I wish I would have gotten a picture. What I saw was something that could only be expressed through a picture so we all could have seen it. There are pictures of what I saw but they are paintings and just aren't the same. Elder Mortenson and I were driving by some frog ponds in Lewistown Montana and I looked over to them and saw what I wanted a picture. It was a small family, 2 kids and a father. The two little kids were sitting on the park bench waiting for their dad to cast their line for them to fish. I watched as the Father cast and I saw the line hit the water, as we continued to drive I could see all the ripples in the water spread out over the entire pond. Some people might think that is pretty weird to want a picture of or think I'm just a big softy (which I'm not), but it was literally picture perfect. As I saw this unfold I thought of the classic ripple theory, how such a small thing can impact such a large area. For example LeBron James moving from Cleveland to go play with D-Wade and Bosh in Miami, look at that ripple affect. Sure it was a huge thing in the NBA but the national coverage and the things around that happend because of that reach far beyond the NBA. People were saying that Clevelands economy was going to drop like a rock because a basketball player left their town. That was the example that popped into my head and I'm sorry if you don't agree.
The next thing I thought of was the Plan of Salvation. Here I was looking and a father and his two children and I said to myself "I wonder if he knows he will be with them forever?" Because through the Saviors love for us and his fathers love for us it is possible that we can live with the ones we love forever. As a missionary you think of those kind of things, in that perfect moment I wondered if he knew that it could be like that forever. I know that one day he will get the opportunity to hear of the great plan, it might not be in this life but if not then it will for sure be in the next. It is my testimony that we can live with our families forever through the Plan of Salvation. I know that those loved ones that have passed on are there waiting for us to come and it will be a glorious day when it comes to be reunited with those we love.
I am so grateful for your testimony that strengthens mine! Just this week I went with the missionaries here to teach a family that they can be together forever. To hear their belief that in the next life they will know each other but have no connection was so sad. Add to that the fact that the father actually said if his 1 year old son didn't choose to accept Christ as his Savior he would go to hell was heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how you could believe that a loving Heavenly Father would encourage you to form families in this life only to take them from you in the next. I am so grateful for the fulness of the gospel and for the confirmation that these things are true. Thanks again for your testimony and example - we love you!!!
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts, Elder:) I know, could you even imagine what it would be like if we didn't know we could be together forever? How depressing if that wasn't a person's belief. There's a ripple effect in everything anyone does, whether we know it or not. It might be a small, it might impact others forever:) You guys are impacting others for generations to come. How cool is that?!
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