitive hahaha)
I don’t want to give
you another talk to read bc I know you are studying President Nelsons with Dad
plus I’d like you to have time for the one Sarah sent from Elder Bednar, but
here’s a quote summary of some of the thoughts shared in multiple MTC
devotionals that I’ve been studying:
President Ballard testified of the “privilege of declaring to
the world that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Redeemer of all mankind.”
After
surveying the Church’s 90-acre campus, President Ballard told the missionaries
they are on the “steppingstone” of the greatest experience they will have in
their life: “to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Elder Bednar shared that
through the covenants and the ordinances of the gospel, said
Elder Bednar, “we are yoked to and with the resurrected and living Lord Jesus
Christ. That is more than just a relationship; it is a personal covenant
connection.
Elder Cook spoke of how gratitude and
humility are intertwined. “We live in a self-centered age. It has never been
more important to be grateful and humble. Those who possess these attributes
express appreciation for their blessings as they follow the Savior’s example.”
Elder Cook concluded
with what he called “The Four Loves of Missionary Work,” adding “These four
loves have always been important — and they may be even more important today.”
- Love your companions.
- Love the people.
- Love your mission president and
his wife/companion leader.
- Love the Lord.
Sister Dennis: “You have been sent to this earth during the final years of the final battle between good and evil, when the stakes are critically high. Don’t go through your mission or return home and take a seat on the sidelines of life. You are some of our Father’s most valiant spirits, and you can’t just sit on the sidelines observing this battle or be persuaded to join the opposing team, especially after you return home from your missions.”
Those were some of my favorites.
I love you so much Miles/
I remember the very first time I held you as a brand new to me, new to
this world infant, that one day I’d have the ache of sending you on a mission-
there has been ache—there will always be ache- but what I didn’t know is that while
we do miss you so so much- having a missionary serving , is, in every way it is
an immeasurable blessing – it’s a Joy to see your growth and your reliance on the
spirit, your ability to do this hard thing swell—it's a gift for you, for us, and
we are so grateful and mindful of you, your companionship, the work, your area,
your strivings, the progress, the struggle- all of it….it’s a privilege. Love you
more than I could ever say!
Mama
♥♥♥
4-13-23
Elder Miller
I love you. I just wanted to start with that.
Thank you for the new pictures every day- it’ so fun to see them and share them on the chat! Helps us feel close to you.
I hope the language fast is going okay. It’s a great goal and for probably being a pain, I hope you see some blessings in it too with your language. We all thought you sounded so legit on that radio show… I love getting to hear you speak a language that seems foreign to all of us. It’s the gift of tongues manifest!
I also hope you are feeling settled in your new place.
This week has been kind of long- had some headaches early in the week but I’m feeling better now. Graham had his last bball game and ended on a high note- I’m so glad that that was his last game rather than Mondays—Monday he didn’t play well and didn’t play much and he came home moody city- he didn’t really snap out of it. I told dad we need to have the “your allowed to be mad all the way home, but once we’re home, it’s time to move on” speech. The Lakers had a late-night play in games v the wolves and won in overtime (there’s always overtime) and that seemed to change his mood. So Tuesday he had more equal minutes with everyone and had 10 points and he just felt good about it- plus I think it was fun playing/beating his old friends from Star Middle School. I tried to get them back on the HSB bus, taking G and L but they don’t really want to. I’ve heard this a time or two before (hahaha) but they say they’ll work hard on their own outside now that the weather is warming up—I’m not sure how that works with a lowered hoop and the neighborhood pick up games but we’ll try for a while== maybe do HSB next fall to prep for the season. I think 8th graders play in January…which seems more normal, though it was nice not having to juggle Avery’s season with Grahams.
The girls seems good. Avery is babysitting a lot. She has open gyms on Thursdays which she fights me on but always seems to be glad she went afterwards.
Emma beat Ethan at PIG—they played 6 games—I think Emma said she lost the 4th one (only) bc he did some weird between the legs layup and a dunk shot. She said he’s not a bball player, but an athletic kid (like Seth is) But she did win 5 out of 6 pig games—so they ended up going to Chik-fil-a with a gift card she won at Aunt Marquelle’s easter Egg Hunt, and since he lost, I guess Ethan has to have the BYU car flag on his red Subaru, but I’m not sure for how long. So I’m not sure if all that counts as a second date- but she’s enjoying getting to know him. I think she overthinks it a lot and is putting pressure on herself and the situation with their timeframe of the end of the semester but I just tell her if it’s supposed to work out, it will, even with distance this summer—she doesn’t want to rush it, but she also wants to know if it’s something she even wants to revisit in the fall… we’ll see. Personally, I’m glad there’s a summer buffer so none of it goes too fast.
Sadie and Seth are having fun having a little niece—that’s fun. I think Seth is more ready for a baby than Sadie is- but for now they’ve got a little one close to love on. Seth’s mom is in town staying with Bruce and Kayli for a bit.
Dad’s had a big week with lots of implants and extractions—good production week, which is a blessing bc the new patients scheduling consults and signing up for membership has lagged a little—we just aren’t getting as many people wanting info- not sure if we need to mix up marketing or what. Some weeks, get I can get 4or 5 a day set up, I feel like this week it’ll just be 2- but that’s not too bad with less people asking for info. Dad isn’t too stressed bc he’s pretty maxed out at his location, so if it was going bonkers, that’d be a different stress to get them all in. Once we get close to moving locations (his bldg. being done) he’ll probably feel the angst of it more—but for now it’s a little bit of a limbo.
It’s been a hard couple of days with my brother Adam. He’s been in the hospital with seizures etc- all due to his addiction with drug and alchol00—and meltdowns from all the substance abuse and it’s affects. He is so broken and it’s so sad. Tonight, I talked to him for 40 minutes and it literally was mostly gibberish, but I just keep him on the phone as long as he wants to talk. I can’t really see how his life will ever be different- because he won’t help himself. Tonight he told me that he doesn’t believe in God and I tired to share my testimony of how knowing who God is and that I am his daughter that he has a plan for me- how it’s a lifeline- just in its most basic form- he can’t grasp it, can’t focus. I know he’s not really capable of it—my mom says he shakes all the time now and just talks crazy. But there’s some moments that he seems with it and I try to take every single one of those chances to tell him I love him. I don’t know if he always hears me- but I need to keep telling him. His life is so so sad. I know that even with his unbelief that the Savior knows his name and I trust in God’s merciful goodness and love to work it out for Adam… but it’s hard to watch and hard not to worry. Sometimes I fall asleep in tears over it… so scared that one day I’m going to get a call that breaks my heart. It’s so hard on all of us sisters, but my parents have the heaviest weight of it and I know it’s devastating to them. Keep them all in your prayers- it's so much to navigate and I worry about GG and Opah.
Well that’s sort of a downer. Let’s see- this weekend—Avery is babysitting, Emma is hoping for (hasn’t yet been asked) for a date with Ethan, and she and Sadie and Seth have finals coming right up so there’s lots of studying to do- Dad and I will go to the temple Friday night and with the kids on Saturday. Jack and Janice (I think they are a dinner duo from now on) will be here for dinner on Sunday. We got a guy to come out to install the new hot tub pump, and hope that FINALLY solves the problem. I’m refilling the hot tub while I type this so dad can run it again tonight and hopefully it’s all good. We’re planning on opening the pool mid-May- hopefully the temps are warm enough.
I saw your potato slices and patties- the potatoes looked perfect!! those patties do look kind of gross- maybe you should try making like a breakfast sandwich with them, an egg, some cheese an English muffin or bread? Dad was telling me a “recipe” that he made a lot on his mission was chili mac—it’s just kraft type mac and cheese made the regular way, and then you add a can of chili to it and heat through. So, if you have boxed mac and cheese you can try dad’s recipe and take a pic so I can show him 😊 I made omelets for dinner last night—you could do that with some eggs, cheese diced up ham lunchmeat, some diced onions and maybe some avocado? You could fry up some potato dices too to go with it.
