It's the Basics that Count the Most

11 November 2017

Happy Veteran’s Day! I’m so grateful for those who have and do serve to protect our country. Neither my father, nor either of my grandfathers served in the military, but I have two brothers, a husband and a son who have served in the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. One of my brothers was in Germany when the wall was erected in 1961 and the other earned a purple heart in Vietnam. My prayers go out to all our servicemen and women.

This week, President Fenn shared a story with us about a time when he and his wife had a near-miss run in with an alligator in South Carolina. (Did you know that the average length of an adult alligator in the U.S. is 14 feet?) It reminded me of a talk Elder Boyd K Packer gave more than 20 years ago about spiritual crocodiles. There are so many spiritual dangers we cannot see – we must be constantly on our guard. Our only safeguards are scripture study, prayer, obedience, and a heart turned to Christ. It is sticking to the basics that matters most.

Also. in another talk Elder Packer gave several years ago, I remember him saying that we will not survive spiritually unless we know how to receive personal revelation.

I have begun taking some classes at the Family History Library that I hope will make me a better researcher. There are a series of 17 lessons that are provided for all the missionaries who serve in the Family History Library – to help them know more about how to use the FHL collections so they can help patrons with their searches. They have opened those classes up to any missionary here, not just those serving in the library, so I’ve begun working on them. After the initial, introductory class, all the lessons are on-line. Then, once you’ve completed a lesson, you schedule an appointment with someone on the library staff to review what you’ve learned. I’m learning lots of good things!

Whatever struggles you may have, whatever doubts may trouble you, hold fast to the Savior, and he will bring you through. 100% of the time. We seldom know how things will turn out, but they will all work out for our good if we put our trust in Him. I know this to be true.