Girls Camp Letter

As is common every summer,
it's time for Girls Camp.
And once again,
I have been invited, as all parents are,
to write a personal letter
to my teenage daughter
which will be hand-delivered to her
during a special part of Camp
called
"The Solo Experience."

I have written to date,
about 15 personal letters
to my daughters
as each of them have gone
in the past 11 years.
I try my best to write uplifting,
honest, inspired letters
to my girls each time.

To my surprise,
I found out this week,
that my girls
have actually saved theirs.

So, Daisie leaves for Camp
next Monday
and I sat down to write again
this lazy July afternoon
some words that might
do some good.

I asked her if I could share some of my words here,
because when I start out to write something,
I usually wing it
and when something comes together
that ends up inspiring me too,
I have to wonder if the inspiration
is, well,
inspired. 

So here goes:
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July 2012

Dear Dara,

I imagine you're wondering what on earth I could write to you in this “solo” letter that could be any different from anything else I've said or written before. The truth is, while I've learned a few things since last year, the basics or the foundation of my knowledge is pretty much the same:

The Gospel is true. Joseph Smith was a Prophet. The Book of Mormon is divine, as is the Priesthood and President Monson is a our Prophet today.

How we choose to weave those truths into our daily lives largely depends on where we're at in life.

I have found that the older I get, the more I lean into those truths to guide my choices. And I don't know what that looks like to you. My weaknesses are many, but hopefully my strengths are greater.

That's my goal anyway. Life is quite challenging; the gospel makes it easier. If there's an easier way to live life and be happy, I don't know what it is. I've never seen anyone do that—live an easier way and be happier.

And that's what makes the Gospel worth whatever it costs to live it. The boundaries we adhere to, set by our Standards, guard and keeps us safe from sin. Not always safe from the tragedies of mortality—sickness, death still afflict Latter-Day Saints..because we're mortals living in a temporal, fallible world.

But what the Gospel Standards protect us from is Spiritual Death, Spiritual corruption, Sins that separate or distract us from our Heavenly Father and His Son. Which is worse than physical death.

So I cling to the Savior for safety. One of my favorite hymns is “Come Thou Font”--especially the line that says, “bind my wandering heart to thee”. Because I am safer, happier, more peace-filled when I am doing what Christ would have me do. I want to be His. Belong to Him. It is as simple as that. Anything that forces me to look another way, is usually not good or worth it.

In Alma, when Captain Moroni saw his people, the Nephites threatened with war, led by Amalickiah, he tore his coat and wrote on it “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children” and fastened it upon a pole and waved it high so everyone could see it. And “crying with a loud voice, saying: Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them. And it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running...”

I LOVE those last four words...”the people came running”. Can you guess why? Can you put yourself in their place—their liberty was being threatened again,and instead of hanging their heads and saying to themselves, “What? Again? Why do we have to do this over and over? Why doesn't God fight our battles for us?” Instead of being discouraged and giving up and quitting, walking away from their land or giving up their faith, the Nephites looked to their inspired Leader for guidance and came running to make covenants. I would like to think that you would have been one of those faithful Nephites—that you would've stopped whatever you were doing, thrown down whatever was in your hands, and ran to Moroni's beckoned call to say, “Count Me In. I'm here. I'll never leave. I 'll never walk away or deny my faith.”

This life is not balanced. There is no such thing as “fair” in this life. Sometimes it just doesn't make a lick of sense. The Savior came into the world to bring Justice and Mercy—it is HE who makes things “fair” in the end. His love is profound and eternal. He knows the beginning to the end. We can trust in His Love, His Way to guide us. There isn't another way to be happy in this life. There just isn't.

Moroni knew that. Alma knew that. Joseph Smith came to know that and the world has never been the same since April 1830.

From the moment I learned these things myself, my life changed the course it was on and has never been the same. As we're preparing to take Diana to the temple tomorrow, I know my prayers have been heard and answered. I know that Father in Heaven loves me and my family. That's You, too.

As you approach your senior year in high school, determine to make this your best year yet. Work hard to get the results you want and are capable of getting. You will never regret working hard at learning. It just isn't possible. Lean into your faith for sustenance and courage to keep going. There isn't another way. And when you truly learn this and apply it in your daily life, you will see the rewards come to fruition. Just as I will see tomorrow, in Diana's countenance, when she presents her self at the Temple doors to make her own sacred covenants, as she reaches one step closer to binding her heart to His, and moves forward to begin the consecration of her own life on her mission. That will be a blessing for her as well as mine.

If you want happiness in this life, Keep your eyes on the Savior. Follow His footsteps. Keep your ears tuned into the Prophets and listen to the Spirit. Use your hands to serve others. Open your heart to the scriptures—read them over and over and over again. The Book of Mormon is amazing—it has never been the same book twice to read. Everytime I open its pages, I find a different message that lifts and inspires me...to keep running to the Lord.

I love you, Daisie. I do. We'll get through these rough waters and come out on the other side just fine.

I want only happiness for you. Show us what you can do. We are your greatest cheerleaders.

Have a great day at Camp Joseph. See you when you get home.

Love, Momza

****

I want to say that each time I take the time

to write a letter to my children,

it benefits both of us.

I am reminded of the unique-ness of each child--

their strengths and their challenges.

It is good to focus just on them and put into words

my love for them.

I highly recommend this practice

and encourage you to take a moment 

and write down your feelings for your children.

In asking Dara why she keeps my letters,

she replied simply,

"So I can remember your words, Mom."

So there ya go...