Tudo Bem? Tudo bom!

I have two talks I want you all to read: "Lord, I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief" by Pres. Faust and "But If Not" (different than the other one I talked about) by Lance B. Wickman. I printed a copy to send you but I haven't yet, so just look it up...it will be faster that way. But the latter I just happened upon after I emailed last week when Sister Riggs and I were reading talks for our companionship study. It was the perfect comfort for me while thinking about JR and Rick and Nancy. I am going to send them a copy as well.

Last Sunday I watched Mountain of the Lord after we had our Fireside (we get to watch church films on Sunday nights if I've never mentioned that before). I don't know if I had ever seen it before but it really touched me. Our Fireside had been about Joseph Smith and we had sung Praise to the Man as the closing song. The line "Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven" stuck out to me as I listened. These words became even more significant as I watched Mountain of the Lord about the building on the Salt Lake Temple. 40 years. It took 40 years to finish that temple. The saints knew what sacrifice was and their sacrifice was literally for the blessings of heaven. That they could enter into the temple and make covenants of eternal consequence. We are blessed to have their amazing examples as we labor and sacrifice today to keep ourselves clean and share the gospel with the world.

Tuesday night's devotional was also amazing. It was about the power of the Book of Mormon. I wish I could record these talks and send them all to you because each one has brought the spirit strongly into my heart and taught me amazing truths. The speaker was David F Evans from the Seventy on Tuesday and he emphasized that the Book of Mormon contains answers to EVERY question of the soul. I want to testify to all of you that when we read the Book of Mormon, we will find the answers we are looking to and that as Joseph said, we will grow closer to God by reading and abiding by the principles of this Book than by any other book (that was a paraphrase but look to the Introduction for the exact quote). I know this is true!

Time is up, but I love you all!

Sister Knudsen