I’ll paste it here bc it might be hard for you with link (but here’s link in case) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/saving-your-life?lang=eng
Saving Your Life Elder D. Todd Christofferson
"When Jesus and His Apostles were together in Caesarea Philippi, He asked them this question, “Whom say ye that I am?”1 Peter, with reverent eloquence and power, responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”2 It thrills me to read those words; it thrills me to say them. Shortly after this sacred moment, however, Jesus spoke to the Apostles about His impending death and resurrection, and Peter contradicted Him. This earned Peter a stinging rebuke that he was not in tune with or not “savoring” the things of God “but those that be of men.”3 Then Jesus, “showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom [He had] reproved,”4 kindly instructed Peter and his Brethren about taking up one’s cross and losing one’s life as the way to find an abundant and eternal life, Himself being the perfect example. Let’s look at the portrayal of this event in one of the Bible videos produced by the Church:
Jesus: The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.
Peter: Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Jesus: Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.5
I want to talk to you about the Lord’s seemingly paradoxical declaration that “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”6 It teaches a powerful, far-reaching doctrine that we need to understand and apply.
A thoughtful professor offered this insight: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, God’s work in your life is bigger than the story you’d like that life to tell. His life is bigger than your plans, goals, or fears. To save your life, you’ll have to lay down your stories and, minute by minute, day by day, give your life back to him.”7
The more I think about it, the more amazed I am at how consistently Jesus gave His life to the Father, how perfectly He lost His life in the will of the Father—in life and in death. This is precisely the opposite of Satan’s attitude and approach, which have been widely adopted in today’s self-centered world. In the premortal councils, in volunteering to fill the role of Savior in the Father’s divine plan, Jesus said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”8 Lucifer, on the other hand, declared, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.”9
Christ’s commandment to follow Him is a commandment to reject once again the Satanic model and to lose our life in favor of the real life, the authentic life, the celestial–kingdom-enabled life that God envisions for each of us. That life will bless everyone we touch and will make saints of us. With our current, limited vision, it is a life that is beyond comprehension. Indeed, “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”10
I wish we had more of the conversation between Jesus and His disciples. It would have been helpful to have some additional light about what it means, in practice, to lose one’s life for His sake and thereby find it. But as I pondered it, I realized that the Savior’s comments just before and after His declaration provide valuable guidance. Let’s consider three of these contextual comments.
Let Him Deny Himself, and Take Up His Cross Daily
First are the Lord’s words spoken just before He said, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it.”11 As recorded in each of the synoptic gospels, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”12 Luke adds the word daily—“let him … take up his cross daily.”13 In Matthew, the Joseph Smith Translation expands this statement with the Lord’s definition of what it means to take up one’s cross: “And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.”14
This accords with James’s declaration: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”15 It is a daily life of avoiding all that is unclean while affirmatively keeping the two great commandments—love of God and fellowman—on which all other commandments hang.16 Thus, one element of losing our lives in favor of the greater life the Lord envisions for us consists in our taking up His cross day by day.
Whosoever Confesses Me, I Will Confess before the Father
A second accompanying statement suggests that finding our life by losing it for His sake and the gospel’s entails a willingness to make our discipleship open and public: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”17
Elsewhere in Matthew, we find a companion statement:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”18
One obvious and rather sobering meaning of losing your life by confessing Christ is to lose it literally, physically, in sustaining and defending your belief in Him. We have grown accustomed to thinking of this extreme requirement as applying in history as we read about the martyrs of the past, including most of the ancient Apostles. Now we see, however, that what was historical is moving into the present. News reports from Iraq and Syria speak of hundreds of Christians and other minorities being driven from their homes or killed by Islamic extremists in the last several months. The terrorists demand that these Christians convert to their form of Islam or abandon their villages or die. The Christians will not deny Him, so many have fled and some have been killed.19 Surely such souls will be among those whom the Savior will not be ashamed to confess before His Father in a future day. We know not what may come in the future, but if any of us should face the trauma of literally losing our life in the Master’s cause, I trust we would show the same courage and loyalty.
The more common (and sometimes more difficult) application of the Savior’s teaching, however, has to do with how we live day by day. It concerns the words we speak, the example we set. Our lives should be a confession of Christ, and together with our words testify of our faith in and devotion to Him. And this testimony must be stoutly defended in the face of ridicule, discrimination, or defamation on the part of those who oppose Him “in this adulterous and sinful generation.”20
On a different occasion the Lord added this remarkable statement about our loyalty to Him:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on [the] earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
“And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”21
Saying that He came not to send peace, but rather a sword, seems at first impression a contradiction to the scriptures that refer to Christ as the “Prince of Peace,”22and the proclamation at His birth—“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,”23—and other well-known references, such as, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”24 “It is true that Christ came to bring peace—peace between the believer and God, and peace among men. Yet the inevitable result of Christ’s coming is conflict—between Christ and the antichrist, between light and darkness, between Christ’s children and the devil’s children. This conflict can occur even between members of the same family.”25
I’m confident that a number of you in our worldwide audience this evening have experienced personally what the Lord is expressing in these verses. You have been rejected and ostracized by father and mother, brothers and sisters as you accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and entered into His covenant. In one way or another, your superior love of Christ has required the sacrifice of relationships that were dear to you, and you have shed many tears. Yet with your own love undiminished, you hold steady under this cross, showing yourself unashamed of the Son of God.
About three years ago a member of the Church shared a copy of the Book of Mormon with an Amish friend in Ohio. The friend began to read the book and could not put it down. For three days he had no other desire but to read the Book of Mormon. He and his wife were baptized, and within seven months there were three Amish couples converted and baptized members of the Church. Their children were baptized several months following. These three families decided to remain in their community and continue their Amish lifestyle even though they had left the Amish faith. However, as a result of being baptized, they were subjected to “shunning” by their close-knit Amish neighbors. Shunning means that no one in their Amish community will talk to them, work with them, do business with them, or associate with them in any way. This includes not just friends but family members—brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents.
Initially, these Amish Saints felt very alone and isolated as even their children were subjected to shunning and removed from their Amish schools because of their baptism and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their children have endured shunning by grandparents and cousins and close neighbors. Even some of the older children of these Amish families, who did not accept the gospel, will not talk to or even acknowledge their parents. These families have struggled to recover from the social and economic effects of shunning, but they are succeeding.
Their faith remains strong. The adversity and opposition of shunning has caused them to be steadfast and immovable. A year after being baptized, the families were sealed in the temple and continue faithfully attending the temple on a weekly basis. They have found strength through receiving ordinances and entering into and honoring covenants. They are all active in their Church group and continue searching for ways to share the light and knowledge of the gospel with their extended families and community through acts of kindness and service.
Yes, the cost of joining the Church of Jesus Christ can be very high, but the admonition to prefer Christ above all others, even our closest family members, applies also to those who may have been born in the covenant. Many of us became members of the Church without opposition, perhaps as children. The challenge we may confront is remaining loyal to the Savior and His Church in the face of parents, in-laws, brothers or sisters, or even our children whose conduct, beliefs, or choices make it impossible to support both Him and them. It is not a question of love. We can and must love one another as Jesus loves us. As He said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”26 But, the Lord reminds us, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”27 So although familial love continues, relationships may be interrupted and, according to the circumstances, even support or tolerance at times suspended for the sake of our higher love.
For What Shall It Profit a Man If He Shall Gain the Whole World, and Lose His Own Soul?
The third element of losing our lives for the Lord’s sake that I want to mention is found in the words of the Lord:
“And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come.
“Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”28
As given in the Joseph Smith Translation, “For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?”29
To say that forsaking the world in favor of receiving “him … whom God hath ordained” is countercultural in today’s world is certainly an understatement. The priorities and interests we most often see on display around us (and sometimes in us) are intensely selfish: a hunger to be recognized; the insistent demand that one’s rights be respected (including a supposed right never to be offended); a consuming desire for money, things, and power; a sense of entitlement to a life of comfort and pleasure; a goal to minimize responsibility and avoid altogether any personal sacrifice for the good of another; to name a few.
