The Welfare of Their Souls

To my daughter, 

In our Come, Follow Me reading this week, Moroni wrote about how the followers of the Savior gathered together to worship. He said, “And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:4-5). I love this description because it highlights the need for each of us to be remembered, nourished, and befriended. That is what we hope happens in the Church of Jesus Christ for all who are baptized and strive to follow the Savior. We hope that all who come feel that they can speak with one another about the “welfare of their souls” and find friends, faith, and familiarity even with strangers. When you are a member of the Church, you have a support network willing to help you and lift you up just about anywhere you go.  

               That has certainly been my experience as I have had the opportunity to attend Church in different locations throughout the world. As you know, many years ago I visited Oman for work. I arrived of course not knowing anyone except for the people I had met virtually as a part of my work. I got there on Thursday night, and the next morning was Friday (their holy day). I had reached out to the church beforehand, and the next morning a nice sister in the ward picked me up from the hotel and took me to the church. I wrote in my journal, “There were about 25 members there…. There were members from India, the Philippines, America, and the UK.” Though I was in country with a culture quite different from my own and amongst people I had never met, I was right at home in that little branch with these Saints. As is always the case, going to Church, no matter where it is, is always like going home. I recorded in my journal as well how this same family that gave me the ride also invited me over for dinner. They didn’t know me from any other stranger on the street, and yet they took me in and treated me like family, for which I was very grateful. Members of the Church are far from perfect, and we may sometimes have challenges getting along. But my experiences over my lifetime have overwhelmingly taught me that when I find a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—wherever they are in the world—I find a friend. My life has been so enriched by the friendship and faith of the faithful followers of the Savior. There is no other group of people I would rather be with. I hope you always know that wherever you are, even if you are far from home, you will find kindness and help from the Latter-day Saints.  You will find people who care about the welfare of your soul. 

Love, 

Dad