Dear mi familia,
What a beautiful day today is. I can't believer we're to the end of March already, and that another season has passed. Time just flies much, much too quickly! With General Conference this weekend, and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior, what is there to worry about-- nothing else matters!
I told you about Gene and his two boys, Zack and Jacob, last week-- the new family we're teaching who was brought to church by a sister in the ward three weeks ago. We have had some really wonderful lessons with them this last week, and they readily accepted the commitment to prepare for baptism on the 9th of April, in two weeks! Gene has quit smoking and committed yesterday to quit drinking coffee. He already is noticing the blessings in his life and in his family since focusing more directly on living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, as we spoke to Jacob, the 13-year-old, about his reading in the Book of Mormon, he commented on how amazing Nephi is to be so obedient and faithful despite his wayward brothers. I was so proud of him for catching onto that key detail. They are both bright boys who want to do better, and I know there is a void being filled as they come to church every week, and read and pray daily. Their family is happier, and Jacob looked a little less like an angsty teenager yesterday than in the previous weeks we've seen him!
In the Book of Mormon Class that we teach at the church every week, we were teaching Jacob 5-- the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees. In the allegory, the tame olive tree represents the House of Israel and the wild olive tree represents the gentiles; there is the master of the vineyard and he has a servant-- the Master represents our Father in Heaven and the servant represents anyone laboring in the Kingdom of God-- for this email, the servant will be representative of Christ-- It really struck me, as we were teaching, the numerous chances the Lord gives the trees (us) to produce good fruit. When the master is ready to burn his vineyard because of the no good trees (justice), the servant pleads with the master to allow him to work a little longer and a little harder to make the trees bring forth good fruit (mercy). We are given so many opportunities to bring forth good fruit-- whether through trials or blessings, we have the opportunity to change-- nevertheless, at the end, if those trees still were no good, they had to be burned for the good of the vineyard, and so it is with us. If time after time we refuse to change, the hand of the servant can only stay the master's inevitable plan so long. I am grateful for the mercy and justice of the Lord's kingdom, for we are blessed by both. One cannot exist without the other-- and I am eternally indebted to my savior who made it possible for mercy to be exercised in my behalf.
The gospel is so true-- we have the opportunity to watch conference this weekend and pray to know without a doubt that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today-- don't miss this opportunity for spiritual growth and testimony strengthening!
I love you tons and tons,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
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