letter from home

I got a letter from my mom yesterday. She told me some of the things that were happening from home. She told me that my cousin was getting married on Saturday and the preparations that were going on for that. She told me he was going to get married in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for time and eternity. She wrote about their trip they were leaving on to go to California. Before she mailed it she added one last thing as a p.s. She told me that on Wednesday my Grandpa was taken by ambulance to the hospital, he was transferred to another hospital and that he was currently in a nursing home/ rehab center. She said that my Grandpa didn't want my Grandma to leave so she slept on the couch in his room.
How sweet that is. My Grandpa is 92 but he still loves my Grandma so much. It is hard seeing our loved ones get old. It made me sad that my Grandpa isn't doing very good. He probably doesn't have very much longer on this earth. But I am so grateful to know that my Grandparents can be together forever because they were married for not only for time but also for eternity. Even after so many years they still love each other so much.

"Most people think of a marriage made in heaven as a rare occurrence in which both parties are deeply in love and highly compatible. We like to think that all our marriages are made in heaven. When a man and woman enters one of our holy temples to be married, they covenant (or promise) they will stay together forever—on earth and in heaven after they die, if they are faithful to each other and their promises to the Lord. A temple marriage doesn’t include phrases like, “Till death do you part” or “So long as you both shall live.” If we keep these promises, our children also become part of this heavenly promise—sealed to us forever." mormon.org

Refiner's Fire

"Refiner. A man who separates the precious metals from the dross with which in nature they are usually found mixed. Part of the process consists in the application of great heat, in order to bring the mass into a fluid state, hence the term “refiner’s fire.” Christ is the great Refiner."

Many times in our lives we go through hard times to be made better, to be refined.

My mission is a refiner's fire. It is by far the hardest thing I have done. With each new day comes new challenges. But I can see how I'm being refined. I am learning and growing more than I ever had. I see the Lord in my life. When I don't see His hand as much as I think I should that is when my prayers become more frequent and more hart felt. That is when my relation with God is strengthened more than ever.

"Here then is a great truth. In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul. It is part of the purging toll exacted of some to become acquainted with God. In the agonies of life, we seem to listen better to the faint, godly whisperings of the Divine Shepherd.

"For some, the refiner’s fire causes a loss of belief and faith in God, but those with eternal perspective understand that such refining is part of the perfection process.

"Out of the refiner’s fire can come a glorious deliverance. It can be a noble and lasting rebirth. The price to become acquainted with God will have been paid. There can come a sacred peace. There will be a reawakening of dormant, inner resources. A comfortable cloak of righteousness will be drawn around us to protect us and to keep us warm spiritually. Self-pity will vanish as our blessings are counted." James E. Faust

I know there are many hard things in life. You have probably gone through a lot more than me. But hold on, keep your faith, and let the Lord refine you.

One is Silver and the Others Gold

As a missionary I have a missionary companion, which is just the person I go and share the gospel with. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." D&C 2:28 Over the last 9 months I have had several different missionary companions. As I serve with each of them friendships are made.

"Real friends share the gospel—the living of it and the loving of it. No stronger bond nor higher compliment can be given from one friend to another." Real Friendship, Elder Holland

I have grown to love each one of these sisters, for we truly are sisters in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a great opportunity to be able to spend time with these women and get to know them and to share the gospel together.

"I think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a deep yearning for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting relationships can give. Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of the principle of friendship is because it should be manifest quite naturally as we live the gospel." Friendship: A Gospel Principle, Marlin K Jensen

We each must be a friend. "In order to have a friend you have to be a friend." I am grateful for those in my life who were a friend to me. I am grateful for the friendships that have been made and rooted in the Gospel.

"Make new friends but keep the old one is silver and the others gold."

Tour of Nashville

I grew up in Utah but I now live miles away in Tennessee. I have been here for 9 months but I had never been to Nashville. A couple of weeks ago a sweet lady that goes to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with me took us to see Nashville. Our adventure started with going to the Temple. The temple is a very special place where we learn and we make covenants, or promises, with God.

I enjoy the feelings of love and peace that is found in the temple. I feel closer to God when I'm in the temple than anywhere else.

After the temple we saw many fun things. We saw the globe at the WWII memorial and the Parthenon at Centennial park.

Even though I loved seeing the things around Nashville it does not compare to that of the temple. President Thomas S. Monson said "The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls--not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you'."

What matters in life?

I was talking to one of my friends the other day and she is having a really hard time. As we were talking I thought of a talk by Elder Uchtdorf "Of Things That Matter Most." It helped me look at how I can focus my life on the most important things in life.


It’s remarkable how much we can learn about life by studying nature. For example, scientists can look at the rings of trees and make educated guesses about climate and growing conditions hundreds and even thousands of years ago. One of the things we learn from studying the growth of trees is that during seasons when conditions are ideal, trees grow at a normal rate. However, during seasons when growing conditions are not ideal, trees slow down their growth and devote their energy to the basic elements necessary for survival.

At this point some of you may be thinking, “That’s all very fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane?” Well, let me tell you.

Have you ever been in an airplane and experienced turbulence? The most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch, yaw, and roll. While planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight, it still may be disconcerting to passengers.
What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.
Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions.

We need focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to develop a strong relationship with our Heavenly Father. We must read our scriptures and pray every day. These things really do make a big difference in our lives. I know that you will receive strength as you these things.



"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12



Build your foundation on Christ!