Bangkok Thailand Temple Trip

December 8, 2024

Bangkok Thailand Temple Trip

Dear Elder Yu,

I know it is a little bit late as I only can sit down and write about my feelings or the things I went through about the temple trip.

Honestly, I think I am not prepared myself enough to enter the House of the Lord. I was keeping myself busy with work, school, home, and not all the important things that I should be preparing myself for going in.

I told your Daddy after you texted me in irregular hours because not a P-Day. His response was, “Is this trip funded by the Church or do you pay for yourself?” I told him that I paid for myself and the air tickets were around RM700.00++. I felt as if he had started calculating what is his gained and lost from me. He even asked me the same questions when fetched me at the airport on the day I returned.

I guess the timing is just nice as on the 28^th of November morning, we went to Mecaje earlier had breakfast with Annabelle, and drove back home to wait for Uncle Felix’s Grab car. On the way to KLIA 1, Uncle Felix shared that he is glad and happy to see both you and Annabelle growing in the church and he sees how both transform into a fine young man and a young woman, especially Annabelle! Haha!

He remembered Annabelle used to be so grumpy and hot-tempered, now she becomes an example to her fellow young women in her class! Uncle Felix said he was enjoying your class while you were still here teaching the Sunday School. Both Auntie Joyce and he are very proud of both of you.

There was joy, and comfort in me. I felt as Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were there with me and reassured me that I was and I am doing the right in keep on bringing both of you to the Church despite what happened in my marriage all these years.

It indeed felt like home when I stepped into the temple. The prayers I offered the night before were to plead to the Lord to give me all the strength, courage, and wisdom I need to conclude and move forward from my dying marriage. The other so-called homework I did was reading about your first endowment experience email again and again. Haha! I know that it is funny and crazy but I want to feel that long lost feeling again. Your testimony about the temple covenant is humongous! (=v=)

When I changed into the temple clothing and walked into the waiting room, a temple worker asked if I would like to do the proxy initiatory ordinances while I was waiting for the endowment session. I just nodded my head. When I sat on the round cushion stool, I was overwhelmed and my tears filled my eyes. I was so touched when hearing the initiatory prayers or blessings – the washing and anointing that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would want us to have. My tears could not stop. I am glad that this trip I was able to do for my great grandmother which on my mother's side.

I have to relearn everything as I have forgotten so much about all the covenants, signs, tokens, marks, etc that I covenanted with the Lord in His House. I relearn about the Creation, the Garden of Eden, the Telestial World, the Terrestrial World, and the Veil.

I love how Eve exercised her agency to invite Adam and explain or counsel him after she had eaten the fruits of the knowledge of good and evil, she still remembered the Lord’s commandments for them to replenish this earth with their posterity.

I wish I was as wise as Eve when dealing with my husband before, but I am not a wise woman, and there is no medicine of regrets and the things that happened could not re-take in our lives.

Well, the most unforgettable moment for me was when I stepped into the Celestial Room, I bowed my head, prayed, and asked what the Lord would want me to do at this moment in my marriage. I heard nothing, and there wasn’t any answer.

I think I should have expected this to happen because He wants me to use my agency to choose for myself. I cried so hard inside the Celestial Room. I was crying like a baby except I wept quietly. Even the temple worker lady came up to me twice and handed me tissues.

I know that there is no more room for me to be in denial anymore about how your Daddy feels about me, there isn’t any love left for me except complaints and blaming. I know that I should not be in denial and have to learn to accept the fact and that is the reason why God did not answer my prayer.

Or actually, as Sister Peggy shared today at the Puchong Branch Conference, “When you feel that God did not answer your prayer, He already did. The feeling you feel inside your heart…” God wants me to learn to accept the outcomes because He loves me so much that He knows what is the best for me, and something awaiting me on my path ahead.

My mind was blank at that moment and my heart pleaded to the Lord to bless me with all the courage, strength, wisdom, and knowledge I need to move on despite I do not know what would happen in front of me.

Honestly, these past weeks some thoughts came into my mind and reminded me how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ blessed me especially when I exercised my agency to decide to resign and look for a better-paying job last year.

