Ever Onward!!

This weekend I had the AMAZING opportunity to attend a 2-day conference for future missionaries. The first day, about 350 of us filed into the chapel and waited for the meeting to start.  This being a missionary conference, the opening hymn was, of course, Called to Serve. We stood to sing and it was so moving!  I had an overwhelming felling of love for everyone in that room, and I imagined all of us standing in the MTC together ready to go out and take the truth of this gospel to all the world!  For the first time, I really understood the words that we were singing!

Called to serve Him, Heavenly King of glory

Chosen e'er to witness for His name,

Far and wide we tell the Father's story,

Far and wide His love proclaim.

Called to know the richness of His blessing,

Sons and Daughters; Children of a King,

Glad of heart His holy name confessing

Praises unto Him we bring.

Onward, ever onward, as we glory in His name,

Onward, ever onward, as we glory in His name,

Forward, pressing forward, as a triumph song we sing:

God our strength will be, press forward ever

CALLED TO SERVE OUR KING!!!

I had never had a song just hit me like that.  This song outlines the whole reason that young men and women choose to leave their families for two years.  If you know something to be true, wouldn't you want to share it with everyone?  I think of all of the joy that this gospel brings to me, and I can't imagine not sharing it with the world!

As I was driving home the night of the first day, I had a thought to pray to my Heavenly Father and just ask Him if He truly loved me.  I said a quick prayer there in the car, with the radio off, and asked Him just that.  I sat in silence for the rest of the way home.  The next morning, I left at 7:30 to go to the second session of the conference.  The second day was full of great workshops about how to teach people about the church and some even taught how to get along with a companion!  Then we all met in the chapel for the closing meeting and Elder Summerhays was there, and he was the concluding speaker.  He gave an amazing talk, and at the end he paused for a few seconds then said, "Someone here needs to hear this" Then he looked right at me, sitting in the back row and said,

"Your Heavenly Father loves you more than you can imagine.  

He will ALWAYS be with you."

My jaw dropped!  He was talking right to me!  How could he know that I had asked that question the day before? I couldn't believe it!!  I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers and that He loves all of His children beyond measure!  I know that we can pray to know that anything is true!