This is not to say that we should not seek to succeed, even excel in worthy endeavors, including education and honorable work. Earlier this year, Jed Rubenfeld and Amy Chua, who are husband and wife Yale Law School professors, published a book titled The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America. Their thesis is that some groups in America do better than others based on three cultural traits, described in the book, that give these groups an edge. Chua and Rubenfeld identify Mormons, Jews, Asians, West African immigrants, Indian-Americans, and Cuban-Americans as groups in America today that possess these traits.30
Comparing these groups with American society at large on measures such as “income, academic accomplishment, corporate leadership, professional attainment, and other conventional metrics,” Chua and Rubenfeld say:
“If there’s one group in the U.S. today that’s hitting it out of the park with conventional success, it’s Mormons. …
“Whereas Protestants make up about 51 percent of the U.S. population, America’s 5 to 6 million Mormons represent just 1.7 percent. Yet a stunning number have risen to the top of America’s corporate and political spheres.”31
Certainly, worthwhile achievements are laudable, but if we are to save our lives, we must always remember that such attainments are not ends in themselves, but means to a higher end. With our faith in Christ, we must see political, business, academic, and similar forms of success not as defining us but as making possible our service to God and fellowman—beginning at home and extending as far as possible in the world. Personal development has value as it contributes to development of a Christlike character. In measuring success, we recognize the profound truth underlying all else—that our lives belong to God, our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Success means living in harmony with Their will.
In contrast to the narcissistic life, President Spencer W. Kimball offered a simple expression of the more excellent way:
“Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. … When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves! [See Matthew 10:39.]
“Not only do we ‘find’ ourselves in terms of acknowledging divine guidance in our lives, but the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. … We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to ‘find’ ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!”32
Examples of Losing One’s Life in Christ and His Gospel
Let me close with a few examples of what it means in day-to-day life to lose one’s life in Christ and His gospel and thereby find authentic (and eventually eternal) life.
President Henry B. Eyring was president of Ricks College, now Brigham Young University–Idaho, in June 1976, when the just-completed Teton Dam, not far from Rexburg, gave way. “Eighty billion gallons of water roared toward Rexburg at forty miles per hour, sweeping away everything in the way.”33 Many people in the community responded heroically, helping others even when their own homes and belongings had been destroyed by the flood. A few, however, abandoned even their loved ones and left them to fend for themselves.
President Eyring, who himself helped direct the relief effort, wanted to understand what accounted for “the difference between the heroic response of some … and the betrayal of others. … He commissioned a small but scientifically significant study. ‘There was just one thing we could find,’ he later told a class of graduating high school seniors.
“‘Those who deserted their families when it was hard had often deserted their obligations when it wasn’t so tough. They had a pattern of failing to keep their word to do little things when the sacrifice to them would have been slight and doing what they had said they would do would have been easy. When the price was high, they could not pay it.’”34
Sister Christofferson and I had a friend we met during law school days, a member of our ward in Durham, North Carolina. She and her husband were an ideal young couple with small children. She was blessed with intelligence, attractiveness, and a bright personality. Everyone admired and enjoyed being around her. Some 25 years later, however, when she was still in her 40s, she was stricken with an aggressive and incurable stomach cancer that also spread to her liver and lungs. Despite the shock and the pain as her life quickly drew to a close, she wrote these tender words to her family and friends, whom she so regretted having to leave: “[God’s] plan is divine and is going forth exactly as he planned. Since I am chosen to go through this trial, I know that it must be for my greatest good and highest joy. Already, the spiritual blessings are flowing, and I feel before the end that I will experience all that I need to be prepared to meet my Savior. His power is on the earth. There are no mistakes. … The trials are many and heavy at the present. Everyone seems to be suffering from their own. Look to the Lord and receive his help. Accept those things that are yours and the pain will be taken from you, and the peace will come.”
A particular young-adult sister decided to serve a full-time mission after having already completed undergraduate and graduate degrees and having participated in prestigious internship and study programs both at home and abroad. She had developed a capacity to connect with and relate to people from almost every belief system, political persuasion, and nationality, and she worried that wearing a missionary name tag all day, every day might become an identifier that could impede her exceptional ability to establish relationships. Just a few weeks into her mission, she wrote home about a simple but meaningful experience: “Sister Lee and I rubbed salve into an old lady’s arthritic hands—one of us on either side—while we sat in her living room. She didn’t want to listen to any spoken messages, but let us sing, loved us to sing. Thank you black missionary name tag for giving me license to have intimate experiences with complete strangers.”
By the things which he suffered, the Prophet Joseph Smith learned to lose his life in the service of his Master and Friend. He once said, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it.”35 I think we would all be content to match Brother Joseph’s level of faithfulness
. Even so, he was once forced to languish for months in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, suffering physically but probably more emotionally and spiritually as he was unable to help his beloved wife, his children, and the Saints while they were being abused and persecuted. His revelations and direction had brought them to Missouri to establish Zion, and now they were being driven from their homes, in winter, across the entire state. Despite it all, in those conditions in that jail, he composed an inspired letter to the Church of the most elegant and uplifting prose, parts of which now comprise sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants, concluding with these words, “Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”36
Of course, the greatest illustration of saving one’s life by losing it is this: “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”37 In giving His life, Christ not only saved His own—He saved the lives of all of us.
He made it possible for us to exchange what would otherwise have been an ultimately futile mortal life for eternal life.
Testimony
The theme of the Savior’s life was “I do always those things that please [the Father].”38 I pray that you will make it the theme of your life. If you do, you will save your life.
I love you Miles. I hope you are having a good week and seeing progress with your friends. We pray for it every day! Love you so!
Mama
♥♥♥
4/13/2023 in response to a frustrated email where zone decided pday calls should be with both comps in same room
Thought I’d start with a quote from Neil L. Andersen, “A Compensatory
Spiritual Power for the Righteous” August 18, 2015
“As evil increases in the
world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world
slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who
seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater
confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy
Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.
“This added blessing of
spiritual power does not settle upon us just because we are part of this
generation. It is willingly offered to us; it is eagerly put before us. But as
with all spiritual gifts, it requires our desiring it, pursuing it, and living
worthy of receiving it. ‘For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed
upon him, and he receive not the gift? (D&C 88:33).’”
Now the real reason for my
email, and I didn't want this to show up on the subject line
;) Oh buddy- I saw how flustered that whole talk in the same room made
you. I know how important your pday talk time is-- we love it, we all need
it. And how it is being changed up-- well I don’t think it’s a
great idea with one phone- maybe same room - if you had two phones so you could
both be talking- but that doesn’t really make so much sense. Maybe it was
a Hooah meeting that they came up with it- but more likely there is one
companionship where an elder needs to be more “supervised” and this is a way to
do that without calling him out or creating a big issue with his comp-
maybe just recognizing that will help you when it frustrates you- but
whatever the reason, it’s okay to process it and I’m glad you are talking to
the others about it—and that you are handling it the right way asking higher
ups- but at the end of the day just do what they are asking—if it doesn’t make
sense, they’ll figure that out and relax on it a little.
When Emma’s MP wife said 1
hour family call on pday it almost crushed her. Like really- I was stressed
about how she'd handle that--there were weeks she seemed so fragile and not
having love or support from a MP or MP wife was a jab in a already weak
spot. She was trying so hard to embrace the changes the challenges all of
it-- She was so mad, so angry and hot about that pday phone call change-
it felt like a personal slap to her face- hurt and it felt to her like those
pday talks were the boost and the last thread that was keeping her held
together. There were a few weeks where she let all that fester and I worried
about her being able to be obedient to it and mostly worried about her ability
to cope and not lash out in anger or lose it during an interview esp with such
a passive aggressive mission president’s wife. In the end she was
obedient to it- hated it the whole time, struggled with it-but did it—and it
worked out bc you just make the most of what you can do. I don't fault her bc
there were a whole heap of hard things going on at that time and it all came
down in a kind of cruel way- but I think she let it sting more than it needed
to. I wouldn't have done any better- but all her angst about it just made
it harder and more miserable for her- so even though she was "doing"
what she was asked in relation to the phone call it wasn't "fourth
missionary" mode. It was something she trudged through. She
got through but it was painful.