When I had the desire to choose to have a better-paying job to sustain my monthly commitment, the opportunity came through the persons I know who contacted me, and eventually I got a better-paying job. I resigned from Auntie Jessie’s company – Floorphase Projects Sdn Bhd, and joined back my ex-boss’s company – Virtuals Space Sdn Bhd (a.k.a. SUA Interiors). From RM3,500.00 in December 2022 to RM5,500.00 in January 2023 monthly salary.

And, it did not happen once, but twice. I felt stressed out at the company in the Q.S. cum Procurement Manager position, as I feel I am more into project management which can give me more flexibility and not just sitting in the office. And, looking at my age which is growing older, eventually, my current company’s boss – Emily who we knew each other since we were in our twenties called me and asked if there was any project person who could lead her project team. I called her after a few months and asked her if she had found someone for the job. I said I was interested, and you know the rest of the story. I resigned and started as a Project Manager in my current company – Zenith Projects Sdn Bhd in September 2023 with an RM7,000.00 monthly salary and was given a company car for the work.

Of course, the increased salary also comes with more job responsibilities and load, but all these are just like what you said, “I came to see how much desire and eagerness He wants to be with us, that love He wants to be next to us. Like really next to you standing there and wanting to talk to you, asking you how mortality was and if you had fun with life?”

I can feel that the Lord eagerly wants to bless me, the only thing that I need to do is to have a righteous desire and decide what I want, and He will or is always there to support and bless me in whatever I decide. He is waiting there for me to make a decision. It is just like how I can see His hand in my career path.

It is the same I feel the Lord wants me to trust in Him when it is time for me to decide my marriage. I have been ignored too long and I think I have been given multiple opportunities or I missed out on the best timings to patch back the broken vessels. My mind, soul, and strength have been drained out much because of my worries about my husband. He could not become a better man, neither am I to become a better version of myself.

It is time to make a change, change for the better. I know that I need a very big courage to cut this marriage ties because I love him so much. I need to walk out from there. As Elder Jefferey R. Holland taught, “Such dwelling on past lives, including past mistakes, is just not right! It is not the gospel of Jesus Christ… In these cases of marriage and family and wards and apartments and neighborhoods, we can end up destroying so many, many others.” I hope I am not destroying your and Annabelle’s goals or dreams of building your eternal marriage and family.

Well, besides all these things I have gone through during my Bangkok Temple Trip, all is well. I went through 3 endowment sessions and 1 sealing session during this 3 days and 2 nights stay at the temple. I think it is normal to see the temple attendance, sisters are more than the brethren. I never attended a sealing session before except for my sealing with your Daddy, Annabelle, and you while we were in Cebu City Temple.

It was a brand new experience when attending as a proxy to seal for others. It was kind of funny when I was in the sealing room. There were Thai Priesthood holders as the sealers, brethren and sisters from Cambodia, and India, and of course Sister E Chin and me as Malaysians. You imagine that: the sealer sitting in his seat; the Indian priesthood was sitting at his side to help him pronounce the names given, while the Cambodian brethren knelt at the sacred altar to be sealed. It felt funny at first when I heard the names pronounced, but it felt warmth and joy in my heart seeing all of us were doing the Lord’s work here.

On the 29^th November, 2024 Sister E Chin brought me to the Platinum Mall which is a fashion wholesale hub in Bangkok, all the clothing there is considered cheap even compared with here. I did buy a few for myself and am thinking of sharing some with Annabelle.

I could see vendors or hawkers selling street foods along the roadsides while strolling the streets. This brought me so many memories of our family vacation trips many years back – Cebu City, Bali, Saigon, Hatyai, Phattalong, etc. I could not describe my feelings at that very moment. It was sadness. I thought this temple trip should be something different, or spiritual but it turned out to be a lot of mixed feelings in it – my past and present feelings and where I go from here. I feel I should stay for more days to settle my tangled emotions.

As I sit in front of the laptop, and proofread whatever I wrote what‘s in my mind, I know that the length of my stay is nothing compared to what I know – God wants to reveal to me. I am still not completely OK, but I am ready to learn to let go and to be healed. I know that I could not do it alone, but “I can do all things through the Atonement of Jesus Christ”

Elder Yu, please do not worry about me and home. You know that we are in God’s good hands. Know that you are loved! A lot and lots from us, and God too!

