My heart goes out with love to all of those who wrote me this week. I wish over and over again that I could truly convey to you the gratitude and love that I have for each one of you. My sincerest prayers go out to Allen and his family. I know that God loves Carrie and each of her children and her husband. I know that she is still near. The veil is much closer than we think and the angels are around us. "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88). I know that in the midst of our greatest afflictions, the Savior is closer than ever before. He loves us personally and individually.
Thank you so much for your emails. This doesn't often happen, but as I was reading through them the Spirit was so powerful it brought me to tears. It is strange to think of being home, because I know that I am where I am supposed to be. I know that God is watching over you. I feel like I have lived this life forever. You all are the same people I loved before, but your growth and the power of your Spirits are changing.
How does obedience bring immediate blessings?
"One way that you are immediately blessed is that you are changed, and change may be the greatest blessing of all. You are the sum total of all that you have thought, done, said, seen, heard and felt in this life and before. You change immediately with each good thought, each good act, every good word changes you for the better. When you willingly obey the principles of the gospel, you are changed by the Spirit of God to become incrementally more like Him. The degree of change with each small act of obedience may be small, but it is real and immediate. The full, cumulative and perfect realizations of this process of change or sanctification happens only over time, but make no mistake that you are always changing, and that the effects of your obedience are immediate, whether for better or for worse, depending upon the voice you chose to follow."
Heavenly Father is blessing our family for their willingness to follow the example of our Savior and live the covenants they have made. And therefore, you are changing. Keep it up.
This week was one of miracles. It went so quickly that I hardly remember it... We had set a goal of talking to 35 new contacts this week. By Saturday evening, we needed 14 more contacts to reach our goal. With full faith and trust, we set the goal then made plans to accomplish it. We figured the only way it would happen was if we knocked doors on Sunday evening. The Lord kept placing people right in our path. Not only that, he did it in groups. Instead of talking to one person, we would walk into a room of 5 people. By 8:30 we only needed 4 more contacts. We were on our bikes. We started heading back home with the intention of talking to anyone we passed as we went. We biked past a man who was walking across the street. We passed the opportunity. There was a car waiting at the light with their window down with two people in it.... We biked past.... We were pretty ashamed of ourselves for passing up these opportunities so we decided that we would not pass anyone else up. We talked to a man we saw walking his dog. We biked home and made it at exactly 9pm. An incredible realization struck me. The Lord had placed exactly 14 people in our path that day and had we been more in tune and more courageous, we would have accomplished our goal. Needless to say, we were very excited to come back home with 32 total contacts for the week. What a miracle!
What opportunities do we pass up because of fear? How often do we let this fear overcome our faith? The Lord trusts that if we ask for something, that we will be willing to take the opportunities that are placed in front of us. He WANTS to bless us! And He wants us to have all the happiness we desire. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:7).
"This may be one of the Savior's commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-Day Saints, almost universally disobeyed, and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord's merciful heart... I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when He finds that His people do not feel confident in His care or secure in His hands" (Elder Jeffery R. Holland).
My dear family and friends, the wisest thing we can do is trust in our Savior. Give our will to God. Let Him be in control and know that with each step we take to follow Him the promised blessings of peace and happiness are ours for the taking.
Thank you again for your emails. Thank you for your diligence, your prayers, your love and your faith. I love you deeply and sincerely.
Mom and Dad, I love you so much. Thank you for the time and effort you put into the emails you send. Thank you for teaching me that I am a daughter of God. Thank you for loving the Savior and the gospel in the way you do. I love you so much!! Have a blessed week. I look forward to the blessings of the next emails.
Love you always!!
Sister Alicia Johnson
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