Mama Emails part 3 May 2023- March 2024
(found this from 2007)
beginning 5/23♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥5-3-2023
It’s Wednesday so I’m guessing you are balling it up
tonight. I always worry about it getting
too intense (like the guy you said and one to last time and you said he was miffed
the whole rest of the game) but I hope you are having fun and don’t get hurt-
esp if it’s pretty phsyucal. I miss
watching you play…I’ll be anxious to see your weekly stats in your journal 😊 but
mostly I hope you can make more friends, reconnect with that gal from last week.
I hope you’ve had a good week and are feeling full of
energy and enthusiasm for this work. I can
imagine the routine of it gets old, but the cause is so important! And the Lord will qualify and bless you for
your willingness to go hard at it every day- this isn’t just your mission- it’s
His too. What a priviedge to partner
with HIM.
Little update around here—Dad and Graham went shooting for
a YM combined mutual tonight—hope they have fun. Lainey is now dealing with the cold bug- that
Graham and Avery had last week. Avery’s
got a weekend lined up with babysitting jobs so that’s good. She probably makes $80-100 every weekend
(granted that’s no little fish swim school type money, but it’s good for the
hours she puts in and I think she’s a really good babysitter) Dad said they are supposed to start framing this
week at his new building- we’ll go over this weekend and check it out. His childhood best friend, Nate Aarasmith’s
mom passed away unexpectedly- which is sad- she was mid 70’s—I think we’ll go
to the viewing or funeral this weekend. Dad
used to spend a lot of time at their house when he was younger—I think when he
was in middle school he spent a month of his summer on a road trip with Nate’s
family all the way to Nebraska. Sad. She
wasn’t a member—even though Nate eventually joined the church—it’s neat to think
that he'll be able to get his mom’s temple work done.
Sadie is looking for work- Seth’s bosses wife never
responded to her text or voicemail- which is lame- so that job is a no go- and
it’s left Buggy a little unsure of what’s next.
She’s got a Jones reunion and our cruise in July, so she’s worried about
getting time off for that but at this point, if she can get a job and they won’t
work with that time off, she can just quit and find something else- maybe it’ll
be a better time for Seth’s boss’ wife- (she should’ve had the decency to at
least respond) Sadie says she’s looking
for a nanny job mostly- we’ll see what happens.
She’s excited about getting into that Interior Design program—I think it
just gives her a lot of purpose and direction.
Emma is on her way on her road trip – haven’t heard from her all day- I think
they were making lots of sightseeing stops along the way and should arrive in
Arizona tonight. It’ll be fun to hear
about it—she’ll have a good update for you on Monday. Might be a good time to talk whenever you
call, because she’ll be driving home from Utah on that long boring ride. I think she’s talked to Ethan a few times
since he left Provo and she misses him.
Maybe it’ll be easier for her when she’s here and everything doesn’t
remind her of their whirlwind 3 weeks together. Being apart is hard, but it’s also
a good time to slow things down and get to know each other- I told her- being
apart causes the heart to grow fonder or forgetful- so we’ll see how this pans
out.
Dad and I will go to the temple tomorrow night for an endowment
session and then we’ll go for our weekly baptism trip on Saturday- I was
talking to another sister there and she just said they come every week because
she wants that bubble around her kids to protect them against the adversary- I
liked that—we know when we leave the temple we are imbued with God’s power and
I love knowing that when Avery, Graham, and Lainey go into their week in the world
that they have that added strength. Such
a blessing to be so close to a temple—I really love that about settling here.
I love you Miles.
You are doing so well.. you really are. I see you using your gifts and
seeking Him and that combination is a wining one for sure! I have missed you
every single day of you mission. You are
at the center of all my prayers.
Xoxox Mama
I wanted to leave you with a good talk for your night ponderings
♥ I
loved a lot of parts of this BYUH devotional, esp the focus on being grateful,
and about being consecrated. This was a
great quote included in there: ““If
you learn to give while you have nothing, you will know how to give when you
have much…consecration is not just about what we give, but also about how we
give it. When we serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, we are
consecrating ourselves to the Lord. Let us be like Amaleki of old and “offer
[our] whole souls as offering unto him” [11] by consecrating our hearts to Him
and our hands to the service of our fellowmen.
https://speeches.byuh.edu/devotionals/focusing-outward-and-upward-part-2
One of
the many beautiful things I enjoy in Hawaii are the banyan trees. I am
fascinated by how they send aerial roots downward from the underside of their
branches, which in turn will thicken and grow—even forming a new trunk. Through
this process, banyan trees are strengthened as they grow upward and outward.
[1]
This
kind of miraculous growth is not unlike how we can be strengthened by
looking upward toward our Savior and outward toward our
fellowmen—achieving lives of true abundance by living the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. While much has been written on the topic of abundance,
I feel to share three principles that have blessed my own life and which will
likewise bring happiness, growth, and fulfillment to yours.
Those
areas are Gratitude, Lifting and Serving Others, and Consecration.
Gratitude
Let’s
think first about Gratitude.
President
Russell M. Nelson has said, “…counting our blessings is far better than
recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our
privileges is a unique, fast-acting, and long-lasting spiritual prescription.”
[2]
A life
full of gratitude will help you be far more fulfilled and content than a life
wishing for the things or circumstances you do not have. With the prevalence of
social media in our everyday lives it has never been “easier” to focus on what
others have and what we lack. More and more psychologists and sociologists are
recognizing that this is a problem with far-reaching impacts on self-esteem and
even mental health. Even those people with much will find themselves discontent
by focusing on the things they don’t have or wishing for the circumstances of
others.
Put
simply, true happiness does not come from the things or the achievements we
have yet to obtain. Likewise, true abundance has nothing to do with worldly
wealth, and comparison robs us of gratitude for all the Lord has given
us—whatever our circumstances.
