Shaking Hands with Apostles

Hello everyone!

I hope everything is going well with yall! Things are going great over here. This past weekend has been FANTASTIC! So, we had a special Mission Conference last Saturday where all 200+ missionaries in the Virginia Richmond Mission met together to hear....Elder Russell M. Nelson speak. Also with him was Elder Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy. It was AWESOME! Words cannot describe how great it was. I was able to walk up and shake their hands as well. Prophets and Apostles? Yup, they definitely exist. The next day, the Chesapeake Virginia Stake (the stake where I reside) had a special Stake Conference where...Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke. I got to hear him speak twice! Very exciting weekend. When he got up to speak on Sunday he had all the primary children stand up and sing "I Am A Child of God". You can imagine what it was like to be in the audience surrounded by a ton of little voices singing with Elder Nelson. This weekend...wow...I've been blessed.

There is one thing in everyone's lives that is taken for granted. One of the greatest blessings that our Father in Heaven has provided us with and we hardly take time to appreciate this great, fantastic, amazing gift. We have this gift from the very beginning that we're born. We grow up with this gift, we learn from this gift, we are comforted by this gift, we are given the best care from this gift. What is this most amazing creation that we take for granted? Surely if it's that amazing we wouldn't be so neglectful of it. Sadly, we are. We are reminded of this gift in the book of Alma,
"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."

This life is hardly ever easy. Yet, our mothers go out of their way, far from their areas of comfort and ease to give US, their children, a break from a relatively easy trial. I don't need to preach on this matter. You all know what you need to do. Thank your mothers as often as you possibly can for everything they have done. You have NO clue, heck *I* have barely scratched the surface on everything my mother has done for me.

Mom: I love you. I thank you for all that you have done. You mean more to me than you know. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living your baby I'll be.

Everyone: Step up and appreciate this most precious gift that each and every one of you have.