Closeness

Dear Family and Friends,

I am going to be brief this week. We have been kind of all over the place with conference, and then a trip to Albuquerque for council meetings, then Zone Training on Friday. We had a couple of good lessons last week.

First was with Frank. He really is not progressing anywhere very fast. We have been pretty discouraged about how to even help him, and ultimately we feel that he doesn't understand the importance nor the requirement, nor relative simplicity of repentance. I have said more and more, if there is one thing that I want people to learn from meeting with us it is to repent. Repent early, repent often and repent completely. It's not worth living life bogged down with guilt and shame, and the burden of our own weakness and stupidity when through the atonement of Christ we can be free from all of that. I love the talk from Conference that related how in the sense of welfare and people feeling entitled or expectant of relief when they are further away from the source the help is coming from. The same is very true in our lives as we withdraw from being close to our Father in Heaven and the reality of the Savior's Atonement we are more likely to be expectant and demanding in the things we think should happen in our lives. Another Lesson was with Eric. We taught of being humble by choice rather than being compelled. We also committed him to quit smoking and with his permission and willful consent, confiscated and destroyed his pack of cigarettes he had bought that morning. That is a repentant heart. Thought the journey is not always easy, it is both a commandment and a blessing to allow us to become better and stronger than we have been ever before.

The way that I have had to draw closer to my Father in Heaven is through more meaningful prayer. I relate it to Rock climbing. When you approach a climb you study and identify the route which will provide the most effective ascent. Before you aver start, you attach yourself to the anchors with your harness and a rope that is connected to another person who is there to catch you if you fall, and offer a wider perspective of the rock face as you are clinging onto a portion and you may not be able to see what is around you. Before you begin, you double check ropes knots, and lock gates on the belay device to make sure they are all in proper order. In prayer, I have had to slow down and ponder on the path that I have walked during the day, and the route which I am going to try to take the next day. Then I have had to double check my "gear" being my heart and intent before I truly approach the throne of our Eternal God and Father. This is my way of drawing closer to Heavenly Father, and it may not be the same for everyone. I invite you to ponder on your prayer, and to consider how you can make it more meaningful, heartfelt and truly sincere. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder McGarry