Family :)
This has been a very intense week for me. Just getting done with conference last week. It ahs been refreshing to receive the messages and promptings give to us by our living prophet and his beloved counselors! There are so many things to be learned and taken away from this conference! As I know many of you have noticed, our leaders focused heavily on the family. I could not help but think about my own family on conference Sunday. Oh how grateful I am for the support and constant love and encouragement. It has given me much strength!
I was touched by Sister Burton's talk about priesthood holder and especially her focus on fathers. Wow, how important is the role of the father in a family?! Why is it so important? As this is a role that I will soon play in my own life, this topic and these questions stood out in my mind. With ease, thoughts came back to me about my own father and the role he has played in my life. He has been my teacher on how to act as a priesthood holder, but not only that, he has been my teacher of how to raise children, how to love my wife, and how to make sacrifices for those I love and how to truly put the gospel and (My Heavenly Father) first BEFORE everything else! But again, as I pondered, why this is so important, the answer came easily. As we recall the words "Families can be together forever", the next words go "through Heavenly Father's Plan." These last words really stood out to me as I pondered. I want to bear my testimony about this experience that the Lord has shown me HOW I can. I KNOW our prophet and the apostles receive direct revelation from God himself that they might teach his word. These words are the guidelines that we need and show us how to return to Him!
As our leaders talked much on the role of the father in the home, I reflected how this role means nothing without the accompanying role of the mother. As our leaders spoke to the Elder missionaries, they told them their purpose and what they are supposed to become and that is to prepare to become READY FATHERS and HUSBANDS. We are to prepare ourselves because our wives deserve the most worthy and prepared husbands.
My favorite line of the entire conference was from Sister Burton when she said, "Thee lift me and I will lift thee and we will ascend together!" This tuck out so strongly in my mind because I have seen my own father and mother lift each other up and have seen them ascend together in this gospel with each other.
The next part I want to talk about is example. Today we had President Hulick from the Seventy come speak at our ward conference. He talked about what is done in the home. As we lift each other up, we will see our kids raise each other up, and as we ascend in the gospel, we shall see our kids ascend as well.
At home, I saw my mother and father do this beautifully. Even though they make their own mistakes, they are always trying! I bare testimony of the power of example and I bare solid witness that as we magnify our callings as priesthood brethren, we shall see blessings come to our families. We shall see our children strive to walk in our footsteps.
I have witnessed these blessings first hand and as I have seen the light shed forth upon me and my family. There will be challenges. There will be trials. But, you will have the strength to overcome these things as you, me, all of us take the challenge and apply the words of the prophets and ACT! For the Lord has shown me how I can do this. THE LORD HATH SHOWN ME HOW I CAN.
I bear my testimony that we have a living prophet here on the earth and he receives direct revelation from Heavenly Father our Eternal Head! I know we shall have eternal and everlasting life as families if we do as the Lord hath commanded. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love you family!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
We are Eternal!
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