This week we went to the temple! We woke up at 4:00 am for it. It was wonderful to go there again. If I could, I would attend the temple much more often. I saw Elder Sorensen and Elder Wheeler there, blasts from the past.
We taught a less-active family who has recently began coming back to church actively. They are from Brazil originally, and they expressed concerns that perhaps we as members of the Church should be more aware of. In Brazil, there was always something going on with the church. They could have something going on at the local building every day of the week. They would spend most holidays doing service for their community--that was their vacation. The church was like a family down there. The people that came to home teach you were also the people that you were having fun with and working with the rest of the week, so it was easier to establish genuine relationships. Here in Ontario, and I'm sure most of North America, it's not like that. The culture is different, people are busier and farther apart, there is less opportunity for service, and it's very easy to feel like you are not involved or even not important.
It is important for us to remember that amid all of the things that we must do in this life, the two great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors. As we care for Christ's sheep that are already in our fold, I promise that the Gospel will spread more efficiently. Where there are wards that God can trust, they become the inns for those found wounded by the wayside, just like in the story of the good Samaritan. Whether someone is an active member, less-active member, or someone not of our faith, all are important to God and all need to know that they are needed and appreciated.
Have a good week!
--Elder Wade
