Julie Rogers fireside

These pictures are of Julie Rogers. She is a beautiful artist and paints a lot of the pioneers.
We had a fireside tonight and she had all these paintings that she showed us. She would tell us the stories of these pioneers and of all her spiritual experience in painting these beautiful renditions. I have never experienced a more spiritual fireside. These pioneers were so valiant because they had strong enough testimonies to take them through hard things. We talked about why the Lord didn't temper the elements for their sakes. she read a quote from James E Faust which is:

On Suffering.
"We wonder why a kind and merciful God did not temper the elements to spare them from their profound agony. I think I have found the answer to my own satisfaction. I may be wrong, but I believe their lives were consecrated to a higher purpose through their suffering and their example. Their love of the Savior was burned deep into their souls and into the souls of their children and their chiildren's children, and it will be so forever. The motivation for their lives came from a true conversion, to the very center of their souls."

I know this to be true. and why the Lord wants us to be here.

I love this church and feel so blessed to be here and experience the spirits of those special pioneers and feel them near me tonight. I hope whoever reads this will go and purchase the book.
"Tell my story too"  and start getting a feel for those valiant members.
I know the Savior of the world died for us and wants us all to come unto him. and he is always beckoning us to follow him. I pray that I can do just that.