Happy Father's Day, dear Mighty Missionaries of the CSNM

Since it is Father’s Day, President May gave me permission to write to all of you and share some of my thoughts. Oh, how we love and pray for you on a daily, continuous basis. Being a missionary is a unique and personal experience. Even though there are thousands who have served before you and many more who will serve after you, the eternal consequences are vital in our lifetime here on the earth.

I look at all of you who will hopefully be fathers and mothers some day. I can imagine the fathers in your own lives, and mine, and the sacrifices they have made to teach, train, guide and bless you and me, to be prepared for this important part of our lives now, to serve the Lord. But I also see in my mind’s eye, our loving Father in Heaven, who loves us all in an infinite way, which we are discovering and learning more about in this mission ourselves. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son….that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) As I am learning more of Jesus Christ, as one of His missionaries, and learning to serve, witness, and testify of Him more often, I am also learning more of my Heavenly Father. Preach My Gospel divinely instructs us that ‘God is our loving Heavenly Father.’ What great truth that is and all that it encompasses! We are blessed to know about His tender mercies, as we understand more of the Atonement, the perfect Plan of Salvation/Happiness, the Godhead, the Creation, the Fall, the Resurrection, the Restoration, and more of His doctrine that He has given us as members and missionaries in His restored church.

I have been receiving a better understanding of our Heavenly Father, as I have been studying the life of Jesus Christ. When I read of the way Jesus taught, His comments, His instructions, His doctrine, His character, His suffering in His personal life, I am learning more about our Heavenly Father. I see that Jesus Christ submitted all of His own personal will, in EVERY aspect of his life, including his personality, character, impulses, choices, and even gave up His life, so that we could all live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. He sacrificed His life and provided the Atonement, beginning in Gethsemane, on the Cross and in the Garden Tomb, because He loves us, but ultimately, because He loves our Heavenly Father and only wanted to do His will. Completely, perfectly, and obeying with exactness. What an incredible example of how our Savior dearly loves our Heavenly Father. “The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ completed all that His Heavenly Father sent Him to do.” PMG, pg, 34. I love my own earthly father, Louis Orin Glazier, and he has helped to teach me also, by his Christlike example, more about my Heavenly Father.

We had a special gift this week to add to President May’s joyful Father’s Day. Most of you know that our last son, Elder Gregory May honorably finished his mission and returned here to us on Thursday, arriving from his Chile Concepcion Mission. (My cup runneth over as I think back to each of the 5 “Elder May’s” that I have been able to write to, starting with President May, when he served in the Bolivia, Santa Cruz Mission in 1978, to now have our last son reporting home honorable.) President May was able to release Elder May here, on Father’s Day, which made me again think of our Heavenly Father. Serving a mission is similar to what will be our mission in this life. Will we complete all that He has asked us to do? Will He see that we have become more like Him, during our time in this mission and throughout life on the earth? Will we be like Him in our actions, thoughts, comments, expressions of love, patience, trials, the way the Savior showed us how? Will we look to Him for our guidance, influence, forgiveness as we repent daily, and as for His constant help and inspiration in our walks through this life? ( I am going to send you some photos from Elder May’s arrival day, including the shoes of these missionaries this week, who have faithfully served and walked in the footsteps of the Savior, doing just like you are doing.)

Because we are Heavenly Father’s children, we have His divine attributes in our lives, personalities, character and dispositions. May we live our lives like His Son, to develop the love and character that they both have, because we want to be like them, when we return to live with them again, eternally. We love you Elders and Sisters. May our Heavenly Father pour out his blessings upon each of you for your goodness.

Love,
Hermana May