Promises Realized

{Bern, Switzerland LDS Temple}

I read this story in my Ensign yesterday........

(See all those red links? I know that a lot of you are not LDS. Each link takes you to a short definition of each of the words linked to. Just so you know what it's talking about. Oh but you MUST click on the temple one! The video is absolutely beautiful! Click the link while holding down 'ctrl' to open a new browser for the link. Just so you don't have to jump back and forth a million times! :) )

"Many years ago, a humble and faithful patriarch, Brother Percy K. Fetzer, was called to give patriarchal blessings to Church members living behind the Iron Curtain.


Brother Fetzer went into the land of Poland in those dark days. The borders were sealed, and no citizens were permitted to leave. Brother Fetzer met with German Saints who had been trapped there when the borders were redefined following World War II and the land where they were living became part of Poland.


Our leader among all of those German Saints was Brother Eric P. Konietz, who lived there with his wife and children. Brother Fetzer gave Brother and Sister Konietz and the older children patriarchal blessings.


When Brother Fetzer returned to the United States, he called and asked if he could come visit with me. As he sat in my office, he began to weep. He said, 'Brother Monson, as I laid my hands upon the heads of the members of the Konietz family, I made promises which cannot be fulfilled. I promised Brother and Sister Konietz that they would be able to return to their native Germany, that they would not be held captive by the arbitrary decisions of conquering countries and that they would be sealed together as a family in the house of the Lord. I promised their son that he would fill a mission, and I promised their daughter that she would be married in the holy temple of God. You and I know that because of the closed borders, they will not be able to receive the fulfillment of those blessings. What have I done?'


I said, 'Brother Fetzer, I know you well enough to know that you have done just what our Heavenly Father wanted you to do.' The two of us knelt down beside my desk and poured out our hears to our Heavenly Father, indicating that promises had been given to a devoted family pertaining to the temple of God and other blessings now denied to them. Only He could bring for the miracle we needed.


The miracle occurred. A pact was signed between the leaders of the Polish government and the leaders of the Federal Republic of Germany, permitting German nationals who had been trapped in that area to move to West Germany. Brother and Sister Konietz and their children moved to West Germany, and Brother Konietz became the bishop of the ward in which they resided.


The entire Konietz family went to the holy temple in Switzerland. And who was the temple president who greeted them in a white suit with open arms? None other than Percy Fetzer--The patriarch who gave them the promise. Now, in his capacity as president of the Bern Switzerland Temple, he welcomed them to the house of the Lord, to the fulfillment of that promise, and sealed the husband and wife together and the children to their parents.


The young daughter eventually married in the house of the Lord. The young son received his call and fulfilled a full-time mission." (President Thomas S. Monson, October 2010 Ensign, Special Temple Issue)

I totally cried as I read that. I thought about how, in my own patriarchal blessing, there are promises realized and promises still waited for. It is a map in my life. My Father reminding me that I am His and that I have a purpose and a mission on this earth to fulfill before returning Home. He wants me to acheive this goal. And so, I trust Him, His timing, His course and I know that I will see these promises realized in my life.

My favorite part was Patriarch Fetzer being the temple president at the exact temple and at the time that this family would get to see the blessing, he was an instrument in passing on to them, realized. I am sure there are no accidents in that! And how beautiful is that?! The Lord wanted to make sure that the prayer on this families behalf was heard, and he wanted to show Him that all things are possible with the Lord. And he wanted him to be able to play a part in it! What a great blessing for this man!

Throughout Dawsons life this concept became very clear to me. Paths crossing, sometimes for a moment, sometimes to last forever, but all along we were taught exactly what we needed to learn. We also know that through many experiences our paths crossed others so that Dawson's story could help them with their own struggles, current or coming up. The Lord has a gentle way of preparing us for the storm. Then supporting us. I love that! Looking for those instances, perhaps a phone call at a certain moment, a friend that will walk the entire path beside you and you beside her as you experience SO much of the same things, even a 5 min visit with a certain friend that lifts your spirit, all of these moments, if we recognize that the Lords hand is in all of it, helps us to get a small glimpse of just how much He loves each of us! How great is that?!