March 10, 2014

Hello everyone! I hope you all had an AWESOME week. We sure did here. But I say that every week. PS - for those of you who saw that terrible picture of me online from Elder Christofferson's visit, 2 things - 1) It's not from his visit. That was taken like months ago at another meeting haha! 2) I promise I don't always look like death. I just try not to fall asleep whenever I sit down as a missionary. I was paying attention :) Okay that's all for that side note.

Well, I want to base this week's letter off of a quote I heard while in a family home evening at Bishop's house last week. It touched my heart so deeply, and hopefully it will to yours as well.

M. Russell Ballard, The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood, March 2006:

"When you stop and think about it from a diabolically tactical point of view, fighting the family makes sense. When Satan wants to disrupt the work of the Lord, he doesn't poison the world's peanut butter supply, thus bringing the Church's missionary system to its collective knees. He doesn't send a plague of laryngitis to afflict the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He doesn't legislate against green Jell-O or casseroles. When Satan truly wants to disrupt the work of the Lord, he attempts to confuse gender and he attacks God's plan for His children. He works to drive a wedge of disharmony between a father and a mother. He entices children to be disobedient to their parents. He makes family home evening and family prayer inconvenient. He suggests family scripture study is impractical. That's all it takes, because Satan knows that the surest and most effective way to disrupt the Lord's work is to diminish the effectiveness of the family and the sanctity of the home."

I could just end the email here. But seriously. Brothers and sisters, think for a minute about the sacred unit of the family and look around! The family is the most sacred social unit in time and in eternity - it is also the most attacked by Satan. This quote has a bit of humor to it. But then Elder Ballard gets serious. Ask yourself, have you ever put off FHE or scripture study because it was inconvenient? Or because you were too busy? I sure have. Multiple times in my life. Brothers and Sisters, this past week has just really opened up my eyes. Satan is attacking the family unit like NEVER before. As a missionary, I have seen more broken families than ever before in my life.

So, if Satan is attacking the family all day everyday, then what do we do? Well, primary answers!! According to this quote, we must do three simple things to keep the foundation strong - Family Home Evening, Family prayer, and Family scripture study. That's not so difficult, right?  Yet Satan makes it seem "inconvenient". I have certainly been there. I am grateful that on my mission I have time set apart every morning so that it's not a matter of convenience to read the scriptures, I just do it for two hours a day! I love it. But sometimes I fear when I go home and might forget things sometimes. Satan is alive and well.

I am not exactly sure where I am going with all of this - I just PLEAD with each of you...please do these three things! Protect your families from the adversary!! Do everything in your power to strengthen your family. Ask yourself, "what am I putting before my family?". Then, change it! This sacred unit will be attacked and destroyed. But those who stand strong will be rewarded with relationships that can be perpetuated beyond the veil.

I guess the reason I bring this up is because I love my family so much, and I know each of you feel the same way about yours. I cannot imagine Heaven without them. It wouldn't be Heaven for me. I plead with my Heavenly Father every single day to keep my family strong and close, including my future family. May we each align our priorities with the Lord's will.

This week's challenge is to hold FHE tonight, and have family scripture study and prayer every single day. And if you are not doing that, ask yourself what you can change to align your will with the Savior's?

I am not sending this to condemn. Rather, I am sending it because I love the family. I love this sacred unit that the Lord has allowed us to be a part of on this earth. It literally shatters my heart to think that some families won't be together for eternity. But yours can!

I love you all, and this Gospel is true. What a blessed week this was in the greatest mission on earth.

Love,

Sister Biggs