Letter
“And he did exhort them then with all the feelings of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them….” 1 Nephi 8:37
Week 7 in Palma de Mallorca
It’s Sunday night, June 19th, and we have just finished a wonderful Sunday. Today was Father’s Day back in the United States, but Dia del Padre en España is in March. So, only the American missionaries and our families thought about Father’s Day today. Our message on this post will be centered on our fathers and the great example of fathers that we have experienced here in Palma.
Let’s begin with our Heavenly Father. We know that his work and his glory is: “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” Moses 1:39. He always has our best interest in mind; especially, our eternal blessings. In Third Nephi 13:32–33, we learn, “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” As we have throughout our lives, we have witnessed the goodness of God and his blessings to His children to those that seek Him and His son, Jesus Christ. We will share a few examples of this in our post tonight.
We have pondered today on our two earthly fathers: Benjamin Taylor and Rulon Duncan. They both lived long and spiritually productive lives. Lea and I continue to be blessed each day by the lives of our parents. Our important responsibility is to continue and to perpetuate the commitment to the Gospel and Christlike living of our parents. Our fathers had testimonies of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ and their lives were dedicated to this great cause. We are grateful to be sealed to our fathers and our mothers forever.
1 Nephi 8:37 – after Nephi recounts the vision of his father, he states: “ And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them….”
What are “the feelings of a tender parent?”
We feel blessed every day by the lives of our tender parents! ♥️ I hope that I have been and am, a tender parent. As dad frequently taught us Taylor children, the only roles that we take from this life into the eternities are: father, mother, and child. These are the roles that we should spend the most effort on – in our earthly and eternal relationships and families.
In our short time here in Palma, we have observed numerous examples of great fathers and great parents. We could share numerous photos and stories, but will include three in this post.
The first is Fabian Barraza and his faithful family. He and his wife are from Argentina and have lived here in Spain for 20+ years. He is a great father! He previously served as the District President and is now the High Counselor over the Young Adults and the Institute teacher. He has a strong testimony and a love of the Gospel and the scriptures. He is a great example to us! I feel like we are eternal brothers and I love him.
The next example is our dear friend, Osa. He was first contacted on a commuter train by Hermana Fitt. He said he was curious about what was on her name tag. Lea and I were able to participate in his first missionary discussion. From that very first encounter, we could feel something unique and very special about this man. We felt spiritually connected to him. Hermana Smith and Hermana Hadfield did a wonderful job of teaching him the Gospel. He readily and confidently accepted the invitation for baptism. He was baptized in the swimming pool at the Branch President’s house because the chapel has been closed for several weeks for renovation. Lea and I have had numerous experiences with him in the last several weeks and we love him. He calls Lea, “momma” and he calls me, “father. “ He is doing everything he can to support his young daughter back in Nigeria. He wants to be a great father.
The third story is that of Giuseppe. He has attended church for about nine years but has not been a member. He has a strong Italian background. His wife and others have prayed for him for many years. The members of the branch all know him and he has participated in the church routinely. Recently, he felt the desire to be baptized and officially join the church and to progress towards an eternal family. He is a very devoted father! It was a great blessing for us to witness his baptism last week and to see him baptize his young daughter today. The setting for these baptisms in a pool at Branch President Thorson’s house is incredibly beautiful. Giuseppe and his wife have a spiritual glow around them. They are so happy and excited about their future as they prepare for the temple next year. It has been an incredible blessing for Lea and I to get to know them and to witness the light of the Gospel in this beautiful family.
So, may we offer a belated Happy Father’s Day to all of you fathers. We are grateful that you are trying to do your best to follow the Savior. We have been blessed throughout our whole lives with worthy fathers and we are surrounded by faithful fathers and mothers here in Palma de Mallorca.
We are grateful for your love, prayers, and support. We see the Lord‘s hand in His great work every day. It is a privilege, honor, and blessing to be a few of His missionaries at such a great time in the history of the world.
We love you!
Élder y Hermana Taylor (momma and father)