Love,
Mommy

The Bangkok Temple. It is considered very convenient because we are using MAS Airline where the flight stopped at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Using the Airport Rail Link Line, it is only 6 stops reached Makkasan Station, and reached the temple only in walking distance. 

Brother Juno and Sister Jully were on their first temple endowment session where Juno was escorted by President Lim and Jully was escorted by her mum, Michelle.

We met returned sisters missionaries here because all the returned brothers and sisters missionaries were having a Conference here in Bangkok. I met Elder Teh as well, the second counselor of the Asia Area Presidency. I think he is attending the return missionaries conference here.

Me in front of Christ. I am really fat and look fat! OMG!

Night view in front of the temple. Of course, the picture got edited to lighten the background of the temple.

Met with Sister Poh Peng and Sister Man Ling. Sister Poh Peng said that initially she planned for a solo temple trip, but it turned out to meet so many familiar faces here! Haha!

Real Don Restaurant USJ21 7 Dec 2024

December always brings a different feeling. As Christmas approaches, the decorations, festive atmosphere, and little touches of the season remind me to slow down and appreciate the people around me. Today I had a meal with my daughter, Annabelle, at Real Don Restaurant in USJ 21. We had grilled chicken chop, and the restaurant's Christmas decorations added a lovely festive touch to our dining experience.

It was a simple meal, but sometimes the simplest moments become meaningful memories. Sitting down with Annabelle and enjoying our food gave us a little time together away from our usual routines. As a mother, I treasure these moments with my children. They are growing up and building their own lives, and I know that the time we spend together will look different as the years go by.

The Christmas decorations made the restaurant feel more festive. I enjoy seeing how restaurants dress up for the season, bringing a little Christmas cheer into an ordinary day. There is something comforting about this time of year. It reminds me of family, love, giving, and the importance of making time for the people who matter most.

Our grilled chicken chop was the main part of the meal, but what made the outing special to me was having Annabelle there. We did not need a grand celebration or an elaborate plan. Just sharing a meal with my daughter was enough to make the occasion worth remembering.

As a mother, I sometimes think about how quickly children grow up. When they are young, we spend so much time caring for them, preparing their meals, and making decisions for them. Before we realise it, they become young adults with their own thoughts, interests, and plans. I am learning to appreciate the little opportunities we have to connect, even when they come in the form of an ordinary lunch or dinner.

Looking back at this visit, I am reminded that family memories do not always come from holidays, expensive gifts, or special events. Sometimes, they begin with a simple meal, a festive restaurant, and the company of someone we love.

This Christmas season, I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with Annabelle. My hope is that, even as our lives become busier and our paths continue to develop, we will keep making time for one another and creating these small but precious memories.

After all, the heart of Christmas is not just in the decorations or celebrations. It is in the love we share and the time we give to the people who make our lives meaningful.

Mecaje Graduation Year End Concert 6 Dec 2024

What a lovely evening to remember! Annabelle was the Master of Ceremonies for her graduation year-end concert, Cultural Night. It was wonderful to see her standing confidently on stage, holding the microphone, guiding the programme, and introducing the different cultural performances.

The evening was filled with music, beautiful costumes, and performances celebrating different cultures and traditions. It was lovely to see everyone coming together to share their talents and make the event special. Annabelle also had the opportunity to interact with the participants and be part of the team that brought the programme together.

Looking at these photos, I feel happy seeing how much Annabelle has grown and how she is learning to take on new responsibilities. Being an MC requires preparation, confidence, and the ability to communicate with an audience. Experiences like this give her opportunities to challenge herself, discover her strengths, and learn things that go beyond the classroom.

Time really flies! Sometimes, we are so caught up in our daily routines that we don't realise how quickly our children are growing up. Then, moments like these remind us to pause, appreciate their progress, and celebrate the little milestones along the way.

So happy to see you taking on this role and creating beautiful memories, Annabelle! ❤️ Keep learning, keep growing, and keep shining in your own way. May you always have the courage to try new things, the confidence to use your talents, and the joy of discovering what you are capable of. So proud of you! ✨

17th Week in the Mission Field

Konichiwa! Well, another week, another P-Day , okay I can explain. I'm not being disobedient cause today is P-Day for us in the Utah Ogden Mission. And also HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ✨️

Well, since today's Thanksgiving, the work here is really chill, and the road is somewhat empty too and that's the first time I've seen it. Alright, let's get to it!

