Sister Pugmire: Week 57--1 Cor 15:29 and Family History

Hey Loved Ones,

THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN AS A MISSIONARY:

#41: Got mistaken for ten years younger than my age, again. I'm sure it will be flattering one day. Right now I'm not too thrilled about being called a 13 year old.

#42: Get a return appointment with Matt Foley.

We taught this guy who was doing apartment maintenance and he gave us his address and a time to stop by. We went, and it was literally a schoolbus. Parked on an empty lot in a neighborhood. We knocked but no one answered.

Chip was baptized yesterday! He was first up to bear his testimony this Sunday. He quoted the prophet's General Conference talk about how it expressed his same feelings about the Book of Mormon, and how he too had to pray and ask for a while to know it was true. He spoke of how much he enjoys the words of the prophets and Conference. Keep in mind he was not yet investigating with us when he decided to watch Conference. Amazing. He already has a date picked out to go to the temple, and so we will be working with him this week to do family history!

Family History has become so important to me on my mission. I can't even explain. We learned this week that an apostle has said that missionary work on the other side of the veil is 1000x more effective. President Carlson also said that he feels strongly impressed that there are those ancestors who unselfishly volunteered to come to the earth first while the Restored Gospel was not on the earth (or even when it was but they were aware they'd not have an opportunity to hear it) so that they could prepare the way for US here and now to have the blessings that we do.

"For Christ also hath once suffered‍ for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death‍ in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached‍ unto the spirits‍ in prison;...when once the longsuffering‍ of God waited....Else what shall they do which are baptized for‍ the dead, if the dead rise‍ not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Corinthians 15:29)

But we can't forget them. Sometimes people are searching for a name and it becomes frustrating, but the Lord knows who is prepared and who is not, and the promise is He will put the names of those prepared in our path.

And if you're looking for a pro level member missionary tip, sharing the "WHY" of Family History is such non-threatening way to do it. Of course the Plan of Salvation, but also the message of the Restoration! We believe God is our Father, and He loves us. He gave us our families for a reason, that we could learn to be more like Him, as a Father (or mother), and Christ, as a Son (or daughter.) From the beginning he sent prophets to guide families. Think of every prophet in the Bible! They all were about navigating their families through the craziness of the world they lived in. Moses being reunited with his family and saving them, Noah and his family, ect. When Christ came he taught about the importance of temples and the family...why don't we give heed to what he said now? Is the world so much better off that we don't need families of guidance for them? The family is more attacked than almost anything else. That's why God brought forth another prophet, Joseph Smith and those that follow, to fight for the family and show us the things that the world lost. It's a part of the fullness of the Gospel.

Love you, but Jesus loves you best,

Sister Pugmire

Brother Murray and Chip before the baptism! It may looks like I am going cross eyed in this pic but I promise you I am not.