I have
often spoken with students who spend much time looking forward to the things of
the future, even perhaps at the expense of feeling gratitude for the blessings
of today. Truthfully, I was also one of those students at times.
As an
undergraduate student taking a full load of classes, I worked a full-time job,
and often felt frustrated about my lack of free time- envying others who seemed
to have far more time for the “college experience.” I felt frustrated about my
lack of money, just scraping by to pay my bills each month—and if something
unexpected came up, I was always short. I would look at friends and others who
had more and was…again…extremely frustrated.
Also,
I did not get married until my last year of college. Although in many places
that is considered normal or even “early”, at the time often looked at others
in relationships and felt frustrated that my full-time work and school schedule
didn’t allow for socializing like I wanted.
These
feelings were real for me and perhaps are for many of you. However, sometime in
this period of frustration—I don’t know exactly when—I simply got tired of
being frustrated all the time. Have any of you ever felt that way?
So,
because I was tired of my own complaining, I decided to look for the positives
of my situation and find ways to be more grateful. By doing so, I quickly
realized that because of my circumstances, I had actually learned to manage my
time extremely efficiently—far better than many of my peers. This was something
that not only blessed me then as a student but has continued to be a blessing
as we have owned and operated companies while raising a family and serving in the
church.
Another
positive from these situations was that I learned how to value my time and
money, including the concept of “return on investment.” In other words, I
learned to spend my time and money on the things that provided the greatest
benefit while eliminating distractions and less-important pursuits.
Lastly,
by having the opportunity to date for many years, the decision to marry my wife
was very natural. The experiences I had during all those years of dating made
it easier for me to recognize what I was looking for in a wife and gave me time
to grow and become the type of person my wife would want to be with. That said,
I’m still working on becoming the person she deserves!
Of
course, I encourage you to plan thoroughly and look toward the future with
excitement, but please do not do so at the expense of being grateful for what
you have today. The opportunity to study at BYU–Hawaii is an incomparable
blessing. Being here is an opportunity from our Heavenly Father to not only
gain an education but to grow spiritually. With that spirit of gratitude, your
experience here will bless you and your family for generations to come.
Brothers
and sisters, when we take time to count our blessings, we find that life is
indeed abundant, and we are able to live with greater joy and peace of mind.
Lifting and Serving Others
The
second way in which we can live more abundantly is by lifting others, serving
others, and surrounding ourselves with those who lift us.
The
scriptures provide us with many examples of the power of lifting others.
The
apostle Paul taught the Corinthians, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it
profiteth me nothing.” [3]
Paul
goes on to say to the Corinthians, “Let no man seek his own, but every man
another’s good.” [4]
And in
the Book of Mormon, Nephi teaches, "....the Lord God hath given a
commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except
they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have
charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.” [5]
The
apostle Paul and prophet Nephi make it clear that service is not just about
sharing our resources, but rather about the compassion we feel and show to
others. Loving people truly makes the difference. When we serve others, we love
and lift them, and in doing so, we also lift ourselves.
In
that same spirit, President Thomas S. Monson taught, “Never let a problem to be
solved become more important than a person to be loved.” [6]
Many
times in business, church callings, or even within our home, I have had to
remind myself that the person is FAR more important than any issue or problem
to be solved. President Monson’s counsel is a powerful reminder that our focus
should always be on the individual. When we prioritize relationships and seek
to lift others, we find additional meaning and purpose in our own lives.
President
Nelson has taught, “To achieve our highest potential and enjoy the blessings
that come from being a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must be positive and
optimistic.” [7]
In
addition to lifting others, it is also essential to surround ourselves with
people who lift us. These people can be family members, friends, mentors, and
others who exemplify how the Savior wants us to live. Surrounding ourselves
with those who lift us is crucial for our well-being and spiritual growth.
For
me, a personal example of this took place during college, which for many of us
is a time of growth and change, when we are impressionable and figuring out who
we are and what we want to do with our lives. I was no exception to this, and
was fortunate to develop some wonderful friendships early in my time at BYU.
These
great friends helped me many times along the way. They were kind and lifted
others and were always looking to build people up. They were optimistic,
generous, and fun to be around—and they always fulfilled their callings in our
ward. Because of their examples, I wanted to become a better version of
myself—and in that sense, they left an indelible mark on my life.
But it
gets even better… One of these individuals ended up introducing me to my wife!
She was actually a stranger to him, but he felt prompted when he met her, that
I needed to meet her. He was living close to the spirit and felt impressed that
we needed to connect. Because of his desire to help and lift others, my life is
forever changed, and I received the greatest blessings possible—my beautiful
wife and children and the sealing covenants of the temple that bind us
eternally.
I’m
still friends with each of these individuals today, and they continue to lift
and build me in ways for which I will forever be grateful.
Brother
and sisters, I promise that dedicating your life to lifting and serving
others—and surrounding yourself with people who do the same—leads to immediate
and lasting happiness. By looking outward to lift and serve we lead the lives
of goodness and discipleship that our Savior would have us live.
Consecration
The
final area I wish to share today is the importance of Consecration.
One of
my college professors taught our class something simple that has stayed with me
over the years: He said, “If you learn to give while you have nothing, you will
know how to give when you have much” If you can only give a dollar, that’s
great. Take the opportunity to give. If you only have five minutes to spare,
again, take the opportunity to share. It is more important to learn to give
than to focus on how much you can give. [8]
In
Second Corinthians we read “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall
reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” [9]
Consecration
is not just about what we give, but also about how we give it. When
we serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, we are truly
consecrating ourselves to the Lord.
In
that vein, it can be instructive to ask ourselves some questions to reflect on
our hearts and motives:
Do I
help others because I have to—or because I want to?
