My Dear Family,
Wow, it sounds like the family is really busy with a lot of projects and working hard. As President Grant says, "we must re throne work as the guiding factor in the lives of the Latter-day Saints." I have no doubt that my family has no trouble with the principle of work.
I appreciate all of your thoughts and the comments in the letters that I have received. I am grateful for all that you do and I know that the Lord guides the steps of His children. I am astonished each and every day how the Lord places people in our paths to teach, lead, and guide us. I know that I have been taught by goodly parents. I am eternally grateful for you my dear family. May the Lord continue to bless you as you seek to do His will.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in this world every single day. We talk, walk, hear, communicate, run, feel, understand. We worry ourselves with a lot of things. We begin to stress ourselves over things that really do not have much importance. I have thought much about a quote from President Monson which says that ¨we should never let a problem become more important than a person to be loved.¨ It has given me a perspective much deeper about what I desire to accomplish as a missionary and as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Speaking of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know that it is the only way to return to live with God again. As we exercise faith, repent of our sins, show God the reality of our faith through obedience to His commandments, make covenants with God to do more so that He can bless us to greater degrees, we can obtain success, peace, and eternal life. The only way that we can receive eternal life is through our personal relation with Jesus Christ. He is the only person who is capable to give us salvation. Taking from President Monson, I have thought about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this way. ¨Elder Russell, never let a problem become more important than your love for Jesus Christ.¨ Why? Why would someone neglect themselves of vanities to follow Christ? I like the word vanity. It means something that appeals to be worthwhile or correct but in reality it is not. It means a trap. They are counterfeits of blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each and every one of us yearns for success, peace, and a security of who we are and where are we going. If the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not exist, there would be no reason for us to be here. If the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not exist, there is no reason for this earth. But we are here. We life in this earth and we live in this day and age when the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is here on the earth. We search and search and search for complex answers and instantaneous solutions. They are vanities or counterfeits of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no solution nor situation that God does not understand nor has He already dealt with it millions of times. We are talking about the Eternal God who does not change who is the Mediator of all mankind. Learn of Him. Trust Him. Follow Him.
It is my testimony that we are members of the family of God. We were not reserved for this day and age so that we could waste away our time thinking about being baptized or receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We were reserved to so that we could be baptized in this day and age. We were not selected for our excellence in money management but for our diligence in the Priesthood of God. Follow Christ. It is the only real success. It is my prayer that we can make and better keep the covenants that God has given us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Russell
Acapulco