You can look forward to the promised land.

Hey there!

Hope everyone had a really good week. I miss you guys and love you so much!

I have made it through one pregnancy (9 mos). Another one to go! Sometimes it feels like it's been two seconds, sometimes it feels like it's been forever.

Heavenly Father is trying to teach my something. Well, He's always trying to teach me a lot of things, but I think this last month He has been trying to teach me something really important and I am just now beginning to understand.

A few weeks ago I read about the brother of Jared and how they crossed the ocean to the promised land. They "got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God." So they knew to an extent what they were getting themselves into and they trusted in the Lord and did it anyway. And "God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters." But he didn't just leave them alone. He gave them stones to give light unto "men, women and children that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." And the wind that he caused "did never cease to blow towards the promised land." And "they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind." But "they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters." Because "there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish." And "they did sing praises unto the Lord...all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord."

We get asked almost every day, "If God exists, why is there so much suffering? Why do people have to go through the things that they do?" And I've never really had an answer for it. I honestly, don't know. I just know that God exists. But I'm learning that we can just expect hard things in life. God doesn't cause the hard things to happen, He lets natural consequences of agency happen because he respects our ability to make choices. Those are the furious winds that blow us toward the promised land. And He doesn't just leave us alone. He gave "light unto men, women, and children." I know that that scripture is worded that way for a reason. And you do get buried in the sea sometimes. You do have waves that break on you. But when you pray, He brings you out. Every time. And that's the process of life. If your testimony and conviction that He really will help you is "tight like unto a dish" then you have nothing to fear. You can look forward to the promised land.

I didn't do a very good job of explaining that, but I know that God loves us because He gives us hard things. We can just expect them and then move on. I also know that Jesus Christ lives and that we're not supposed to make it without Him. Sometimes we forget that and we think the world is ending. He overcame it.

We visited a member this week that met the missionaries when she was a young married lady. She has been through two divorces because of alcoholism and adultery, she is too young to have all the health problems she has, and she is very lonely. She asked us to fold some sheets for her and then as we put them in the closet she stroked her temple dress and said, "This is what I'll wear when I go back." She thanked us for coming to Norway and told us that we are doing a good thing and our lives will be blessed forever. She told us that the Gospel means everything to her and she is so happy. She understands that Heavenly Father's plan is bigger than us. It's bigger than the waves that toss us around.

I am grateful to be learning this. I know that all of it is true. It testifies of itself over and over and over again in different ways as you grow and learn. I love Heavenly Father and I trust that the Atonement is enough to get us to the promised land.

I love you! I pray for you every day!

Love,

Søster Pyne