Do I
gladly give of my time in the way I’ve been asked—or am I reluctant and give as
little as possible?
The
principle of consecration is absolutely crucial to our spiritual growth.
President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught that “Selfless acts of service and consecration
refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the
windows of heaven.” [10]
When
we serve the Lord, we put our faith into action and we become closer to Him.
Our spiritual growth and connection to God and his blessings are enhanced when
we consecrate ourselves to His service.
Sister
Walker and I—along with our children—have had the opportunity to serve as
missionaries here on campus for almost three years. Why did we “give up” our
life at home—including family and friends, business opportunities, comfort, and
recreation—to be here? Our simple answer is that we believe it is our responsibility
to give and love when we have the chance to do so. We are in no way perfect at
this, and frankly, by being here amongst each of you, we have been blessed
immeasurably more than we have sacrificed or given up. Being here has opened
the windows of heaven to our family and helped us in countless ways. Being
amongst you has strengthened our testimonies and has changed our family
forever.
Brother
and sisters, consecration is not just about what we give, but also about how we
give it. When we serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, we are
consecrating ourselves to the Lord. Let us be like Amaleki of old and “offer
[our] whole souls as offering unto him” [11] by consecrating our hearts to Him
and our hands to the service of our fellowmen.
In
closing, I encourage each of you to practice gratitude.
I
encourage you to lift and serve others, and to surround yourself with those who
lift you.
And I
encourage you to practice consecration. Please share your time and your
talents. Please share your kind words and gestures. And please share your
tremendous light and love for our Savior. And please start doing this now!
The
paradox of the principles we’ve discussed today is that we experience more
abundance in life when we think of ourselves less—much like Jesus himself lived
for others and not for himself. Like the banyan tree, let’s grow our own
strength by reaching upward and outward instead of inward.
The
Master himself has counseled, “whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall
find it.” [12]
As you
give of yourself, you will find that you will continue to receive much more
than you have given. You will find happiness, you will find peace, and you will
enjoy the spirit of the Lord in your life.
We are
grateful for you and pray you will feel of the sincere love we have for you and
most importantly, you will feel of the eternal and abiding love our Savior has
for you.
I
testify that God lives and loves you. He wants you to be abundant so that He
can continue to pour his blessings out upon you.
I leave
these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I got everything ready for Sister Ridds friend, except the garments—I’ll give it till mid week next week and if still hasn’t shipped to me, I’ll go to Boise and try to buy them so I can put a pair in your package. I’m so grateful to get to send you one!
I’m so glad you got the chance to share that experience with google translate and your new Haitian friend during your mission devotional. I’m excited to hear about his continued progress. I bet it really resonated with the missionaries to remember that the barriers we think are barriers (circumstances, our comp relationship, language etc) really aren’t barriers to the Lord or the Holy Ghost. Was that the same mission wide zoom call where you were spotlighted? I’ve been wondering if you used the GG dumbbells picture—it’s so cute!!!
That’s too bad about
the Aruba Elder’s bikes- and a good lesson for every other missionary bc that’d
be frustrating to have to buy more.
Things here are good- kids are excited to swim for the first time tomorrow—maybe we’ll even get around to our Miller Champion of the World Bball competion—the bracket is ready!
Saturday is a crazy
day
8:30 am temple
baptisms
10am viewing/funeral
for another family friend in Middleton who’s mom also passed away (Janet
Okamura)
Noon Mongolian BBW
for/with Rickseckers
3pm- pick up Aunt
Mel at airport
5:30 ward Adult dinner
I know that prob
doesn’t seem like a lot to you with your busy schedule- but it feels like a lot
to me
Sunday Jack and Janice come over (and we’ll have Mel here) so that will be interesting.
Not much else to report—We love you so much! Pray for you so many times every day!
Oh & Just to leave you with a good talk to study :) This is a fun one by former BYU football coach, LaVell Edwards. I thought it had some good points about character and how we handle adversity (and surely a mission is full of adversity- but also opportunity) I heard a quote this week and I thought it really applied to our own testimonies-- and also could be applied to missionary efforts: " “The harder you fight for something, the harder it is to surrender.” -Vince Lombardi Anyway good to think on that one. Here's the talk link
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1984/10/prepare-for-a-mission?lang=eng
I love you Miles! Hope your week is going well and you are aware of how pleased the Lord is with you individually! He loves you and is in it with you. Your influence is more far reaching than you probably know
♥♥♥♥
5-26-23
Miles
I love
you! Been thinking so much about
you!
It was so
good to see your new pictures and journal entry. I was wanting to know about your hand in more
detail, and wondered also about how zone conference went. I hope you’ll have a
chance to see Rubenita again—it’s so amazing and I hope feels so fulfilling and
validating being able to see the impact of your efforts in Noord and every area
of your mission.
I think It’d
be little dicey flying on a plane that
small—but a cool experience and it’s fun you captured it with pictures.
I am so
sorry about not getting topical or a numbing shot for your stitch, but also
grateful that they’d see you and treat it.
I know that must’ve been scary and feels like big kid stuff when you
want to cry and scream- but it’s cool to see how you can muster up braveness
inside of yourself when you have to. It’s
good your comp told you to look away, you don’t need to see that- esp when it’s
such a painful process during the stitch.
Don’t get too flustered with Elder Ridd taking the stitch out- that’s
not a big deal- I mean don’t be too worried about it not being done at a hospital
bc it can be done at home easily….it can be done with tweezers (make sure you
burn them first in flame to sterilize) and even if he has to wiggle and tug a
little to get them out- it will likely feel more weird (pressure) than painful-
and it’s important to get it out so it doesn’t stay in. Apply some hydrogen peroxide if you have
access to any and maybe apply Neosporin and rebandage for a few days after just
to let it heal and keep it moist. Now
you have a mission memory on both hands (the bike accident scare and the stitch-
those are on different hands right?