I'm glad you wrote about how it all makes you feel
though, and I'm not saying it's the same as Emma's situation, I just share that
with you bc I think holding onto it-- beyond your initial processing and working
it out ultimately won't make it easier or you happier.... when I
read your wrestling with it --I was kind of blown away by your approach -- I
love how quickly you sought that counsel you’d read before- how easily you see
the bigger picture—that’s so much spiritual maturity Miles. I am so proud
of you. The small picture is the phone call details, the big picture is
overcoming the natural man- and even though that’s hard, you recognize it and
have those honest and faithful strivings to be your best, to consecrate your
time. Obviously, the length or comp in the room thing will be a struggle
but whate4ver it looks like- we’ve got this. You have the absolute best
approach—to communicate, to see the bigger picture and to keep your heart soft
and forge ahead. It’s probably a good thing your comp can say “ I see it both
ways or sides”—that hopefully means at the end of the day, like it or not, we
can do this.
I love how you are doing
your best to serve and love your comp even when you could pick things
apart. When you can & in the right time and place and especially with
the right tone you should bring up concerns, the ones that matter- (your food
situation is so tight that I’d count that as something to counsel about) but in
the moment, you keep showing love. You did it with the cockroaches and
the ants that found them, you did it with the unbalanced portions for
breakfast. You don’t have to be a doormat, but every effort to be a
peacemaker, even when it isn’t your turn or your issue is a reflection of
Christ’s countenance in you- of you developing His attributes.
I love you- just wanted to
respond more quickly tonight after reading that. Keep being prayerful… If you
can keep your heart soft, you’ll navigate it with a lot more success. In your
missionary service and throughout your whole life.
I love you so much son. I love your effort and your focus. God sees that level of commitment and He will bless you for it. Talk out and keep seeking additional counsel on things that you have concerns over-- we aren't meant to be sheep- following blindly- but I really think there are prob more concerns (like with an elder that struggles with what his internet content is, or maybe talks to a girlfriend on a pday or has a hard comp situation and has said hurtful things in private when a comp overheard-- there's a reason they decided this idea had merit-- it might not last forever or make sense for the zone- so you did everything right to ask others, get more clarification, all with a willingness to accept whatever the outcome is. Keep striving to be that fourth missionary... I see him in you all the time
I love you miles...you really amaze me (and your bocce ball form is perfection!)
Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I loved how you tied in swim lessons! That's so true. Us being rooted is so important. That's been a thing for me to learn on my mission. Putting Christ first and loving Him above all the rest. Sometimes when I hang up those pday calls it is so hard. Just starting the cycle all over again. I love my family so much, but putting christ first and letting His work be my greatest concern is how I am going to find joy.
I think you highlighted this quote too. "Personal development has value as it contributes to development of a Christlike character". The best attributes and qualities I can ever gain are those of Christ. Like the scriptures say, those attributes will stick with me forever.
Also I loved when he was sharing the story about the lady with the stomach cancer and some of her last words were.."I am experiencing all I need in preparation to meet my Savior". I love thinking about it that way. What I am going through is definitely no cancer, but every hard thing I face on my mission is preparing me for that embrace with the Savior. Special to think of it like that.
I also loved when he quoted Christs theme: "I do all those things that please the father". That is going up on my wall for sure so I can remember to work towards making that my theme.
You highlighted this part too where it said, "learn to want what he wants". That's the fourth missionary.
I love you mama. Whenever I am in those sweet moments of the day where I see a friend's heart changing or helping someone with service or just make someone smile. That's when I am happiest out here. That's when the time goes the fastest and nothing else dominates my thoughts. I guess I am still learning to get out of me and what I want so I can "save my life". Thanks for all your insights mom. Your emails always lift me up.
Excited to talk to you!
Love Elder Miller
Big hugs to our favorite
missionary!!! Loving all the pictures!
Here’s a little update
Sadie and Seth are
coming home this weekend- they were going to come next weekend, but Seth’s
family will be in Provo so they switched it up to come here—they are “surprising
the kids” I think they’ll get here
really late Friday night (leaving Friday after work) On Sat morning we’ll go
out to Emmett to see Emma’s new home (she finished building it) and I’m not
sure what all else we’ll do—the weather won’t be great. Next week it’s supposed to be better. Sadie and Seth will leave on Monday
morning. This was a good window for them
to come bc Sadie is done at her PIzza job and will be looking for more work—she’s
hoping to get a job in the office of Seth’s builder. Also, big news she got accepted to Ensign-
which is nice bc it makes her not feel like she has no plan- she still has to
apply to the interior design program and that isn’t as easy to get into as Ensign
college should be, but I don’t think it’ll be too hard- I’m anxious for her to
just get it rolling. It will be a good
thing to combine that education with the experience of working for Seth’s boss’s
wife- who does all the design and billing stuff for their building company.
Emma has been seeing Ethan
more. I think she really likes him, but
something holds her back – I’m trying to fi9gure from afar if that’s a bigger
sign of her not being that into him- but it’s hard to tell. I think there’s things about him that she isn’t
hyped about- but yet she still wants to move forward- she’s trying to not lead
him on or hold herself back- but neither of those things is happening very naturally-
esp with their time short before they both leave in the summer. I’m sure she’ll fill you in.
Avery has been a babysitting
machine.
Graham has transitioned to
not having bball pretty well—I think the promise of better weather helps keep
him busy outsider. My heart broke a little
for him last night- he just doesn’t really “fit in” in his quorum, there are
some odd balls and Graham doesn’t just go with the flow) which is a good thing,
but makes it hard to make friends. I worry
bc he hasn’t really found friends at school this whole year either. I am grateful he can tell and choose to not hang
out with “bad kids” but I so much want him to find his place. It’s a lot that way for Avery and Lainey
too. They are such good kids—where are
the other good kids hiding? Prayers for
them in this regard—I know you understand bc it happened to you senior year,
but we could just ride that out bc you were finishing up- still hard though-
but these guys have a lot of school left and I just want them to find friends
that they can enjoy and be their best selves with at church/school
Dad has had a better
week at Alliance. He works so hard for our family. He had Uncle Kyle come help him at mutual
last night and that was a good thing; It
was neat last Thrus he just felt like he should go out to Grandmas—our power
washer was out there, but he also just wanted to try to talk to Kyle-who is
back out there. It turned out that Bel had
assembled Brody, Mar, Marquelle to have an “intervention” which is a little
odd- but to confront some unkind/untrue things that Kyle has said about her to
them. Dad just happened to show up
before all this went down. Long story
short dad was able to be a part of that conversation and again reiterate that
Pres Nelsons’s conference talk is like a roadmap of how to get along. I think
for the first time dad’s siblings started thinking about what he was saying as
a different perspective and truth, rather than just brushing dad off as the “churchy
one” It was
interesting how dad’s insights were needed in that group- all had good input,
but Dad brough it to the Savior- His role in it, the focus—and during it Brody
said, “wow.. I feel like I am pretty spiritual, but after being here tonight
and listening to Roarke, I feel like I need more Jesus in my life” (which was kinda like a weird born again Christian
kind of comment- but also made it apparent that everyone else in that group was
trying to compartmentalize marriage problems separate from the gospel and dad
was able to testify that they are intertwined—that the Savior in our life is the
most crucial no matter what you are talking about. It was neat. Also Grandpa had tried to sneak
away sort of- a little uncomfortable probably, but they asked him to stay and
after some comments dad made, Gpa bore his testimony that the best he is is
when the Book of Mormon is part of his day.
It just became a good springboard for GPa and Gma who are quick to love
but slow to counsel, to share their thoughts.
At the end, Dad asked Kyle and Bel if they would like a blessing and
they both did. Brody did the anointing and
Grandpa told dad to do the blessings- but dad said, no Grandpa- you need to do
it. And he did (even though he forgot
Kyle’s middle name and had to ask Gma) but it was neat to see hm step up into
that role. You could tell it meant a lot
to Kyle… because Grandpa would be kyle without the gospel--- they are so similar,
so when Grandpa shares/ bears testimony it sinks in differently. I think it was just a great opportunity to share
how the Gospel and the savior are the center and dad’s siblings and parents all
said over and over how glad they were that he was there- which was just Dad
following an impression and sharing truth.
