16 August 2011

Hi Family!

 

I love hearing from you! Thank you so much!  Thanks for the goodies! So I have some news. I might have mentioned it a few weeks ago, but in our branch, the District Leader position is only for 4 and a half weeks, and you might know this, but four and a half weeks was this weekend. So I was released, and you know Elder Ortega, the one I mentioned before? Well he's our new district leader, and He is soo awesome. I'm learning so much from him. The very first meeting we had as a district, I was blown away by him. I wish I could've learned from him before, I would've been much better if I had his example to follow. I am so grateful for the blessing it was to be the district leader. I learned so so much, so much that I don't think I will even start to mention it right now. I will say, however, I really believe that the Lord knew that I needed some specific lessons, and He wanted me to learn them sooner rather than later.

 

Good luck with the Dirty Dash! I hope it goes well! Let me know please!

 

Hey I got an email from Travis today, but since I'm so crunched on time, I don't think I'll be able to respond to him through email. Could you get me his address por favor?

 

So as you know, every P-day we go to the Temple. I woke up today with this weird stinging in my neck, like I slept on it wrong, I think you know what I'm talking about. Well it was quite a nuisance, but I didn't think much of it. That was until I went to the Temple. I started thinking about pain, and a thought came to me. My eyes were already wet, but when this thought came, it came with a feeling of assurance. There is a lot of pain in the world. We all know that. But you know what thought came to me today? It was something like this. Pain has a purpose. Our loving Heavenly Father doesn't want us to suffer any more than we have to, any more than will be for our good. Is there anything better at bringing us to our knees and bringing us to our Heavenly Father than pain? (This is frustrating to me because I can't think of how to describe this as hard as I try. Maybe think about it on your own and you'll feel what I felt.) God will not make us suffer more than the precise amount that will make us turn to Him. 

 

Don't let the questions about how it works stop you from enjoying the blessings that come from the fact that it does actually work. There will be pain, but that's how we grow. That's how we recognize how much we need help, and how much we need Him. Pain isn't entirely bad when we accept it as a reminder. There will come a day when we will be able to rest from pain and despair and sorrow, all of the thorns of this prickly world will be removed and we will be overwhelmed by the joy and the love that will come to define our lives hereafter. I love and think about D&C 121 all the time. I so glad we were able to visit Liberty Jail. My son, peace be unto thy soul. Jon, this too shall pass. I think of those verses often. God has promised us amazing things, and He will keep His word. His promises are absolutely real, and on the other end, our need for compliance is just as real.

 

Family, I love you so much. I think of you often and I am so grateful for you. Thank you for the prayers, God is answering them. I wish I had time to tell you how much I feel strengthened by our Heavenly Father. Miracles have not ceased. I love you.

 

Elder Rogers