Thoughts on "The Next Life"

After all the trials of the summer, and the continuing challenges of our little branch, I've been thinking of what the next life will be like.

I don't know about you, but I'm aiming for the Celestial Kingdom, the highest, the top! Got a long way to go, but I'm keeping my eyes on the goal and doing all I can to get there, including (especially) daily repentance.

What I was thinking about was the fact that we won't have to deal with "in-active", "less-active", non-committed saints once we get there. Only the valiant in their testimony of Jesus will be there. Hallelujah. What a restful place; what a lot of work we'll be able to accomplish, like creating worlds, without having to track down, work with, and try to persuade to come back all those poor souls who for whatever reason, don't want to come back to church, or can't decide to come back to church. Do you realize how much time and effort is spent, how many meetings are held to get people to come back? Why did they leave in the first place? Boggles my mind.

Won't it be wonderful to be with like-minded brothers and sisters? Truly of one heart and one mind. No contention, no discord, just love and encouragement, joy and rejoicing. And the gaining of knowledge! Oh, how wonderful that will be, to learn with no constraints (money, time, fatigue) and to be able to fully understand everything.

In this life I've learned that I'm happiest when I'm creating, whether it is clothing, food, a beautiful room, a story, music, a garden, whatever. While I'm creating I feel happiness. Think of creating worlds! And children to fill them! I know I'll be happy! Once, during a temple session I had a glimpse of Eternity, (I can't really explain how it happened) I fully, for a brief moment, understood the joy of eternal increase and knew that the required obedience and sacrifice would be so worth the reward. I have remembered those feelings many times when I am discouraged.

I'm not ready to graduate, as I want to finish raising my children and get to have some grandchildren too. I just think about the future and the blessings it holds.

Resolution and Moving On

Our Branch President came over to talk to us on Fast Sunday in August. Although not everything was resolved, enough was resolved and I felt enough peace to return to the Branch.

I recently attended a training meeting with Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy who said that each unit, in the first generation, goes through a "Kirtland" period of trials. This branch has been there for the past five years. He said it is important to stay faithful and move on to "Nauvoo" and then "the Valley".

Today we had twelve sisters in Relief Society which felt rather nice.