Week 77 - The Plan of Salvation

This past week Elder Hammond's grandfather, Reuel McPhie, returned home to our Heavenly Father. He will be missed.  We know he is happy and with loved ones.  

We lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth Jeremiah:1.5.  We are his spirit children Romans 8:16-17, Acts 17:27-29, Hebrews 12:9 and as such are all brothers and sisters.  When we die our spirit returns to the spirit world or paradise Ecclesiastes 12:7, Luke 23:43 and our physical body returns to the earth Genesis 3:19.

Our Heavenly Father loves all His children and knew not all would hear the gospel in this world.  In the spirit world, the gospel is taught to those who didn't find it here on earth 1 Peter 4:6.  Someday we will stand before our Savior to be judged 2 Corinthians 5:10.  Because of the Savior, all of us will be resurrected.  Resurrection means our spirit will be reunited with our physical body, but our body will be a perfect, immortal body Acts 24:15, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.  The glory of this immortal body depends on the choices we make in life 1 Corinthians 15:40-42.

We believe families can be eternal -- that we will again be reunited with loved ones.  -- Elder Hammond's Father.

When did Grandpa die?  I wasn't told.  I'm OK.  This would have been much harder if I didn't have the gospel and know where he is.  It hasn't sunk in yet...  I know he's in a better place.

The mission president called me and told me he was sorry for our loss.  He talked about how he knew I would miss going fishing with him.  That hit me pretty hard.

-=-

Other comments from Conner's past week:

I taught "L" with Elder Vaterlaus.  She said that she was indecisive because she wants a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.  She also went to church which was cool. She wants to bring her mom to an activity.

Then I went to a zone conference.  I ended up playing the violin.  The conference was good.  There were some great talks on the Savior and the prophet Joseph Smith and some of their traits and attributes. We also discussed how we can become more like the Savior.

I had an exchange with Elder Palilla which was fun. We started off by locking ourselves out of the apartment.  After trying to open several windows we decided we would just shatter one of the cracked windows.  We found a stick and shoved it through a window that needed replacing.

We made Oreo truffles that night.  It was a good day.

Yesterday was a huge soccer game between Chile and Germany.  Good thing Elder Cerron and I had studies during that time.  It would have been terrible walking the streets during the game.