Sunday, July 3, 2016 – Rain, Fast and Testimony Meeting

It’s been raining all night and then it continued to rain until noon on Sunday. It’s been a slow drizzling rain so it’s great for Sis. Johnson’s flower beds and planters. They really like the moisture.  The local corn and soybean fields really needed the rain too. As we drove home from Sunday services today, I could have swore I heard little squeals of glee from the fields, “Yippee, yippee, yippee!”

At Fast and Testimony meeting this morning Elder Richard Hyte, 1^st Counselor in the Mission Presidency, conducted the meeting and bore the first testimony. He commented on forgiveness and how completely forgiving the Prophet Joseph Smith was during his life time.  Joseph was persecuted, assaulted, tarred & feathered, falsely imprisoned multiple times, reviled, spit upon, cursed & condemned. He was chased out and burned out by former friend, apostates and enemies. Yet, on the day he arrived in Carthage to face his enemies and certain death he said: “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning.  I have a conscience void of offense toward God and all men. . .” Void of offense toward . . . ALL men!  Now that’s forgiveness.

Joseph Smith was a great example of how we should forgive ALL men but our savior Jesus Christ is even a better example and the most forgiving. Pres. Hyte said: “. . . through the love and compassion of the Savior I was able to navigate my way to peace and happiness in my life. There are no words in the English language that an express my love for the Savior. It is only through my actions and deed that I can fully express my love for Him. . .” Pres. Hyte’s testimony was very powerful.

One of the YPM’s  (Young Performing Missionaries) also bore his testimony on the same theme of forgiveness. He said: “The only thing we have, the only thing we can rely on absolutely is our ability to be forgiven by the Savior. . .”  The whole fast and testimony meeting was very, very good.