I love Sundays

Today was the second and last day of District Conference, and it was amazing, too. Early this morning there was a special session for new members in the Church and for people just getting to know the Church, and as I sat listening to the good messages being shared, a thought I’ve had a number of times before came back to mind: when discussing the LDS doctrine of the pre-existence, that we all existed as spirits before being born into this life and that we lived with God, the Father of our spirits, and that our actions there were a strong factor in determining where we would be born here, one of the things that has most aggravated me is to hear people twist or contort that doctrine to mean that those born into poor or humble circumstances, or those born outside of the Church, are born into those circumstances as some kind of punishment for their actions in the pre-existence. As I’ve thought about it, what makes most sense and feels right to me is to assume exactly the opposite—those that were strongest and best and brightest in the pre-existence are those that have been born into the humblest circumstances, and are those who have been born outside of the Church, with the responsibility to find it for themselves, because God knew that they had the strength within them to triumph in those circumstances. Whereas when looking at myself, it’s easy to think that God was being nice to me in letting me be born into the Church and into such a comfortable financial position, because he knew I would need that cushion. Well, I don’t think I would feel comfortable trying to apply this idea to all the people who have been born into the Church or into comfortable financial positions—but I know I would definitely apply it to myself.

Another moment in the conference had me thinking similar thoughts: Elder Barreto, a Brazilian missionary who’s about to go home in two weeks, spoke for a short time in the general session of conference today, telling the story of his maternal grandfather and his father, both of whom were people who found the Church for themselves as young men, served missions, and brought their families up in the Church. After telling a bit of both their stories, he talked about how proud he felt to be able to stand up today and represent this legacy that he has been given by the strong men that have gone before him in his family. As he spoke, I thought of several families I taught as a missionary, Marcelo and Edite’s family, Manoel and Maria’s family, and how beautiful the day will be when I’ll see their children and grandchildren serving missions and giving thanks for those that went before them. I thought of my own children, too, but more so than anything in that moment, I felt a swell of gratitude for the chance I’ve had to see and be inspired by the strength of so many good people who have converted to this Church on their own. The fire in their eyes feeds mine.