A God of Miracles

To Elder Paul Freeman, from Penny Freeman, dated April 2, 2008

Dear Elder Sweetie,

. . . What you are doing in San Bernardino, the things you are accomplishing and the responsibilities you are assuming continue to astound me. I don’t fret about your safety because I know you are on the Lord’s errand, he requires your faith and love and awe-inspiring testimony to feed his sheep and to be a conduit for the Spirit, and he watches over and protects you. My son, how the Savior loves you!

There was something I came across in my reading the other day that made me think of you, especially because I asked Amy to relay to you some of her experiences in difficult situations, when she prayed for miracles and they happened. It is a touch long but every bit pertinent, Mormon 9:10-21:

10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of ^amiracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same ^bGod who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

12 Behold, he created Adam, and by ^aAdam came the ^bfall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the ^credemption of man.

13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the ^apresence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the ^bresurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless ^csleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal ^dband of death, which death is a temporal death.

14 And then cometh the ^ajudgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is ^bfilthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.

15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do ^ano miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous ^aworks of God?

17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his ^aword the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was ^bcreated of the ^cdust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?

18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty ^amiracles? And there were many ^bmighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.

19 And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do ^amiracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should ^btrust.

21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, ^awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this ^bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

I know, my son, that your most righteous desire, as selfless and charitable as it is, for the strengthening of testimonies and guiding more of His children home, can and will be granted through your faith and dedication. He loves you. You are doing His work, and he desires this as much as do you. Pray for the miracles you need to make it happen. Ask in faith, nothing wavering, and your prayers will ultimately be answered. Even in your most frustrating experiences, when it seems it will never come to pass, be certain of the Lord and His love for you. Know with every fiber of your being that our Father hears and answers your prayers.

Have faith — faith enough not only to ask but to receive — and you, as an instrument in the hands of the Lord, will accomplish marvelous things.

As always, you have all my love and prayers,

mom