Dear Park Meadows Ward. From Elder Bellomy.

Hello Park Meadows!

How are ya'll doing'? Well, I trust.

I want to start out by saying how thankful I am for you all. I wanted to express my gratitude for such an awesome ward. I also wanted to pass on a little message.

This holiday season is an excellent opportunity for us to ponder on blessings and to pray thankfully to the Lord for all we have been given. President Monson in conference just over a year ago pointed out that gratitude is necessary to find "joy in the journey". Essential to find happiness while we are striving for that complete joy we wish to experience in the eternities. He quoted a well known author who points out that in our lives there always exists abundance and lack of abundance and it is up to us as to where we put our focus.
Unfortunately, we, me included, don't take the time through out the year to focus on that abundance, to see our lives as half full and not half empty.

This is not all, however. Much like the change from the gratitude of Thanksgiving to the spirit of giving that comes from Christmas we must realize being thankful has 2 parts.
Professing what you have is only half of gratitude. Isn't the most bitter form of ingratitude keeping all those blessings to yourself? Isn't this completely contrary to everything Jesus Christ taught? Will you just acknowledge your blessings and just bury them?

Now, of course, there are some blessings we can't share, like having a good home ward while you're on your mission. And there are blessings we reap that are all commonly owned, like the color of autumn on the Wasatch mountain side. But, there are certainly blessings that are to be shared--I may interject the more portions.

I am reminded of the hymn, "because I have been given much I too must give."

The Lord's restored Gospel is not made to be buried treasure! Look for opportunities to serve, to teach, to build. If you make the Lord's mission your mission, you will do just that! I know blessings come from sharing the gospel, I can testify to you that it strengthens your testimony, it brings the spirit and it increases the faith the Lord has in you because you become a profitable servant and not a deer caught in the head lights with a book of Mormon that never left your bag.


I challenge you to share what you know and feel.
The Savior lives and His Atonement is real. I love this gospel because it is true and the promises are [stoppable.]

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.