Dear Family,
How I love you!!! As I have read your emails I can't help but think that I have the greatest family on planet Earth. You guys are amazing! It's crazy to hear how everything is changing and how amazing everyone is coming closer to our Savior. I do remember Spencer Price from TW. He is Brent's nephew and I'm glad he's doing great things now. Thank you so much for replacing my camera. I hope it wasn't too much and I hope you took it out of my account. Mom, I am sorry to hear about the siezures. It truely is a blessing that you haven't been harmed too much. It's amazing how much love and support we get from the other side of the vail. I will pray continually for you. I have sometimes had a terrible thought of something bad happen to one of you while on my mission that strikes my heart, but then I realize I need to have faith in our Heavenly Father and the blessings he gives us. Hayley, I'm sorry to hear it was sad for you to let your friends go into the mission field. I recently just read a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge that the whole family could benefit from. It's absolutely AMAZING. Just remeber that the Lord will protect them. It's not bad that you have a hard time letting go of them. It just means you are capable of feeling love and charity towards people. Try not to dwell on it so much, pray to the Lord that he will help you. Pray for the blessing of feeling his presence. And then work to be always worthy for it. That's something they pound inside our heads. It's so true. Dad, it's so fun to hear that your programs are coming to life and are coming with such success. I will continue to pray from them, they will be stellar!!! Keep me updated on how they go! The youth are very privelleged to be encompased by this great gospel inspired program.
This week has been much better than last week. I have really felt the Savior's love for me, without a doubt. I have more fully come to realize the power and the blessings that come from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have felt the joy, the happiness, and the relief that comes from it. It also has more fully opened my eyes to be more charitable to people. Every week on Sunday we get to all walk up to the Provo Temple and take pictures and stuff up there, and this week there were two men with large crosses protesting up at the gates of the temple. We heard and saw what they were doing, and for the very first time I didn't feel offended or angry at them for doing what they were doing. The thought came to me of the great saddness I felt for them and what power Satan had on their hearts. He had such a grip on them and all I wanted to do was express my love for them and hug them and help them feel the love our Savior has for them. We learned that one of those men had been a member of the church for 30 years, but because of something, left the church. If only he could refeel what the Savior has done for him, the Atonement. I know without a doubt, even though he was saying words contrary to God's plan, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father still love them as much as they love me and you. I want so badly to share my feelings of the Atonement and repentance to the people of Thailand!
We had another interesting experience. We all had an opportunity to listen and help teach an investigator (fake investigator, real story). We came to find out that he left the church 5 years ago because his dad who was a stake president broke the law of chastity with another member and his family soon became torn apart. This man's mother would tell the children to pray that God would kill their father every time they prayed. I looked at this man and just wanted to weep with him. He had been through so much! I wanted to share my knowledge that all things are made right through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ understands perfectly what he is going through. He understands us all. The gospel is so beautiful. I don't share these stories to make you think that I am all high and mighty with love and that I am an amazing person, because I'm not. I want to make it very clear that I feel that love because it's God's love toward his children. I feel it because Heavenly Father helps me feel for it, and I love it so much. I don't ever want it to leave. All glory be to God. They tell us here at the MTC something that is absolutely true. When lessons or things in our lifes go right and awesome, we must praise the Lord. And when something goes bad, don't blame others or shrug it off, we must look inward and fix the things that we need in order to be better. The gospel is true! It's the most beautiful thing there ever was/is.
I love you all so much! Thank you for everything and I'll continue to pray for you!!!
With much love,
Elder Tanner
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