Kitty's Service    

Well, as chinese missionaries, we get the opportunity to help chinese non-members and members with any sort of service, and the best art is that we can help any chinese in our area. Which is Brigham City to North Salt Lake ⚰️✨️ We were able to help this former investigator Kitty with moving furniture from Kaysville to North Ogden

Met with these 2 amazing English Speaking missionaries from Kaysville, and they are fun and awesome. We got a ton of furniture in the van and the U-Haul truck, which was tiring. But it was somewhat dangerous, let's just say Bio-hazardous, and we're glad she's moving out of the house. We were able to sit in the U-haul truck with a member who was driving and had a blast✨️

Afterwards we got another set of missionaries to help unload things in North Ogden and gradually we finished the job, ate together as Kitty provided us lunch and had a lesson with her, making her a new friend to teach again!

Leading the Area    

Well, this week, I also got to have more opportunities to lead the area and just went around meeting with members as well as non-member, and it's been super duper fun. Just at the start of last week, we were able to contact this guy who has an E-bike and seemed like he's busy. We still contacted him anyways and learned that he has been having a rough time and was glad that we met and shared a simple message with him. He cried and just seeing people cry makes my eyes watery and I have more compassion for them. It's an amazing experience and lesson.

More than that I also got to learn about accepting changes and applying it in my life. And to be honest I felt like I just barely started learning in the mission and I am already like 3 or 4 months out. It's scary and I do beat myself up about it. But reflecting back, I've seen my growth and change in my life and I am eternally grateful for all of it. And I want to keep them always in my memory and learn from them. Not wasting each experience I've gained to learn the same lesson again. I am grateful for the Savior's Atonement and His love for all of us FR.

I felt like I am more charitable to others and especially to myself as well. Loving myself even more and taking great care of my health. Losing myself in this great work, at the same time to care and maintain an optimum condition to continue losing myself in the field.

DAA Chinese Branch    

Well I am gradually meeting and understanding the chinese branch even more. It feels like home right now. Just a sense of belonging and a comfort to just speak the language I have been training and improving on. I love my assigned branch!! Just last week we had a Primary Presentation during that sacrament meeting and it was AMAZING!! not only that but I got to meet Ethan Lowder's younger brother. Don't worry I forgotten the name but he is amazing! Heard that he is currently working as a MTC teacher. So Brother Huang and Sister Huggins tell him I said have fun and good luck with your boss !!

It was fun meeting with him and just learning he came back from his mission not long ago. I find that even though the chinese branch is really small, it's close and feels like home. Reminds me of my home branch. Hopefully I can help strengthen that branch and help in the Lord's work.

Trunky    

Chat I'm trunky, to be honest I am amazed how fast I missed home and also maintaining the desire to keep serving the Lord is really a hard thing to do. Where I already have days when I wished I could just SACK and also there are days I felt like I'm just not doing the work. Wasting this precious time while on my mission, It;s tough and also worrying about my own companionship like am I doing too much?, too less?, not working?, what does my comp think of me?, am I helping him at all?' Am I a burden? and etc. Mental struggle is real on the mission, and I just wish I could learn faster and remember it clearer... Yet that's not what I am capable of, I am not the Savior, but He has suffered all that we could possibly suffer in this life. That we may be perfected like He is eventually and through Him are we made perfect. And that's a lesson I have learned trying to remember each time I get a mental breakdown.

I came to learn that emotions are normal, trunky is normal. But I choose to continue serving the Lord, I just want to forget myself and do His work, whether its 100%, or 1% of energy left. I do want to consecrate all that I have to the Lord. I think it's gonna be insanely hard but there are people the Lord wants us to bless, I want to bless others, to bring that joy in their lives. I love my mission even though I do feel like dying, the Savior's Redeeming and Enabling power is so AMAZING!!!

