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Weekly Letter

 ---Sofia Maradiaga---

We had a visit with our investigator Sofia. She's the ex-girlfriend of a member that left on his mission. She is super interested in the church but if she wants to eat she can't go to sacrament meeting, rough. Her family hates the church which is a big obstacle but the Primary President in our ward (who loves missionary work) had a similar experience and wants to help her. I hope everything goes well with her and that she can accept the gospel.

---I gave a talk---
I was asked to give a talk on Sunday. I talked about the importance of families in society and eternally. I talked for about 15 minutes and it was high council sunday, so I just robbed all the high councilors time. (He went over of course). I did not have many notes but I still managed to do a decent job.

---Well this should be simple---
We found out on Sunday that a Primary kid recently turned 8 years old. Her parents aren't members but that is because they can't due to legal marriage issues. She wants to be baptized and her parents are supporting her in that which is great. It should be simple to do that.

---Spiritual Thoughts---
"We of all people … should not be taken in by the specious arguments that the family unit is somehow tied to a particular phase of development a mortal society is going through. We are free to resist those moves which downplay the significance of the family and which play up the significance of selfish individualism. We know the family to be eternal. We know that when things go wrong in the family, things go wrong in every other institution in society. …

Our political institutions … cannot rescue us if our basic institution, the family, is not intact. Peace treaties cannot save us when there is hostility instead of love in the home. Unemployment programs cannot rescue us when many are no longer taught how to work or do not have the opportunity to work or the inclination, in some cases, to do so. Law enforcement cannot safeguard us if too many people are unwilling to discipline themselves or be disciplined.

We have no choice … but to continue to hold up the ideal of the Latter-day Saint family. The fact that some do not now have the privilege of living in such a family is not reason enough to stop talking about it. We do discuss family life with sensitivity, however, realizing that many … do not presently have the privilege of belonging or contributing to such a family. But we cannot set aside this standard, because so many other things depend upon it."

Spencer W. Kimball

I shared this quote as part of the talk I gave. It is our responsibility to protect the family because without it society will fall apart. We need it much and we do live in a world where people don't appreciate it so it should be protected from the attacks of the adversary. 

“My beloved brothers and sisters, dear friends, we all drift from time to time. But we can get back on course. We can navigate our way through the darkness and trials of this life and find our way back to our loving Heavenly Father if we seek, accept, and follow the spiritual landmarks He has provided.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

I really like this quote (I probably have already shared it before). We can always get back on the path no matter where we are. God is always going to be out there waiting to embrace us when we have faltered.

(There are more quotes here if you want some more)

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