I was a wreck last week at church.

We had been informed the week before that our ward boundaries were going to drastically change (they weren't kidding — we got the news today!) When the announcement came, I felt a peace. It was that peace that says, “This is good and right.” I was glad to have had that anchor because I was pretty miserable last week as I contemplated not seeing these people every Sunday. They really are like another (very large!) family to me. I thrived on seeing them, worshiping with them, connecting with them. These are my people!

Change is always a challenge, but I just can't express what these people mean in my life, and what our experience in this ward has been like. I realized why it hurt so much to have our ward altered: because our hearts have been knit together. That imagery is powerfully descriptive of how we feel toward each other; our hearts and lives really have been so intertwined that we just had a hard time imagining not being together anymore. We have fasted together, prayed together, attended the temple together, worked side-by-side, had wonderful gospel discussions…. It's just such an amazing group of people.

I can't really capture it all in words, although that scripture describes our ward well. I can testify to the amazing power that comes when people really come together “with one eye, having one faith and one baptism” with that spirit of unity, love, and eternal connection. It's no wonder that the Lord's hope is that we become a people of one heart and one mind.

I know we will meet more wonderful people. But for now, I'm feeling a bit like I'm being separated from a little Zion. I have found that “[church] can be a heaven on earth when we are filled with love,” and when we allow our hearts to join with others in the joy and power of the gospel.