Take your parachute when you skydive!

Wonderful and amazing Jacque Sweeny bought Sister McQueen and I our own missionary plaques with "The Fellowship of the Unashamed" engraved on it.  Love her so very much

Ah! My heart is just over flowing with joy at this moment.  I am surrounded by family from all around the world each and every day, and I am amazed by their commitment to serve the Lord despite struggles that hit them from every corner.  They are truly unfailing in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so very excited for our Zone Conference this upcoming Wednesday and Thursday.  Sister McQueen and I have spent most of our time preparing for this Conference (every missionary in our mission attends for inspiration and training on how to feel more effective in their teaching). However, I really have to say that the part I am most looking forward to is the part that Sister McQueen and I will do no planning for--a testimony meeting at the end of both sessions of the conference. 

We are surrounded by sisters from around the world, and we want the chance to hear their testimonies--not just what they know, but their personal stories and experiences of how they came to know.  I was so very humbled yesterday during Sacrament meeting as all of our Brazilian sisters stood at the front and sang, "If the Savior Stood Beside ME," in Portuguese.  I imagined the families supporting them all, the friends they said good bye to, and yet their strength and determination to serve as the Savior would serve, and where He had called them to serve. I am grateful that the Lord called us each here to the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission, where we can see that the Savior truly shares His teachings with everyone from around the world.

This last week I was blessed to see the affects of living the gospel in the lives of others.  We were able to see Jerrel and his two kids who have all been baptized in the past few months.  Jerrel is preparing to go to the temple to do baptisms for those who have passed on, and will be going this Saturday.  We are all so excited for him.  Their family means the world to me and I consider them family and some of my dearest friends.  With a big smile on his face, he told us that earlier that day he had gone skydiving for the very first time.  We were completely shocked to hear this as Jerrel is such a quiet and soft-spoken guy.  He just laughed and said he liked to do something adventurous every month.  We asked him what his favorite adventures have been this year. 

With a big smile on his face he responded, "Being baptized, and being able to baptize Madison and Oscar. Skydiving was over in an instant, but this joy builds upon itself time and time again."

Picture yourself sky diving...picture the fun that would be and the memories you would take with you. Okay, now picture you standing beside your Savior...picture seeing His eyes in yours, your countenance reflecting His...do we understand now what Jerrel was getting at?  Nothing can compare with that.

I picture Jerrel skydiving, and I think about how grateful I am that he had a parachute to keep him safe.  I think about how that parachute can represent the very covenant we make when we are baptized.  It is not about joining a church, it is about following our Savior Jesus Christ, where ever it is He asks us to go. When we are baptized, we covenant with our Father in Heaven that we will love and serve those around us, and we are more enabled to do that as we covenant to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and to serve Him. The Book of Mormon teaches us about the importance of this covenant, and the amazing opportunity it is to us to serve our brothers and sisters all around us.

 "8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are ^adesirous to come into the ^bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are ^awilling to mourn with those that ^bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as ^cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the ^dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—" (mosiah 18:8-9)

Just think, as we are baptized, we make a promise that we will serve and comfort anyone we can.  We can become as the parachutes that hold up those who are taking a leap to fly.  As we each are taking steps on this journey back home to our Father in Heaven, we jump, hope to grow, and because of the covenants that others have made around us, we may always rest assured that we have a parachute to hold us up.

I know and testify that the purpose of this life is to have experiences that are for our good--sometimes these experiences are more painful than others, but they are to mold us into those who are like Jesus Christ.  Him who exemplifies every good quality we seek out. How is it we will ever be able to be like Him, unless we follow His example of bearing the burdens of those around us?  When we feel disheartened, or discouraged, we must trust that by opening ourselves up to others, we are giving them opportunities to become more like their Savior.  We are giving them opportunities to be the parachute, to be a safety net, while all the while the Savior holds on tight and shows us by example the way we are to serve.

Pray that you will be able to uplift someone this week, and I can promise you as His representative, that your joy will be full, and your relationship with the Savior will grow.  You will begin to not just have good memories, but you will begin to have your countenance reflect that of the very Savior of you and I, even Jesus Christ.

I love you all! Thank you for everything! You are all such wonderful examples to me!

Out to lunch to celebrate Sister Brook's 20th birthday today! We love Leatherby's!

Sincerely,

Sister Briggs :)

SHOUTOUS: Jess Helm, Sister Pickerell, Sister Opeda, Sister Siegle, Ashley Solosko, Mom & Dad, Bry & Case, Robert Donakey, Brother & Sister Donakey, Sara and Mary, Grandma Jeanie, Deena Mitchell