One Transfer Down! -- July 29, 2014

Hey Everyone!

I have officially finished my first transfer! It’s been a hard one and a fun one as well. I have learned so much from my companion, Elder Lopez.  He is so awesome. He is the most obedient person I have ever met. He has so much charity and love for the mission; that’s one thing that I’m still trying to develop.  

I think the biggest thing I have learned from this transfer is to have courage. Having courage has made such a difference to me in being a missionary. It takes a lot of courage to not only talk to random people about the church or to try to convert people, but it also takes a lot of courage to simply get through the day as a missionary. In the Book of Mormon, there are countless recordings of prophets having courage and standing up for what they believe in. In the very first chapter of Alma, it talks about a man named Nehor. Nehor was evil and was doing a lot of bad things among the Nephites. While Nehor was going against the church and trying to convert others to believing in worldly things, a man named Gideon stood up against Nehor and told him that what he was doing is not according to the teachings of the Lord. Nehor being evil decided to slay Gideon with a sword for his actions and killed him. What I have learned from this is that we will be put in situations where we will have to stand up for what we believe in. This happens to missionaries all day every day. Even in the hardest situations we can have faith that the Lord will be with us and help us through everything.  As long as we are trying our best and asking to have the spirit to be in our lives and then being worthy to carry it, our Heavenly Father will bless us and use us to strengthen his kingdom. 

Transfers are this week and Elder Lopez is getting transferred. I will get a new companion on Wednesday and I will be taking over the area. I’m pretty nervous for this as I have only had six weeks of training, but I know the Lord does what is best for his children.  I’m really excited for my new companion; he used to be a zone leader so I’m sure I will learn a lot from him! 

I love this gospel and I’m so thankful for the happiness it brings to my life and to the lives of others. Thank you so much for all the support and all the prayers.  Keep praying for me please and keep sending letters; I love getting them! Have a great week and always remember to pray! 

Keep the faith,

-Elder Kaleb Bingham

Following Promptings -- July 21, 2014

Hey Everyone! 

This week was really good! We were able to find more people to teach and set up appointments for this week! It cooled down a lot here, thank goodness! It’s been in the 60s here and it has made tracting a whole lot better! It usually is really hot and humid all day and you feel like you are walking around in an oven! 

   

Elder Lopez and I had some really cool spiritual experiences this last week. We were tracting one afternoon and we were having no success at all. So after praying very hard, I got a prompting that we needed to go across town to a park by the river here. Elder Lopez didn't want to go to the park, but we ended up going. We got there and started talking to people that were walking along the river and we meet two families that might be interested in hearing more of our message, so it was awesome!  But I kept noticing a college kid that was following us around the park. He kept his distance, but he was kind of stalking us in a way. So we kept talking to everyone and when we were walking back to our car, the man met us there.  He asked us where we were going.  We then told him and he asked us if we could sit down and talk, so we did.  We went to a park bench and started talking to him. His name is Blake; he told us that he is a convert and he got baptized last year. He has been having a lot of troubles and is very sick with crohn’s disease. He told us he needed a blessing and there wasn’t anyone he knew in Radford that could do that for him.  He then told us that he was prompted to come to the park after he had been praying for help in his life. We were able to give him a blessing and share a good message about our Savior with him. It was so cool to see the Lord work through me and guide me to this man. It was an experience I will never forget. 

   

We still teach Jesse and his family.  They are all investigating now and we go over and see them about every other night.  We have grown very close with them. They have like a multi- generation household. Jesse, his sister Lois and her daughter Thae, and her kids sometimes stay there. We hopefully will be able to get them to church and be baptized. Jesse has treatments every day for his lung cancer and he also drives two hours away to the city of Roanoke to visit his wife in a nursing home. He loves listening to the Book of Mormon.  He is such a great guy and he tells us when he is healed and his life is less crazy and hard, he will come to church and be baptized. 

    

I’m starting to learn to love missionary work more and more. It’s hard, but it is getting easier through a lot of faith and a ton of prayer. Thanks so much for all of the encouragement and all the prayers. I love getting letters and all these emails.  I love you all and hope you have an awesome week!

Keep the FAITH, 

Elder Kaleb Bingham

My District--Love them!

Hotel California -- July 28, 2014

July 28, 2014

Hello Everyone!