Dad’s been
meeting with the builder weekly- Emma and I went last week and framing is almost
done now—it’s fun to see the space(s) Today they are finalizing the front desk
area—I think it will look cool/ We’ll
prob do a rock wall like we had in our McCall Master Bath- to dress up reception
and waiting area—and maybe some fun light fixtures in that area too – but not
to fancy or special anywhere else. The builder
said it’d be move in ready to see patients that second week of DEC; so that was
fun to nail that date down and important too bc we’re scheduling 6 months out
for hygiene and those people will be seen next at new office!
Kids are
wrapping up with school and ready to be done—Abe made the JV summer ball team (which
she wanted and expected- but it’s a little weird more girls didn’t go up—you’ll
have to have her explain it—but it’s good bc she’ll be playing with the JV team
that she’ll be on next year) She has 3 games next week –It’ll be fun to be
cheering again! She hasn’t been
babysitting as much lately but is still doing great with it.
Lainey is
doing great—has her “promotion ceremony” at school next week (that’s what they
call moving from Elementary to Middle School)
Sadie seems to like her close captioning job
at BYU. She gets to listen and transcribe a lot of BYU speeches and women’s
conference talks and I think it’s been really uplifting to spend her days in
that kind of material. Seth got a gash
on his arm just this morning at work- Sadie will prob post a picture—he wasn’t
sure if he needed stitches, but I saw it and said, yes you do! So they called
his boss (because it’s a work injury0 which isn’t a big deal but needs to be
handled though worker’s comp for payment and paperwrok0- so I think he’s
probably being seen right now- I’m guessing 3 stitches—maybe less. So you can be wound buddies.
Emma has been going into dad’s office for a
few hours everyday to shadow and help out which is good bc it keeps her busy
and she can learn a lot. We need to get
you doing that in the summer or on breaks-
you can see some cool stuff (dad does so many implants etc) Emma says it’s
been cool to just see things that dad does after taking anatomy and just
understanding a little more about bone structure and nerves etc. Emma and Ethan talked once last week, but did
text pretty regularly- she’s not sure what to think of it all. Louie’s is going well and even on the slow
nights at the restaurant she usually make s$100 in tips. So that’s a blessing!
Graham has had
a bit of a rough patch lately—just kind of onery mostly- I get teenage/puberty
vibes out of it. Just a little more explosive
than he used to be- he’ll figure it out but it’s a little hard—wish he had
something good going socially to help balance all of that. He seems to think you can’ t switch where you
sit at lunch after the first day of school. So he’s kind of been stuck friend
wise sitting with some kind of loner type kids all year-I keep telling him now
that he knows more kids (and hallelujah that none of them have to be the new
kid in school next year—HUGE DEAL!) he can choose to sit with good/fun kids
next year first day. I think he will. He’s also on the outside socially at church which
is frustrating- they met as teachers and priests to plan high adventure and Graham
came home so dejected about it. I wished
he could’ve talked it out wit you and hopefully on Monday in your one on one
time with him you can get into it—but he was so frustrated not wanting to do it—I
guess the plan is to canoe 15 miles from cascade to Payette lake (or vice
versa, not sure of path) the first day, camp at someone’s property up there- go
boating the next day and the last day mountain bike. Graham said he didn’t have a mountain bike- partially
bc he didn’t realize his new bike IS a mountain bike, (he sees it as a ride to bus
stop suburb bike I guess) and probably also bc he’s not a ride down the ski
hill on a mountain bike comfort level type—and all the other boys are more into
that kind of thing- so it scares him- which he admits… and in true Graham form
he even admitted- about boating and biking, “ I just don’t’ want to get pushed
into things I don’t want to do” meaning he thinks they’ll pressure him into surfing
behind boat when he doesn’t’ feel comfortable/doesn’t want to fail in front of
the group, or if the bike trail is super steep that’s not his jam—etc./ so a
lot of concerns. Also just feeling like he’s socially on the outside of the
circle, even Moreso with priests involved.
It all broke my heart a little bit and he came home from the mutual
planning meeting just saying, “I don’t’ want to go” Well he needs to go—he needs those outdoorsy experiences,
and he needs to support the quorum in the activity and it’s good to do things
that push you outside of your regular comfort zone (haha, I need that too and
even typing that makes me anxious) But I
wasn’t really sure how to handle all the feelings (said and unsaid) and
validate but still help him get on board.
I talked to dad about it and dad offered that he could go as a YM leader
(and dad) if the Bishop needed him (which when he texted him, he was pumped to
have dad’s help) and Dad approached it with Graham like this will be so fun- I
get to do this witj=h you- talked with him about fun memories of scout trips
with you- but Graham just says. “lets’ go do it dad, just you and Me” so Im not
sure he got the jist of things. I think
Dad would just be a safety net for Graham and an advocate/distracter if Graham wasn’t
feeling comfortable/.. plus. Like you and dad had so many fun times together even
while in a group with other boys—(plus it makes me a whole bunch more comfortable
bc sometimes weird stuff goes down in tents or leaders aren’ t the most
watchful_) Anyway—looonnnggg story short- but when you talk to Graham will you
help him get more hyped—and see dad going as a super cool thing—build his confidence (it was cute in the planning meeting- Graham
must’ve felt like McCall was his thing and he said “they didn’t even ask me
what I thought about where we should go or what we should do up there”- really
I think it was the bishop and the priests planning it- but it was so cute to me
that Graham was claiming his Mountain Man McCall local roots and feeling under-
utilized. So there’s your head’s up about
it all. I think he’ll have a great time
once he’s there—I just don’t want him to dread it- and it really will be fun to have dad with
him. It’s super natural for dad to go anyways
since he’s a YM leader (even though he’s with the deacons- so it doesn’t look weird
for Graham that dad’s going- he’s just a leader going to support to everyone
else—even though I don’t’ think that’s what was worrying Graham, he just doesn’t
want to be pressured or made to feel inadequate in front of peers, which is understandable//
maybe he just needs a confidence boost about his own outdoorsy-ness and a pep
talk in general)
Monday will
be fun bc we’ll all be here- so whenever works for you is great. I guess this injury might affect you being
able to go golfing—but I hope you still go – even if you can’t swing it or if
your swing isn’t pretty, I bet you can still do it—and it’d be a fun pday thing,
cool pics and a good memory.;. But anyway- you can call us whenever- Dad doesn’t
have work, so you don’t have to call early (unless that works best for you) We’re looking forward to talking to you. I’d love to hear more about your interview and
what the chatter/vibe was with the missionaries and what everyone thinks
transfers will bring.
