Thoughts from Dad- february 18, 2021

Hey Bud My thought tonight continues from the example of those early Saints of the restoration. Once they knew the Gospel was true they asked the Lord how they could help. Several sections say effectively the same thing - gather Isreal by preaching the Gospel. These were not perfect men and neither are we. However they were humble and asked the Lord what they could do. Today we know what he asks us to do - and that is to serve a mission. You have been called of him to be his representative. Reread DC 4 tonight or tomorrow and feel the power that comes from that section. I was part of the marvelous work and now you are part of it and the blessings that come with it. As verse 7 says, ask God and he will Grant it to you. I love you and am proud of you. On Wed, Feb 17, 2021 at 9:56 PM Michael Easton wrote: Hey Mc - Hope your night was better than the Nuggets. They lost 130-128 to the Wiz - ouch... I am really enjoying the Come Follow Me lessons this year from the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History. I enjoy remembering/learning more about the early history of the Church and I sometimes marvel at how much sacrifice was required of those early Saints. In many cases, they gave all that they had to support a fledgling church. Why did they do this? They did because of their belief in Jesus Christ. This is the same faith that can carry you through the lows (and highs) of your mission. Here is a scripture from a few weeks ago that I always really like: D&C 6: 36 aLook unto me in every bthought; cdoubt not, fear not. If you can remember this simple verse, even memorize it, I know it will bring you comfort. It doesn't mean you won't have challenges, but it is a simple assurance that God will be by your side. The Sunday School General President, Elder Mark Pace, said this in a BYU devotional in Oct 2019: Patterns of Faith My dear friends, examples of faith are not confined solely to the scriptures. Great faith was also demonstrated by Saints early in this dispensation. And it is clearly evident among our fellow Saints with whom we live day to day. Your lives are full of such faith and devotion. I wish I could talk to each of you and hear about the patterns of faith that have brought you to this point in your life. Even though that isn’t possible, you can rest assured that your Father in Heaven knows of your faith and is blessing you accordingly. Your life has been so full of faith and devotion. I am so proud of you for serving a mission today. Even more powerful though is his promise that your "Father in Heaven knows of your faith and is blessing you accordingly". You may feel a desire for more immediate blessings at times, but know that he is preparing you for an even greater purpose in the future. I love you. Make it a great day on Thursday. Love, Dad