Sorry this e-mail is late, we didn't have a p-day yesterday because we were just packing and traveling the 8 hour trek to Tacloban. 

I think leaving Catarman was the hardest thing I've ever done. The members were so cute! After attending the wedding of our investigators, we had a big Ward home evening on Saturday as my farewell party. It was a perfect day. I think it was one of the happiest days of my mission. It's weird. I don't feel like an American anymore. I really, truly, feel like I'm Filipino. It feels like I'm going to a foreign country again. I've just never imagined how much I would come to completely, unconditionally, love this country. I love everything about it. I'm proud of the Filipino flag. I love their language, and their traditions, and their culture, and their food, and their humor. It will always be a part of me. 

Something cool that my companion noticed this week is that in any Visayan language, there isn't a word that translates into "hate." Not one. You can say, "I don't love you." or, "I don't like you," but you can't say, "I hate you." I think that's such the culture of the Philippines. They don't hate. Their doors are always open to take in people that need help. Their hearts are always open to love. And even the way they greet each other is designed to convey caring. The worst insult you could ever say to a Filipino is to tell them you don't care about them. 

I've learned how to not care about money or material things here. I love how everyone is just always willing to help one another out. Not matter what. And even if a family is dirt poor, if their neighbor needs help financially, they will always give what they can. I think that's a good lesson for all of us. That was a good lesson for me.

The work this week was a perfect way to end my mission. I feel like I've done everything I was supposed to do in Catarman. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I've had to serve there.

I went and tried to visit a certain less active family the other day. They are pretty poor, and you have to walk on a few really long pieces of bamboo to get to their house. Anyways, we got there, and sister came out to meet us. She explained to us that we couldn't come in their home because brother and his friends were drinking. We asked when we could come back, and she said she didn't know, because they are always drinking. She told us how they got baptized over 8 years ago, but then she told us a super long list of reasons why they couldn't come to church anymore. A big one being because neither of them really had a way to make money to get the money needed to take their 9 children there. As she was telling me all of this, their neighbor turned on their radio. The song, "Hotel California" was blasting. I was listening to the lyrics. "Plenty to do at the Hotel California. Such a lovely place, such a lovely place. da da da da da da but you can never leave."

I thought it was so ironic at how fitting the song related to this woman's situation. And then I realized something. I realized that that is Satan's greatest attack against us--to lure us into our own "Hotel California." Where we get distracted. Where our priorities become severely skewed. When we think our virtual reality on FB is more important than our eternal reality with our Heavenly Father. When we think that Grey's Anatomy is more important than our daily scripture feasting. I was just pondering at how sucked into a Hotel California I was before my mission. And if not anything, my mission has taught me to recognize those deadly traps. 

I will forever have an appreciation for my mission. I remember being in High school and judging people that kept ALL the commandments. I remember thinking, "Wow, what a goody good Mormon. What is she trying to prove." And now I want to go back and slap myself in the face and say, "Are you serious, Sister Bingham?! She has nothing to prove. Life isn't about proving to anyone anything. The only person you should be worried about pleasing is your Father in Heaven, and you should be thankful for this girl's example."  

I love this gospel with my whole soul. I love it because it helps people wake up. It helps them turn in their room keys to the pointless Hotel California’s that we've all checked our spirits into. It helps us awake from our deep testimonial hibernation, see ourselves as God sees us, and gives us the courage and motivation to fulfill our purposes in this short mortal life.

I was teaching a sweet less active recent convert whose 16, named Julietta the other day. We taught her about the plan of salvation. Halfway through, I felt prompted to ask her why she chose to come to this earth. She simply said, "I don't know sister. I can't remember. duh." Our lesson changed into just talking about the pre-mortal existence. It was a really spiritual lesson. 

Do we realize that every single person on this earth, not matter who you are, CHOSE to come here? Do we realize that we actually have a deep and personal relationship with our Savior, and our Father in Heaven, but we just can't remember? Do you realize that we all went through training to come to this earth? We all fought for our agency. We fought for our opportunity to learn, and to become perfect disciples. That we were given assignments, agreed to accomplish them, and agreed to take upon ourselves the name of our Savior in the previous life as well as this one? It dawned on me that I haven't been viewing myself as someone that was chosen by my Heavenly Father, as we all are, to come and help His other children come home. When we told sister Julietta that her Father in Heaven chose her, she started crying. And now she's going to seminary again. 

