Dear Family,
Happy Mother's Day Mom, and Happy Birthday Jeffrey! I hope that both days were memorable. I love you. This week has been really hard but I am still working through it and trying to build our confidence in the way the Lord works. I find that my being shy is really not helping me at this point and I don't think it ever will in my life. I want to push my self and move forward but I feel that I am being held back. Dad and Mom I know that because I am your son you can receive revelation for me to know what to tell me. I ask for assistance. I can promise you that as you pray and listen to the Spirit, though I cannot tell you my whole situation, the Lord can and will guide you. I know this because I have had the blessed opportunity of receiving revelation for certain members of my district as their district leader. Please don't think that anything you are told to tell me is too hard. I only ask for assistance and know that as my parents you have that sacred ability to receive revelation for me. I love you both very much and pray for you all the time. Well I heard that everyone likes the personalized letters and so I will do my best to keep them going. I don't know how much time I have so I might have to quickly end at any point.
First, Rebecca I heard from mom and dad that you are doing better. I love you so much and am so grateful to be your older brother but you are like a Nephi to me. You are a wonderful example of the things I talked about in my last letter and I thank you for your love towards me and towards others. You have taught me so much about being closer to the spirit and loving others. Your bright face shines with a testimony of the gospel that I know your have. You are so sweet and I know that as you follow the counsel of your parents you will receive strength and comfort. You decided who your parents are and you now live with the wonderful consequences of having a mother and father who love you and do their best to give you all they can and make you happy. You will be able to learn a lot from their counsel.
Sarah, You are getting ready to go out into the world in just a few months. A new world filled with endless possibilities and great joys and trials. I hope that you can focus on your purpose in life and study it often. God tells us our purpose when he asks us to be like Him. Our purpose on earth is to grow and learn and become (eventually) like our Heavenly Father. But, many people do not realize this purpose and potential and when that happens you get a world like today full of sorrow, hate, cheating, etc. But when we realize our purpose and write that purpose on our hearts, meaning that we have that purpose as the forefront of all of our desires, then living the gospel doesn't become a burden any more. The gospel is full of doctrine that guides our lives and leads us back to our Heavenly Father. Since this has been our purpose since the beginning of time we must have this desire. Joseph Smith shows how he understands his purpose in the movie "The Prophet of the Restoration: Joseph Smith" when Emma asks the question, "Do you ever feel as though God is asking too much?" and Joseph replies, "I do not let myself." Just as Joseph Smith we must not let ourselves think poorly of God because He is the one who ultimately loves us more than anyone else. He loves you dearly and desires the best for you and that is why we have the commandments. If we think poorly of the commandments we think poorly of God and He cannot help us at that instant. But "when obedience stops being a burden and becomes our goal in that instant God will endow us with power from on high." (Ezra Taft Benson, the words might be a little different) I love you as well and know that as you study your purpose and understand it fully you will be blessed with a lighter burden and with joy, true joy.
Audrey, You will be going with Mom and Dad for a few more years but your are entering a whole new world. One of excitement that is fast paced and difficult as well. If you ask Sarah you can learn of the world I speak of ;)... :) ... :D... High School. This is a wonderful time that is again very different from middle school. There is a large amount of change that takes place during these 4 years and I loved every minute of it. There were many trials for me but as I was able to smile at those trials it made the experience much more bearable. You have the tremendous gift of the gospel in your life that is a guide to all who study its principles every day. I have learned the great value in studying the scriptures and praying every... EVERY day. If you miss one day then your armor immediately stops building and is starting to be taken away. I love this gospel and how applicable it is to our lives and I know that every day we have new experiences and new questions but you can only receive answers to those questions when you study the gospel. This church is a church of answers. We invite all to ask questions constantly and promise answers because God has promised answers. Other churches tend to shy away from questions and fend off those questions with the easy, broad, undefined aswer for everything and that is that we will never really understand everything. But, I promise you and testify that our Heavenly Father desires for us to know EVERYTHING. He wants to give us specific answers that apply to our lives. I love this gospel because I have received specific answers.
Jeffrey, you are also now at a time of great growth and you have the blessing of having the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Do you want to know why the Holy Ghost is so cool? The Holy Ghost is a God. He knows everything and can tell you whatever you need to know. But, the only way He can tell you these things is when you are obeying the commandments. The direction received from the Holy Ghost is very important and special. But, we must be listening to Him. I know that you can hear the Holy Ghost as you pray every morning and night. Also, if you really take time to understand the scriptures you will be given the gift to know what things mean. Your questions have an answer and that answer comes through the Holy Ghost.
Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim, I am so happy that you have the opportunity to go to Hong Kong. How do you like it? I am so very grateful for your examples to me. Aunt Carol you also have a wonderful feeling of love that follows you and extends to those you meet. I thank you for your service to me in times when our family was allowed to stay in your home. Uncle Jim you have have wonderful smile and happy atmosphere around you are also punctual and this is very very important. I thank you as well for your love and generosity towards me and the example you have been that I look up to and strive to make a part of my life. I love you both and thank you again.
I have had a good week and I know that this gospel is so very true. We are teaching a man and his daughter from He Bei, China which includes Bei Jing. They are hard to teach because of one slight mistake that leaves a broad gap between their beliefs and ours. I love them both and pray for them. They are willing to understand our beliefs but they are moving slowly in acting on the things that we give them. Zhang Hui is the one that I told you reminds me of Bro. Sadiosa. He is such a loving fun character and his daughter Xiao Yun is shy. They are a great family that I hope eventually joins the true and everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. Along with them we are teaching a wonderful woman named Chen Yan who seems to be accepting the things we teach very quickly because she realizes a feeling that she doesn't feel anywhere else. I pray that she may feel of that spirit more as we teach and pray that we may help her realize more deeply the truth of this gospel. I know this gospel is true and I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet who was privileged to see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I know that The Godhead is three separate beings united in purpose which is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) They all love us tremendously and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sincerely,
