Well while thinking about the General Conference this past week and how the themes were how we should be as well as love for others, i came across 2 Nephi 2 which is an account of what Lehi says to his son Jacob. He talks about how there is opposition in all things. We need to experience the bad to be able to realize the good. I started thinking about how that has been applied in my life and what the mission does for me to help me grow. One of the things that I realized that the opposition and pain of being away from my family has really helped me realize the importance of the family and the joy that comes from being near to the ones that are important. Dont think that i am getting “trunky” or am sad....on the contrary i absolutly love being in the mission. It has really helped me get a view on what is important in life. Through this opposition though that i am experiencing though I hope that all of you take advantage of the blessing of having family nearby.To my family, I want to say that I love you; each one of you. I am so grateful for the support that you are to me everyday of my mission. I know that there are prayers being asked to help me in my mission, but know that there are prayers for all of you everyday as well. I dont think I would be here without the constant guidance of my parents and immediate family. I am eternally grateful for their example and the love that they have showed to me in the past in their prescence and also including the love I feel so far away. I just wanted to say thank you for all you have done for me during this past year that i have spent here in Chile as well as for my entire mission. Thank you for your love, letters, prayers, and of course the pictures.
I know that The Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-Day Saints is true and that we have a prophet of God here on the earth today, whose name is Thomas S. Monson; what a blessing it is for us. I know that he is called and chosen to help us in our lives. He as well as his counselors and the twelve apostles receive the revelation to help us be successful in our lives in both spiritual and temporal matters. All we need to do is listen and obey and we will be blessed. I have seen the truthfulness of that in my life and even more here serving among the Chilean people. I love this work and love seeing the changes the gospel makes in peoples’ lives. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith, who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We will all be better off in live by abiding by its precepts.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
