In the fall of 2000 I was asked to write a monthly letter to members of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)—people who had once shared my faith but who no longer shared my enthusiasm. It was primarily intended as a way to stay in touch and give them a connection to a community of believers. So every month I would write them a friendly note: nothing very heavy-handed or preachy—just a neighborly “hello” complete with my name and contact info just in case.  I sent my first letter to 18 people, most of whom (as expected) didn’t respond.  In the ensuing years, dozens of people received one of my letters at some point or other. Most of my pen pals never responded in any way; but a few sent me notes, called with questions, and even met me for lunch from time to time. Some still do.

Alas, after nearly 20 years of taking a stack of envelopes out to the mailbox each month, I reluctantly stopped mailing out physical letters late in 2019. But having found the practice of a monthly post so enriching, I have continued writing Letters to Will for the my personal benefit and for anyone else who might be interested.

This collection includes most of the letters I have written over the years. Some I have omitted because they were strictly informational: invitations to local church activities, for example. A few of these notes have been edited slightly for clarity. But for the most part, the letters you see here appear as they did when I mailed them.

My intent as I continue to write these letters is to befriend first and inspire second. As a result, what you’ll discover here are merely the musings of an everyday Christian, snippets of real life tied to basic principles of faith, spiritual thoughts at the tail-end of commentary on current events, and more than a few vignettes from the lives of my wife and children with no apparent point whatsoever. My hope is that some will make you smile, others will make you think, and most will encourage you to lift those around you as you strive each day to become a little better than the day before.

~ Peter Watkins

The Usual Disclaimer:
Where I share the writings of others, I try to provide appropriate attribution, but otherwise the thoughts and opinions in these entries are mine alone. In no way do I represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or any other entity, nor do I speak on behalf of any Christian other than myself.