We received our mission assignment in the mail on Thursday, December 22nd. We opened it the next day with our children.
We have been called to the El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize Mission We will begin our service on July 3, 2017 and serve for 23 months. We will be serving in the country of Belize.
The light green areas are the mission boundaries.
If you ever wondered how mission assignments are made, you can click here to learn how the process is done.
If you want to follow our mission you can go to our mission blog at: ourmissiontobelize.blogspot.com or click here.
We are excited to prepare for this new adventure and know that we have lots to learn and do before we leave.
These children understand why Jesus was born and the events surrounding his birth. I agree with a comment that was left on youtube.com about this video: You can see and feel the boy's testimony of the birth of Christ at 2:57 to3:02
In the April 2003 General Conference David E. Sorenson gave a very good talk on forgiveness.
Here is a quote from his talk that I liked.
The Savior said, “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.” D&C 64:9 This is not to say that forgiveness is easy. When someone has hurt us or those we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if the pain or the injustice is the most important thing in the world and that we have no choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of Peace, teaches us a better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they’ve done us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does someone else’s wrongdoing control our course. When we forgive others, it frees us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts.
Earlier this month Bryce asked Kristine to marry him and she said YES! They are planning a Thanksgiving wedding which means that their marriage will be on the top of our list of things to be thankful for this year.
1. One by one, one by one.
Jesus, the Fa-ther’s Beloved Son—
One by one, one by one—
From the beginning said, “Thy will be done.”
Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill God’s plan,
For He alone could atone as Savior of man.
The Lord blessed and beckoned them, “Come unto me,”
And willingly sacrificed to set us free.
One by one, one by one.
He suffered for us and victory won.
One by one, one by one.
We marvel at all His love has done,
One by one.
2. One by one, one by one.
Multitudes gathered and saw Him come.
One by one, one by one.
Each heard a voice declare, “Behold My Son.”
Jesus Christ came and stood in the midst of them.
They fell to the earth in great rev’rence for Him.
The Lord bid, “Arise, and come forth unto me.”
With hands they did feel and with eyes they did see.
One by one, one by one.
Each knew and bore record, He is our Lord.
One by one, one by one.
They cried “Hosanna” with one accord,
One by one.
3. One by one, one by one.
Christ looked around Him and saw their tears.
One by one, one by one.
In His compassion, He calmed their fears.
Jesus Christ healed each one brought forth unto Him.
Then He blessed each precious child and prayed for them.
The angels descended from heaven above,
Encircling those little ones; each felt His love.
One by one, one by one.
He intercedes for each daughter and son.
One by one, one by one.
Strength from His grace gives us pow’r to become,
One by one.
This is what Elder Bednar said on his facebook page about writing the lyrics to the song:
Much of what we need to know about the character of Christ is embodied in the simple principle of “one by one.” This principle evidenced in the life of the Savior has been a focus of my study for a very long time. I am always touched to consider how much the Savior loves each one of us as individuals. I wrote the lyrics to a song about this principle of “one by one,” which Paul Cardall put to music. It was later beautifully performed by the One Voice Children’s Choir. As you study the ministry of Jesus Christ and seek for eyes to see and ears to hear, you will find that He ministered to “ones.” He healed the leper, the centurion’s servant, the man with palsy, the woman who touched his garment—plus many more (see Matthew 8 and 9 in the New Testament). In the New World, He invited the multitude gathered at the temple in the land of Bountiful to come forth one by one and witness for themselves that He had been slain for the sins of the world. The Savior invited the multitude to bring all who were afflicted in any manner, and He healed every one. Then He commanded that their little children be brought unto Him one by one, and He blessed them and prayed for them (see 3 Nephi 11 and 17 in the Book of Mormon). Remember, the simple truth of “one by one” reveals not everything—but much of what we need to know about the character of the Savior. Similarly, each one of us in our service to others—in our families, among our friends, in our communities, or in our callings in the Church—has the opportunity and responsibility to minister to “ones.”
You can get the sheet music from the July 2016 New Era Magazine by clicking here.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
We enjoy receiving an email from Sam every Monday. Here are some of his closing remarks from some recent emails.
"everyday is an adventure and i’m loving it. the mission is going well. i’m really liking what i am learning right now. i know that the Gospel is true and that God love us. i’m grateful for the testimony that i have gained here on the mission. it has changed my life.
"i feel like if a person wants to learn about how to be a better person in this world all he has to do is go on a mission. i feel like i’m growing up a lot but at the same time i still feel like i’m the same kid i was before the mission. i’ll let you guys be the judge in 10 months."
We'll see you in 10 months, Elder Magnusson!
You can find out why Sam went on a mission by clicking here.
We all find at some point in our lives that we need to leave the entrapments of the world--known as Babylon in the Bible-- behind, and climb to a higher plane. This arrangement of a well known hymn inspires us to do just that.
