Hello from Piperdim

March 9, 2015

Family,

thanks for your faithful communications, and for the letters and emails of support and encouragement you've liberally sent my way. I am excited for too many things to list.  I'm tired.  I will see you in a couple days.  I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to represent our family and bring honor to the two names I've worn on my chest these two years. Till the work is done,

love you!

Elder Tanner Merrill

 

Mar 2, 2015

Dad,

thanks for the great photos, it looks you guys had some good bonding time. I'll tell you, the great enormity of time that you took to spend with me during my early years was more valuable that you or I can ever measure.  To this day I look back to that, and the things I learned and the love and support I felt from you and Mom during those times shaped my choices and decisions and has made me who I am.  Again, I could not describe what all that time still means to me.  Every minute you take to spend with Sydnee or Evan will be an invaluable investment in their future righteousness and eventual salvation, it has had a greater effect on me and my life than any other force or influence save only the Atonement.  Thanks for that, my children and theirs will benefit from your worthy and noble fatherhood.

It does indeed feel like a clean slate, and its an odd feeling to host.  There are very few times in your life when you can anticipate with any degree of accuracy a major life change that is about to take place in your life.  It feels like something you cannot fully prepare for, which you of course cannot.  At the same time, in my case, I know what I am going home to.  I know in whom I trust and I know what I have to do.  Nevertheless the Lord does not command in all things and many choices will be left up to me.  That being said, I have been promised guidance, careful guidance from the Savior through the sojourn of my life, and so the uncertainty is swallowed up in the comfort of an eternal perspective.  I'm not worried, perhaps a bit anxious.  Apprehensive but not hesitant. 

 

I love you Dad, thanks for everything.  I will see you next week,

your son

Elder Merrill