Monday, June 11, 2012

Hey hey hey!


How's all yall doin? Just FYI: It has become part of my everyday vocabulary to use yall, all yall, and other Southern terms in my every day speech, so don't be surprised when you see those in my letters. :) Again, another great report that the work is going good here in this part of the vineyard. We have a couple new investigators and they're great! For one of them, there is a lot of service to be done in and around his house so we stay pretty busy. I think my fear of spiders in going away because I'm used to finding them crawl up my leg and arms every time I move something outside and now I don't flinch. Of course, they've only been the size of a pea but...anyway. Things are going great here.

Mama holding baby "Elder Smith"
His father going through his "Ensign"


So, guess what! You're a child of God. LITERALLY! Isn't that cool? Seriously, stop for a second and think, "He is literally my Dad. I'm literally His kid in the very sense of the word. We're one big family!" Yeah...pretty cool.

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device." (Acts 17:29) When you think of God do you think of Him as some distant being who plopped us here on earth and said, "Have fun"? Or do you think yourself as the child of a Supreme Parent, who, out of care and love for us, gives us the opportunity to become like Him? In an effort to teach us, prepare us and remind us of our roots and the grand scheme of things, He's given us something to represent, however imperfect it may seem, what His role is, and our relationship with Him. He's given us an earthly Dad. Someone who, like Heavenly Father, raises us, loves us, corrects us, and protects us all in an effort to provide us with happiness in our life. True, not everyone who takes upon themselves the responsibility of Fatherhood live up to their duty and some even throw such responsibility away. They will stand accountable before their Great Patriarch for the choices they made, but that does not diminish the fact the family is the eternal unit of Heaven and that a loving father stands as our guide back to Him. Let me declare here and now, not in a spirit of boasting or arrogance, but of that of gratitude and respect, that I have been blessed to have a great example of Fatherhood in my life. Who I am and the choices I make have been influenced greatly by what things I have observed and learned from my father.

"My father, your father, God the Father
Will always be there to take care of our bothers
1 mistake, 2 mistakes, 3 mistakes, 4
Your father will be there forevermore.

Our enemies, his enemies, they are one in the same
He is there to protect us from their dangerous games
He is there to love us when we are injured in fun
And to make the injurers feel shameful & run.

Fathers are special they are one of a kind
Even if it seems they don't have your things in mind.
I can tell you now that I love my father dearly
Especially since I know I'm in his prayers so there is no need for fearing." - Poet: Connor Fletcher

Elder Smith - Right after receiving mission call
with his "excited" parents...


I love you Dad.

Elder Smith

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