First Post of the New Year

6 January 2018

The New Year is off to a good start. I had a wonderful visit with family and friends in North Carolina – and especially loved getting to snuggle with Susy and Todd’s new little one, Jack Sterling Estes. Isn’t he the cutest?

It’s good to be back in the mission, though. We’ll get to see everyone in NC again in only 7 more months.

We were all saddened to learn of President Monson’s passing and we hope to attend the funeral next week.

Bob had arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus yesterday to prepare his knee for stem cell treatments. Hopefully, he’ll be a lot more mobile and without the chronic knee pain before too long.

I want to share a wonderful spiritual thought with you that one of our missionaries, Elder William Pace, gave this week. He said:

“As we begin another New Year we look back to the past, we look forward to the future, and we may be inclined to include in our prayers to Father in Heaven, "What lack I yet?" "How can I become better?" And as we try to take stock of and analyze our lives, I love this thought from Nikki Yaste, known as the LDS Woman at the Well, an abused, former addict, exotic dancer, and now a convert to the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "What I've learned (about change) is to be patient with myself and to realize that God loves me right where I'm at, but He also loves me enough not to leave me there. He wants me to change. We have a Heavenly Father who has a compassionate embrace, one whose arms are extended in mercy. And when I realized that I am loved right where I'm at and that acceptance washed over me, I could be more patient with myself." She could probably add …and it gave me a greater desire to do better.

Many years ago, Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of Twelve, said: "Our Father in Heaven is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of His servants [His children], and the everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend."

In the nineteenth century, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in its fullness, was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. During that same time period, over in Scotland, we learn of a minister of a large Protestant church by the name of George McDonald. The God that he taught was so merciful, loving and kind, that his congregation, in effect, fired him — or at least cut his pay in half — because he didn't preach enough Hell, fire & damnation to put fear into the people to repent — or so they thought.

Listen to his teaching about our coming to God, unworthy as we might be at times: "When we are least worthy, most tempted, hardest, unkindest, let us yet commend our spirits & [hearts] into his hands. [Where] else dare we send them? How an earthly father would love a child who would creep into his room with angry, troubled face, and sit down at his feet, saying when asked what he wanted: "I feel so naughty, papa, and I want to get good!" Would he say to the child, "How dare you! Go away, and be good, and then come to me?" And shall we dare to think God would send us away if we came thus; and would He not be pleased that we came...?" Why would we not think our Heavenly Father to be even more welcoming, compassionate, and wanting to help His child than, as a parent, we would be?

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is taught in ancient and modern scripture, and by our living Apostles and Prophets. Jesus Christ teaches me that I am a person of worth, valued for who I am, but more importantly that I can become better this coming year than I was last. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

I echo Elder Pace’s thoughts! May we all “try a little harder to be a little better” as President Hinckley used to say.