I don’t know if you remember but in dad’s P-blessing it talks about
showing and example of love and the gift of being able to teach the gospel. I pointed out to dad later when he got home
and was telling me all about this that it all seemed like a manifestation of
that blessing—which was interesting bc Dad hadn’t ever considered it in relation
to extended family. Anyway- just a sweet
experience of how the Lord worked thing together- a power washer that needed to
be picked up on a random night that Dad could go and following a prompting, dad
able to testify of Christ. It also made me
so grateful for dad and this testimony. I’m glad I got the “churchy” one. I also reflected on how the savior and the
gospel are so pivotal to me- everything else circles around the Savior, not the
other way around- so much peace in knowing that- not that we always remember it
like we should but so grateful to have that the goal.
Anyway I think things
are going a little better with Kyle and bel—it’s a long journey- but counseling
is helping and I think Kyle is back at home now (which is nice that he could
come to mutual- dad’s always looking for ways to engage him)
I love that you felt
such an surge of love and gratitude for our family during Elder Pedersen’s
training. We are so blessed. I feel that ache when I think about my sister
and brother- that’s hard. A good
reminder that we need to keep making sure all the Roarke Millers are at the
table!! But yes, so blessed- and because of that so much is expected.
I loved the pictures of
your beach lunch spot—looked amazing. You
need to write the Ridds a thank you note—that was probably expensive and it’s just
kind of them to take care of you all/ I
want to be that kind of senior missionary ( and you can tell them I said that). We will definitely remember to hit that place
up, not just for the food, but so we can use those docks to swim and take
pics! Write it down in your Things to do
when we go back to Bonaire section, so you remember!
I’m glad you have seen
an example of a strong finisher in Sister Ellison—it’s definitely a conscious choice
to work hard all the way till the airport—it’s making it all consecrated, not coasting
in to the finish line
So grateful Axel is home
and so glad that you followed that prompting to get there… he probably needed
someone to welcome him, to want to back, to have noticed when he was gone. I love the fist pump with the car—and the
joy- he needed that moment! It’s so neat
to serve in the way that is needed—I love when you have those joyful moments in
service—so Christlike. I am sure Axel
will need a lot of support going forward—hopefully he can commit to doing the things
that will draw him to the Savior.
I saw your pic of the MP email-I hope you can
take it in stride…. And maybe it’ll just be doors open and nearby- headphones
will help; I know it prob feels like something important is being taken away,
but you hardly ever verbalize anything that you couldn’t say with anyone else
in the room and we can gather the rest- esp if you share it in your emails, and
ask you questions about it that you can answer generally. I know it wasn’t the answer you wanted, but his
explanation made sense and it’s important that you don’t let it fester inside
you- it will eat you up and there’s no sense in that. Let’s just be grateful we get to talk twice
each pday and make the best of it. I’m sure that’s your plan anyway ♥ But don’t let it bug you either—just accept it and move
forward. And remember you never know what
someone else is struggling with- and even though those pday calls are a “break”
you still have a stewardship over your comp and vice versa--- it’ll be okay!
Some talks to study that I liked
this week:
I read a talk from Elder Bednar
called being Preach my Gospel missionary and at the end he said, “If I had the wish of
my heart, I would take a few moments with each of you individually. I would
shake your hand, draw you close, look you in the eyes, and say, “You can do
this! The Lord you represent and serve knows you can do this. I know you can do
this. And as His servant, I promise you will have His help. Please remember
always that with His help and in His strength, you can do this!”
Here
is the link for it: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/prophets-and-apostles/becoming-a-preach-my-gospel-missionary?lang=eng
This was a really powerful one
too: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/called-of-him-to-declare-his-word?lang=eng
Also really loved this one from
2013 from President Monson
I don’t know if you have time to
study all of those- but I thought they were all really great and might be a
good resource and a lift to you in your work!
I love you babe. You are full of light!
Focus on the good and give it your
best—chose to see it as a privilege not a sacrifice- and offering not an
effort.
Xoxxoooxxo
Mama
p.s we played skull king- it was fun- we’re excited to play it with you- we’ll try to play it with group this weekend IF Sadie will play- sometimes she checks out on games. Hahaha
p.p.s Recipe idea—don’t know i
fyou can buy those long sausage links- or any precooked sausage links- but if
you can and you slice up a zucchini or something- you can pan cook the vegies
(onions, zucchini, mushrooms, whatever) with the sausage- and then serve over
noodles… the oil. In the sausage will mesh it all together
♥♥♥♥♥
Starting with a power quote:
“It [Missionary work] is by definition
the most important thing you can do in the world, in time or eternity. For this
reason you are engaged in the saving of the human soul. And that is the highest
and holiest work in the universe. That is the thing that God Himself said was
His work and glory. It is the purpose for which the Savior came to the earth
and gave His life and was resurrected to open those possibilities and promises
of Eternal Life. It is the purpose for which every prophet has lived and every
apostle has spoken. It is the purpose for which every missionary since Adam and
Eve has gone forth to declare the truth. You join those ranks! You join that
brotherhood and sisterhood and it is as I said by definition, by theology, it
is the most important thing you can do.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland | “The
Miracle of a Mission”
Oh Miles, it’s so exciting to see you
thriving in the work! You are there to learn and to stretch but your
purpose is to bring souls to Christ and YOU ARE DOING IT! What a blessing
about Rubenita and JoAnne—such a blessing—and it’s so neat they can start on
the covenant path together and on the same day—it will be a strength to them
both. I am so glad you can zoom in. They are miracles that the Lord
blessed you to be a part of… He loves you Miles and He will continue to lead you
in the paths He needs to do this great work. I am overwhelmed with love
and praise that this is happening!!!
We were so excited to hear about
transfer news and you were on target with what you thought. I’m anxious
still to hear your thoughts—and excited about your opportunity to grow as
district leader…if I am reading that right. I am hopeful about your new
comp and it’s nice to mix things up. Elder Hall and Pedersen will do
great things and are prob excited about their new assignments 😉
I’m excited about what’s coming in this next transfer and that you have two
special families that are progressing—that’s crazy and wonderful!!!! We pretty
much need a huddle and hype song to jump around and get pumped about all that’s
going on in Bonaire right now~~ I will share all this good news in our CFM
tonight with the family
We’ve had a good weekend with Sadie
and Seth- we went out to Emmett and saw Emma (weaver)’s new home—it’s a cool
piece of property and fun that she’s been able to “build” her dream. Then
we did baptisms at the temple yesterday (they’ve been unusually slow these last
few weeks, so the kids get to do 10 names each) and then we went to the village
for dinner out and then some hijinks at Good Will – Dad was a good sport for
about 15 minutes and then he was out! (waited in car with his phone- Still, I
was proud of him for joining in) The Lakers beat the Grizzlies in a playoff
game—kids and dad had fun watching that… I think the Lakers are on better track
with whatever late seasons trades they’ve made)
I think Graham has done a little
growing bc he tried on his two suits and they are too short in the arms and
pants (we’ll prob give them to Ace) So that was happy news! I can tell
Lainey is growing too.
Sadie and Seth will stay till tomorrow
or possibly Tuesday depending on Seth’s work schedule. They are able to do
finals remotely so they’ve taken over the teen beach room and upstairs and it’s
a pretty good space for studying and finals as needed, so we may get to keep
them an extra day. I don’t’ think we’ll have them here until the Cruise—bc it
will be hard for them to get away from work. Sadie finished up at Moz
Pizza and now needs to find another job- she reached out to Seth’s boss’s wife-
but no response yet- that would’ve been pretty awesome for her- but not sure if
they are hiring. It’ll work out
Emma has been seeing Ethan almost
every day- I think she’s pretty interested. She’s got some pretty intense
studying to do for her anatomy final- I think that’s Tuesday so I am not sure
how much time we’ll have with her on the phone on Pday, but she’ll hop on for
sure
Our
weather has been cold and that’s a bummer—I think it’s supposed to be nicer
next week moving forward.
Today we
have our ward conference. The kids big plan is a cotinuing with their Little
House on The Prairie marathon :) Ave isn't feeling so hot so hoepfully she can
rest today and be back at it tomorrow.
