It is hard to believe that 2 years has gone by so quickly! I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve the people in Virginia and North Carolina these two years and for all of the things that I learned in these places. Things like the power of prayer and following the Spirit! It never ceases to amaze me when we were led to the right place at the right time and we were able to reach someone who was prepared to hear the restored Gospel. I also learned what effect that the Gospel can have on someone’s life! It was probably one of my favorite things to watch people (especially families) change and become happier as they lived the principles of the Gospel. I am also grateful for a latter-day prophet. There is so much confusion in the world and to have someone who can guide us through that chaos is such a blessing. The biggest blessing of all is the Atonement. Without it, none of us could have any hope of returning to our Father in Heaven, and even beyond that, it has the power to take away the pain and the sorrow that comes to each of us inevitably in this fallen world. All that is mentioned here, but especially this last one, the Atonement, is evidence that our Father in Heaven loves his children and that he cares about us. Cared enough to send His Son as a perfect sacrifice, enough to reveal the gospel to Joseph Smith here in the latter days, and enough to answer each one of our prayers individually. I testify that all of us have the opportunity to attain exaltation if we but live the Gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
