What Matters Is Gratitude And The Gospel

Hey Y'all!

Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for each of you? I love you, with every single bit of me! This time of year it is easy to think about your loved ones and so, you are on my mind a lot; even more than normal! I also miss you, but I am trying to let the ache and hurt of the separation be minimal.. and focus more on the fact that I can feel your love. I know that one of the greatest things our Heavenly Father has given us, is each other. The love we have for people is unbelievable, isn't it? I want you all to know that you people are my life!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, this week has truly reminded me what I am thankful for; and that is to share the gospel. I've been making a gratitude list, which I will share next week, but this week I want to focus most on sharing the gospel; the fact that the Lord has allowed me to serve a mission and that this mission is changing lives, mine at the top of that list, leaves my mouth empty for words and my heart full of the purest, strongest gratitude I have ever felt. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything. I love this time. It is the hardest, easiest, most challenging, and simplest thing I have ever done. My love and thankfulness for it increases daily. Joseph Smith said something along the lines of "After all is said and done the most important thing we will do is share the gospel." This is the truest statement, because nothing else matters. The Gospel... "the good news" that we have is all that matters.

I attended the baptism of Alexis this weekend, she is the first person that the Spirit, me, and my companion were able to teach and see enter the font. As this beautiful young lady walked into the waters I felt more peace than I have ever felt in my entire life. There were a lot of things throughout the week that could have stopped her from making that promise to her Heavenly Father, a lot of things could have.. or did go wrong, but she went through with what she knew was right. Because, nothing else matters.

The next day, as she was confirmed and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, her blessing that followed mentioned that she would one day enter into the temple, serve a mission, and marry for time and all eternity. It hit me then and there.. that this amazing work; the work of Salvation extends way farther than anything I could ever picture in my mind. How great it is to see someone at church.... or to hear them say "yes" after inviting them to do something that will bring them closer to Christ... or to take a picture with them before they are baptized.... but to think about the future that is ahead of them, all that is in store.. not only in this life, but in the life to come brought me to tears. We aren't just entering into a good church that teaches nice things when we choose to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, we are sealing our hearts to God... we are binding ourselves to the Lord and to His Kingdom on the Earth. We are preparing for so much more than we can even begin to fathom... this is what matters.

As me and Sister Chapman were out knocking doors we walked passed a house that was being built, a fire was going out front and an old man was standing near it. We passed by and moved onto the next house and Sister Chapman said that we needed to go back and talk to him.... so we did... he told us we could come by and teach him and he gave us his address. Last night, as we sat in this little mans trailer and talked to him about the plan of salvation, tears streamed down his wrinkly face as he expressed the most tender love he has for his wife who passed away this July. I cried with him, we all did, and my tears didn't stop until I went to sleep that night. It was heartbreaking to think about how much he misses his wife, and it was heartbreaking to think that I almost passed him by; that as I walked past him that first day I almost didn't give him a chance to hear about the happiest plan of all. Did I not realize in that moment, that it doesn't matter who we are, that besides the message of forever families that comes through the power of the priesthood, that nothing else matters?

This year, I am thankful to realize that nothing else matters. Not one single thing stands before the power, the happiness, the love, the peace, the joy, the forgiveness, and the truth that the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ brings. This year, I am grateful to be thankful for the opportunity to have nothing else in my life matter, as much as my duty to share the Gospel with my brothers and sisters who are looking for what can strengthen what matters most to them.

What a blessing it is to share what matters most to me, but also what is most important to our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ; what matters most to them is eternal families and eternal life.
I am just so grateful and have so much to be thankful for. I am so blessed to belong to the Lord, and to know what I do about his Love. I am thankful to be so full of love for my family and for the people here.

I hope you find yourselves happy in giving thanks & realizing what matters-

I love you!

-Sister Beasley