A SAD RELEASE FROM STAKE YW

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Hey Buddy!!!! 

I LOVED getting your email last week and getting a copy of your talk. I LOVED it! 

HOpe all is going well with Elder Robinson. Tell him we say hello. Has training been going ok this week?

Sorry to have sent you the pics from the band trip. Hopefully it doesn't make you too home sick.......... I figured you could handle them though :)

Well, I gave my talk on Saturday for Stake Conference Adult session. It went good. I'm attaching it to this email. You don't have to read it but it's here just incase. It was pretty cool I got many people who told me they could feel the spirit so strong. I even got an email from someone I don't even know in the stake. They said that they hadn't even planned on coming to the conference but 20 minutes before it started. They got there and heard my talk and said it was totally worth it and that they knew why they were sent there. I'm so grateful that the Spirit was there and that Heavenly Father gives us rewards and tender Mercies to help us keep going. 

Today was a difficult day though because my Stake presidency was released. I truly was blessed to be able to be with all the amazing Young Women of our stake and I am going to miss it terribly. I am grateful that Dad and I still get to serve for Trek.

Not too much going on this week. Dad is working a lot though. Crazy it's that time of year that he is back to working a ton. I'm grateful that I'm not anticipating a survey or something like that. I'm just trying to work and do the best I can. 

Lexie is going to try out for Weapons line with Viewmont's color guard. She is excited to do their Winterguard. She will be a bit busy this winter as well. 

I can't wait to hear about how your training is going.

Love you tons!!!!! You are an amazing young man and I am so grateful to be your MOther!!!!

Love, Mom

(Talk- Stake Conference Nov 2016 -CONVERSION-- added to the end of this letter) 

ELDER SNELL: Hi Mom!!!

I loved your talk!!! You are amazing :) I love you!

Everything is going pretty well with Elder Robison. Training is
definitely different than being trained, that's for sure hahaha :)
it's not the easiest thing. It can be pretty stressful at times, but I
am learning a ton about myself and how to become a better missionary.

Thank you for the pictures from the band trip! Did you get any of my friends?

You are such an incredible example to everyone! It is amazing how the
Lord works though us to bless the lives of others, even if we don't
even know who it is we are helping! Heavenly Father is a genius!

Sounds like you are all super busy! Hey, did they get all the ma's and
pa's called yet?

I will talk about how training is going in my mass email. Speaking of
mass email, did you send out the one from last week? Patrice said she
didn't get it.

Is there anything else you want me to include in my mass email?

I love you!

Elder Snell

MOM: I must not have sent it since I was in California. I'm so sorry. I'll send it now. I did post it on FB though last night. So sorry!

sorry, I was in a meeting for ever and wasn't able to get back to you! I love you so much. The meeting was at work. We had some things we needed to work on and so we were fixing them Yay!

Trek- we are still waiting for them to call all the Mas and Pas and All our committee heads. The stake Presidency has been way busy reorganizing 5 wards and then calling all the new STake leaders. I was released so they needed to call new Stake Yw and new STake relief soc and then stake sunday school. Plus new high council members etc. so they have been way busy!

ELDER SNELL: Wow! Sounds busy! 

I gotta go now. Love you Mom!

CONVERSION

Stake Conference Nov 2016

President Russell M Nelson

JOY

When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we

can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not

happening—in our lives.

Clearly, Lehi knew opposition, anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment, and

sorrow. Yet he declared boldly and without reservation a principle as revealed

by the Lord: “Men are, that they might have joy.” 6 Imagine! Of all the words he

could have used to describe the nature and purpose of our lives here in

mortality, he chose the wordjoy!

“Life is filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind.

Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish, and despair almost

consumed us. Yet we are here to have joy?

Yes! The answer is a resounding yes! But how is that possible? And what

must we do to claim the joy that Heavenly Father has in store for us?

