Pray

Many of you may have heard of the sister missionary who died Friday. If not, you can read about it [here]. This girl had been serving for 10 months for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Oklahoma City, OK. For those of you who don't know, my sister Alli is serving in that mission now. The news of this tragedy brought me to tears and I can't explain my feelings about it. But Alli can always find the words (or the right scripture). Maybe it's because we are so similar, but she really can write something to touch your heart. Here is an exert from her email today:

"I'm sure many of you have heard about the death of one of the sisters missionaries - Sister Smith - here in OKC. She came out on the airplane with me, and I served around her for 3 transfers (4.5 months) or so. For those of you who don't know the story, Sister Smith was shotgun training (opening a new area that hadn't had missionaries in a while, and serving with a brand new 19-year old sister who had only been in Oklahoma for 2 days) out in a large country area. They were biking home from a teaching appointment and Sister Smith was hit by an 18-year old driver and killed on contact.

The other sister miraculously survived, but the sudden loss of Sister Smith has been shocking. It has caused me to think a lot of about the doctrine that we missionaries teach - the doctrine I teach to people probably 6 to 7 times a week: "the Plan of Salvation", or the plan that God has for us, from the premortal life to after this life. (http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness) When a friend dies, and you find out on an unexpected conference call, you begin to look a little closer at life, and what it means to you, and what God's role is in all of the details of our lives. That, simply put, has been my journey this week. And knowing the Plan of Salvation has brought me so much peace - knowing that Mosiah 16:7-8 isn't lying:
'And if Christ had not risen from the dead or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore, the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.'"

It is a blessing to know that there is a plan for us and that this life isn't the end. I am praying for the Smith family, all of those missionaries out there and even for the person who hit her. Maybe you could too?