I hope that I can forever see people as Heavenly Father sees them. I hope I can maintain having the spirit with me always. I hope I can enjoy that companionship always. I will continue to read my scriptures every day, and uplift people, because I have learned what my purpose is on this earth. 

I know that my Savior lives. I'm happy to be one of his soldiers. I'm so blessed to have been given this opportunity to learn of him, to go through some of the things (in a very small degree) of what he suffered and went through, to wear his name, to represent him, to be made an instrument,  and been permitted to bring souls unto him. I'm so happy that I was given this opportunity to see this life for what it really is--to be taken away from my Hotel California, and to check out permanently.

I know that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who loves us. He doesn't want us to judge one another, to fight, or to hate one another. He just wants us to learn how to love one another unconditionally. Every single one of us CAN go to the Celestial kingdom. 

My capacity to love has increased so much on my mission. I hope that you all feel how much I truly and unconditionally love each and every one of you. 

I love being a missionary. I'm a happy missionary. I will be proud to forever be a missionary and represent Him. I'm not perfect. By any means. But, it's okay. One day, with the help of my Savior's mercy and His atonement, I will be. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior,  Amen.

Signing off for the last time,

Sister Bingham

 

In New York!

 

Waiting for Hillary to arrive!

 

And she's here!

He waited!!!

 

 

 

 

 

A final message:  Hillary, we are so proud of you!  You were an exemplary missionary.  You tried your hardest every day and you shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with many many people. We are so grateful for your service and the many blessings that we received as a family for your efforts.  You are such a great example to your siblings and we thank you for that also.  You have been converted yourself.  You understand what the atonement is and what the sacrifices that Jesus Christ made for us really mean. It's hard to believe that you went so far away, for such a long time, that you had such amazing experiences, and came home safe and sound and filled with such a wonderful testimony. You served a successful mission and we know that the mission will serve you as you go throughout your life. We have a testimony of Jesus Christ and know that this is his work and that he is pleased with your sacrifice. We love you with all of our hearts.

Mom and Dad

I'm a Pilgrim, I'm a Soldier -- July 20, 2014

July 20, 2014

Maupay nga aga tanan! 

This is so odd that this is my second to last e-mail as a missionary. It's ok. You can all just pretend like it's not happening like I do. Haha Just kidding.

Well, typhoon Glenda brought her rage. I don't know why I thought there wouldn't be another typhoon/natural disaster on my mission. It actually didn't do lots of damage to my area. The worst of it in my zone was in Allen. Those missionaries got temporarily pulled out. But they are back now. The worst that happened to us was that we didn't have electricity for a few days, or water. But it's ok. We have a well outside our house! So, everything was ok. 

Something cool happened. We had a giant tree in our backyard that fell. It should have smashed our roof in, but we didn't even hear it fall on our house. It was like it was lightly lowered. All of the sudden, there was a tree smashed up against our bedroom window! But there was absolutely no damage. Like it's such a heavy tree! We didn't even hear it land on our roof. So, that was a huge blessing!

There were some members in our ward that had their houses damaged and some destroyed. But, a cute returned member, Michelle, told a story in Relief society about her experience. She has just recently come back to church and started paying her tithing again. She lives in a small one room bamboo home, with 4 small children. She said that her kids were really worried that their roof was going to blow off, and they were crying. So, she helped them start to pray. And she prayed with her children that their house would be ok. After the storm, their neighbors' house, which is nicer than theirs, was completely destroyed, and theirs was untouched. I never really realized before my mission how much paying our tithing physically and spiritually protect us. 

After the typhoon, our president was trying to decide if our whole zone should get pulled out or not. So, we decided that if we were pulled out, we wanted to get all our investigators interviewed so they could still get baptized even if we weren't here. So, we had our district leader come and interview all our girls- 6 in all. It was Sheina's birthday, so we had a little surprise party for her while we were waiting for all the interviews to get done. It was so cute! I love those girls! 

As we were waiting, one of the girls, Jelli, asked me if I knew how to play the piano. I told her that I used to.... and she asked me to teach her how to play a song. I can only play like the top hand if there are no sharps or flats but I remember how to play twinkle twinkle little star, so that's what I taught her. I taught her what the notes were, how to read the music, how to put her hands on the keys..etc. And then she started practicing. It was the cutest thing! She messed up so many times, she would just say, "oops," then laugh, then start over again until we got it. 

