Dearest Family -
I can’t express how much I love you and miss you. I feel like I have the best family in the world. Dad, I hope you had a great Father’s Day last week and Mom, I hope you had a great birthday. I had forgotten it was your birthday until the 15th of June. I showed the picture of our family to someone and they said, 'Wow! Your parents are so young! How old are they?' It was then that I realized, ‘Wow! It is already June, and it is almost the 18th.’ I love you guys. I love showing the picture of our family. Wow I love Grandma and Grandma and Grandpa. I was actually thinking about Grandpa Kay yesterday because I thought of my 10th grade health teacher, Ann Johnson. Grandpa, or maybe Grandpa Morgan, baptized either her or her parents - I can’t remember. I love my brothers and sister.
We had a conference last Thursday, the last one with president Chavez. I will miss him, but that’s ok. It just kind of stinks I’ll probably never see him again. I’m excited for the new President. At lunch on Thursday we all went up and shook their hands and gave them hugs. We hugged Hermana Chavez. So many people thought that was so weird, but it didn’t bug me at all. I love those two.
Oh yea, I forgot to tell you I’m a district leader now.
I have learned and grown a lot in these last two weeks. I have learned a lot about learning and teaching line upon line, precept on precept. I have learned a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have learned a lot about the plan our Heavenly Father has prepared for us.
I love learning and studying. I really need the Word of God.
Our Heavenly Father loves us more than we understand. I remember you always telling me that I don’t understand what you two feel for me, and I won’t until I am a parent and become what you already are. I believe you 100%. I also imagine that we won’t comprehend His love until we become as He is. I love the scripture in Mosiah 4:9 that says we don’t comprehend what He does. He does understand. For that, we have to follow Him. His plan is that we follow His Son. It is the only intelligent thing to do. Any other form, any other way, is madness. The other day I was reading my notes from the MTC and they provoked a thought I had when I was there. It’s something that you have thought about before, but it’s always good to think it again....
If what we say is true really is true, then we must dedicate our entire life to this work. We must obsess over it. If God really is our Father, If Jesus of Nazareth really is the Savior and Redeemer of this world, if Joseph Smith really was called by God to restore the fullness of His Gospel, if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really is the True Church, the only intelligent thing to do would be obsess with advancing His work. We would need to dedicate our lives to it. Dedicate our lives to follow his plan....
Here is the kicker....
It Is True.
There is a God in the heavens. He is the Father of our spirits. The boy from Nazareth named Jesus really is our Savior. I still don’t know how He is, but I know He is. Because of that, we owe Him everything. We owe Him our lives. As we know, and as the prophets have taught us, He hasn’t asked us to give our life for Him by dying, He has asked us to give our life to Him by living.
I have gained a new love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. He really is our Master. He really lives. This really is His church.
Love,
Elder Pitcher