I love you
so much. You’ve had an eventful week—I hope
things are rolling with the work—keep at it—every day matters—every apt
matters, every contact matters. Messengers of light and truth!!
mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
6-2-23
Elder Miller
Somehow this week feels a
bunch busier and hectic and I am sorry I haven’t written until now. I think part of it is having to shuttle Emma
to/from dad’s work every day- just bc there isn’t extra parking and she is
helping/shadowing 3 hours everyday & it’s been the last week of school so
awards and assemblies and promotion ceremony, lots of stuff at the house—arranging
company to take the willow down, getting things squared away with yard weeds,
replanting, sprinklers, and dealing a lot with a mess from Emma’s car issues—fighting
(literally crying, yelling the whole works with insurance company and collision
adjusters), and then summer basketball. It’s just been a lot. I feel like in my head summer is chill time
but it always surprises me how busy it is with everything- and if you do have a
vacation that’s kind of hectic too- prepping etc. I am going to love having the kids home, but
it makes the daytime a lot busier and somehow, I still need to fit in Dad’s
work stuff that I do. Anyway- long explanation,
but trying to transition.
Ave’s had fun with BBall- she’s
feels the out of shape since last season vibe, but works hard and is getting
some good playing time. She has the capital tournament this weekend- tomorrow
(sat) game should be interesting with Rocky playing Owyhee (her old JV team
basically with a few new add ons) We saw them at the gym today and they had a squad
of about 20 girls for their JV summerball team—good call on getting Avery out
of there—no opportunities!
Graham wasn’t too jazzed about
his recognition at the school assembly- kind of that awkward age where you don’t
want to be singled out in front of bleachers full of your 7th grade
peers.
Lainey was sad to leave her
teacher—it is kind of sad—she really liked him and he was a great teacher—has her
totally prepped for middle school which I’m grateful for. I think it’s a little bit just the emotion of
leaving elementary and not seeing people again, but that’s been our story every
year with moving… still it was a little sad for her
Emma has been doing great at
Louies- not much more talking with Ethan—some texting= she just doesn’t know what
to think. Tonight we talked about YSA
and She doesn’t want to go bc she doesn’t want to get asked out- which is far
and I support but if Ethan wasn’t in the picture (even though I’m not sure what
that means) I’d really push her to go—When I told her that, I said, “Don’t let
that push you into committing to Ethan if he’s not the one (just to not have to
face a YSA eventually) I was joking, but I could see the wheels turning— I
still can’t decide what to think – I am just not totally feeling it- and not
wanting her to rush- but I know she likes him and he seems like a great guy – with
the important things in order.
We have had sweet little reminders
of you lately—at Top Golf we ran into Travis Higgins and he said Trace and
Carson Rich were also there somewhere but we never saw those two. Then at Avery’s first summer ball game (it
was v skyview) I sat next to a Skyview mom—do you remember Seth on the B team
in middle and I think he was on your frosh team (his dad is a UPS worker) Anyway—he was working to save for his mission
and is waiting his call- there were some mental health hangups that made it take
months instead of weeks, but should arrive soon…cool that he’s going.
We’ll get to the Meridian
Temple Saturday and then not for a couple weeks as it’s closed- I sure have
loved the routine of that weekly (twice weekly bc once with dad and once with
the kids) It’s such a blessing in our lives.
I’d like to get there with Emma—the last time it didn’t work out for
Emma to come with us, but I’m trying ( on the downlow) to schedule my time with
Dad at the Temple on Thursday nights when she’s off so she can join us.
In response to your journal…I’m
so glad you got to go golfing and the pictures were fun, barren red dirt but
fun. Sorry the shop was closed but glad
you get to go back for a souvenir. Dad
loved watching you swing! He hasn’t been golfing and now that schools out
(though that doesn’t really change his availability) I need to get Graham going
with him. Dad doesn’t have the itch at
the moment though so it’s hard to get that to happen.
Grateful you got that stitch
out- looks like she took good care of you ♥
About your comp- maybe when
you read this you’ll have some transfer news—the insight of availability of a
bike helmet etc might mean a move for you- but where ever it is- and even
though there’s only so many ways to move you Spanish missionaries around, trust
that the Lord needs you where he’s sending you or where he’s keeping you!)
I know you are nervous a
little about splits with President- but don’t be—just follow the spirit and do
what you do—LOVE people genuinely. I
think it’s great for him to meet your friends and roll his sleeves up in the
work a little—it’s probably his favorite part—because it’s the missionary inviting
part.
I loved that you can be in
moments like at that soccer field and see your mission as a blessing. It makes me happy to hear that you love it-
even if it’s hard still and a grind sometimes.
That’s okay- you keep pushing and the joy comes.
