Welcome Back and Thank You

We have a friend who returned last night from a 6-month deployment to Afghanistan. It was wonderful to see him at church this morning. I have been able to work closely with his son throughout my time in the Young Mens program and now as the seminary teacher, and have seen him grow tremendously while his dad was away. I know that his family missed him tremendously and even struggled in his absence, but I admire the strength of his wife and kids. They persevered through his time away and continued to be a strength to others in need. The whole family sat together at church today and could not wipe the smiles off their faces. It was exciting to me to see how happy they all were to be together as a family again. It gave me a glimpse of what it may be like when we are all united again as eternal families. Being a member of the military, I know how hard it is to be away from family for long periods of time, and I especially admire the strength displayed by the families of the deployed troops. I would like to extend my gratitude to these families and let them all know that they are in mine and many others thoughts and prayers.