The Plan Of Salvation

April 8, 2019

The Plan Of Salvation

a plan of love and hope

The sun rose on a beautfitul Sunday morning, as Elder Isiordia and I made our normal walk to the church. We had worked really hard during the week, and we saw the fruits of our labors as we were meet by 4 of our investigators outside, a family of 2 with their daugher and her 2 kids, and a young man. We made our way in, sat down, and during the opening hymn, we got a call from the sister of Elder Isiordia. He went outside to take it, and after 10 minutes a member came and got me to break the news, Elder Isiorida's Mom had passed away. It was a very tough moment, as we stood outside of the bathroom, crying together. After a little, I had the chance to give him a blessing of comfort, where I felt the love of our Heavenly Father as strong as ever for my companion. My companion went to another room with our bishop after to watch the rest of conference, and I returned in time to see the last talk of the session, the talk by our Prophet Russell M. Nelson. It was at this moment when our Prophet talked about his tender experience of losing his daughter, those last moments with her, and the peace and hope we have from the Gospel when things like this happen. As my companion told me after, the Prophet talked directly to him in this moment, and we were able to feel peace in a moment of chaos. Through it all, peace. And this peace is a blessing that comes to us through this restored Church of Jesus Christ that we have been blessed to have in our lives. The days leading up to Sunday, we talked to a suprising large ammount of people who had had family members die, and we got to share the comfort that is the Plan of Salvation with them. And now I see that we had those opportunties in the week to prepare us for what was to come. We had spent all this time teaching others, and now it was time to put those same principles into practice in our own lives, and to feel the same peace that our investigators had also felt. Sunday was a hard day, but it wasn't an impossible day. We could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and as the day come to an end, the feeling we were left with was only hope. Hope for those things that had passed, and for the life that lies ahead. During the Saturday session, Elder Dieter F. Utchtdorf invited us all to share what we have guarded in our hearts, and that's what I am going to do now. I know without a doubt that the Plan of Slavtion is a gift, given to us by a loving Heavenly Father to help us in our lives here on Earth. It is the way we can find happiness, even during our darkest times, and with it I can know without a doubt that my companion will have the chance to see his Mom again. Death is a part of the plan, a hard part for sure, but a part nonetheless. And when it comes, we can take comfort in the fact that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, death with not have victory in the end. Thank you all for your prayers for Elder Isiordia's Mom, he sends you all his best wishes, and we definintely felt them here. May you all have a blessed and safe week, and until next week. 

Elder Jackson

1 & 2. break during a service project with an investigator's family 

3. Elder Isiordia and I