Spiritual Thoughts

In 3 Nephi 17, it talks about toward the end of the Savior's first appearance to the Nephites in Bountiful. He finished His teachings to this people and was about to return to Heavenly Father. But He noticed that everyone needed comfort, peace and assurance. Even when no one told him about it, He invited all to Come Unto Him, at first it was to attain a testimony that He is the Christ but now its to let them know that He is our Savior. He began healing all the sick, afflicted and more. Gradually one person at a time Healed them and comforted them in their burdens and hardships. After that Angels came down and ministered to all of them, assuring them that it's gonna be A'OKAY. And He even offered a prayer for all of them as well as instituted the sacrament for them too.

我知道耶稣基督很疼爱每一个天父的儿女，他想要我们回到他生变。能一起集合到天父的家，永远的在他旁边。耶稣为我们而受苦和经验到死亡为了辅助我们个人的行程会到天父的大家庭。天父，耶稣基督和圣灵非常爱我们。我知道他们春在。这些我说奉耶稣基督的名，阿门。

THE TURKEYYY BOWLLLL! on snow tooo!!

Had to get a flat tire fix with a homie members help

Got some food along the way

Anyways that's all see you next P-Day!!

I Know Not

November 23, 2024

I Know Not

Dear Elder Yu,

“3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.

4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.

5 Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.”

Moroni 8: 3-5

Another thing that I learned from Moroni is that his unconditional faith was similar to his dad, Mormon. Moroni shows another beautiful example of how we can move forward with faith.

We do not need to know everything. We do not need to know how everything will play out as long as we know whose side we are on and who we have given our heart, time, energy, and devotion. If we have given that to the Lord, there are going to be a lot of things that we do not know. And in Moroni’s case, he did not know if he was going to survive or whether they were going to slay him. He says “I know not.”

Therefore because I don't know what's in my future. "Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not." What an amazing perspective for our world today. And, remember, Moroni is not writing to people in his day. He's not having a conversation with anyone in his time. He is speaking directly to us through the corridor of prophetic time, through this capacity of vision to be able to see our day and to speak directly to us.

He says, "Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone." So, his point is, that he doesn't have a lot of space left. He doesn't have a lot of war. His father's been slain in battle, and all of his kinsfolk. He doesn't have friends or where to go. Anyone he meets is likely to try to kill him, so he needs to stay isolated "How long the Lord will suffer that I may live? I know not."

Moroni is making this so clear. I have a ton of questions, but I'm not going to allow those questions to determine my life's direction. I'm going to stay a disciple of Christ. I'm going to move forward on that covenant path in the face of intense adversity and extreme ambiguity. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know where I stand."

This is amazing when he is describing what he now knows compared to what he didn't know. And, so, it is an opportunity for us to seriously reflect and take this personally and say,

Why would Moroni have He's written that to us?

If the Lord showed him our day, why is he writing that? And, what can I do?

What is the therefore what that I can apply in my own life moving forward?

I do not know why I keep on listening and reading across something related to Trust in the Lord and Have Faith in the Lord. Especially last week Come, Follow Me, we read about Ether 1 – 5. And, it seems as if everywhere I go, there are messages about that coming into my mind.

I hope you are doing well in your mission. I love how Sister Amy Shaw mentioned your infectious smile and positive attitude, that you have a great spirit in you! I am so grateful and proud to be your mom!

Love,
Mommy

16th Week in the Mission Field

This week dun been Fun slightly depressing but Amazing

No photos for this week I think hold up let me checking. Sadly I do t have any Anyways let's get started.

Gratitude

Well this week has been a really harsh week, for my mind especially.  Had a struggle towards how I can always do better. That I felt like I could use 24 hours more effectively instead of just relaxing. But with that mindset and motive I realised just how exhausted I can be and it's CRAZYY. However as I was conveying this to my trainer he mentioned to remember that God doesn't only trust in you. And something that we learned during zone conference is that

This is not your work. It's the Lord's work.

