Letter to Larsen Family after Elias Birth/Death

Hello Dear Family,

Amanda spoke of one thing this week that has been on my mind. It was that of the strength of her family helping her during this difficult time. I have been pondering on those words and felt inspired. I remembered waaaaay back when, during Michael’s mission, family emails were a weekly thing.

I don’t know about you, but I personally feel at this time, we could use that support and strength as a family again. And considering the distance between us all, the only way to do that is through email.

I felt impressed then, but in true form, am questing myself now. i wish i wasn’t so weak!.  I do feel it will give us all added strength to weather the storms in which we must pass. I felt SO very inspired when I first thought of it and even had ideas of what I wanted to write, but of course i put it off (I’m still learning to listen to the spirit!) and now I feel a daunting presence… But I will continue. I want it to be known that regardless of your desire or interest level, I will still write. Do not feel pressure to respond or even to read! Even though i personally have felt in the past that it is Patrick’s job to write an email to his family (i don’t know why!) I will still be the one to write (and i do apologise in advance, although I promise to keep you up to date on all of Patricks happenings as well). Even though I am hardly eloquent, polished or interesting, I will still write. I do it for no other reason than to share my love with you and follow inspiration that i feel is for our benefit. I have been inspired by Thomas S. Monson who said something to the likes of “I want God to know, that when he needs an errand run, Tommy Monson will do it”  I hope to be a little bit more like him and follow the inspiration that I have had. Hopefully it will help me see it more clearly and learn to do things before questioning them.  And hopefully I will be able to close the gap of miles between us all and we might be able to glean ideas and inspiration from each other.

Time is slipping away each day and I would hate to let it go without doing what I can to stop it, if just for a moment.

And so it begins….

sunday march 9, 2014

today was stake conference. Something I actually dread. the reason being, in one word: kids. (and you all know what I’m talking about, right?!) Its a painful 2 hour debacle where everyone is unhappy and I don’t hear a thing. especially when like today, we are stuck watching it on a tv in the RS room with three other families who’s kids are as crazy as mine. We Might as well have stayed at home!!

But we went. I told patrick we are channeling our inner Nephi. Learning to be obedient despite the obstacles ahead. For some reason i wasn’t the one that wanted to turn right around and march ourselves back home. Which is odd, cause usually I want to do just that. We persevered. and considering what it was, it wasn’t all that bad.

One thing they are really focusing on here is missionary work. our stake president wants to get another stake here so we can have a temple, which would be amazing. Pres. Lai shared the scripture in D&C 115:  “…gathering together up on the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, maybe for a defence, and for a refuge from the storm…”  I will admit that when he was talking i was thinking “that would be great for them to have another stake and a temple” but for some reason, not attaching it to myself. it made me realise i need to be more invested in this place, as it is my home right now!

But it reminded me of what I have been feeling this week. we all need a place of refuge from the storm…. what a peaceful promise. No matter what storm might be raging around you. And not that I am saying going to church will solve those things, but more being with people that love you and share the spirit, will help us weather those storms. i.e. family. And of course there is a great power in the covenants we make. I feel that to be true more and more each day.

ok.. thats it. Im feeling stumped for things to say and its bedtime, so all in all, my first efforts are not very impressive but again, my desire to do it is greater than my desire to do it well. Which it shameful considering this family and how good you all do everything! Maybe one day, it will all rub off on me…

By way of a quick update, things here are fine.

Patricks back to work. Still devising a plan of how to get out of here in 2 years. he’s busy. but fine

Big boys are in school for one more week and then it will be term break. Im devising a plan of how to survive having them both at home ALL DAY LONG for a full 7 days. my head just might explode!

Little boys are still little and cute and crazy and wild and destructive and then cute and sweet again and then on and on it goes.

Kai bit his lip tonight and was so upset about it bleeding that he begged for a bandaid. I didn’t think it would last two seconds, but he fell asleep with it on.  He could barely talk. but he feels its working so we just laughed at him and put him down.

It’s been decided that Levi looks like Mary Stewart Masterson in Some Kind of Wonderful, and it gave us both a good chuckle.

otherwise its the same. eat, play, cry, poop, eat play cry poop…. and then we have only a few blissful moments of quiet before we have to go to bed to gear up to do it all again tomorrow….

Ok, one last thing for amanda and jared... I was thinking this week of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Emma. I had forgotten that they too had suffered anguish because of losing their sweet babies. She lost 6 babies (5 of her own and 1 adopted) all before the age of 2. What heartache and suffering they must have endured  each and every day. 

So much so that Joseph was inspired to inquire of the Lord what would happen to his infant children. Thank heaven for modern revelation!

I found this excerpt and thought i would share it:

Eleven years had passed since the death of their adopted son, one-year-old Joseph Smith Murdock. During that time, Joseph and Emma lost other children. They would lose yet another to stillbirth.

Two years later at the funeral of King Follett, Joseph taught that parents of deceased children will have the privilege of raising their children to full stature in the Resurrection: “‘Will mothers have their children in eternity?’ Yes! Yes! Mothers, you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid. There is no damnation awaiting them for they are in the spirit. But as the child dies, so shall it rise from the dead, and be forever living in the learning of God. It will never grow [in the grave]; it will still be the child, in the same precise form [when it rises] as it appeared before it died out of its mother’s arms.”[20]

Sister Isabella Horne reported that she witnessed the Prophet ministering to the wife of John Taylor, a future president of the Church.

In conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith once in Nauvoo, the subject of children in the resurrection was broached. I believe it was in Sister Leonora Cannon Taylor’s house. She had just lost one of her children, and I had also lost one previously. The Prophet wanted to comfort us, and he told us that we should receive those children in the morning of the resurrection just as we laid them down, in purity and innocence, and we should nourish and care for them as their mothers. He said that children would be raised in the resurrection just as they were laid down, and that they would obtain all the intelligence necessary to occupy thrones, principalities and powers. The idea that I got from what he said was that the children would grow and develop in the Millennium, and that the mothers would have the pleasure of training and caring for them, which they had been deprived of in this life.[21]

The doctrine that little children inherit salvation stretches from eternity to eternity. The worthy in Christ “shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them” (D&C 59:2), which the Lord spoke to Joseph Smith. This truth lived in the days of Adam, and it is true today. True principles find application across generations of time.

I was struck by this because I was imagining what it might be like to raise a child during the millennium, when the Savior reigns on the earth. Just think of what peace and harmony will exist. And you will be able to enjoy it all with your sweet Elias! I felt my heart lift as I thought of it and wanted to share it with you too. I know you know all of these things, but maybe it will bring you some peace to think on it again. It is the most trying “delayed gratification” i can think of, but It will be so incredibly sweet. 

bless you both. i love you!

Ok, familia. thats all until next week.

we love you so very much.

p&k

ps.  heather, do jacob and chase have email accounts? I can include them too, if they would like… Anyone else I am missing that we want to include? how wide do you want to cast this net? just for immediate or extended too?