Our Freedom an mission

from  I am an Empowered Mormon woman and Zion's Path  blogs of mine

Happy Independence Day.  During the 4th of July Festivities over the next several days we have many opportunities to partake of a wide array of events with our family and friends, and even for quite a few our wards.  This is a time of remembrance of independence in our lives, and not necessary the signing as much in 2012. While the Declaration of Independence was pivotal and a turning point for this country, we celebrate today the continual freedom we have as a people of the United States, a place where all people should be treated equal despite our differences and ideologies and ill perceived self notions. The greatest freedom we have as Mormon women are that of what is actually the core of faith and that is that of freedom to choose a religion of our choice. As Latter-Day Saints we are blessed as members of the church as we have had the greatest gifts given to each and everyone as we hold onto our baptism and temple covenants.  As these covenants become instrumental and lay a foundation in our lives, our lives and actions become a living witness to the gospel, to life, to our families, those around us members and non members alike, Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, Jesus Christ, and most importantly to ourselves. While life brings trials these trials only help us overcome the adversary as well as life's natural problems, and trials of our own making through our actions and words to prepare us for Celestial Glory in the presence and congregation of the Church of the First Born. We hold a special heritage and by our covenants and adherence to our leaders counsel as the Spirit dictates upon our hearts is godly or not, we will be eternally blessed and examples to the world as non members are watching us and seeing if we live by what we believe or not.

We are part of the great work and the glory of Zion however as Saints we allow ourselves to become calloused and numb quite often to those who need our witness and light the most whether family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and often ourselves as we allow schedules, egos, hard hearts, or life circumstances to bring us down and we miss the bigger picture and the reason we are Saints, and temporal workers of the Kingdom in the work of Him who sent us.

In many wards, which suppose to serve as an external family and support system to its members, often leave new members and people in some area that did not grow up in your ward out in the dark, as the light is on yet no one is home.  As a convert to the church of 8 years this coming October and introduced to the church April 2004 I've witnessed this in all my wards except the current one I am in.  I joined in Escondido California and I am glad for I would have never joined in Utah as I feel, and I lived in Utah for 5 years after my conversion, that Utah Mormons for the majority are cliquish, self absorbed and don't go out of there way or make new members feel welcomed.  I was not born in the church and as a member due to the exact callousness and attitudes of members I tried leaving the church on several occasions however it was my Temple covenants, stronger than my baptism covenants, and my testimony of the healing powers, the sanctity, the love, life, and solace, gift of revelation, and many other special eternal and celestial gifts the temple offer, while know that those holy walls and the Saints who have passed through the veil is something greater than me and called me and brought me back each and every time. When I moved to San Francisco, and many wards have great members it was here that I felt welcomed in open arms and that I truly belong in this church.  It took 7 years to feel welcomed as a convert, while everyone through my membership loved my conversion testimony I never felt fully welcomed.  I buried myself in Sunday School teaching, serving two service missions, and any and all callings to feel welcomed to feel like I belonged but it wasn't the wards that kept me going or when i disappear and not come to church for weeks no one checked on me.  It took 7 years to have home teachers visit and check up on me, it took 7 years to have visiting teachers care.  And it was worth the wait, however no member whether born in the covenant or a convert especially a convert should ever have to feel that way.

Why remember our freedoms and independence, remember our heritage and struggles we faced as church coming across on the Mormon Trail to Utah.  We as a church, as Saints to share in the struggles still with one another as the church is a family and in the end after the endurance and holding fast to the iron rod we will be sealed together.  No one is greater than another, and it is our job as sisters in Zion to welcoming committee, as well as the member/convert retention committee.  We agree to give our time and Talents until the church so lets give our time to our families and those who need it because sometimes as Saints as a whole have only one chance and one chance only on this side of the veil for someone to surrender to the gospel and its teachings and taking the lessons followed by baptism.  Live and be a gift. Invite a non member to family gatherings, dinners, and just be yourself while your internal and external testimony becomes the missionary while you just allow the Spirit work on them through you and they will see your light and start asking questions themselves.