Happy Independence Day

Dear Family,

 

There is something special about leaving America that makes you more grateful for your freedom.  We celebrated Independence Day. Elder Booth and I have been under the weather for a couple days. We went back home after church on Sunday and rested. After we awoke we went down stairs and made huge cheese burgers, and fruit salad for us and the other Elders. Then we all sat down together and sang all three verses of the National Anthem which was amazing.  I've always been a fan of the last verse. If I can remember correctly it goes a little something like this...

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blessed with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

After we sang the hymn, we said a prayer, and had a feast. I have recently been reading in Alma about captain Moroni. He said that the cause found in the Title of liberty is the cause of God. I think that freedom and family and religion are inseparably connected.  True freedom supports the family and religion. Therefore it is freedom that connects our government to religion. And If wicked men separate government and religious/moral principals then they are taking away our freedom because it is the proper glue that binds them. If we are free to sin and kill without punishment then we are not truly free nor do we have peace.  Then we are left with chaos; and what is the point of government?

 

Anyway, I really like that our fathers trusted in God and successfully established a free nation. And how blessed have we been.

 

It's good every once and a while to consider what is important to us, what is truly important, and what our vision is for our future.  That's something that I've always enjoyed doing here in the mission field.  I get to see all kinds of lives and people both rich and poor, happy and miserable.  There's a completely different feel in the church verses outside of it and the people in church seem so much happier then those out of it. These things help expand my understanding and vision of what's really important or not.  There was one point in my mission when I was thinking about what I was going to change for when I return home from my mission.  Then naturally the thought of video games came into mind. I had a small struggle inside of myself considering this subject. I really enjoy video games. I wanted to come home and play some sweet multi-player games with my brothers and sisters. But there are many games that I've played before that I like that perhaps weren't the best. And where do you draw the line? At length I came to the conclusion that I was willing to give up video games completely if the Lord required it of me and I especially wouldn't play any games that would distract me from being able to feel the Holy Spirit's presence.  So I committed myself to that and considered it a sacrifice with a blessing connected to it, and indeed even then I suddenly felt at peace inside and I felt free from a certain burden. I feel like since then my spiritual sensitivity has increased, and my eternal perspective has deepened.  What a blessing! At any rate I don't see when I'll have time to play video games when I get home... there's way too many books that I want to read and things that I want to accomplish. Balance is key, but the Spirit is the guide.

 

The same guidelines go to music and other forms of entertainment. It's not too big of a deal now but I think there remains an effectual struggle to be made. Yet my mind is fixed with a resolute determination.

 

Well, that's all I have for now. Happy Independence day!

 

Love,

 

Elder Lilly