Big News!

There was some big news from the church today. It was announced that all 11-year-olds turning twelve in the next year will advance to their new quorums and classes on January 1. In conjunction with that, this same group of kids will be able to receive and do baptisms at the temple also starting January 1. This is big for the church as a whole, but it is enormous at our house. Matthew is eleven and is already counting down to his twelfth birthday. He decided months ago that he doesn’t want a birthday party with friends this year. Instead, he wants to invite all his siblings and cousins who are old enough to go to the temple together. After reading the media release myself, I made Matthew sit down with the iPad and read it as well. Guess how he responded? With enormous excitement and enthusiasm, of course!

Nathan is also super excited. He is mentally older than most the boys his age, has been since he was about nine. Today’s announcement means he will advance to the Priests quorum six months sooner and he is thrilled about the chance to move up to join the older young men sooner. Malia will start attending activity days in January and while she has absolutely no idea what that means (I really don’t either, having only boys ahead of her), she is excited for the new year.

There have been a lot of changes in the church over the past few months. To me, it feels like we are all being stepped up in preparation to live a higher law. The church is always growing, changing, and the rapidity of the recent changes makes me feel like we’re being prepared for whatever is to come. I know we are living in the last days and feel like all this is meant to strengthen and buoy up my family (and myself, or course) for the future. This is an exciting time to be alive, occasionally nerve wracking as well, but very exciting.