Returned Missionaries: December 2010

This Sabbath day began with Jay and I serving at the American Fork Hospital Branch, of the AmericanFork East Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love that assignment. Actually it is a High Priest assignment, and Jay likes to take me along with him when he serves there. I always come away from there with such a love for my Savior and for my brothers and sisters in the world. As we take the Sacrament to those who are in the hospital, and visit with the patients, I am inspired to do better and to love my fellowmen more.
Then I went to choir for an hour, under the direction of our choir director Ralph Van Der Beek, we learned to sing with a strong testimonies of our Savior as Ralph inspires us. We are preparing for our christmas Sacrament Meeting singing Gerald and Lynn Lund's Cantata, Come Let Us Adore Him. It is beautiful and so inspiring.
Then our church Block, was at 2pm, with Jay and I getting to church a half hour early to oversee our Library Assignment. Mom served in her frist calling assignment, as a greeter. She was fantastic. Good for her! She even stayed for the Fast & testimony meeting, which she usually skips.
We only had two hours of church today because the cultural hall had been flooded by frozen pipes from the cold weather, so we could not use that space, and all three wards opted to cut their meetings by an hour, and Sacrament Meeting was held in the chapel and three other rooms in the building to accommodate the large congregation. Sacrament was taken to those rooms for the overflow which was served by
TV from the chapel. We went from Sacrament Meeting right to RS and PH and Primary. Our RS meeting was so inspiring, presented by the RS presidency, interspersed with musical presentations by several members of the ward. All about our Savior. And to end the day, we tuned in to TV to see and hear from our prophet and his two counselors and the Tabernacle Choir and orchestra on the Christmas Devotional. A perfect day indeed. I do have a testimony, and with great Joy, I write it here, that I KNOW that my Redeemer lives, that my Father in Heaven loves me, and that the Holy Ghost helps me to feel and know of a surety that we have a living prophet on the earth today, Thomas S, Monson. That Joseph Smith did indeed under our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's direction, restore the True Church here upon the earth for us today. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and it's contents are true and it contains the true and undefiled teachings of and bears witness of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to have this knowledge for my very own. To know of the Plan of Salvation that is ours. As I listened today to the many testimonies, I became very aware that there are many in our ward who are truly struggling, but that through their faith, they are trusting in God...and that there are many in the ward who are bearing each other's burdens. I love this ward, I love how everyone truly lifts one another. I want to do my part to help too. I mentioned that to a sister today, and she said that I had lifted her 12 year old son when I sent him a note of his accomplishments that inspired me. It was a small thing that I did, but I know that such efforts are needed for the giver and the receiver. I love my Savior.