I've been reading my emails, and read one or two missionary emails... yes. I still have missionaries. Weird. One was from Elder Chun. He wrote about how much the Lord is working... how it's not HIS work, but the LORDS work. I thought about that. I thought about how the missionaries work so hard to get new members involved in the ward. I thought about when I was a ward missionary (when I started dating Daniel) and how hard it was to get people to come to church.. and when they did come, how much we focused on sitting with them, making meaningful conversation and introducing them to people. I have forgotten how hard it is to help people feel involved until it was my time to move into a new ward. I've been in this ward for 2 months, and have never been so welcomed in my life. Though everyone seems to notice you and introduce themselves, I have a hard time feeling like a fit in. If this is the case, I don't know how anyone "NEW" can do it. Then I thought of it... It's not the members that cause people to stay... it's the gospel. The Love of God when you listen to the hymns, or sing. It's the spirit that dwells in the sacrament room as we search our scriptures for what the Lord wants us to learn, or do.
I'm not a convert... I was born into the gospel. I know some of our family members aren't quite converts either. Daniel's family is half and half as well. I see families, beautiful little boys, girls, with their parents and I think about the love that seems to bind them with thick invisible threads... then my heart fills with warmth.. until I remember that some of those threads will be easily broken, no bindings to go on after this life. I think of my own family.. so small just the two of us. Looking at Daniel, I feel immense hope and joy. I love that I'm sealed to him forever. I love that I will have children with him that we will always be able to keep.
I know that you may be reading this, and think that it may be false, that if God loves us he will keep us together. I know without a doubt... I can feel the truth behind God's promises. He promises that we can be together, if we follow the road to get there. He gives us these commandments for our good. I wish I had the power (motivation) whatever it must be called to follow the rules that I must so I can return home. Home, that sweet place, someday.
Thanks for listening to my soap box. They say a story (thought in my case) isn't a good one unless it gets wet in the writing.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Eternity seems forever away... but it's Almost here
Posted by LIS G at 6:51 PM
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5 comments:
novel, geez! Cool thoughts, But remember, each member is a convert. Each member must find for themselves the truthfulness of the gospel. It has been said that it is easier for a person raised in the tradition of the church to accept it's teachings as they age. I don't think that's true, but rather that each person accepts it at the right time in their lives, when they are ready, when their hearts are open to hear and to understand. I can't remember the reference, but I remember the song that I sang when I was living in Springville that was based on it, about how you must have ears to hear, and hearts that understand, feet that follow... in the path the Lord has set for you.
Most importantly, we all fall away to certain degrees throughout our lives. Maybe it's the day that we decide to stay home from church cause we just don't feel like it, or it's deciding to stop going all together for whatever reason. The point is that no matter what, the important part is the truth that we all know in our hearts, whether or not we choose to recognize and acknowledge what we know. As was said by Joseph Smith, teach them the right precepts and let them govern themselves. Why? Because we have free agency and because once we have been touched by the spirit of truth and been enlightened, it is extremely hard to deny it. Hence the reason why people who leave our church just can't leave it alone.
thanks. It's good to be reminded of the simple truths that mean more than we can understand right now.
Regarding converts, there was a talk on my mission at a zone conference where it was discussed how some members are 'jealous' because they grew up in the church and didn't get to have that conversion experience.
In the talk he made some very valid points to support the final point (no i don't remember the other points..just the final)
Everybody is a convert. It doesn't matter if your a member your whole life...at some point you have to really KNOW that this is what YOU want..not your family, friends, God...but YOU. He went further to state that life is a myriad of conversion processes as we learn and BELIEVE new truths.
Good talk...
Now...why would I say this...? Don't know...I'm weird that way.
you say that because you are going to be a prophet someday. Don't tell Laura-your wife-tho...she'll just laugh. haha
I like it when I have profound thoughts like that..it keeps you going and does that lamp-filling thing that we all need so much to get us through the road ahead. Eventually you will let other thoughts fill up your heart again and probably won't have such a strong testimony and then you will re-read this, listen to a talk, sing a song like Laura did and something will make you want to stand straighter again. There seems to be a "defining moment" in my life like that, kinda like Laura's song. Mine was a talk by an institute teacher. I wasn't doing well at the time, even tho I was never inactive, I was still living my life in a way as if I was inactive. Anyway, he was talking about what a great work the Lord has and how exciting it was to be part of the soldiers that will fight for good in this world. And then he paused and looked at all of us and continued to say, " but if some of you don't want to accept that fight, that's fine, you just won't get to be a part of the excitement and happiness as we join the Father in triumph in these last days." I don't know why but I come back to that thought again and again and it has shaped so much of what I do. I don't do what I do because I'm afraid of punishment or because I just want to be thought of as "good"..I do it because I WANT to be one of God's Army. Anyway...good post, missy.
oh and Im not a writer like you Lisbeth so I have to fix stuff that doesn't make sense later on.
First paragraph is addressed to Jon.
Second paragraph is addressed to You.
k. got it. good.
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