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| A group of friends and I were blessed to attend our friend's sealing. |
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend one of my friends homecomings, but also sung in her ward's Sacrament meeting with 3 other RM's/old friends. It was a huge blessing to be invited to attend this ward. Heavenly Father knew I needed to go to this ward, and sit EXACTLY where I was sitting in church. The funny thing was... I went to this ward last week as well to support a different friend with her homecoming.
Ok rewind to when I was a junior in high school... That's almost 6 years ago. I was working at a tutoring place. When I was there I got to know this sweet girl named A. She wore some pretty immodest clothes and kept pushing it trying to look older than I think she was. Needless to say you would be worried about who she would be in high school and beyond just by looking at her. I think she was in elementary school when I was tutoring her (like 5-6th grade). Well I finished working at the tutoring place after high school and then went to Girl's Camp as a stake leader that summer. When I was there, there was A (the girl I was tutoring). I talked to her and it was awesome, a friend invited her to come! She loved it! Ok, fast forward to YESTERDAY! I am sitting with my friends and in walks A!!! I freaked out inside! I asked one of the girls who had recently graduated from young women's what her name was (honestly I had forgotten her name, but I knew who she was). She said A and I was like uh I know her, and I asked if she knew if A had gotten baptized... she didn't know. Then my friend asked another young women if she had gotten baptized. Well, she didn't know either. Meanwhile A is sitting 2 pews in front of me... but sacrament meeting had started so I had to wait to talk to her! Right after sacrament meeting I quickly went over to talk to her. I asked if she remembered me and she totally did! Ok, that's awesome!! Then I went on to ask her if she had been baptized, SHE SAID YES!!! What?! SO COOL!!! I freaked out when I told my friend (you all know how I freak out with miracles)! IT WAS THE BEST THING!!! I was just so excited!!! It was just awesome! Now she is a sophomore in high school and she looked so good, so happy! I don't think any members of her family are members since she was sitting with her fellow-shippers, and she walked in by herself. She looked just so much better, it was cool to see in those short moments how much the gospel really does change people's lives! I am so grateful for the gospel and I know that it is true! Moral of the story: You NEVER know what could happen. Because of examples of people all around her, and members INVITING her to go to girls camp and church, she is now a member. You NEVER know who will accept the Savior's teachings in their lives. You might NEVER know if your impact made a difference. You might NEVER know, but Heavenly Father ALWAYS knows! The gospel brings such joy and happiness! You NEVER know how much the gospel will impact your life. We will probably NEVER know how much the Atonement plays in our lives. You NEVER know what the next miracle is. You NEVER know how much those around you are touched by you. Through the Atonement we are changed, through Christ we are changed. Our missions don't change us, but the things we learn on our missions, the Atonement is what changes us.
In Relief Society one of the teachers asked us about some of the similarities between the Atonement and the Birth of Christ were. OK SO COOL! I was totally taking notes because I hadn't thought about it before. There are a lot, and I want to study that more this week! Some similarities: light (increasing and decreasing), angels, kings wanted him dead, people searched for Him, His mother was there, the stable and Garden of Gethsemane were both removed from crowded places, veil (Jesus passed through the veil to come to earth, and when He was crucified the temple veil was rent)... I love learning more about our Savior and His Atonement! I know that He is ALWAYS there for you and that He loves you!
Love,
Kel Smith
(I totally just wrote Sister... and had to delete it, SAD DAY!)
Oh I went to my first live sealing this weekend, COOLEST THING EVER!! That really is our whole focus, to help people get to the temple, and specifically to be sealed in the temple! It was awesome!
Oh my goodness I almost forgot! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope that you enjoy your day and this week especially! I think back to last year and Christmas was such a special time of year to serve! People are so much happier this time of year because this is the one time of the year when many religions all over the world are united because of Jesus Christ. I know He really is my Savior and my Comforter.
Ok rewind to when I was a junior in high school... That's almost 6 years ago. I was working at a tutoring place. When I was there I got to know this sweet girl named A. She wore some pretty immodest clothes and kept pushing it trying to look older than I think she was. Needless to say you would be worried about who she would be in high school and beyond just by looking at her. I think she was in elementary school when I was tutoring her (like 5-6th grade). Well I finished working at the tutoring place after high school and then went to Girl's Camp as a stake leader that summer. When I was there, there was A (the girl I was tutoring). I talked to her and it was awesome, a friend invited her to come! She loved it! Ok, fast forward to YESTERDAY! I am sitting with my friends and in walks A!!! I freaked out inside! I asked one of the girls who had recently graduated from young women's what her name was (honestly I had forgotten her name, but I knew who she was). She said A and I was like uh I know her, and I asked if she knew if A had gotten baptized... she didn't know. Then my friend asked another young women if she had gotten baptized. Well, she didn't know either. Meanwhile A is sitting 2 pews in front of me... but sacrament meeting had started so I had to wait to talk to her! Right after sacrament meeting I quickly went over to talk to her. I asked if she remembered me and she totally did! Ok, that's awesome!! Then I went on to ask her if she had been baptized, SHE SAID YES!!! What?! SO COOL!!! I freaked out when I told my friend (you all know how I freak out with miracles)! IT WAS THE BEST THING!!! I was just so excited!!! It was just awesome! Now she is a sophomore in high school and she looked so good, so happy! I don't think any members of her family are members since she was sitting with her fellow-shippers, and she walked in by herself. She looked just so much better, it was cool to see in those short moments how much the gospel really does change people's lives! I am so grateful for the gospel and I know that it is true! Moral of the story: You NEVER know what could happen. Because of examples of people all around her, and members INVITING her to go to girls camp and church, she is now a member. You NEVER know who will accept the Savior's teachings in their lives. You might NEVER know if your impact made a difference. You might NEVER know, but Heavenly Father ALWAYS knows! The gospel brings such joy and happiness! You NEVER know how much the gospel will impact your life. We will probably NEVER know how much the Atonement plays in our lives. You NEVER know what the next miracle is. You NEVER know how much those around you are touched by you. Through the Atonement we are changed, through Christ we are changed. Our missions don't change us, but the things we learn on our missions, the Atonement is what changes us.
In Relief Society one of the teachers asked us about some of the similarities between the Atonement and the Birth of Christ were. OK SO COOL! I was totally taking notes because I hadn't thought about it before. There are a lot, and I want to study that more this week! Some similarities: light (increasing and decreasing), angels, kings wanted him dead, people searched for Him, His mother was there, the stable and Garden of Gethsemane were both removed from crowded places, veil (Jesus passed through the veil to come to earth, and when He was crucified the temple veil was rent)... I love learning more about our Savior and His Atonement! I know that He is ALWAYS there for you and that He loves you!
Love,
Kel Smith
(I totally just wrote Sister... and had to delete it, SAD DAY!)
Oh I went to my first live sealing this weekend, COOLEST THING EVER!! That really is our whole focus, to help people get to the temple, and specifically to be sealed in the temple! It was awesome!
Oh my goodness I almost forgot! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope that you enjoy your day and this week especially! I think back to last year and Christmas was such a special time of year to serve! People are so much happier this time of year because this is the one time of the year when many religions all over the world are united because of Jesus Christ. I know He really is my Savior and my Comforter.
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| The beautiful Oakland California Temple. |
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