October 11, 2021

From Dad - Happy Thanksgiving!!

Dear Ben,

I’m grateful for many things but none more so than my family. You are each so important to me. I hope you feel our love and gratitude over the miles.

This week there has been lots to be grateful for. Your mom is a shining example to me of faithful service and ministering to others. She especially serves our family and drove many miles this week.

Yesterday we drove many miles to get to Cardston. I was so grateful for the opportunity to go to the temple and join the Bectell’s and G&G Smith to share the experience with Lindy going through the temple for the first time.

It was wonderful to be in the temple and connect with family on both sides of the veil. Grandma Smith came up to me and shared that she felt like your uncle David and Aunt Sariah were there. It made so much sense that our family members on the other side of the veil would attend family events especially covenant events.

In Elders quorum we discussed President Nelson’s talk on the temple. The analogy of staying safe spiritually by living inside our covenants resonates with me. There is truly an endowment of power when we keep our temple covenants.

We enjoyed a brief visit at the Bectell’s place for lunch before heading back home. It was a whirlwind trip.

We enjoyed a delicious thanksgiving dinner with Josh and Sam here.

Speaking of food, Josh and Sam hit the jackpot as we attended the very end of Kylan’s wedding reception and they snagged about 20 snack boxes of pizza pretzels and Doritos along with some delicious cupcakes. It was fun to see the Rice family again.

Update on the basketball pad. Mom and the girls helped me seal and paint it. It’s looking good. Next step is to paint lines.

Im grateful for you Ben and your example to all of us of dedication and serving the Lord.

Love you.

Dad

From Ben - Je t'aime Mamiere

Living in Timmins is a trip.

There are two old ladies, both named Giselle. Both are angels from heaven, fact.

One of them is our neighbor, is French, really short, 83, absolutely STOMPS at playing Sequence, loves the Church, reads the Book of Mormon, and is a firm Catholic.

She is our sweet Mamère.

She gave us an entire Thanksgiving dinner off the fly the day before Thanksgiving. So we ended up having two Thanksgiving dinners, both of which I Thanksgivinged myself and came to realize, as do I every year, the danger of gluttony.

The other Giselle is a member, calls us morning and night to tell us she loves us, gave us both moose teddy bears, has one of the funniest laughs on the face of planet earth (Imagine a witch cackle, but from a French-Ontarion witch who isn't a witch, but a loving grandma, and you get the picture)

They are both so wonderful. It's kind of a weird feeling to be loved by people you don't know very well yet.

They are both testaments that it can be done however.

Turns out you don't need to know somebody very well to show real and genuine love. Or, "Unfeigned" love.

Thanksgiving was a hoot! We were only allowed to attend a members home IF they invited us... so every conversation we had with any member, we kept on subtly hinting to them that we needed somebody to feed us, without it sounding like they had to extend the invitation first.

Eventually, two of the older ladies in the ward had pity on us and invited us to dine with them. They made some of the most divine mashed potatoes I'd ever eaten. We gave THANKS, let me tell you.

Gratitude is a straight up super

One of the absolute highlights of the week though was when I got to talk to Rick again.

I think I mentioned him before, but Rick is a guy that messaged me on one of the Bible ads I had put out. He is pretty set on changing my mind from the Latter Day Saint perspective to that of a more non-denomination Christianity.

It was one of my favourite conversations of all time.

I just couldn't keep myself from smiling while Rick was tearing the Book of Mormon apart. (I've been waiting for this moment for a while, to have somebody go ham at the Book of Mormon).

He did have good intentions though, so I was actually really grateful he was reaching out. (If I thought my friend had been duped, of course I'd tell them I thought so)

The conversation ended with us feeling a little better about our own stances, and after the fact, we shared some good Christian memes with each other, so it was actually a good time.

I've been thinking about confidence recently. Both Peter and Moroni mention that "perfect love casteth out all fear" so I've been trying to get to that point because dang, I can tell you right now that I'm not devoid of "all fear"

It still scares me sometimes to talk to people, to send random messages to people on the 'Gram or Facebook, to teach, and just do missionary things.

So learning how to love other people without having ever met them is my current question and subject of thought. (Both Jeffery R. Holland and D. Todd Christopherson's talks from conference have some good insights, but if anybody has a thought or two they'd like to send my way, don't hesitate, eh?)

Thanks again, all. Go change the world, eh? It's definitely possible.

- Elder Smith

1) Elder Hartman holding a sturgeon somebody else caught.