The Plan of Happiness

Someone we met this week seemed to know more about Texas than I do! We started talking to him, and he'd seen missionaries before, so he knew we come from all over. When he found out where I was from, he started giving me all these facts, a lot of them that I'd never heard of. But he'd been to UT a few times, and it was cool to talk to him about Texas, not many people here are able to have that conversation with me :)

One really great spiritual experience from this week was with a random contact on the street. As we were talking to him and getting to know him more, he started crying and shared that his mum had died just 8 months ago, and now he was alone with no more family. This gave us the opportunity to share with him part of the plan of salvation, and the blessings that come into our lives with the knowledge we have of what comes after this life. We can have confidence that our family members who have died are safe, and can have the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that we will be able to see and live with them again. I like 1 Cor. 15:54, which says that "death is swallowed up in victory." Because of Jesus Christ, we will all experience victory over death and be resurrected with perfect bodies, depending on how we obeyed the commandments while we lived here on earth (1 Cor. 15:40-42). And this is eternal life :) John 17:3 How could this be anything but the plan of happiness? God's purpose is not to make it so difficult that there is no way to return to live with him again. He WANTS us to make it back to him, and has shown us the way, through His son Jesus Christ. As we continue to try our best, we will find happiness, but the greatest happiness is found after this life, when we receive the gift of living with our Heavenly Father again.

I love teaching the people here in Adelaide. I love seeing the blessings that can come into their lives when they change, and bring their lives closer in harmony with God's will, and this brings greater happiness. My mission has really helped me see the eternal perspective, and how this life really is the time for men to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32).

I love you all, keep being your wonderful selves!

Sister Townsend

This photo is my new companion, Sister Goisisi