Written by Carter. We had a wonderful visit to the gannet (bird) colony at Muriwai  Beach on the west coast of New Zealand yesterday. What a beautiful and amazing experience!

Faye and I had a wonderful experience listening to Elder and Sister Bednar during the weekly missionary devotional. They talked about patterns in the scriptures. One of those patterns is that we often do not know beforehand the things we should do. This gives us the opportunity to prepare beforehand, then trust God in the moment of decision. Their counsel to the missionaries was this: “Be good and do good. Be a little better today than you were yesterday and a little better tomorrow than you were today. That’s enough!” Love it!

This week, I studied Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.” A takeaway for me: As I strive to be one with the Savior, I will be one with Faye, my family, and other covenant keepers. I very much want this blessing of unity with Faye.

I also studied President Russell M. Nelson’s talk, “Let God Prevail.” I enjoyed discussing this talk in our church’s “men’s group” (elders quorum) today. 
What a treat to listen to God speak through President Nelson yesterday as he gave a message of hope and prayed for the world! How inspiring! I know that President Nelson is a prophet of God! In his message yesterday, President Nelson encouraged everyone in the world to share something on social media every day for the next seven days for which they are grateful. This is what I shared on Facebook today: 

I am grateful to be Ashton Richardson Mayberry’s dad. I am grateful for everything I learned during his lifetime. I am grateful for everything I learned from, since and because of his suicide, on January 28, 2014. I am grateful for what I will yet learn from my grief, whether it be from Ashton’s suicide or whatever other sorrows and tragedies life will bring me…and I am grateful that I don’t know now what those will be. I am grateful for the opportunities to choose how I will respond to my challenges, weaknesses and setbacks. I am grateful for the opportunity to choose to trust God and the knowledge that that is one of the very purposes of life and its trials. 

I am grateful for the “enemies” I have had, now have and will yet have in my life (people who don’t like me very much and people I don’t like very much). My “enemies” give me the opportunity to be introspective about my personality and how my response to a given situation may have been less-than-ideal. My “enemies” give me the opportunity to forgive…and to ask forgiveness. My “enemies” give me the opportunity to look at situations from another person’s perspective. My “enemies” give me the opportunity to repent and strive to improve where I have made mistakes. 

I am grateful for the people I have met and the experiences I have had because of Ashton’s suicide and my other trials: they have helped me become a better person. One of those people I have met…is Carter Mayberry: my trials have helped me get to know myself better. Another person I have met (more deeply, that is) is Faye Richardson Mayberry: she is one of life’s true “warriors” who is a wonderful travel-companion on this life (and grief and healing) journey. Our marriage has been strengthened in spite of…and even because of…Ashton’s suicide. Most of all, I have met more deeply my Heavenly Parents. I have felt Their perfect love for me and for Ashton. I have felt Them grieve as I have grieved and weep as I have wept. I have met my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I have felt Him gladly and willingly shoulder, lift and bear my burdens. I know that He knows perfectly what I have felt…because He has felt it all (and more) personally and intimately Himself…more completely than I can comprehend. I have met the Holy Ghost, one of Whose titles is “The Comforter.” I have felt that comfort in very personal and real ways.

In summary, I am grateful for this invitation to choose gratitude. #GiveThanks

I solemnly testify that God calls prophets to teach His gospel in every dispensation (periods of time when prophets have taught the gospel, or “good news” about Jesus Christ). Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other ancient prophets all taught the gospel. All previous dispensations have ended in apostasy, where the people rejected the prophets and the gospel. 

I humbly invite all to choose to stay by the tree of life.