It’s amazing to me that Haitian
family is progressing—so wonderful. I
hope they can get to church tomorrow!
I posted these two pics that
came to my email of my memories from 16 years ago—you at fort Irwin—and they
are the cutest! I miss you so much but
my heart is so happy and grateful for where you are, what you are doing, and the
way that you do it. Keep at it Elder
Miller- time is passing and you only get this once!
I read another good talk by elder Christofferson—he was
talking about what matters most and this portion was really something I’ve been
pondering: “A thoughtful professor offered this insight: “As the heavens are
higher than the earth, God’s work in your life is bigger than the story you’d
like that life to tell. His life is bigger than your plans, goals, or fears. To
save your life, you’ll have to lay down your stories and, minute by minute, day
by day, give your life back to him.”7
The more I think about it, the more amazed I am at how
consistently Jesus gave His life to the Father, how perfectly He lost His life
in the will of the Father—in life and in death. This is precisely the opposite
of Satan’s attitude and approach, which have been widely adopted in today’s
self-centered world. In the premortal councils, in volunteering to fill the
role of Savior in the Father’s divine plan, Jesus said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”8 Lucifer, on the other
hand, declared, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy
son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not
be lost, and surely I will do it;
wherefore give me thine honor.”9
Christ’s commandment to follow Him is a commandment to reject
once again the Satanic model and to lose our life in favor of the real life,
the authentic life, the celestial–kingdom-enabled life that God envisions for
each of us. That life will bless everyone we touch and will make saints of us.
With our current, limited vision, it is a life that is beyond comprehension.
Indeed, “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”10
I wish we had more of the conversation between
Jesus and His disciples. It would have been helpful to have some additional
light about what it means, in practice, to lose one’s life for His sake and
thereby find it. But as I pondered it, I realized that the Savior’s comments
just before and after His declaration provide valuable guidance. Let’s consider
three of these contextual comments.
Let Him Deny Himself,
and Take Up His Cross Daily
First
are the Lord’s words spoken just before He said, “Whosoever will save his life
shall lose it.”11 As recorded in each
of the synoptic gospels, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”12 Luke adds the
word daily—“let him … take up his cross daily.”13 In Matthew, the Joseph
Smith Translation expands this statement with the Lord’s
definition of what it means to take up one’s cross: “And now for a man to take
up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and
keep my commandments.”14
This
accords with James’s declaration: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from the world.”15 It is a daily life of
avoiding all that is unclean while affirmatively keeping the two great commandments—love
of God and fellowman—on which all other commandments hang.16 Thus, one element of
losing our lives in favor of the greater life the Lord envisions for us
consists in our taking up His cross day by day.
Whosoever Confesses
Me, I Will Confess before the Father
A
second accompanying statement suggests that finding our life by losing it for
His sake and the gospel’s entails a willingness to make our discipleship open
and public: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”17
Elsewhere in Matthew, we find a companion statement:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I
confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
“But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
is in heaven.”18
One
obvious and rather sobering meaning of losing your life by confessing Christ is
to lose it literally, physically, in sustaining and defending your belief in
Him. We have grown accustomed to thinking of this extreme requirement as
applying in history as we read about the martyrs of the past, including most of
the ancient Apostles. Now we see, however, that what was historical is moving
into the present. News reports from Iraq and Syria speak of hundreds of Christians
and other minorities being driven from their homes or killed by Islamic
extremists in the last several months. The terrorists demand that these
Christians convert to their form of Islam or abandon their villages or die. The
Christians will not deny Him, so many have fled and some have been killed.19 Surely such souls
will be among those whom the Savior will not be ashamed to confess before His
Father in a future day. We know not what may come in the future, but if any of
us should face the trauma of literally losing our life in the Master’s cause, I
trust we would show the same courage and loyalty.
The
more common (and sometimes more difficult) application of the Savior’s
teaching, however, has to do with how we live day by day. It concerns the words
we speak, the example we set. Our lives should be a confession of Christ, and
together with our words testify of our faith in and devotion to Him. And this
testimony must be stoutly defended in the face of ridicule, discrimination, or
defamation on the part of those who oppose Him “in this adulterous and sinful
generation.”20
On a different occasion the Lord added this remarkable
statement about our loyalty to Him:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on [the] earth: I
came not to send peace, but a sword.
“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,
and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother
in law.
“And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy
of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
“And
he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”21
Saying
that He came not to send peace, but rather a sword, seems at first impression a
contradiction to the scriptures that refer to Christ as the “Prince of Peace,”22and the proclamation at His
birth—“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,”23—and other well-known
references, such as, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”24 “It is true that
Christ came to bring peace—peace between the believer and God, and peace among
men. Yet the inevitable result of Christ’s coming is conflict—between Christ
and the antichrist, between light and darkness, between Christ’s children and
the devil’s children. This conflict can occur even between members of the
same family.”25
I’m
confident that a number of you in our worldwide audience this evening have
experienced personally what the Lord is expressing in these verses. You have
been rejected and ostracized by father and mother, brothers and sisters as you
accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and entered into His covenant. In one
way or another, your superior love of Christ has required the sacrifice of
relationships that were dear to you, and you have shed many tears. Yet with
your own love undiminished, you hold steady under this cross, showing yourself
unashamed of the Son of God.
About
three years ago a member of the Church shared a copy of the Book
of Mormon with an Amish friend in Ohio. The friend began
to read the book and could not put it down. For three days he had
no other desire but to read
the Book of Mormon. He and his wife were baptized, and within seven
months there were three Amish couples converted and baptized members of
the Church. Their children were baptized several months
following. These three families decided to remain in their community and
continue their Amish lifestyle even though they had left the Amish faith.