My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the

circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

I, like Nephi, was born of goodly parents and was taught the ways of the gospel growing

up. I don’t remember the moment I feel like I was “converted” to the gospel because I

feel like I have always known that what I was taught was true. But I will say that there

has been many, many times in my life when I had to redirect my focus to find the JOY

President Nelson is talking about.

7 Years ago I found myself having to figure out if I Could be happy in ANY

circumstance? Was I truly CONVERTED to the Gospel? Did I BELIEVE with all my

heart that all the teachings of Christ applied to even me?

Despair and heartache has filled my family with many difficult trials. But the year 2009

was a year that threatened to break us. My Mom had been diagnosed with breast

Cancer again after being cancer free for almost 30 years. Less than a month later we

found out she had a random Kidney cancer as well. Being a nurse and the oldest

Daughter, I wanted to make sure I was there for her and do all that I could. She had

surgery and was beginning treatments, things were still up in the air. There

were many nights I had cried knowing all was in the Lords hands.

I wasn’t sure if I could have had more anxiety and turmoil in my life at that

time, but I quickly found out it was more than possible. You’re never

prepared for any trial that comes in your life but I never knew I could feel

the anguish and heart break that I felt the moment I got a call from my

husband Steve who was on a Motorcycle trip with his brother in California.

My knees buckled and I dropped to the ground when Steve told me that He

and his brother had both crashed on their motorcycles and his brother died

in the crash.

I wish I could say I never had any moments of anger in my life, but through

the many days and nights of despair pleading with the Lord that Steve

would find some comfort, I knew I had lost my husbandin that crash as

well. There were so many dark and lonely days knowing I couldn’t take the

pain away from Steve.

I have never had such a hopeless feeling then I did at that time, watching

him grow deeper and deeper into despair. I Never thought it was ever

going to get better. I would get panic attacks thinking that this is how my life

was going to be from now on. I started to close myself off to feeling and

became a little numb to keep myself from crying all the time.

This is where I had to make a choice. I couldn’t live like this anymore. “Did I

believe all that I had been taught, that The Savior could take this pain

away? Could I feel Joy in this circumstance?

I have learned, that Any of us who truly yearns for this power of Joy in our

life can have it. But ONLY if we are able to soften our hearts and Believe.

Scripture. Alma 5:13&14

13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty

change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and

put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until

the end; therefore they were saved.

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren (and sisters) of the church,

have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your

countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT CHRIST CAN HELP YOU FEEL JOY?

The savior is my one true Hope! Only through HIM was I able to calm my

anxieties and HE made up the difference for everything I was not. He is the

only way I survive. I am grateful for the old saying that time helps to heal.

Not everyone heals at the same rate. It may take some longer than others.

But I have learned that I need to be patient and trust in the Lord. I have

had to try and see things as the Lord sees them and as I pray, I have to

say, "thy will be done". By doing this I have seen miracles and have been

able to see hope and light in Steve’s eyes once again.

This CHANGE of heart, is a Daily thing. It’s not a one-time experience and

then you are good to go for the rest of your life. Everyday I live with fears

and ANXIETIES that I am not good enough or I will NEVER “Be” enough.

This past year has truly put me to the test.

I have had to continually redirect my FOCUS to Christ. Sometimes minute

by minute. There would have been NO Way that I would have been able to

continue to PRESS FORWARD with work, my calling and my Family

without regularly going to the temple, incessantly PRAYING to my Father in

Heaven and having the Scriptures to give me strength and Hope that The

Lord Loves me and he wants me to succeed and that He is there to protect

me.

For my job, I have to make so many decisions and have to have knowledge

of many rules and regulations to run a Home Health and Hospice

Company. I have to have ideas of how to improve quality of care and do all

that I can to implement processes to pass Joint Commission surveys.

Do u think I am that SMART?

NO! BUT THE LORD IS!!!!!!

He is always providing me with the answers that are needed to solve

problems. Sometimes it comes through stress and anxiety until I find the

correct answer and then the peace will come. I have learned that is one of

the ways the Lord talks to me. He uses the Holy Ghost to influence my

feelings. I feel a constant nagging about something until I get it right.

