This week was pretty cool. We have had lots of opportunities to minister and visit people this Christmas season! I loved President Nelson's Christmas message it was a powerful witness to me of what discipleship really looks like. If you haven't had the chance to watch, it I encourage you to do so. One of the people we got to visit was our friend Jimmy. Jimmy has had a rough go at the end of his life, he's lost a leg and his toes on his other foot, he has dialysis 3 times a week for something else I can't remember and one of his vocal chords is not working, so he can barely croak out a few words. But Jimmy is a wonderful example of the "all is well" principle. This is derived from one of my favorite hymns, Come Come Ye Saints. It says, "And should we die before our journey's through, Happy day! All is well!" The whole song is about how even though the saints are starving and freezing to death, it doesn't matter. The all is well principle can only be practiced because of the Plan of Salvation, which reveals that death has been conquered! That the Savior has overcome it and therefore it has no sting. We will all be resurrected and receive a kingdom of glory according to how we exercised our agency. These saints were able to have happy days because they realized that if they died being faithful and pursuing Zion, they would have nothing to fear from the other obstacle that keeps us from God-- spiritual death-- which is sin. They knew that what they were doing was right. There is an immense peace that comes from doing what is right-- especially when no one is around. It's how we develop a very powerful character trait called integrity. Jimmy has been in the hospital for 8 years. No one has been there longer than him and no one else is happy like him, he says. It's very difficult to feel peace or happiness when you are not certain of your salvation. This is the ultimate question of mortality! One that weighed so heavily on a 14 year old's mind that it prompted him to ask God which church he should join. In answer, God revealed that his church needed to be restored once again. How grateful I am for this knowledge. One of the special talents that I didn't realize I had until the mission is that I sleep like a stone. As soon as I'm out, I'm out until my alarm goes off. I think I developed this talent because I am not anxious for the welfare of my soul. I know I'm exactly where I need to be. I know that God loves his children, and he will never give up on them. It grieves him to lose even one tree in the vineyard or one lost sheep. He was willing to sacrifice His son so we might have a chance at redemption, a chance to become like Him. Merry Christmas! I love you guys!
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