However, as a result of being baptized, they were subjected to “shunning” by
their close-knit Amish neighbors. Shunning means that no one in their Amish
community will talk to them, work with them, do business with them, or
associate with them in any way. This includes not just friends but family
members—brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents.
Initially,
these Amish Saints felt very alone and isolated as even their children were
subjected to shunning and removed from their Amish schools because of
their baptism and membership in The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their children have endured shunning by
grandparents and cousins and close neighbors. Even some of the older children
of these Amish families, who did not accept the gospel, will not talk to or
even acknowledge their parents. These families have struggled to recover from
the social and economic effects of shunning, but they are succeeding.
Their faith remains strong. The adversity and opposition of
shunning has caused them to be steadfast and immovable. A year after being
baptized, the families were sealed in the temple and continue faithfully
attending the temple on a weekly basis. They have found strength through
receiving ordinances and entering into and honoring covenants. They are all
active in their Church group and continue searching for ways to share the light
and knowledge of the gospel with their extended families and community through
acts of kindness and service.
Yes,
the cost of joining the Church of Jesus Christ can be very high, but the
admonition to prefer Christ above all others, even our closest family members,
applies also to those who may have been born in the covenant. Many of us became
members of the Church without opposition, perhaps as children. The challenge we
may confront is remaining loyal to the Savior and His Church in the face of
parents, in-laws, brothers or sisters, or even our children whose conduct,
beliefs, or choices make it impossible to support both Him and them. It is not
a question of love. We can and must love one another as Jesus loves us. As He
said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one
to another.”26 But, the Lord reminds
us, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he
that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”27 So although familial
love continues, relationships may be interrupted and, according to the circumstances,
even support or tolerance at times suspended for the sake of our higher love.
In reality, the best way to help those we love—the best way
to love them—is to continue to put the Savior first. If we cast ourselves
adrift from the Lord out of sympathy for loved ones who are suffering or
distressed, then we lose the means by which we might have helped them. If,
however, we remain firmly rooted in faith in Christ, we are in a position both
to receive and to offer divine help. If (or I should say when) the moment comes
that a beloved family member wants desperately to turn to the only true and
lasting source of help, he or she will know whom to trust as a guide and a
companion. In the meantime, with the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide, we can
perform a steady ministry to lessen the pain of poor choices and bind up the
wounds insofar as we are permitted. Otherwise, we serve neither those we love
nor ourselves.
For What Shall It
Profit a Man If He Shall Gain the Whole World, and Lose His Own Soul?
The third element of losing our lives for the Lord’s sake
that I want to mention is found in the words of the Lord:
“And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my
sake, shall find it in the world to come.
“Therefore,
forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?”28
As
given in the Joseph Smith Translation, “For what doth it profit a man if he
gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he
lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?”29
To say that forsaking the world in favor of receiving “him …
whom God hath ordained” is countercultural in today’s world is certainly an
understatement. The priorities and interests we most often see on display
around us (and sometimes in us) are intensely selfish: a hunger to be
recognized; the insistent demand that one’s rights be respected (including a
supposed right never to be offended); a consuming desire for money, things, and
power; a sense of entitlement to a life of comfort and pleasure; a goal to
minimize responsibility and avoid altogether any personal sacrifice for the
good of another; to name a few.
This
is not to say that we should not seek to succeed, even excel in worthy
endeavors, including education and honorable work. Earlier this year, Jed
Rubenfeld and Amy Chua, who are husband and wife Yale Law School professors,
published a book titled The Triple Package: How Three
Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America. Their
thesis is that some groups in America do better than others based on three
cultural traits, described in the book, that give these groups an edge. Chua
and Rubenfeld identify Mormons, Jews, Asians, West African immigrants,
Indian-Americans, and Cuban-Americans as groups in America today that possess
these traits.30
Comparing these groups with American society at large on
measures such as “income, academic accomplishment, corporate leadership,
professional attainment, and other conventional metrics,” Chua and Rubenfeld
say:
“If there’s one group in the U.S. today that’s hitting it
out of the park with conventional success, it’s Mormons. …
“Whereas
Protestants make up about 51 percent of the U.S. population, America’s 5
to 6 million Mormons represent just 1.7 percent. Yet a stunning number
have risen to the top of America’s corporate and political spheres.”31
Certainly, worthwhile achievements are laudable, but if we
are to save our lives, we must always remember that such attainments are not ends
in themselves, but means to a higher end. With our faith in Christ, we must see
political, business, academic, and similar forms of success not as defining us
but as making possible our service to God and fellowman—beginning at home and
extending as far as possible in the world. Personal development has value as it
contributes to development of a Christlike character. In measuring success, we
recognize the profound truth underlying all else—that our lives belong to God,
our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Success means living in
harmony with Their will.
In contrast to the narcissistic life, President
Spencer W. Kimball offered a simple expression of the more excellent way:
“Service
to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a
better world. … When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not
only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher
perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to
be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is
the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves! [See Matthew 10:39.]
“Not only do we ‘find’ ourselves in terms of acknowledging divine guidance in our lives, but the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. … We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to ‘find’ ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!”
Love you more than words can say We’ll be watching for that transfer doc!
Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥
6-10-23
Elder
Miller
I’ll be
anxious to see a new photo in your roll just to confirm you made it safely to
Curacao. Hope it feels good to be there
and that the travel all went smoothly. I’m
a little uneasy until we talk or I read in your journal that you feel safe there. I’m excited to see pictures in this transfer
with a more Caribbean vibe—that’ll be fun!
Your mission is so cool!
I hope
you are off to a good start with Elder Adams—hopefully you have had a chance to
make some goals together.
Sounds
like you had a full last day on Bonaire.
You made such a difference in a short time and that’s neat to read
about. Keep loving big like that. Even without baptisms you lift and build a
branch by showing that kind of Christlike love and support to members who are growing
in the gospel.
