Dear Brothers and Sisters, April 5, 2020
My name is Kirt Keeler. I am the bishop of the Washington 11th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. During our recent General Conference (an opportunity to listen to the prophet of God) I received a distinct impression from the Lord to write this letter to you. I’ve asked some of the members of our ward to deliver them personally to you from me. I hope that you will read this letter with your family and feel the love that both our Heavenly Father and I have for each of you.
I was instructed to share several things with you in this letter. During this challenging time many of us have turned to God for peace. I invite you all to join with us in a special fast (intentionally going without food and water) this Friday, April 10. I invite you to fast and pray for the relief of the effects of COVID-19 on our nation and the world in general. This invitation comes from God’s prophet and I hope that you will join us. Great blessings come from fasting and prayer.
To those of you who are friends and neighbors of another faith, I invite you to come and see what God has in store for you in His church. Some of you may have heard or read something negative about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Perhaps you have been hurt or offended by someone of this church. This is not God’s way. Jesus’ gospel is peace and love. While people are not perfect and make mistakes, don’t let that get in the way of your personal relationship with God. I encourage you to come and see. Jesus himself said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. Come and see for yourself the joy that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring people and what it can do for you and your family. Heavenly Father invites us to find out the truth for ourselves. I invite you to ask Him in prayer for guidance in following the Holy Spirit. I invite you to read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, to find out more about God’s plan of happiness for you. God loves you very much.
To those of you of our faith who have, for one reason or another, drifted away from God and the straight and narrow path; know that His hand is stretched out for you still. (Isaiah 10:4) No matter how your feelings about Him and His gospel have changed, He loves you and longs for your return. Please do whatever it takes to return to His fold and receive His peace. The Lord accepts any effort and will begin blessing your life as soon as you do the things that He requires. If you are unsure of how to start or for some reason don’t feel worthy, remember that Christ gave His life for each one of us and desires, more than anything, to have all of us return home to our Heavenly Father. Start with the small things: begin reading the Book of Mormon again, say your personal and family prayers and when the time comes, attend Sacrament Meeting to partake of His sacred ordinance. As you begin taking these small steps toward the straight and narrow path, I promise you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, that His peace and joy will begin to be present in your life despite the challenges you face, and will help you face your trials and tribulations with faith. God does not show favorites and is waiting for all of us to return to Him. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or pray to your Father in Heaven for answers. He loves each and every one of us, His children.
To those of you in the ward trying your best to keep God’s commandments I say: Keep it up! No one is perfect save our brother, Jesus Christ. Don’t get discouraged, don’t let the trials of life distract or deter you from your calling to serve and love one another. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” John 13:35. I promise you that our Heavenly Father loves each of us and wants nothing more than to bless us all. I testify that if we will keep His commandments we will prosper in the land the Lord has given us.
I pray that each of us will take the opportunity in this unique situation with COVID-19 to realize that we are in the last days and we need to prepare our hearts and minds for the triumphant return of our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ, to this earth. If any of you are experiencing challenges I can help with, please let me know.
May God Bless and keep each and every one of you,
Kirt L. Keeler
Bishop Washington 11th Ward
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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