We work together as one to bring all to come unto Christ✨️ I love that idea ✨️

Which I then realised why we needed the Atonement, to seek the Lord's help to improve. Not to help others to come unto Christ but ourselves as well. ✨️ It's comforting to remember that❤️

Also how much I've improved. It's amazing

Discipleship of Jesus Christ

During one of the member rides we had after finishing a chinese lesson. We were able to chat with Brother Shaw about the process of discipleship. And he mentioned about the parable of the workers. How different workers can come and work at different time and all workers receive the same amount of payment. Despite the difference between each duration of the work the servants gave. And it's interesting how when we first heard it it doesn't seem fair at all. However, Brother Shaw mentioned how we are all aiming for the same reward to attain eternal life. And shouldn't we all help one another to attain that reward? No matter how long we are in the work, don't we want to share that reward with everyone? I loved that parable and looking things the way God sees things it's amazing✨️✨️

So let's all work together as one, to bring all to Come and help in His work no matter when and how long they've been in this great work.

Prayer

This week I had the opportunity to teach about prayer in Gospel Principle class and it's amazing to see just how mush I still can improve in my prayer and relationship with my father in Heaven❤️ I loved it

I was able to learn how I can come ever more closer to my Father and how His live can truly be felt as we pray like the hymes a child's prayer it's soo divine when I hear it's verses and meaning.

Heavenly Father, are you really there?‍♂️❔️❓️

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.❤️

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:

“Suffer the children to come to me.”‍♂️‍♀️

Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Pray, he is there;

Speak, he is list’ning.

You are his child;

His love now surrounds you.❤️❤️

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.❤️

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.‍‍✨️

Likewise I know that He truly is there, and I have come to realise prayer isn't an incantation or something we do as a routine for a successful life as disciple of Jesus Christ.  It's to strengthen your relationship with our Heavenly Father.  To learn how to speak with him in a ever more personal ❤️ and heartfelt way❤️✨️I know He loves us and I know that words can come not only through our mouth and mind, but even in our heart and soul✨️

Prayer truly is a divine gift, a way he shows us hesed, we are his segullah and we are always and forever cherished

I love this divine power. Another way we can come closer to our Father through the Savior's help even though we aren't able to go to the temple as often as we liked too.

Spiritual Thought

The Lord's peace️‍✨️John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

A talk given from Elder Neil L Anderson in his recent talk he said:

"Yet that is precisely the joy the Savior offers. His joy is constant, assuring us that our ‘afflictions shall be but a small moment’ [Doctrine and Covenants 121:7] and be consecrated to our gain.

Brothers and sisters, the peace you seek may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you that as you trust in the Lord, His peace will come.

May we nurture our precious faith, pressing forward with a perfect brightness of hope. I testify that our hope is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Him, all our righteous dreams will be realized. He is the God of hope—the triumph of hope. He lives and He loves you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I know that in times of turmoil, that's the hope that the Savior provides us. The peace of our spirit and love. I know this to be true and I say all this things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 

Prophet Mormon & Willingness to Forgive

November 17, 2024

Prophet Mormon & Willingness to Forgive

Dear Elder Yu,

An insight that I learned from the Scripture Central YouTube Channel last few weeks when studying Mormon Chapter 7 is the willingness to forgive. It is indeed very hard for me to do currently, you know what I mean.

Chapter 7 is the final chapter written by Mormon, the chief abridger. It is fascinating to note that he could have talked about in his last chapter, that he chooses to address the Latter-day descendants of the Lamanites.

There is something beautifully Christ-like about what is going on here.

If I consider what would I say to a group of people who are descended from an entire population that destroyed my family, my nation, and my people, and killed everybody? I am not sure if I would be prone to speak kindly to that group. For instance, what my husband has done to me?

But, we see this beautiful Christ-like principle of forgiveness, of not holding grudges. This charity, this pure love of Christ that flows through Mormon, and we see it in his words. Right out of the first verse in chapter seven, he says,

1 And now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:

2 Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.

3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.

4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.

5 Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.

6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.

7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.

8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

10 And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.

Whenever it was written, Mormon was surrounded by that group of people, those Lamanites, who wanted nothing more than to destroy the Nephites and him. He watched the entire destruction of not just his people, but his own family. His son is the only one that remains with the records.

While he was going to go on and give his final teachings, his final exhortations to this group of people who are descendants of this group of Lamanites. So, how do we learn from that? What do we apply in our own life, in our own situation today?

There are a million answers to that question. But, one consideration is to remember that as long as we choose to hold on to past wrongs, to grudges, to past offenses that have been committed against me, the more I hold on to those, the less I am capable of embracing the Savior's infinite power, His goodness, His grace, His healing.

