Hi!
Seriously, I don't even know what to say ...I feel like
yesterday was my Pday. The weeks are flyinggg.
This week though I feel like
I've learned a lot about covenants and the beauty of temple marriages. Mom,
thank you so much for sending me that quote about judgement and how we will be
judged based on who we've become.
I stumbled across the talk where
you took the quote from and realized I've read it before! The talk is "The
Challenge to Become" by Dallin H. Oaks, right?
I love his quote that says,
"In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something."
I really started thinking
about how making covenants like baptism, the temple endowment and being sealed
enable you to become who God intends for you to become.
I think sometimes it's
easy to think that once you've made your covenants that you've done what you
needed to do and all will be well when you die and return to live with God.
As
I was thinking more about the promises I've made with God in the temple, I
realized how it's not the promise you make with God that saves you, but it's
who Christ helps you become through keeping your covenants that will enable to
you to live with God, and one day receive all that he has.
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| Sister Sydney Wilkinson of Wenatchee on Temple Square. Go Sister W! |
It's so beautiful
how the temple is really like the road map for eternity. As you go and
make promises with God, through the enabling power of Christ, you can walk
through life and progress and become the person you were created to be. And you achieve your purpose and potential on earth. This talk just really put into
perspective the reason behind our covenants and how much strength they can give
us.
I have also, my whole mission, struggled to explain to
guests why sealings aren't open for everyone to see.
Because people always feel
so offended and sad and it always breaks my heart because it's not some
exclusive temple club like people make it out to be - it's the house of God
and requires preparation to go inside.
After I read this talk, it finally
clicked. Before a couple is sealed, they go through the temple by themselves
and make these individual covenants with God that will enable them to stay on
the path that leads to eternal life.
But when a couple is sealed, they are
able to make these covenants together and promise God that they will help each
other, with the power and strength of Christ, to get back to Him. It's the most
beautiful thing in the whole world.
So, now I finally figured out how to help
people understand that it's the sacredness of the couple making covenants that
makes it so only those who have also made those same covenants are able to go
inside.
In summary, I LOVE the temple.
It's amazing and the peace you feel even
just walking around the grounds is indescribable.
I'm trying to think of the miracles we've had this week.
They've all been really small but one of the sweetest ones was yesterday we
were able to take a couple on a tour who initially said to us when we started
the tour, "We're really just interested in the architecture and
history."
So of course we started the tour explaining the history and then
casually threw in some gospel principles and they really started opening up.
We
started talking about the Book of Mormon and why we read it and how it
strengthens our faith in Christ. I don't usually like to share my super
personal experiences with reading the Book of Mormon but I just explained to
them how one of the biggest questions I've had answered through reading is
"why do bad things happen to good people."
I just mentioned how
the Book of Mormon truly can answer questions that are in our soul. When we
said that it was like a switch flipped and they started telling us all about
their life and trials and struggles. We were able to promise them that
they could find peace in Christ and in reading His word.
The tour ended up
being like an hour and half but I'm just so grateful that God knows what each
one of His children need (even when we have no idea what to say) and that He's
able to use us as tools in His hands. I love Temple Square. I love being a
missionary and I can't believe how fast this transfer is going.
Love you with all my heart and soul!
The pictures below of at my last day of announcing on the Square:
Carly! It is such a joy to read your thoughts while serving the Lord. I was just discussing the act of becoming with a friend today. We talked about having an advancing personality. It is part of something deep inside us to progress, to want more and to be more. I know we will find the most joy when we are in harmony with Christ and our best self -or as you said the person we are created to be. We achieve our purpose and potential on earth only by aligning ourselves with Christ. Some will make fun of you upon return or say "just wait.You'll go back to who we remember..." I spoke with a returned sister at the temple (valentine's weekend-great place to be!) and she said her old friends and some of her family said, "You still have your 'missionary googles' on, you'll take them off one day and go back to normal." She told me that she said to them, "I do not intend to take these so called goggles off. I have found a better way to live, and have become a better person, I intend to continue the progression forever!" You go girl!!!! I wish and hope that for every missionary returning. Create a habit of an advancing personality. Take on the qualities of Jesus Christ who is the best example of following all of the Laws of Success and staying true to every commandment. You are beautiful inside and out. Do not forget your great worth as you return in a few weeks! :D <3 <3 <3
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