Family Matters: For Time and All Eternity

Maayong adlaw everyone!! 🌅🤗 I hope everyone is doing well and that you’re all being blessed and kept safe by the Lord. I’ve been thinking of you all and praying that each home is filled with His peace and joy. 💞🫶 Seeing His provision, His protection, and even the little everyday kindnesses reminded me again how merciful He is in every season. It truly encouraged my heart and soul to continue the Saviors work with full faith and trust in him.  God has been so good, and here are my ✨️highlights✨️ from the past 2 weeks! . . . . ~💖 Over the past few days the weather has been very unpredictable. We’ve experienced heavy rains, intense heat, and strong storms. Then, to our surprise, we saw a whirlwind form right over the ocean near the beach- It looked like a small waterspout 🌬🌪. It was a sobering reminder of God’s power and presence. In the middle of a noisy and restless world, I was reminded that our God is steady and He invites us to find peace in Hi...

This was such a good week, and we got some really good quality pictures! Thank you so much to Brother Kyle and Sister Ara for working with us and taking pictures for us! We had dinner at one of our member's houses last night and it was amazing! They served spicy adobo and it was so yummy! 😋 Super flavorful and just the right amount of spicy. We were completely full and so happy. They were really kind to us, and before we left, they even gave me a big pencil as a gift. It really made my whole day ✏️  There are days when everything feels really low, but I've realized it's often just building up for the best high ever. The whole morning we were getting punted everywhere we went, but we didn't give up ✨️ We just kept going and kept working. Then in the afternoon, everything changed. We started having one meaningful find after another, back-to-back, and it made all the hard work in the morning so worth it. It was such a great reminder that the Lord ...

It was truly a tender, sacred, answered prayer that just before we turned toward home, the barriers were removed, and we were invited near. For the first time, we were able to walk right up to the Salt Lake Temple to touch the sacred stone walls, to rest our hands upon the holy doors, to stand in the very shadow of the House of the Lord in a way we had not been able to before.    As our hands rested upon the temple doors, we marveled at the exquisite, historic doorknob and lock plate, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and symbolism! Carved into the brass knob are the sacred words: "Holiness to the Lord". The reverent declaration that defines every temple of God. At its center sits the beehive, a symbol of industry, unity, and the faithful labor of the pioneers who built this holy house.  Above it, the dates 1853–1893 are etched deep, marking the forty years of faith, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion that it took to construct ...

Standing proudly at the intersection of State Street and South Temple, right beside Temple Square, is one of Salt Lake City’s most iconic landmarks, the Eagle Gate Monument.    A Gate with a Story   The original gate was built all the way back in 1859, serving as the entrance to Brigham Young’s property and quickly becoming a beloved symbol of the growing pioneer settlement. What began as a simple wooden arch has been rebuilt and expanded over the decades, yet it has never lost its connection to the area’s faithful, hard‑working pioneers.    Symbols of Strength & Industry   Today’s monument features a magnificent bronze eagle with wings spread wide, perched above a beehive, two powerful symbols in one:   - The Eagle → represents strength, vision, and rising above just as the pioneers rose to build a city in the desert. ​ - The Beehive → the enduring symbol of industry, cooperation, and community, a reminder that we build bes...

  This stone monument marks the U.S. Meridian Base of 1869, the official starting point for the Salt Lake Meridian, the survey reference line that defines the addressing system for the entire state of Utah!  It sits on Temple Square grounds, just north of the Salt Lake Temple, precisely at 40°46′13″ N, 111°54′00″ W. Every street, property line, and land survey in Utah traces back to this exact spot.   Its Story   - The Survey Begins (1869) : The U.S. Coast Survey established this marker to define the principal meridian and base line for the Utah Territory. It was placed here because Temple Square was already the geographic and cultural center of the city, and the temple site was the most accurately surveyed location in the region. ​ - How It Works : All east–west addresses in Salt Lake City are measured from Main Street (the meridian line), and all north–south addresses are measured from South Temple Street (the base line) — with this marker a...

This time last year at the Calgary Alberta Temple. It feels like just yesterday. And yet, so much has already changed. It may take some time before we are all together again, as our children will be serving missions in the years ahead. We look at this memory now with hearts full of gratitude and a little bit of gentle longing. Because we know that it may take some time before we are all together again. Our children are stepping forward, one by one, to serve the Lord in the mission field. In the years ahead, they will be scattered, far from home, serving, growing, and blessing lives. And while our hearts swell with pride, we also know our family circle here at home will be a little smaller, for a little while. But we know too that separation is only for a season. The temple stands as a beautiful promise that the bonds we share are not broken by distance, and not measured by time. Families can be together forever.    So we wait, and we pray, and we treasu...

The lives of Anatolin and Crisanta Padilla are deeply grounded in faith, devoted service, and the blessings of the gospel. Both were born in 1982 and raised in faithful homes within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and each chose to be baptized at age eight. Their paths first crossed in youth, but it was at a combined Seminary gathering and Youth Conference when they were 15 that their friendship grew. It was there that Anatolin enjoyed the privilege of dancing with Crisanta, a memory he fondly recalls as their first and last dance. At age 19, Anatolin accepted a call to serve in the Philippines Cagayan de Oro Mission. Following his honorable service, their friendship deepened, and they became engaged. On April 23, 2005, at age 23, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Manila Philippines Temple . They are the blessed parents of four children. Their two eldest, Cerah Hennah (20) and Ammon Jarom (18), are now serving full-time missions, a joy and blessing t...

  Maayong buntag sa inyong tanan! What a week it has been! Even though he got sick for a little while, Elder Padilla shared that the Lord reminded him that His work does not stop. And neither does he! He kept moving forward, creating miracles, and helping others come closer to Christ . He has seen so many blessings this week. Hearts progressing, and the Spirit working in beautiful ways.    They gathered for a wonderful Family Home Evening combining interested friends and ward members! The support was so great that people didn’t even fit inside the house. He said some had to stay outside! Everyone enjoyed one another’s company, played a fun game together, and truly felt the Spirit and the warm love of the ward family.     This week brought a precious milestone! Nanay signed the papers for her daughter’s baptism, and you could truly see the joy and excitement in both of their faces!  And then came a memorable s...