Sunday Thoughts

Happy Sunday! My kids are tucked in and going to sleep. It's so nice and quiet right now. I love the peace that comes at bed time. I always seam to reflect and become more sentimental at night, and tonight, maybe because it's Sunday, I thought that I would share something very special to me, with you.

My brother in law is currently serving in the Ogdon Utah mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His Mom (my MIL) is keeping a blog up to date with all his latest letters and pictures. If you get a chance go here and check it out.

It is so amazing to see how a young 19 year old boy grows and matures during the course of a mission. He has only been out for a few weeks and already we see such an amazing transformation occurring through his letters from a young goofy kid to a more thoughtful, self confident, but still fun man.

I don't use my blog very often to share my beliefs, mainly because I don't want to invite people to weigh in their opinion on something that I hold very sacred and dear to me. But I do want to let my readers know how much I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The people in the church are some of the most sweet, honest, caring, good people I've ever met. Having now lived in 5 different wards (the LDS term for congregations) I've seen how though the people and personalities in each are different, the spirit and the church is the same. I've found a ward family everywhere I've lived. It would be so scary moving to a state on the other side of the country from my family if I didn't know that I would have support from the church over there. I've always found such amazing new friends everywhere I go.

Beyond the people there is the gospel it's self. I've always been a bit of an analytical thinker. I love to dissect ideas and situations and try to find the root lesson or reason for things. During my teenage years I had many questions. Having been born and raised in the LDS church I didn't know much of other things. I questioned many things, like, did Joesph Smith really see God the Father and Jesus Christ in that grove of trees. After considering the many aspects of my religion I concluded that our church was primarily based off of that core belief. If that was true, then the church is too. But how can you know for sure?

The summer of 1999 my Mom and Dad decided to take their family on a very ambitious vacation. I had just graduated from high school and they knew that we wouldn't have many, if any family vacations together anymore. They decided to take us on a 3 week road trip. We drove from Arizona to New York and back, stopping at pretty much every church historical site along the way. We drove through the night taking turns driving while we all slept in the car. Tyanna my sister almost killed us one crazy night... he he he... sorry Ty, had to throw that in there. :-) Anyway... we also went to Niagara Falls, New York City, Washington DC, Gettysburg, and Philadelphia along with the countless LDS sites.

After visiting places like Winter Quarters, Hauns Mill, Independence Missouri, the Liberty Jail Nauvoo, and Carthage Jail, where Joseph Smith was martyred, I was starting to gain a whole new respect for the early LDS pioneers, then we stopped at Kirtland Ohio. This was one of the first gathering places for the early pioneers. My own Great Great... I'm not sure how many "great's" he was, but I'm sure he was great, grandparents joined the church. We visited the temple there and a place called the Newel K. Whitney store. It seamed like just another stop on our trip, a regular old store to tour. Then they took us all upstairs to a place where the prophet used to teach the early leaders of the church. While we sat in those little log benches the sweet young missionary girl began to teach us a little bit about that room they called, "The school of the prophets". While she was reading some of the testimonies from the men that "went to school" there, some thing amazing and unexpected happened to me. I felt such a surge of warmth overcome me. The words she spoke filled me up and somehow all my doubts and confusion that I was experiencing at that time completely disappeared. I knew without a doubt that the testimonies they spoke were true. The spirit confirmed to me that what they said was true.

I walked outside with my family, and as I looked up at the window of that room I began to sob uncontrollably. The Lord had answered my prayers in that little room with such a strong answer that I've never forgotten or doubted it sense.

As we continued on our trip and visit "The Sacred Grove" where Joseph Smith's first vision took place I felt that same peace come over me. It wasn't as over whelming, probably because now I knew it was already true, but the sweet quiet peace that I felt was enough to reaffirm to me that the Savior Jesus Christ and God our Father really did appear to Joseph there, and that they did call him to be a prophet to organize Christ's church on the earth again. We do have a living prophet on the earth today. It's such an amazing thing to hear and believe, but he is a true prophet of God and he does give us guidance and direction from above that will help us make good choices, be prepared for things that are to come, and raise loving happy families. You can find out more about our church by clicking here, or e-mail me and I'll be so happy to answer any questions that you have... I know I had plenty, so you should to!

I'm grateful for missionaries. All three of my older siblings served two year missions. One in Washington, one in Brazil, and the other in Florida, and now my youngest brother is currently serving in Lima Peru. My sweet husband served in Tennessee. My Dad in Germany, My Father in law served in Sweden. Why would these young 19 year old boys, and 21 year old girls drop everything to serve a mission? Because they know how much the gospel has blessed their lifes, and how much happiness comes from knowing that we are all God's children. We lived before we came here. He knows us all individually. He has a plan for all of us. And we can live with our family for not just "'till death do you part", but for eternity.

I'm grateful for that sweet girl in Kirtland who served a mission. Someday Nate and I are going to serve a mission together when we are old and gray, and our kids are all out of the house, but until then, I'm trying to be a good example to those around me, and teach my children. I pray that they will read their scriptures, and pray, and have their own prayers answered so they can have their own testimonies of the gospel. Nothing has brought me more happiness in my life than the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves me, even with all my imperfections. I love Him, and am trying to live my life so I can return to live with Him someday.

I hope you all have a sweet Sunday.