25 January 2026- Snow Day
Most of the country is under a sever weather warning with snow and ice storms across the South, Midwest, and East Coast. We received the following from Felicity's mission President:
January 25, 2026
Dear Parents--
With reports of a winter storm moving across Indiana, we want to let you know that all missionaries are safe. Most church services have been canceled, so the missionaries are staying in their apartments, studying, contacting friends and members, and teaching through technology. They will have a busy and full Sabbath! It looks like the storm should pass by this evening. Missionaries have been instructed that if they experience any power outages, which would affect the heat in their apartments, they are to contact our housing coordinator immediately. They were also instructed yesterday to stock up on water and food for today. We will have a special mission wide devotional on Zoom today with all missionaries.
We love your daughters and sons! We are blessed every day by their goodness and devotion to our Savior and His great work here. They are powerful. We are learning from them constantly. Thank you for supporting and loving them through this most important time in their lives and in the lives of their friends and members whom they serve with.
Dear Parents--
With reports of a winter storm moving across Indiana, we want to let you know that all missionaries are safe. Most church services have been canceled, so the missionaries are staying in their apartments, studying, contacting friends and members, and teaching through technology. They will have a busy and full Sabbath! It looks like the storm should pass by this evening. Missionaries have been instructed that if they experience any power outages, which would affect the heat in their apartments, they are to contact our housing coordinator immediately. They were also instructed yesterday to stock up on water and food for today. We will have a special mission wide devotional on Zoom today with all missionaries.
We love your daughters and sons! We are blessed every day by their goodness and devotion to our Savior and His great work here. They are powerful. We are learning from them constantly. Thank you for supporting and loving them through this most important time in their lives and in the lives of their friends and members whom they serve with.
We thought you might enjoy this message that was sent to our missionaries yesterday by President Matheson:
The law of the “imperfect harvest” and the principle of “imperfect happiness”, when understood and lived, can propel a “perfect brightness of hope” into our hearts and daily lives.
Elder Dale G. Renlund said, “You don’t have to be perfect, but we need you, because everybody who’s willing can do something.” President Nelson was right when he declared, “The Lord loves effort.” I add my witness that because the Lord loves effort, He consecrates, multiplies and magnifies our every action, intention and attempt.
Elder Vern P. Stanfill taught, “The Savior stands ready to accept our humble offerings and perfect them through His grace. With Christ, there is no imperfect harvest. We must have the courage to believe that His grace is for us—that He will help us, rescue us from the depths when we falter, and perfect our less-than-perfect efforts.”
Thomas Aquinas lived in the 13th century. He spent a lot of time thinking and writing about “imperfect happiness”. Aquinas wrote, “In the present life, we fall short of perfect happiness.” I think he meant that life can be hard, companions can be frustrating, friends (and children) can choose poorly, cold and snow come at inconvenient times, illness and injury crash in, loss and loneliness visit all, doubt and discouragement creep in. AND – imperfect happiness is possible with the proper perspective and focus.
Things don’t have to be perfect for happiness to happen. Imperfect happiness is authentic and may well be the best, and most lasting, kind of happiness. Such happiness is about our focus and where we choose to put our attention, intention and contemplation.
Aquinas wrote that “the final happiness of man does not consist in anything short of the contemplation of God.”
We know that the Nephites lived, “after the manner of happiness” even though they lived in very challenging times and life was far from perfect. It is worth noodling and pondering upon all of 2 Nephi chapter five to discover all the things they did to foster such happiness. (I will give you a few – hard work, temple-focus, contemplating The Word and service.)
On an imperfect, and possibly very inclement, Saturday – I invite you to rejoice and find joy in the imperfect harvest of your ministry and smile and be glad in the imperfect happiness of your current circumstances.
I promise that your imperfect harvest and imperfect happiness will be perfected as you contemplate the goodness of God, experience the grace of Jesus Christ and continue in a perfect brightness of hope. I love you my friends!
With gratitude and love,
President and Sister Matheson
Indiana Indianapolis Mission
The law of the “imperfect harvest” and the principle of “imperfect happiness”, when understood and lived, can propel a “perfect brightness of hope” into our hearts and daily lives.
Elder Dale G. Renlund said, “You don’t have to be perfect, but we need you, because everybody who’s willing can do something.” President Nelson was right when he declared, “The Lord loves effort.” I add my witness that because the Lord loves effort, He consecrates, multiplies and magnifies our every action, intention and attempt.
Elder Vern P. Stanfill taught, “The Savior stands ready to accept our humble offerings and perfect them through His grace. With Christ, there is no imperfect harvest. We must have the courage to believe that His grace is for us—that He will help us, rescue us from the depths when we falter, and perfect our less-than-perfect efforts.”
Thomas Aquinas lived in the 13th century. He spent a lot of time thinking and writing about “imperfect happiness”. Aquinas wrote, “In the present life, we fall short of perfect happiness.” I think he meant that life can be hard, companions can be frustrating, friends (and children) can choose poorly, cold and snow come at inconvenient times, illness and injury crash in, loss and loneliness visit all, doubt and discouragement creep in. AND – imperfect happiness is possible with the proper perspective and focus.
Things don’t have to be perfect for happiness to happen. Imperfect happiness is authentic and may well be the best, and most lasting, kind of happiness. Such happiness is about our focus and where we choose to put our attention, intention and contemplation.
Aquinas wrote that “the final happiness of man does not consist in anything short of the contemplation of God.”
We know that the Nephites lived, “after the manner of happiness” even though they lived in very challenging times and life was far from perfect. It is worth noodling and pondering upon all of 2 Nephi chapter five to discover all the things they did to foster such happiness. (I will give you a few – hard work, temple-focus, contemplating The Word and service.)
On an imperfect, and possibly very inclement, Saturday – I invite you to rejoice and find joy in the imperfect harvest of your ministry and smile and be glad in the imperfect happiness of your current circumstances.
I promise that your imperfect harvest and imperfect happiness will be perfected as you contemplate the goodness of God, experience the grace of Jesus Christ and continue in a perfect brightness of hope. I love you my friends!
With gratitude and love,
President and Sister Matheson
Indiana Indianapolis Mission
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