SUNDAY WILL COME
- Elder Denny Blodgett
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Happy Easter everyone. This has been a great week in the mission field as we paid much more attention each and every day about the events that occurred during “holy week”. It began for us with a fast last Sunday…..Palm Sunday…..as we read about Jesus’ triumphant appearance entering Jerusalem. It was nice to watch the videos and read from the scriptures what happened that week. And of course, I love the talk given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, entitled, “Sunday Will Come.” There are other talks worth listening to, including Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk entitled, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ”.
During my life, I have heard many sermons and talks on the doctrine of resurrection. I have spoken at about twenty funerals…..and the message of the resurrection is the one I love most about the doctrine of Christ. HE DIED SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. The gift of the resurrection comes to all people, whether you believe in Christ or not, unconditionally. It is His gift of love to us all. I can’t even imagine living life thinking that when I die…..that is it. No more. Gone forever. Because of Jesus Christ, we all have the assurance that we will live again in a more beautiful and peaceful existence. President Spencer W. Kimball said, “I am sure that if we can imagine ourselves at our very best, physically, mentally, spiritually…..that is the way we will come back after we die”. When we are resurrected, “this mortal body is raised to an immortal body…..we can die no more”. Think about that? Life at our prime. No sickness, no pain, never burdened by the ills that are so often with us in mortality.
Elder Wirthlin painted a picture of what it must have been like on that very dark day that the Savior was crucified…..” the earth shook, darkness set in, and frightful storms lashed at the earth. On that day the veil of temple was rent in twain. Mary Magdelene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had love and honored hung lifeless on the cross. On that Friday, the apostles were devastated. It was a Friday filled with consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God. I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.
BUT THE DOOM OF THAT DAY DID NOT ENDURE !!!
The despair did not linger, because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind. Each of us will have our own Fridays…..those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We will all experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.”
Elder Wirthlin continues, “But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death…..Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come. Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world, we will be reunited with those we have cherished”.
It is also my testimony, along with Elder Wirthlin’s, and my firm belief, that death is not the end of our existence. It says in the New Testament, “if in this life only…..we have hope in Christ…..we are of all men most miserable”. Not only can we believe in Christ, but we have the assurance that we will live again, even though we may die. Again, the scripture, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”. I am grateful for that doctrine, and I know beyond any doubt it is true. That is what gives me hope. That is what keeps me trying to do the best I can so that there is that possibility that someday I will be with my family in the eternities.
It was a quiet week here in the Ghana Accra West Mission. Preparations are beginning for the mission “split” and the addition of the Ghana Accra South Mission July 1st. We will lose a few zones and pick one or two up from the East and North missions. I don’t know anything about that as of yet…..but the church is creating a new mission that is called the “Ghana Accra South Mission”…..so it makes sense that their boundaries will include everything south to the ocean……and we will go more to the West and the North. It is also understood that many of our missionaries will go to the South Mission…..and that will be very sad. This occurred three years ago when the North Mission was created. And from what we have been told…..that was a very sad experience for the mission leaders, President and Sister Jacobsen, and the missionaries. But growth is happening and when missions are split and new missions are added…..it only means one thing…..the church is growing and more people are finding their way to Christ. There will be 55 new missions created beginning July 1st around the world…..bringing the total to 506 missions.
WOW !!! That is a lot of missions and missionaries. And that is a wonderful thing as we are trying to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ. As our missionaries teach the doctrine of Christ…..I am very grateful for the knowledge and belief I have of the gift of the resurrection and everything else that Jesus Christ and His teachings have taught me. I am grateful that every year we take the time to reflect upon that “holy week”, which happened over 2,000 years ago when the Son of God gave up His life to only take it back again…..and then to provide an incredible gift to us all……the gift of the resurrection.
Enjoy your week. Be thankful for all that you have…. and will be given….. because of Christ.
I lOVE THIS PICTURE. It hangs right behind my desk and reminds me that He is the Savior of the entire human race.
These two men came to see how I do my work. Pres. Sosu is a stake president and my immediate supervisor at the Area office and he wanted this man to see how I do things. He will be training senior missionaries to do what I do in Liberia.
Denae and Jill walking the streets in Ghana coming from a members home last week.
Jill had a sisters night doing some painting. She is missing Marilyn, Peggy, Janet, and Emily from back home. These ladies live on our street.....Sister Beeson (Mission leader of the East Mission) and Sister Mensah who's husband is the Director of Temporal Affairs of the West Africa Area.
Sister Campbell joined and they had a fun time.....showing off their talents.
This is the receptionist.....but I liked her title. She is the first person you see when you walk into this office and instead of a receptionist.....she is the Director of First Impressions.
Yes, Indeed !!! Well "done" Jesus.....a typical Tro with all of their religious sayings.
Just on a walk from the Temple to my home. 2 miles.....and I love the walk.
Lots of Area senior couples. This is Elder Hulbert, Mental Health advisor..... I just saw him parked on the street and thought I would take a picture with him. I love that there are so many of us from the United States serving here in Ghana and we run into each other a lot in a city of 4 million people.
Butterfly Market.....again.....and we run into so many of our friends serving here in West Africa.
Looks like Jill picked up another basket.
Sister Nancy Waterfall.....Humanitarian Service Missionary and fellow Pickleball player.
One of our Zones.....just wanting a picture of us all.
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