Feeling Close to Our Father in Heaven

Today we were teaching a woman named Magdalena. She is matriarch of a family where two of her grown children have already accepted the gospel. We taught her the Plan of Salvation. While I was teaching her, the Spirit burned in my heart. I felt several promptings on what principles I should teach, and near the end, while we were talking about where would go after death, I felt a very strong prompting to read to her from Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As I read Joseph Smith’s description and testimony of his vision of Jesus Christ and the Celestial and Telestial Kingdoms, I saw and felt that it touched her.

This entire week as with almost every week here in the mission, I have felt that same closeness to my Heavenly Father that I felt in that discussion. I sense His presence. I feel His love for those we teach. I feel His love for me. It brings me a quiet joy, knowing that it is all true. Those I love, whom have died, yet live and I will see them again.

There is a great fog over our world created by the teachings and doctrines of men that obscures and hides the things that should matter to us most and keeps us from feeling what I feel now. I wish that there was a way that I could help you feel what I feel and know, it is so sure and real to me, but it is not in my power to do so. That is left to your own relationship with your Father. I can say that it is worth every sacrifice that you could make to do it. It is indeed the pearl of great price for which a man would sell everything he owns to have.