In my personal study this week I have really been focusing on the Mercy and Grace of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I feel like that's how they see our lives. They give us the tools we need, then they let us practice. They intervene when we are stuck, and they help us keep going. I feel like the only thing that would disappoint them is if we just stopped practicing or trying (I know mom, I'm sorry I quit piano when I was 12. You were right, and I should have just kept practicing). 

I read a really cool scripture in Alma 34. Everyone knows that Christ saves us. But do we really understand what he saves us from? I know the first answer that came to my mind was sin. But, I learned that that isn't necessarily true. Christ saves us from Justice. If the punishment from Justice didn't exist, sinning wouldn't matter. Because he answered justice, we don't have to be punished. In verse 16 it says, 

"And thus mercy CAN satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of Justice; therefore only unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

18 Yeah, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save."

I testify that Christ is mighty to save us from Justice. One thing I learned in the Cebu mission from President Schmutz is that we, as humans, cannot justify our sins. I, Sister Bingham, can't justify my sins and shortcomings. I can't wish them away, or ignore them and pretend that they never happened, because Justice is fair. That's why it is justice. But, Because Christ literally paid for us. Because he literally took and suffered our punishments for us, only He can justify our sins. And his mercy acts as a force field so that justice has no claim on us. We can be humble, we can repent, and then HE can pretend like they never happened.

I was giving my farewell talk in my ward yesterday, and as I was speaking, this principle finally clicked in my head. Once it did, I just started crying and I couldn't stop. I love my Savior sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! I can't express my gratitude for Him. And for soldering my punishments so that I don't have to experience the torments of a dammed soul.

I know that without Christ, we are fallen, hardened, and lost. We need him. Repentance is not scary. Repentance is necessary. I have loved helping people repent on my mission. I love seeing these sweet Filipino people cast their old selves away, and become changed through Christ. As His representative, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage those of you who may have given up practicing for a while, and take his hand, and try again. He loves you, and desires your salvation. I know that His atonement is infinite and eternal, and I know that it is sufficient to change us and forgive us.

I know this church is true with my whole soul.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Love forever,

Sister Bingham

Learning Heaven -- July 13, 2014

July 13, 2014

Hello Everyone! 

This week has been one of those exhausting, life, changing weeks. We are just trying to get our cute girls getting baptized ready in time for the 26th, and trying to build up our pool with professionals who can build the church. I had a cool experience while I was on exchanges the other day!

I was with Sister Bayadog, who is this cute little Filipina from Cebu Mission. We went finding all morning. After knocking four or five really big houses with no success and much rejection, we decided to just try to let the spirit lead us. So, we picked a direction and started walking. At every intersection we just chose random directions. After a few minutes of this, we felt like we should go into a fabric/dress making shop. The owners were so cute--a cute mom, and a really pretty daughter in her late 20's. They speak perfect English, and Cebuano, and Waray, so there was no problem in communicating. Anyway, we started talking and I started talking about the gospel. At first she was like, "Sorry, Sister I'm Catholic and I don't want to get baptized in the Mormons." But by the end of our powerful conversations she said, "Sister Bingham. I have said no to every missionary that has invited me to listen to their message. And I don't know why, but I want to listen to you. Come back on Sunday." It was so cool! That doesn't sound that miraculous. But, it really was! They are the best! 

Also, I was reading in Alma about how the father of King Lamoni demanded that Aaron and his brethren teach him. In my prayers after my study, I asked Heavenly Father to send me to people who insist on hearing the gospel. Guess what happened later that day?! 

We were walking, and then we saw this cute couple in their mid-20s going into their house. We started talking and the brother said, "Sisters, get inside! I want you to tell me your message!" Then he sat us down and said, "Ok, go ahead, start teaching." They are the coolest!! And they are just super cute and in love. They are both teachers, and will really help the ward here. And they just happened to be getting married on the 26th of July. So, even if I can't see them get baptized, I will see them get married! So exciting! 

Then, the next day, we dropped by an active family, the Maningkays'. This is what they said," Sisters! This is our neighbor, Abi! She was taught last year by the missionaries but didn't want to continue. But now, she wants to get baptized. Can you teach her? She really wants to get baptized." 

