Letter 10 23 2016

My sons:

I hope all is well with you this week. I hope you know how thankful Mom and I are as we think of you and the choices you are making. As you reflect on your actions of the previous week, I hope you feel a sense of pride in the way you've acted. If you have a sense of things that should change, the great news of life is that you can make needed changes. My patriarchal blessing describes repentance a changing unproductive behaviors and actions to productive ones. I've thought a lot about that during the time since I received the blessing. Heaven knows I've had many slip-ups where I've simply made mistakes, but a bulk of my adult life has been focused in the area of trying to refine who I am as a person and becoming more productive through repentance. It's an interesting concept to think about.

As you know, Mom and I are in Southeast Asia right now. This is an entirely new experience for us. In Thailand we met a young man named Chris Muhlestein. He's probably 24 and has started a little company where he brings college kids to Thailand and has them help with various humanitarian projects. He has also developed a love for the culture here and so he was a defacto tour guide for our group. We spent some time together and I really like him. He has such a deep and abiding respect for the people and culture here; something at I naturally appreciate. Anyway, this whole concept of change as resurfaced as I've talked to him and observed conditions here.

Change happens. Usually, if people are left to themselves, they will accept change for the better. For instance, in the Hmong villages in the North, people live in shanty towns but the kids hover around cell phones looking at pictures or playing games. Their parents are equally connected through social media. The internet is pervasive in their lives; the cat is out-of-the-bag so to speak. All outside influences seem to pale in relation to the impact of the internet.

I suppose that you're dealing with similar issues in your work. If I were someone you just met, I might be inclined to do a google search and see what I can see about the church. I suppose there's a wealth of information; both good and bad.

Here's the thing, we love the access to information and we love being connected. We don't like pain and often, sudden change requires pain; you are in the business of sudden change. Gradual change is something we accept as part of life. So, there may be times when you have to accept that some of your investigators will not be able to make the changes needed for baptism. This doesn't make them any less of a person, rather it may mean that they are rationalizing change in the best way they know how. Be patient and loving in these situations.

Mixed in with change is having meaningful relationships with investigators and companions. I believe that these relationships are where it's at in life. As you develop the ability to love unconditionally, your missions will be more successful on every level. Cherish your relationships. Be thankful for the people you interact with and be respectful of them. Any good relationship is built on trust and your ability regard the trust others place in you is one of the highest forms of godliness. So be worthy of the trust people place in you.

I love you so much. You're great young men. Keep the faith,

Dad

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