I have had some beautiful experiences in my life recently that have gotten me thinking about what matters most. About a month ago, Grant and I attended one of the sweetest events we've ever been to -- the sealing of a beautiful family in the Provo temple. We met Jesus and Evelyn and their sweet baby, Jasmine, a couple summers ago when we were called to teach the Gospel Principles class in Grant's parents' ward. Among our class members was that beautiful couple, who had been baptized right before we had returned to Utah for the summer. Teaching Jesus and Evelyn was like teaching on my mission all over again. They had such a sincere thirst for the gospel and were so excited to learn all of the simple truths we taught in that class. It was such a joy to share our testimonies with them and to see the light in their eyes as they were re-introduced to the beautiful teachings of our Heavenly Father's plan.
Grant and I could not have been more delighted to be called this past summer to teach the Temple Preparation course to a few couples in Grant's parents' ward, among them, Jesus and Evelyn. By then, little Jasmine was in Nursery with Eliot, and Jesus and Evelyn were just as thirsty as ever to learn more gospel truths and prepare to be sealed as a family in the temple. Our only disappointment was that we moved before we had taught Jesus and Evelyn all of the lessons; we wish we could have seen them through the entire course. It was such a privilege and joy to teach them and to be taught by them. It was humbling to witness their enthusiasm for their first temple experience and the covenants they would soon make; it made me want to not take for granted those same blessings in my own life.
Just a day or so after we had been to the temple for Grant's sister's sealing, I received a text message from Evelyn, inviting us to attend their family's sealing. I was so thrilled for the opportunity, and it was one of the choicest opportunities I have ever had. There is nothing quite like seeing a couple sealed to one another and then to have the doors open and see their little one, dressed like an angel in perfect white, brought to them to be sealed to them. Sweet Jasmine had fallen asleep in the temple worker's arms. It was a heavenly opportunity to witness that beautiful family sealed. We learned that day that Evelyn is expecting their second child, who, by virtue of the covenants they made, will be automatically sealed to them. As Grant and I walked, more like floated, from the temple that day, I said, "I don't think it gets any better than that."
Though a much different experience, today was also a sacred occasion for me. I attended the funeral of the mother of one of my best friends. My dear friend Melissa and I have been close friends since Junior High. She is a loyal, kind, non-judgmental, faithful, funny, and good-natured friend. She's the kind of friend that I can go years without seeing, and yet when we're back together, it's like we were never apart. I love her dearly and count my friendship with Missy as one of the great blessings of my teenage years; I know that my life and the choices I have made were very much influenced by having good friends like her. She has always been a quiet, righteous example in my life. Though I didn't have a close personal relationship with Melissa's mother, I always admired her quiet, gentle manner. I knew, as my own mother put it so beautifully this week, "Girls like Melissa don't just happen. They're raised by good mothers."
And Missy's mom was certainly a good mother. She was more than good. She was, as her obituary and the beautiful memorial service held in her honor attested, an "outstanding, wonderful, wise mother." One of her daughters gave this lovely tribute: "Mothering was her talent; it was her gift." As I listened to many more similar tributes, I felt over and over again that Melissa's mother was a heart-and-soul mother, a faithful member of the Church who gave quietly and willingly all her life. She was humble, kind, charitable, full of faith. As her wonderful Stake President and my former seminary teacher bore witness, she "understood what it meant to be a woman, and she became that." As sorrowful as I am for my dear friend and the unexpected loss of her mother, I could not help but walk away from today's funeral feeling enlightened, uplifted, empowered. Through the righteous example of that faithful family, who stand as a monument to the influence of a righteous woman, I felt blessed to move forward with faith and courage in my own role as wife and mother. I determined there is little, if anything, that matters more than how I fulfill my role as a wife and mother. I desire to be more like sweet Melissa's mother, a quiet, unassuming, yet strong and faithful woman, who can influence so many through the little things -- home-cooked meals; diligent Family Home Evening, scripture study, and prayer; informal teaching moments; withholding judgment and criticism; loving patiently, calmly, wisely, fully. Because that all makes a difference. We live in a world that seriously undermines and undervalues motherhood, which makes it sometimes all too easy to forget how incredibly important it is.
Which is the underlying message of what I have been feeling in my heart these past few weeks -- how much these things truly matter. How much it matters to be sealed in the temple for time and eternity. How much being a faithful, devoted, kind and caring mother matters. In the words of my awesome missionary cousin Amanda, "This is IT. This is EVERYTHING." In the quiet and sacred moments of the past month, I have felt profound promptings in my soul that these things are it -- they are everything. And at the heart of everything that matters lies "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Only because of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement is any of it possible. Only because of Him are families eternal; it is His priesthood power that binds us, it is the power wrought by His Resurrection that we too may live again and be restored with our loved ones. It is through Him that I have any chance of overcoming my weaknesses and becoming the mother I desire to be. It is only through Him that we can be given the strength necessary to keep our families intact in these trying times.
Next Sunday, my sweet Primary children will perform their sacrament meeting presentation. They, with the help of a very capable counselor and wonderful teachers, have prepared beautifully. My favorite part of the program is the brand new song they learned for this year's theme. It is called "I Know That My Savior Loves Me." I can't sing it or hear it sung without tearing up. It is so beautiful. The first verse is my favorite:
A long time ago in a beautiful place,
Children were gathered 'round Jesus.
He blessed and taught as they felt of His love.
Each saw the tears on His face.
The love that He felt for His little ones,
I know He feels for me.
I did not touch Him or sit on His knee,
Yet, Jesus is real to me.
Now I am here in a beautiful place,
Learning the teachings of Jesus.
Parents and teachers will help guide the way,
Lighting my path every day.
Wrapped in the arms of my Savior's love,
I feel His gentle touch.
Living each day, I will follow His way,
Home to my Father above.
I know He lives!
I will follow faithfully,
My heart I give to Him,
I know that my Savior loves me.
I do know that my Savior loves me, and, just as the Primary children sing so sweetly, "Jesus is real to me." And that knowledge is IT. It is EVERYTHING.
