Savoring Every Moment

Loved Ones,

Good day, lovely people. I hope everyone is well. I'm glad to hear that Oceanside has reclaimed you all at last. In the past, when people have asked where I am from, I have been unsure of how to answer them. This will be a problem no longer. I will happily claim Oceanside as the dwelling place of my dear kinsfolk. As the heat here in New York breaks records (I think), I hope that you all are breaking happiness records each day. Go and swim in the ocean for me and just have a wonderful summer. I look forward to a wonderful summer in the Lord's service.

This last week was so fast! It is really disconcerting to experience the time passing at such a rapid rate. If we don't take time to really savor each handful of time we're given, we'll miss out on a lot as it slips through our fingers.  I suppose the passing of time really isn't all that concerning if we've loved each moment and squeezed every last sweet drop of goodness out of the time we're given. I need to be better about that. I've begun to learn how important it is to plan our lives with purpose so that we are prepared to benefit from each opportunity that comes our way. Without planning, I often feel underwater, and, as you know, humans don't typically do too well in an aquatic environment. It's a little stressful to know that I have to start planning for the rest of my life soon, but I'm confident that it will all work out just fine with the Lord's help. The Lord really is in the details of our lives. He knows what we love and cherish, and I have found that if we will put His will first, He makes plenty of room for those things. It is so beautiful to witness how the Lord will help us to perfectly orchestrate our life so that the essentials are accomplished, service is rendered, and those righteous desires of our hearts are realized. 

Last week, I had the choice opportunity to attend the Manhattan Temple in accordance with my one-year anniversary as a missionary. If I were to summarize what I gained, I would say that I came away from this experience with a sure witness that the temple is the house of God, and we would be wise to place the temple at the forefront of our lives. What a beautiful experience it was! Honestly, I loved it so much. It is amazing to walk down a busy, noisy Manhattan street and then pass through the temple's doors into a sanctuary completely free from the influence of the world that so obtrusively asserts itself all around. I kept thinking of the concept of a fortress of solitude. Superman understood the importance of standing in holy places. He just needed someone to bring him the gospel so he could enjoy the blessings of the temple! I was so strengthened and lifted by my trip to the temple, and I testify that anyone who prepares themselves to enter the Lord's house and then does so consistently will find a peace beyond description and will find light and truth beyond compare. In the temple, we are truly endowed with power from on high. I have made a solemn commitment that I will go to the temple at least once a month upon returning from my mission. I know that I would be missing out on so much if I did not continually renew myself through temple worship. I look forward to being with my family in the temple as well. I'm grateful that, though we are separated for a time, the temple has provided us with a bond that bridges time and space and ensures that we will be united eternally if we will but prove faithful. Mom and Dad, thank you for centering our family around the temple. And let us not forget that "because [we] have been given much, [we] too must give." As I sat in the temple, I caught a glimpse of how Lehi felt when he declared, "How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth..." I need to work harder and do more so that others may come to feel the peace that I felt in the temple. I love the temple, and I'm so grateful that, because of the Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, we can enjoy the blessings of the temple in our day. God lives, and He has invited us to come into His house. How can we reject such an invitation? 

I thank you all for what great examples you are to me. I realize that I need to be better as I associate with the wonderful people in my life. I love each of you dearly, and I pray for you continually. Thank you so much for your prayers and support, and most of all for your examples. I owe so much to each of you. You are special to me, and I know that each of you is so special to God. He loves us so much, and when we feel that love, we realize how important it is to do all that we can to return to His presence. 

Love,
Elder McDonald

Loving his banjo playing companion!