Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Sister Baptisms!

Email sent Monday 24 October 2011

Happy October!

Sounds like y'all had another fun week. Glad state went well and Quinton could make some cash from doing somethign other than donating plasma. Silly kid. haha. Hope you had a good birthday mom! That makes me so sad to hear about Vernon. I thought of him the other day. He was such a nice man. I wish I had got to know him better. That's cool that you had regional brodcast and got to listen to Elder Bednar. What did he talk about?

You have known my release date for a long time. It's on that calendar I made for you last year. I believe that I will be flying out on Dec 14th and get home that same day. As far as I know that is still the plan. But now, you know, and I don't want to think about it anymore.

This week was a great week with a great ending! M... and C..., two sisters, entered the waters of baptism yesterday! They are so cute. M... is 16 and has two daughters and she knows that the gospel will help her to raise them the way God wants. The gospel really is going to change her life. She now has many examples to look up to and a big ward family to help her through the trials that lie ahead in life. Her sister C... is 13 and is loving young womens. C... is very shy but we have seen the gospel and the other young women help her to open up and develop more self-esteem and a brighter light in her eyes. A great door has just opened for these two girls. They come from a familiy life where they don't have much in the way of parents as examples to look up to, but they now have many people aware of them and ready to help them along the path to return to their Heavenly Father. The also have 2 younger sisters, 10 year-old twins, that we have been teaching, but the aunt is putting up a fight about their baptism. So maybe a little later on those two as well will be able to experience the blessings of the gospel.

This week, I encourage you all to study the Doctrine of Christ. This is found in many places in the scriptures, but you can focus on 2 Nephi 31 which lays it out perfectly telling us that baptism is the "door" that gets us on the path to heaven. For those of us who have been baptized, we have already opened that door. But now we are on the path. and "all is not done." Recieving the Holy Ghost, for men-recieving the priesthood and magnifying their office therein, and preparing for , recieving and keeping covenants made in the temple are all steps along that path that will lead us to the kingdom of God. If we are at a halt anywhere on that path, we must pick up our feet and start moving again. Analyze what is ahead, be proud of how far you have come, and make plans to move forward. Part of enduring to the end is helping others along the path. God's work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Part of our baptismal covenant is that we will take upon the name of Christ and by so doing, represent him, do what he would do. We need to help others along the path as he did. Is God's work and glory our work and glory? If not, analyze your life and figure out what to do to fix it. I know that no greater joy comes, than by helping one soul return to God. The worth of souls is great (D&C 18) and we need to help each and everyone recognize their greatness and help them return to God. That is my invitation to each of you this week. Study the Doctrine of Christ. And write me an email or letter about what you learned. And better yet, apply what you learned, cuz if you don't apply it in your life, what good did it do you. "Be ye doers of the word not hearers only." -James 1:22

Well I love you all a lot and am so grateful for your prayers. Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Petersen

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