And, what's more, if I am striving to become more like Christ, that means I need to work on developing his Christ-like attributes in my own life. One of the attributes of the Savior, one of the attributes of God, is this willingness to forgive – this willingness to not hold me hostage to my past wrongs and my mistakes.

So, whenever I am offended whenever another person hurts me, I can choose. I feel justified in holding on to that until justice has been served unto my husband. But it does not allow me to embrace and feel the loving embrace of the Savior to the same degree as when I drop that burden at His feet and let Him carry it. Let Him take those wrongs that were committed against me.

Mormon models beautifully here: possibly filling the pains of the war in his physical body that had been inflicted by these Lamanites, but not defining his life or his relationship with God or his relationship even with his enemies by those hurts or by those wounds that have been inflicted upon him. He was thinking celestial as President Nelson counseled. He was looking to the long term.

There is a beautiful pattern for us: If we have been hurt, we need the infinite healing power of the Savior Jesus Christ. We need Him to apply His atoning blood on our behalf. His infinite atonement is not just for sinners, not just for people who do wrong things, which happens to be all of us, but it is also for those who have been hurt, who have been afflicted with abuse or with any wrongdoing from other people that have caused pain or spiritual or physical injury.

We need the Savior Jesus Christ in His infinite atonement to heal us. We need to feel safe in His loving, healing embrace, which means we need to have Him help us drop those hurts, drop those offenses, and drop the burdens at His feet to be then able to move forward. I indeed need the Savior’s help to lift my hatred, to heal my wounded soul so that my mind and soul can be free from all this bondage.

Finally, of all the messages Mormon could have shared, of all the mysteries he could have revealed, that's what he chose to sign off within his last chapter. It is extremely significant for us today to keep going back to the basics and asking ourselves:

What is life really about? Why am I really here? Is it just to have a few thrills, a few experiences, make money, work like crazy to be able to support some hobbies, take some trips and buy some things, and work my way through life, trying to find some pleasures here or there?

Or am I here because it truly is an opportunity to strive to become more like God and to think celestial as President Nelson would invite and to see God and see people as eternal relationship potentials rather than just passing interactions or fleeting requests from heaven?

But, to build these deep identity-defining connections with God through our covenants with Him and through our faith in His only Begotten Son, to the point where we let go of more of the things that this world has to offer us, and we embrace more of Him and His divine power and His promises and His covenant connections that He offers us.

I love Mormon. He did such an amazing job of teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that most people do not even see him. They do not recognize Mormon because he is become transparent. He becomes a window to the Savior's power, glory, and love; Mormon tells everybody else's story without drawing attention to himself. I love that attribute, and I want to be more like that.

Can I just say we owe Mormon a huge debt of gratitude for choosing to live his life in such a way that the Lord could use him as an instrument to abridge this incredible book that is given to us today that has changed so many lives and brought so many people to Jesus Christ?

Mormon did all of that in the worst possible environment in the history of the Nephites. It was the worst. From the time he was a young child until 73 years old at that final battle, and who knows how many years beyond, he chose to stay a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ and to do the work of the Lord, and you and I now get to benefit from him.

We owe him a serious debt of gratitude for that, and we can now pass it on to people in our lives, in our circle of influence, and people in the future who can benefit from our choosing to stay strong in the faith of Jesus Christ and His gospel today in our life.

Before this, I always wondered why the book was named, “The Book of Mormon” because the entire book is about other prophets’ stories and Mormon’s stories just formed a very small percentage of the book. No doubt that he was the one who abridged all the brass plates and records.

Sometimes I would think that Mormon has so many similarities with Joseph Smith. They were chosen by God to do the same work: one abridged while another translated the records. They did the work in a very challenging living environment.

Imagine that to keep the sacred brass plates and records is no joke! How heavy it is? And now we are talking about abridged records, which means you have to flip through the heavy record plates to summarize it to a shorter filled with essential things which the Lord what you to write.

I am not comparing Joseph Smith and Mormon, but it seems as if Mormon’s work is much more harder or loaded to bear. Of course, God was always with Mormon when he was doing this great work, for this is the Lord’s work. With that, I think there is a reason why the scripture is named after his name – The Book of Mormon.

Love,
Mommy