Letter 9 03 2017

Greetings!

Today is Sydney's birthday.  She's 18 years old.  A year from today she tells us that she'll be in the MTC headed for her mission.  Good for her.  I think she's so much fun to be around and I can't believe how quickly time has gone.

I took a call from a good friend on Friday.  He's about my age and has some success in business but now has too much time on his hands so he's begun to search for the deeper things of the kingdom.  Now, I'm all for scripture study but I'm thinking there is a point where things don't make much sense if things are taken too far.

In this situation, he is convinced that the second coming is going to happen on Sep 23, 2017.  First off, he may be right, I'm not saying that.  I'm simply saying that he's pointing to the scriptures as having proof of that day.  He quoted Revelations and Isaiah and then the D&C to substantiate his position.  I was impressed that he's spent this much time in the scriptures to put everything together.

My understanding of the scriptures is somewhat more elementary.  I use them to try to understand how to be a better person and more fully live the basic principles of the gospel.  After he was done, I thought to myself that he might be right in his views and I'm certainly not going to mock someone for predicting the Second Coming.  The last place I want to be is in the position of mocking those who are in tune enough to recognize the signs of the times.

I will study what he suggested and give it ample consideration.

So, he wanted me to do a financial transaction with him before the 23rd and I told him that I couldn't do that.  I simply told him that I appreciated his opinion and hope that if the Second Coming happens, finances will be one of the last things that Jesus Christ is concerned with when he makes his appearance.  Maybe I'm wrong and if I am, then I'll have to deal with the consequences.

Anyway, I hope your lives are in order.  I hope that the direction you're setting for the rest of your life now, will be set such that when you come home, you will find the internal strength to continue with the simple and basic performances such as praying, going to church, and reading the scriptures.  Pray that you will find strength the endure and be victorious in this life and that when your race is done, you will have finished well.

I love you.  Keep us the good work.

Dad