We Are All Imperfect!

Feliz Lunes!! (happy monday!)

haha we had an elder in my MTC district who was really struggling with Spanish but he was always super happy and positive. Everyday he would say "Feliz (whatever day it was)". We were all impressed that he had learned and memorized the days! Then we found out that he was writing it down on his hand every morning hahaha he was hilarious and now he is in Guatemala serving.

Well it was another good week here! We meet soo many different people each week. Some happy, some sad, others angry, and others just plain mean, but they all have something in common: they are Children of God! More than ever before in my life, this statement has really taken hold of me and changed how I act and what things I do. If we truly understand what being a child of God entails, it will change our thoughts, our actions, and even our very nature. Elder Arellano and I have had the opportunity to teach primary (Sunday school for 3-11 year olds) these last couple weeks at Church. Yesterday, we were teaching the 4-7 year olds and the lesson was about being a Child of God! We discussed and read a story about a Prince who was kidnapped by thieves. His dad, the King, had taught him to always do good, say good things, think good thoughts, and ultimately, was preparing the prince to become a king himself. The story goes that the thieves tried to get the prince to do bad things, to say bad words, to eat bad things and to hate other people, but the prince never gave in! The thieves asked him why and how it was that the prince wouldnt do these things. The young Prince answered and said that he couldnt do these things because he knew what his father had taught him and he was born to be a King!

If you haven't yet made the connection, we are like the prince in the story. We are children of a King, even God the Father. We were born and created by Him to become like Him. Our older brother, Jesus Christ has showed us the way and given us the example. He has been exalted and glorified by the Father because of His Atonement (suffering, death, & resurrection) for all mankind. In short, Christ showed us how a Prince can become a King! He was tempted, mocked, spit upon, and ridiculed. But He overcame his temptors and did the will of His Father, just like the young prince in the story. We are all children of God, sons and daughters of Diety, heirs of Celestial Royalty, even Princes and Princesses with the capacity to become Kings and Queens!

Yet we are all imperfect. We give in to thieves that tempt us, retaliate at those who mock us, and so on. We are not perfect like the bold, young prince in the story, but as we turn to the Only Perfect Prince of Peace who ever lived, He exalts us. His mercy is sufficient for us to become joint-heirs with Him as we strive to follow His example, keep His commandments, and love His other brothers and sisters, our spiritual brothers and sisters. I promise you that this is true and possible. Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave His only perfect Son. This is His church. If He was to descend from Heaven to the Earth on a Sunday morning, He would walk into a chapel that belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is really His Church, not a man's. I know this is true with all my heart because He has whispered it to me through His Holy Spirit. I love all of you and hope you recognize your true potential. No matter where you are, what you have done, or what you are doing now, the invitation to follow Christ and be a disciple of His is still valid! Do good, be good, and just love. Look into their eyes until you find the potential they have. Then you will be capable to love them unconditionally because you know who they are and what they are destined to be.

I love you and pray for you! I know it is hard, but if God be with us, who'd be against us?

Love Elder McGinn