I thought I’d share a talk that Uncle
Nate shared on Groupme- it’a from a BYUH devotional I loved the concept
of fourth watch and how he closed his remarks: with this:
“You are God’s chosen symbol that He
remembers all His people, all His children, and many of you will be His message
as you go back to those countries and represent His voice, His assurance that
God is aware of all.“
Here’s the talk:
"Well it’s wonderful to be here.
I’m supposed to say Aloha, right? I’ve always wanted to do that and I got to do
it, finally.
I think that the majesty of a church,
the power of a church is best judged by the integrity of its youth and by the
beauty of its music—and we certainly had that idea validated this morning, so I
appreciate the wonderful music.
A number of years ago when my daughter
was about your age, she was just out of high school, she went to one semester
at BYU and then she got an opportunity to go to the Soviet Union (former Soviet
Union) and teach English in Russia. Now this was before e-mail and cell phones,
and communications between the United States and the Soviet Union were not
going to be really good. She was eighteen; we were a little bit worried that
there might be moments or times when she would need to talk with a parent, and
not be able to because of communication difficulties. So I decided that I would
write her a series of letters and try and figure out each situation she might
find herself in that maybe she would want to talk to a mother or father over.
So I wrote about a dozen letters and sealed them in envelopes, and on the
outside of each envelope I put the topic of the letter: When You’re
Discouraged; If You’re Tempted; When You Get Homesick. Now I tried to guess as
many of those as I could, and I gave them to her at the airport.
She opened a number of them in Russia;
some of them were not needed, and she opened them when she got home—to see what
I had said. But I have often thought about the scriptures in a very similar
manner. The scriptures are our Father in Heaven’s letters; only He knows more
than I did as a father what you and I would need. There are times in our lives
when we need to open the letter and communicate with our Father in Heaven, and
understand what He is like and His concern for us. I would like to share this
morning, with you, four letters from my Father in Heaven that have been very
important to me—that I hope will be indicative of the power that the scriptures
can be for us as we face different trials and challenges of our lives.
The first letter is called "The
Fourth Watch." That letter comes from the sixth chapter of Mark. The
Savior has fed the five thousand that day, and in the late afternoon, early
evening, He is sending his apostles down into the ship. He will dismiss the
multitude. He wishes to pray that evening, and then He will meet the apostles a
little later on the shore and they are to pick Him up. In late afternoon, early
evening, the apostles get on the ship; they push out in the Sea of Galilee. The
Savior dismisses the multitude, and prays. The Savior could pray a long time;
so, He prays late into the night. We read in Mark what takes place with the
apostles:
And when he had sent them away, he
departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the
midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing;
for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he
cometh unto them, walking upon the sea. (6:46-48) In John’s account of this
particular story we read that the apostles had rowed the equivalent of about
seventy-five football fields against the wind. There are times in our lives
when we toil, rowing against the wind. We are trying to make progress and
sometimes it seems that there are forces that are against us. There may be some
great blessing that we deeply desire. There may be some trial that we want
deeply to be over. And it doesn’t seem like we are making any headway against
the wind. We wonder if the Lord is listening.
Now we need to understand something
about our Father in Heaven, and that is that He is a fourth watch God.
The Hebrew night was divided into four
watches. The first watch—six o’clock at night to nine [p.m.], second watch—nine
to midnight, third watch—midnight to three in the morning, fourth watch—three
in the morning to sunrise. Sometimes that creates a bit of a problem for us,
certainly for me. I worship a fourth watch God. One who tends to feel that it
is good to let His children toil in rowing against the wind to face a little
opposition. My problem is that I am a first watch person. Now there is
something inside of me that understands that it is good for me to toil in
rowing against the wind. But certainly by the second watch He would come. And
when the second watch has passed and He still has not come. Sometimes I forget
that as Mark says, He is watching. He watched them toiling and rowing.
I began to make some assumptions that
are often dangerous to make—maybe you make the same. We begin to assume that,
number one, He is not there. That is why He’s not responding. And then we calm
down and understand that He is there; He is always there. Then the second
assumption is if He is there, He must not be listening. And then again, in
calmer times—He always listens. Well then the third assumption is He must not
care. No—He’s there, He listens, He cares. Maybe the most dangerous assumption,
the fourth assumption is I must not be worthy. Now that fourth assumption we
are probably correct on. But when has that ever stopped Him from responding; we
are as worthy as we can be. We must assume that we have not yet reached the
fourth watch; and He is a fourth watch God.
The scriptures are full of fourth
watch stories: Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove—“At the very moment I was ready
to sink into despair” (JSH 1:16). Do you ever feel that way? “Just at this
moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light” (JSH 1:16). It was when the
widow of Zarephath was gathering two sticks to make a final meal for her and
her son that Elijah came walking through the gate to save them from the famine
(1 Kings 17). It was when the water was spent in the bottle and Hagar had
placed Ishmael under a tree because she did not want to see his death, that the
angel came to say, Hagar, what aileth thee? and showed her a source of water
(Genesis 21:17).
We worship a fourth watch God. So when
the trials aren’t over and the blessings don’t come, don’t assume that He is
not there, or He is not listening, or He doesn’t care, or you’re not worthy.
Always assume you have not yet reached the fourth watch.
Now occasionally people have said to
me, “I’m sure I’m past the fourth watch.” I was once talking with Sheri Dew and
she said later, “Mike, I think I’m in the ninth watch—now what?” Well, when you
feel that you have passed the fourth watch, then we need another letter. We
need another letter called Tight like a Dish. Now that is an expression I think
you all will understand — ‘Tight like a dish.’ It’s the description of the
Jaredite barges.
Now I have a tendency, because I’m an
English major, to edit almost everything I read. It’s just a habit I can’t get
out of with whatever I read—textbooks, newspapers, novels, biographies—I’m
always editing. I edit the scriptures as I’m reading them. There are actually
times where I say, “Lord, I could fix this verse for you if you would like me
to.” And one of the verses that I used to think I would edit is Ether chapter
two, the seventeenth verse; the description of the Jaredite barges. Can you
realize what word I might write if I were editing this? This is how it reads:
“They were built after a manner that
they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a
dish”—that’s once. “And the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish”—twice.
“And the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish”—three times. “And the ends
thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the
length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was
shut, was tight like unto a dish”—five times.
I would have written redundant. We get
the impression they are waterproof. It’s like taking a jar and sealing it and
throwing it. These are not submarines; they float light like a fowl, we are
told, on the water. But the problem is that great waves are going to be washing
over them, and so they need to be waterproof.
Now being ‘Tight like a dish’ causes
two problems for the Jaredites’ crossing of the sea. Number one, minor
problems, it was probably Mrs. Moriancumer who pointed them out to her husband:
“We can’t breathe in here, and we can’t see, so unless we are going to get the
Promised Land in sixty seconds, we’ve got big problems. Did you get the
instructions right?”
And so Moriancumer, the brother of
Jared, goes back to the Lord, and he presents his two problems. Now you learn
something about your Father in Heaven in the solution or the handling of these
two problems. Of the two problems—no air and no light—the Lord solves one of
them just because He is asked. He tells them to put the holes in so they can
have air. And sometimes when we go to the Lord, we simply ask and we will
receive. He tells us the solution. The second problem we have to seek and find;
for the second problem the Lord says, “You come up with a solution.” Now He put
some parameters on that. He tells them, “You can’t go by windows”—probably not
invented yet, and the second, “You can’t go by fire”—oxygen is a problem
anyway. All that tossing around in the sea with coals flying everywhere
probably wouldn’t be good, so you come up with a solution.
Now you are the brother of Jared. I
want you to listen with his mind at what the Lord says because the
twenty-fourth verse is a really interesting verse of Ether chapter two:
"Behold, ye shall be as a whale
in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you.
Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the
winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I
sent forth."
Now the reason they need ‘Tight like a
dish’ ships is because there are going to be mountain waves. Now what causes
mountain waves in the ocean?—wind and storm. And what did the Lord just say the
source of the winds were? “The winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and the
rains and floods have I sent forth”—do you have a solution to the problem?
If I were the brother of Jared, I
would have said, “Lord, we don’t need these ‘Tight like a dish’ ships at all.
