Angela's Baptism

March 10, 2008

Angela’s baptism on March 1st was great! Her boyfriend Aaron did the baptizing and some of his family came in to give their support, including Aaron’s dad who flew in from California and did the confirmation. Angela had asked me to speak on baptism.

I realized how similar her story is with my Mom’s and it made me want to learn more about my Mom’s baptism. Mom sent me an email describing in detail how she’d always noticed something different about members of the church. She had many friends who were members in her youth and chose to go on a semester abroad to Salzburg through BYU where she met my Aunt Nan. Later, my Mom and my Dad began dating. Like Angela, Mom wanted to make her decisions of getting baptized and marrying Dad separate.

I promised Angela about the amazing blessings and consequences that would come from her decision, that she had received a witness that this was the true church and that her decision would also benefit her children and their children so much. I also told her that of Mom’s five kids, two have or are serving missions and three have been married in the temple so far.

In other news, we heard that there was a shooting in Chapel Hill on Wednesday. We didn’t learn until Thursday that the victim was Eve Carson, UNC Student Body President. She was a senior doing Pre-Med and everyone commented on her bright, positive, energetic attitude. She was graduating next month. As you can imagine the students and community have been shocked and the police have few clues about what happened.

In the wake of unexpected acts of violence or accidents or disease, people always have the tendency to ask why. We often feel confused and out of control or helpless. The truth is that we aren’t in control, God is. Our part is to focus on what is in our control and leave the rest up to Him.

Thank you for all of your support, prayers and letters!

Elder Walters
106 Shadowood Drive Apt. D
Chapel Hill, NC 27514