You can also watch the above video by clicking here.
From the October 2014 General Priesthood Session
Below is an excerpt of an article by Lenet Hadley Read that is found in the January 1981 Ensign magazine.:
"It is apparent that in the scriptures Babylon, a city that really did exist historically, is also a symbol. The warning given through Jeremiah to “flee out of the midst of Babylon” (Jer. 51:6) before destruction was brought upon the wicked of that city sets a pattern for our day. The responsive are warned, “Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon” (D&C 133:14), for “I will not spare any that remain in Babylon” (D&C 64:24). The book of Revelation also prophesies the fall of a great Babylon in the latter days (see Rev. 14:8; Rev. 18:21).
"Why, of all cities, does Babylon deserve the distinction of symbolizing wickedness? No doubt it is because Babylon was anciently associated with acts that aroused God’s displeasure. For the beginning of Babylon was Babel. After the attempted construction of the tower of Babel, the unity of mankind was severed; many tongues arose, and communication among men became as “babble.”
"But was this dispersion of the people the point at which the proliferation of false philosophies also fully began? After all, Babel marks the time when confusion once more came upon the earth after the cleansing of the Flood, and only a select few remained knowledgeable of God’s word from then on. To the Lord, the source of truth, he who comprehends all language, would not these false philosophies, which have multiplied and spread confusion, be the true “babble”?
"If this is true, then to be called out of Babylon, or Babel, is to be called back to the original and pure truth, away from philosophies that lead to faulty judgment and therefore to evil. According to prophecies, Babylon, the multiplication of confusion and false philosophies, will indeed suffer a great fall, and unity of correct knowledge will finally return."
The lyrics to the hymn Ye Elders of Israel:
1. Ye elders of Israel, come join now with me
And seek out the righteous, where'er they may be--
In desert, on mountain, on land, or on sea--
And bring them to Zion, the pure and the free.
(Chorus)
O Babylon, O Babylon, we bid thee farewell;
We're going to the mountains of Ephraim to dwell.
2. The harvest is great, and the lab'rers are few;
But if we're united, we all things can do.
We'll gather the wheat from the midst of the tares
And bring them from bondage, from sorrows and snares.
3. We’ll go to the poor, like our Captain of old,
And visit the weary, the hungry, and cold;
We'll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore
And point them to Zion and life evermore.
Text: Cyrus H. Wheelock, 1813-1894 Music: Thomas H. Bayly, 1797-1839, adapted
Scott and I along with Rachel, Lisa, Craig and Lynn were able to attend the Pioneer Day Concert featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
We were able to great seats in the front and center of the Conference Center
The King's Singers were the guest performers. One of my favorite pieces they sang was a Primary Medley. It was fun to hear them start with some of my childhood favorites and then end with songs testifying of the Savior.
I've recently run across two quotes from Elder Uctdorf that have touched my life. I would like to share them here.
Quote #1:
The Lord knows you. He knows your heart and is pleased with your sacrifice. He smiles upon you each day. He will uphold you and prepare the way for you. He will send His angels before you. You will feel their presence. And with the help of heaven, your talents will be multiplied.
I promise you that as you lift those around you, the Lord God, the Creator of the universe, will lift you up. If you will only believe and incline your heart to our Beloved Father, He will place within you a peace that surpasses understanding. He will give you joy. May each of you always remember this.
Sincerely apologizing to your children, your wife, your family, or your friends is not a sign of weakness but of strength. Is being right more important than fostering an environment of nurturing, healing, and love?
Build bridges; don’t destroy them.
Even when you are not at fault—perhaps especially when you are not at fault—let love conquer pride.
If you do this, whatever adversity you are facing will pass, and because of the love of God in your hearts, contention will fade. These principles of saving relationships apply to all of us, regardless of whether we are married, divorced, widowed, or single. We all can be saviors of strong families.
39 years ago today Scott asked me to marry him at this very spot just above the Provo Temple.
At the time Scott had recently started a new job working at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah, across the street from the Provo Temple. He asked me to pick him up from work that night. We drove to the grassy hill above the temple, sat on the grass, and enjoyed the view of the temple and the Utah Valley. He then said, "I want to marry you, Kathleen" No cameramen hiding in bushes, no music playing in the background. Just a simple statement. I laughed, and then agreed. Then the sprinklers went on and we went home and ate cake that Scott made earlier in the day to celebrate the happy occasion. It's 39 years later. We think we might be looking just a bit different now, but you be the judge.
At my Grandma Buchanan's house to watch General Conference. October 1977
Happy Birthday, Scott. November 1976
Halloween 1977
In the Oakland Airport where Scott had a layover with the BYU Rugby team on the way to Hawaii. Spring 1977