Since waves are the problem, and waves are caused by wind, and wind comes out
of your mouth—blow softly. Blow softly. Breeze us to the Promised Land. We’ll sit
on deck, we’ll fish, we’ll get tanned, we’ll play shuffleboard.” How many here
want the first watch cruise version of life?—that’s me; I’m a first watch
person. I don’t like mountain waves.
And then the great lesson: We know God
can still the storms of our lives—we know that; there are precedents. But he
prefers to do something else:
"Behold, I prepare you against
these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against
the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which
shall come. What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light
when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?" (Ether 2:25)
What we need to understand about our
Father in Heaven is that He prefers to prepare us to face the storms of life,
the contrary winds, rather than to still them. So if you are past your fourth
watch and He has not come, don’t assume that He is not there, that He doesn’t
care, He doesn’t listen, or that you are not worthy. Assume your ship is tight
like a dish. You will not sink. Somewhere in the past of your life, experiences
have been placed by a wise and foresighted Father in Heaven to prepare you to
face the very things that you are facing. As the lion and the bear came to
David, before Goliath, to prepare him to face Goliath, so will lion-and-bear
moments come in your lives before the Goliath moments come. Because if your
ship was not tight like a dish and you have reached the fourth watch, He will
come to you and still the storm. So if the storm is not still, we must assume
our ship is tight like a dish.
Sometimes we don’t understand the
Lord’s answers because the answers that we are getting may not be the ones we
particularly want. And so we go to another letter I call Bread or Stones.
In Luke, the eleventh chapter, when
the disciples asked Jesus to teach them about prayer, He introduced it with a
parable, and then He said,
"Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will
he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a
serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then,
being evil, (meaning being human, imperfect) know how to give good gifts unto
your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give (good things,
give) the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (9-13)
Now the Lord’s prayer is introduced
with a phrase; the Savior says your father in Heaven knows what you need before
you ask Him (Matthew 6:8). We are also counseled in the scriptures to tell the
Lord our desires. Now that may cause a problem. I know what I desire and God
knows what I need. I am always hoping that those are the same. But what if what
I need and what I desire are not the same?—and the Lord says, “Mike, you get to
choose what you need and what you desire.” I’m afraid in my worse moments I may
say, “Well if it’s just the same to you Father, I’d like what I desire, rather
than what I need.”
C.S. Lewis calls the desired need the
‘expected good’; and, the needed good he sometimes called the ‘given good.’ All
things given from God are good; and, sometimes if what I desire is different
from what I need, if what I expect is different from what I’m given, I may, if
I’m not careful, turn the given bread into a stone. I may turn the given fish
into a serpent. I may view the given egg as a scorpion because it is not what I
anticipated, what I asked for, what I hoped for—what I desired.
What we must understand about our
Father in Heaven is that He only gives bread; He never gives stones. He only
gives fish; He never gives serpents. He only gives eggs; He never gives
scorpions.
May I illustrate: As long as I can
remember I wanted to go on a mission and I knew where I wanted to go. I wanted
to go to Denmark. My mother is Danish; my grandparents were born and raised in
Denmark; I idolized my grandfather—I wanted to go to Denmark on a mission.
Everybody in our family went to Denmark. My grandfather went to Denmark, my
uncles went to Denmark, my cousins went to Denmark. If you’re in my family, you
go to Denmark. So I, as my mission call approached, began to pray to the Lord
that He would send me to Denmark.
The problem was back in southern
California, where I grew up, they didn’t teach Danish in high school. They
taught French, and I had four years of French. So as my mission call
approached, I began to have a feeling of impending doom that I was going to go
to France instead of to Denmark.
France would have been okay, except
that I had a French teacher from Paris who was so proud of her French language;
if you mispronounced something, she would throw chalk or erasers at you. She
would walk up and down the aisles throwing a piece of chalk, and then she would
turn on you and fire a French question at you. Just the look in her eyes would
drive every French word right out of my brain, and I would try and answer, and
she would get mad, and she would throw the chalk at me, and I thought, if this
is what the French are like, I don’t want to go to France; two years of that
would be bad. I want to go to Denmark.
But I had a feeling of impending doom
that I would go to France. As my mission call approached, I finally realized
that it was probably not appropriate to tell the Lord where you wanted to go on
your mission, so I changed my prayers. I did not feel that it was inappropriate
to eliminate one country from all the countries God could send you to. And so I
began to pray, “I’ll go anywhere Lord, please don’t send me to France. They
speak French in Tahiti.”
On the day my mission call came, I was
at work.
I was driving home from work, and I
knew my mission call was there, and I knew it said France, and I didn’t want to
go home. I lingered at work; I drove slowly, hoping for red lights. And finally
I was so discouraged that just before I turned the corner to my home, I pulled
off to the side, turned the car off, parked it, and gave one final prayer.
You’re going to think I’m making this up, but I actually prayed this; I said,
“Father in Heaven, I know my mission call is at home, and I know it says
France. Thou art all powerful; thou art merciful and loving. Please—thou canst
do all things—please change it in the envelope.”
With a certain amount of hope, I drove
home and opened my mission call. What did it say?—France. Of course it said
France. Actually, I think it originally said Denmark, and the Lord said, “We
need to teach this boy something, so let’s send him to France.” Now, could I
have ruined my mission?—yes. I could have spent two years wanting to be in
Denmark, but I learned to love the French people, love their language—beautiful
language.
God listens to prayers in all
languages, but He answers them in French. They are beautiful, wonderful people.
I had a great mission. I found out when I got home that I had French ancestors,
and, that I served in some of the cities where they had lived. God did not give
me a stone. A stone, when you want bread, is something useless. God does not
give useless things. He did not give me a serpent; a serpent, when you want a
fish, is something harmful. He does not give harmful things; He only gives
bread, and fish, and eggs.
Sometimes we don’t get answers because
there is no place for God to put the answer. In the Doctrine & Covenants,
the ninety-eighth section, in the first few verses, the Lord introduces another
idea of another letter. I call it Holding Places of the Heart.
"I say unto you my friends, fear
not, let your hearts be comforted; rejoice evermore, and in everything give
thanks; Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the
Lord hath sworn and decreed they shall be granted. He giveth this promise unto
you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things
wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good."
(1-3)
Now God tends to do everything
backwards; we worship a backwards God, in a sense. I say, “Lord, help me
understand and then I can believe.” But in the scriptures, the Lord says, “No,
believe and then you will understand.” I say that’s backwards, and He says,
“No, you have it backwards.” So here the Lord says, “Be comforted, rejoice,
give thanks, then I’ll answer your prayers.” And I say, “Lord, answer my
prayers, and then I’ll be comforted, rejoice, and give thanks.” That is
backwards.
Now sometimes the reason the Lord
doesn’t answer is because He has a wonderful answer, a comforting answer, a
rejoicing answer, and He says, “Where do I put it? There is no place yet in
your heart, in your mind for me to put the answer. But life will create a
holding place for the answer. So be patient; in time it will come. I have
recorded your prayers. I know your needs. I will answer it when the holding
place has been created.”
Let me give you an example of that if
I may:
My parents were divorced when I was
one year old. My father, for not the best of reasons, left the family. That
caused certain concerns, certain problems, certain challenges for my mother, my
two sisters, and myself.
If you were age fourteen and you were
me and you prayed, “Father in Heaven, help me be at peace and forgive my father
for having left his family,” that’s a good prayer; that’s a good desire—I
received no answer.
At eighteen, you’re praying, “Father
in Heaven, help me be at peace and find solace, and comfort, and forgiveness
about this particular episode.”
My father had very little to do with
us as we were growing up. One day a year he would take us to Lagoon in Utah.
That was my only contact with my father, growing up. I got married. I’m
praying. I had two daughters, two sons. Now I’m over thirty years of age.
One day I was preparing to give a talk
on parenting. Now my mother was an absolute saint. I can’t imagine a boy being
given a greater mother than the mother I was given; and everybody who knows my
mother would agree with that. I was thinking, as I was preparing to talk about
how to raise children, that I would talk about my mother. But the Spirit seemed
to say, “You need to talk, and you need to think about your father.” I
wondered, “What do I say about my father? I hardly know my father. I was not
raised with him; I had no contact with my father.”