It was like someone was playing a prank on me all week. haha But I'm so grateful for Catarman. And I'm so grateful for these people who are ready for the gospel. I know that because we are trying to focus on being as obedient as we can, people are coming to us for the gospel. I love being a missionary!

This morning I studied about the grace of Christ. This is something I have never really understood about until this morning. But I realized this: Justice would demand that we are perfect today. But because Christ literally paid justice for our lives, he gives us His grace to help us practice. He doesn't care about our disobedience. He just sees us for the Gods we can one day become. He gives us His grace so we can start, continue, and finish. He gives us the energy we need to just keep going, and sometimes to just wake up each morning. 

We have become really close to a particular active family that lives by us. They are the best! But they have a couple disobedience weaknesses. We noticed a few weeks ago that Brother often doesn't wear his garments and just wears shorts when he's in his house. But last night, we walked by, and he was wearing his Garment top!!! It made me soooooooooooo happy! And then as we were walking home under the beautifully bright full moon that this is how our Father in Heaven feels about us. He is so so happy when we do the right thing. He just wants us to be happy. He wants us to be obedient so that we can one day be comfortable in His presence and enjoy the laws of Heaven with Him. 

I love this scripture in 2 Cor 12:9- "... And my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, Then am I strong."

I'm so grateful for my weaknesses. They are helping me learn how to live a Heavenly life. And I'm so grateful for my Savior. He has helped me be the best Sister Hillary Bingham that I can possibly be up to this point in my life. I konw that my life is not mine, for he paid in full for all my infirmities and weakness and laziness and sins. I love the languages that he has helped me speak. In Waray, the way you say atonement is "pagbayadsala," which literally means, "pay for sin." I'm eternally grateful for the transforming effect of the atonement. And that I have the opportunity to repent every day. 

I say these things In the name of my beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love forever,

Sister Bingham

The first ones are my Isidro girls. I love them SO MUCH! 

 

 This is what Sister missionaries' fridges look like on Sunday... 

Thank Heavens for the Relief Society..

Awake and Arise From The Dust -- July 6, 2014

July 6, 2014

Hello Everyone!

Best week ever!! The Palo family got baptized!! It was one of the best days of my mission. I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to help this family. Sister Palo's testimony was the best. She said that since they have been coming to church, her kids don't fight anymore, and they don't use bad words in their home anymore, and her husband has started doing family prayer with them when he is home. I have seen so many miracles happen to this family, and I just love them with my whole soul. 

This week was also really long. We were in Tacloban for 4 days for MLC and then me and my batch flew to Manila for one day to go get our visas and stuff processed and finger printed and stuff. We ate at Wendy’s and Krispy Kreme at the airport. It made me kinda sick. haha I think I'm going to have a little rough time adjusting back to the food in America.

It was so weird flying. I think they were just preparing us more to go home. I have been to Manila way more times than I ever expected I would be there on my mission. 

Our new mission president, President Maurer and his Wife are so cool! They are really really nice, and really funny. I miss President Andaya, but I know that the Maurers' are what the mission needs now. They will do a great job!

It was weird going to my last MLC. We were talking about things that won't change until I'm home. It was really interesting. 

Last night, we got a text from our relief society president that told us to meet them at a family's house that has recently gone inactive. We met them there. We sat down to teach, and the sister had a meltdown. She had also been drinking earlier that day. As she was holding her sick screaming baby,  telling us how naughty her kids were, and how she was sick of getting mad at them, and sick of not having money and fighting with her husband, I had a little conversation to myself with the spirit as I was watching what seemed like a drama show. I was so sad for this family who was baptized only last year. But, I realized yesterday the "why" of the gospel. It's so we can have spiritual homes. It's so we cannot fight with our family. And not have to drink to solve our problems. And not have to live in poverty. I know that sometimes, bad things just happen. But more often than not, those trials are self- inflicted because of our disobedience. Don't get me wrong, I love this family with my whole soul, and I'm not judging this woman. I understand why she is the way she is, and why she does the things she does, and Heavenly Father still loves her. But, I also understand that obedience to the commandments is necessary for our daily happiness and peace. 

This ward has taught me so much. And it makes me sad to see them not keeping the commandments-- Even just the simple ones. But, I know that everyone can change through the atonement. That's the "how" of the gospel.

I love you all, and I know that exact obedience sets us free to live lives of peace and happiness. The best thing about the gospel is that it really does work. Heavenly Father really is real. We really have important things to do in this earth life. 