At work, I'm always asked how I "feel" about a certain situation or ethical

dilemma. And then decisions are made. I guess you can say I have been

named the "feel-o-meter”. That's a lot of stress on one person but I just

have to THANK my savior that I could be so blessed to have this amazing

GIFT of the Spirit to use in my life.

Sheri Dew is one of my favorite people in the whole world and she doesn’t

even know it. But I LOVE her quote-

" Very simply, the Holy Ghost can make us smarter, wiser, and more

resilient than we inherently are that is because, among other things the

Holy Ghost will show unto us all things that we should do. Imagine how

ironclad, how encompassing that promise is!!!! There are no disclaimers no

limitations, just a phenomenal promise, given to ALL those who will "enter

in by the way, and receive the HOLY GHOST" (2 Nephi 32:5)

I love how sister Dew also states, "The Holy Ghost will show us our

weaknesses enable us to acknowledge them and then help us overcome

them. My experience is that whenever I ask the Lord to reveal my

weaknesses to me, he's quick to respond"

I’ve had many opportunities to “fine tune” my character and have my

weaknesses revealed. It’s something that we need not feel overwhelmed

with but take one thing at a time. The Holy Ghost will help guide you in the

refining process.

I truly know that ALL IS WELL. It doesn't keep me from being a worrier!!!!

But it gives me peace over all to know that it will all work out because it

does every time. The LORD has proven that to me. And that is what gives

me true JOY!!!! Things may not always work out how I want them to, but I

LOVE seeing how HE always gives me more.

Again, a quote from Sister Sheri Dew.....

“Life is a test. It is only a test--meaning that's all it is. Nothing more, but

nothing less. It is a test of our convictions and priorities, our faith and

faithfulness, our patience and resilience, and in the end, our ultimate

desires. It is a test to determine if we want to be part of the kingdom of God

more than we want anything else.

"a Sprinkling of the gospel will never lead to conversion "

It has been proven that the only way to get this continued conversion is to

immerse ourselves in The GOSPEL, not just by going to church but to take

every opportunity given to us and our family members to strengthen our

testimony!!!

AND speaking of taking EVERY OPPORTUNITY……….That means, that

we all need to do ALL that we can to encourage EVERY SINGLE YOUTH

to participate in Pioneer Trek this coming year.

Yep, I HAD to put a plug in!!!!!

I am so excited for the opportunity to serve with my AMAZING husband as

trail bosses for Trek.

But TRULY…..If Trek is important ENOUGH for Our Prophet and The first

presidency to write a Handbook for it and declare it IMPORTANT for the

Youth to be there, then we as disciples should do all we can to get the

youth there.

Words cannot express my gratitude to My Father in Heaven for the

opportunity I have to serve the YOUTH of our stake. For the Opportunity to

share MY TESTIMONY, MY CONVERSION to CHRIST to anyone who will

listen. I LOVE THE YOUTH!!!!!

I have never had so many emails every Monday than I do now, but with

EACH one of them, I think over the past 5 years, how THEY blessed my

life. How they were always AMAZING examples of BELIEVERS!!!!

I am so blessed to SERVE with the Women of the Stake.

Never have I known such service, LOVE and TRUE TESTIMONY than I do

with my Stake Young Women Presidency. I KNOW CHRIST, because I

KNOW THEM.

I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who LOVES me and I LOVE HIM! I

WILL STAND AS A WITNESS OF GOD AT ALL TIMES, AND IN ALL

THINGS AND IN ALL PLACES.

I KNOW MY SAVIOR LIVES.

I have absolutely NO DOUBT that there is a God and that he is full of

mercy and LOVE.

Alma 56:47-48

47 ......yea, they had been taught by their mothers (fathers), that if they did

not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do

not doubt our mothers knew it.

I Pray that each of us will desire to truly be converted to the gospel and live

in a way that our children or family members DO NOT DOUBT THAT WE

KNOW IT......... THAT GOD WILL DELIVER US.