Just at that moment as I’m pondering
about my father, my two sons—I had two at the time, my third son wasn’t born
yet—they were about six and two years of age; they came in and they stood in
front of me where I was sitting in the family room; they just stood there in
front of me staring at me, the older brother standing behind his younger
brother. I looked at those two boys and the Spirit just washed my brain with
memories of things I had done with those boys. Simple things, nothing
important: Trick-or-treating, carving Halloween pumpkins, Christmas mornings,
blowing out birthday candles, looking at turtles at the pond, piggyback rides,
listening to their Primary talks, listening to their prayers, bedtime stories,
the first puppy, catching a fish in the same fishing hole I caught my first
fish in.
Nothing critical, nothing important.
Just the everyday memories that I as a father had shared with those boys in six
years of my being a father. As I was thinking of those things, the Lord said,
“Now Mike, life has carved a holding place in your heart, and I will give you
the answer”; and this is what He said: “Now that you are a father, now that you
know a father’s joys and love, would you be the son who lost his father? Or the
father who lost his son?”
Do you understand what the Lord was
saying to me? I began to weep. I just sobbed. I grabbed those two boys and I
just hugged them, sobbing—not for me—for my father. Because I knew the tragedy
of his life greater than he knew it. I knew what he missed. I knew that it was
a greater tragedy for him to have missed all those wonderful things with his
family, than it was for me, as a son, to have missed them with a father.
My wife came in, she said, “For
heaven’s sake Mike, what’s the matter?” I was sobbing, clinging to my boys. I
said, “I can’t talk about it now.” I went up to the bathroom and just cried and
cried, cried myself dry—for my father.
God always had an answer. But why
didn’t He give it to me at age fourteen, or eighteen, or when I was married, or
when I was the father of two daughters? It had to be when I was the father of
boys and had shared enough life with those boys to comprehend the answer that
God would give. The easiest thing in the world for me to forgive was my father
for having left the family. But it took life to create the space for God to put
the answer.
May I share one final, tiny, little
letter with you, because we’re on the islands? We have talked about waves, and
sea, and stilling storms, and rowing against the wind; I thought that would all
be appropriate for here. The Doctrine & Covenants begins with an image,
created first by Isaiah, of the isles of the sea (you have heard that
expression all the time):
"Hearken, O ye people of my
church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all
men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the
islands of the sea, listen together."
The Doctrine & Covenants begins
with the islands of the sea. You are living on and many of you are from a
symbol of God’s love for all the world.
The very first time I came to Hawaii,
I was sitting on an airplane next to a young African American basketball player
from Detroit. He kept looking out the window, nervously. All through the
flight, he kept looking out the window nervously, and finally he turned to me
and he said, “How do they find it in all this water?” I could tell that he had
images of circling around the Pacific, which is a big ocean, trying to find
these tiny little islands out there. How did they find it?
I think it is interesting that one of
the first missionary labors, the very first foreign speaking mission, was to an
island of the sea in French Polynesia. And if God will see that the gospel is
taught on Fiji, and Tahiti, and Hawaii, and Samoa, and Tonga, He will see that
it will be taught in China, and India, and Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. And if
there is a temple on Tahiti, and Hawaii, and Samoa, and Tonga, and New Zealand,
all the islands of the sea—places that many people wouldn’t even be able to
find on a map—if God is going to put a temple on all those tiny little dots of
land in behalf of the people that live there, it is His assurance, His
testimony to all of us that He will put a temple in Beijing, and Cairo, and New
Delhi, and Jakarta, and Moscow.
You are on God’s chosen symbol that He
remembers all His people, all His children, and many of you will be His message
as you go back to those countries and represent His voice, His assurance that
God is aware of all. May you search God’s letters when you need them; may your
fourth watches come quickly; may your ship be tight like a dish. May God, as He
does, always give you bread, and may you recognize that it always is bread. May
life carve the holding places in your heart, and may you realize as you walk on
this living symbol of God’s love for all the world that if the gospel is
preached on the islands of the sea, it will be preached in all the world one
day with its fullest blessings. For that day I hope and pray for in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen." Bread or
Stones: Understanding the God We Pray To
We love you Miles. My heart
is so happy with where you are 8 ½ months into your mission. The
Lord has big plans for you. I hope you feel His love and approval, I
can feel it
Xoooxxo
Talk to you tomorrow! Whoo hoo! Mama
♥♥♥♥♥
4-24-23 From Miles to Mama
ow’s my missionary? I hope things are going well this first part
into the transfer. I remember you saying
you had lots of service lined up- I hope you’ve been able to meet some new
friends—maybe tonight (Wed) you got to play bball?
Things here feel a little quiet with
Sadie and Seth gone. Lainey’s knee is doing
so much better—she stayed home fom school on Tuesday because it was still a bit
stiff—but honestly- after that prayer, it seemed to get a little bit better –
thank you for that. By the end of Tuesday
she was moving around on it pretty well, so today (Wed) she went to
school. Graham and Avery are fighting
some colds/flus but powering through- Graham better than Avery. As you prob saw on the group chat—the worst
part of his day was a pasta dish that I made that he didn’t care for. Rough life.. I told him he needs to practice being
polite and eating things even if they aren’t his favorite in preparation for a mission but I don’t think that message mattered
to him- that’s why I said you’d need to talk with him. After he sat and fussed (mostly bc there were
artichokes in it) he kept running his hands thru his hair (you know how he does
that?) and so then he started finding a few very small baby hairs (FROM HIS OWN
HEAD- EVEN THOUGH HE WON’T ADMIT IT) and that was that—he chose an early bedtime
over finishing half of it. Ugh. I tried not to get offended. 😉 Dad is off playing pickleball with the deacons tonight
for mutual.
Emma rocked her anatomy final (96%) and
was relived—she needed that solid A to keep a solid A in that class. So she’s finished up her first year of
college—straight a’s. Whoo hoo! She’s got a couple of down days before Ethan
heads back to Missouri. I think he’s
done with finals too and is in Provo till Sunday. She really seems to like him and I’d say that
they are more of a couple now—still not sure now I feel about it all- want her
to have these experiences but not all in on this Missouri boy yet. I think Sadie and Seth were going out to
dinner with Emma and Ethan tonight- fast food or something so maybe I’ll get a
better feel from Sadie/Seth- I prepped them that I wanted details! So when you call on Monday you can get all
the details because the she will have said the summer goodbye… then the following
Wed she and her roommates head to Gilbert AZ for her other rommates wedding and
then she’ll come home.
I’m so glad you are keeping contact
with Axel—you are surely the best part of his day—sad about his kids- maybe
just having that stuff (even dust covered) just gives him hope that one day
things will be different.
I hope you were able to make transfer
goals and feel in unison going into this transfer and both feel hyped with high
expectations and a lot of faith and energy for what the LORD will do in the
next 6 weeks. I’ll have to ask you more about
your District leader duties when we talk next.
I know you’ll do a great job!
I was doing some prep for the next few months
of our Come follow Me and found some things I wanted to share with you.
Beautiful talk about the atonement:
Powerful part: Loved this
“But Jesus held on. He pressed on.
The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete
anguish. The trust He lived by told Him in spite of His feelings that divine
compassion is never absent, that God is always faithful, that He never flees
nor fails us. When the uttermost farthing had then been paid, when Christ’s
determination to be faithful was as obvious as it was utterly invincible,
finally and mercifully, it was “finished.”18 Against all odds and with none to help or uphold Him,
Jesus of Nazareth, the living Son of the living God, restored physical life
where death had held sway and brought joyful, spiritual redemption out of sin,
hellish darkness, and despair. With faith in the God He knew was there, He could say in triumph, “Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
I also found this picture- and while I am not usually a fan of this artist’s work, I really liked this one- it’s emphasis on the atonement and that HE yet lives all in the same picture. I think I made the cover of one of your COME FOLLOW ME notebooks in a different painting, but this artist once.
Well not too much else to report. You are in our constant thoughts and
prayers. I am so grateful for your willingness
to preserve and reinvent yourself and LOVE the people like you do. They feel it!
I love you Elder Miller—you make me
so proud and so happy--Mama
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