I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that he suffered for our infirmities and insecurities, and weaknesses. So that we could overcome them and become the people we were destined to be. So that we could awake and arise from the dust, and be his disciples, only having desires to work righteousness. 

I say these things, in the name of my savior who I love with my whole soul, even Jesus Christ, Amen

Love, Sister Bingham

 

Seasons -- June 29, 2014

June 29, 2014

Hello all,

This week has been incredibly busy! I reviewed all my journal entries from this week and they all start with a sentence similar to this, " This was the most exhausting day." or" I'm so emotionally drained." haha And then I find my entries getting smaller and smaller so we can go to bed 15 min early.  I really really love my mission! I love my companion, Sister Henshaw, she's really helping me getting over my "End of mission depression." haha I have just really been trying to get over the whole uncomfortable endings thing that we as humans all go through. BUT really good news!!! The Palo family passed their interview!!!! sooooooo BAPTISM NEXT WEEK!!! YAY!! I love these people with my whole soul, and I'm so excited that I get to see them get baptized. And there should be some more coming in the month of July, as well. I love my mission. 

A crazy miracle happened yesterday! A brother that hadn't been to church in over 2 years came back yesterday. And he would never let us teach him. The ward members just started visiting him, and now he's back. His daughter is getting baptized next month, so I think that motivated him to come back and start the repentance process. It's really amazing at what can happen when people show their love and concern. 

This last transfer, every sister companionship in my zone got changed. So, now there are 2 new missionaries that are in our zone! One of them was having a really hard time this week and told her district leader that she wanted to go home. So, we went there on Wednesday to see what we could do for her. It was so interesting. It was the weirdest feeling. I was listening to her telling us how much she misses home and how much she wants to go home because she can't speak Waray Waray (but she is Filipina... so... she knows Tagalog). It just took me back to my fist week in my mission. It was so cool to just see how much I have grown emotionally, spiritually, and confidently since that week that was soooo difficult for me. It was really cool. I felt like Heavenly Father was just showing me how much power He has. If he could change pathetic little me into what I am now, He can do anything. It just really made me appreciate the atonement. I read the conference talk by Elder Bednar this morning for my personal study. It was all about the enabling power of the atonement.

He said that a lot of times, we think of the atonement as just the aspect that helps us be ridden of all of our sins. But, we don't really pay attention to the part of the atonement that is specifically for helping us deal with our everyday lives. He said (terrible paraphrasing, sorry!) that we all just think that we can get over our trials by our "sheer grit and willpower and discipline." This, of course, is ridiculous. We can't do anything on our own. hahaha I think that's one of the biggest things I've learned on my mission. Is that truly, we are nothing. We are so dependent on our Father in Heaven.  And the enabling power of his Son. I was reading in Alma 17:6 the other day. Alma 17 is such a popular chapter for missionaries, but I got something really different out of it this time. It says, "Now these were their journeying: Having taken leave of their father, Mosiah, in the first year of the judges; having refused the kingdom which their father was desirous to confer upon them."

I just related this to my life. How often do I refuse the kingdom and blessings that my Father in Heaven wants to confer upon me by not being exactly obedient? I think we perceive judgment day to be different than it will be. I think we picture everyone being denied access into the Celestial kingdom because of our failures to become the people we were meant to become. But, I have come to believe that in reality, our Father in Heaven wants more than anything for us to be with Him. When we sin, we are the ones throwing his gifts in his face and storming away like the spiritual toddlers that we are.

I know that obedience truly makes us free. I know that when we obey, we receive blessings, and that our character changes. We can rid ourselves of the filth that we've accumulated in our lives and just be free. He can change our natures. He can change our hearts. He can change us into beings that are just grateful for what we have, and open to noticing the people in our realms of influence that we can reach out to and lift up. He can help us sign out of Facebook and Pinterest and arise and awake from the dust and just enjoy living a life full of joy that comes from serving our Heavenly King. 

I love this gospel, and I'm excited for the adventures that lie ahead! I'm excited because now I know how to deal with life and it’s seasons, and how to be a true disciple of my Savior. Of course, I'm nowhere near perfect, but now I know how to get there. 

I love all of you so much! I hope this letter finds all of you happily serving the Lord!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Love,

Sister Bingham