That’s
exciting news about a phone—that will be so much nicer for you—although you’ll
have to be good about getting pics on both phones during the week since you
aren’t both pulling from the same drive. I think that will be great for studies—maybe
you can recommit to a language study (maybe in Spanish so you can try to keep
up on that) with the phone access better.
I hope
you don’t have the rolling offs and ons with power on Curacao- I understand
why, but that could get pretty miserable.
That’s
fun about pickleball… bet that old guy felt like a rockstar!
Things here
are good. This weekend is Avery’s last summer
bball (timberline tournament Fri and Sat) because Monday at 4pm she has that dental
surgery- she’s hoping halcion works for her like it did for you-
Monday
might be a little interesting- not sure what your time frame to talk looks
like. Dad has an early start so he’ll
prob have to leave here around 8:30
Graham
has Rocky BBall camp afternoons 1-4 next week.
I am helping with a funeral luncheon setup from 1-2- but should be free
after that- Emma will have time in the afternoon to talk- Avery will need a pre
dental apt pep talk! So however it works
is fine- but that’s our deal
Last
night Brock and Brogen went through the
temple—I hope they are working in the temple leading up to their mission, they’ll
both have time to do that bc I think their farewell is a little early- you
should encourage them to do that if you email them. We really wanted to go but can’t bc of Ave’s
bball schedule. We’ll go out on Sunday
for their farewell and luncheon though.
Graham
has a big pre FSY activity today- it’s like a ramp up/kick off- Ave won’t go bc
of bball- so far her team has won all their game and play in the championship
one in a little bit- v Eagle I think. –
but we’ll see.
Emma has
work Friday and Saturday- she’s had some crazy nights and some slow ones- so it
all balances out. She hasn’t talked to Ethan very much- not since a week ago Wed
when they texted. I think she’s bummed
he isn’t prioritizing it more- but she’s not wanting to always iniate. I think she’s still planning on going down in
July to Provo- the weekend he’s there for a family wedding—seems a little intense
to meet his family when she’s not even feeling that close to him- but I know
too, she just needs to get out of here and that will be a fun weekend ( I think
her mission comp from France will be in Provo so she’ll get to see her and Sadie
and Seth too) She got her car back from the
shop yesterday and is glad about that.
This time insurance didn’t pay for it- which is lame, but hopefully it’s
all resolved.
Sadie
and Seth have been sick again with colds.
Sadie seems to like work, spends a lot of time transcribing (close
captioning subtitles) for women’s conference etc- so that seems to be productive
and good material to have to pour over like that. Seth has been doing lots of different things,
trim work on coffered ceiling (like in our piano room at Landau with all the inset
trimmed out boxes), prepping for concrete etc.
I think it’s hard, hot work, but he likes it most days—it’s probably
tiring though to be doing it full time.
They leave end of June for bear lake for Seth’s mom’s fam reunion and
then come here for our Alaska trip back to back and then they’ll work the rest
of the summer. Hopefully they can kick
the cold they have before vacations start.
We put up
banners along the fence at Dad’s new office so people will know what it is—I found
this cool website where you can generate qr codes so I put one on there that links
to his webpage—and I was relieved when the banner came and the qr code actually
worked! He did an electrical walkthrough
this week and took Emma Weaver over there to talk about lab and sterilization
and break room layout. What’d you think
of the lighting I put in the chat? It is
called modern contemporary—it’s LED lighting– most of the lights will be cans,
but there are the three wall scones in waiting
room and one bigger chandelier type
fixture one in waiting room up against a
white rock accent wall (kind of like my cabin bathtub wall.
I sure
love you. Hope you are loving Curacao so
far—work your hardest and be patient remembering it takes just a little bit to get
comfortable in a new area, new companionship, new branch. They will love you!!!!
I’ll end
with the devotional (BYU) talk Elder Andersen gave at BYU this last April. I love his question: “will your faith in the
Savior have been the most powerful force that moved you forward?” it’s a good one to reflect on…
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/neil-l-andersen/allowing-your-faith-in-jesus-christ-to-guide-your-life/
“Fifty
years ago this past November, I completed my mission to France and returned
home to my family’s small dairy farm in Idaho. Milking the cows morning and
night, I realized how much I needed to get an education. I had attended BYU for
one year prior to my mission, and I returned to BYU exactly fifty years ago this
month. I borrowed the money I needed for school, found a job, and began my
classes. About a year later I met Kathy. It was the greatest day of my life.
Let me show you a picture of our first date. [A picture was shown.] Not many
have a picture of their first date. I’m hoping the bell-bottom pants return to
style. We had hopes and dreams, and we made plans for our future together. A
year later we were married in the Salt Lake Temple. It’s hard to believe that
Kathy and I have now been married nearly forty-eight years.
What are
your hopes and plans for your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the next
fifty years?
- Looking back fifty years later,
will your faith in the Savior have been the most powerful force that moved
you forward?
- How will you withstand the
temptations and pressures that seek to diminish your faith in
Jesus Christ?
- If the Savior has not returned,
how will you continue to keep the flame of your faith burning brightly for
the next five decades?
- These are important questions for
you today. If you are determined to be a disciple of Jesus Christ all the
days of your life, you will be, and remarkable blessings will
be yours.
Let me
share a few thoughts from what I have learned in the past fifty years about how
to allow your faith in Jesus Christ to guide your life. My friends on the stage
will add their comments as we go along.
Keep Developing Your Eternal
Connection with God
As you
know, you are a son or a daughter of God. That is an absolute truth.
Within
each of us is a yearning—a longing, a hungering of our spirit—to have a deep
relationship and an eternal connection with our Heavenly Father. This is true
of all people, even those who do not recognize it.
Two
weeks ago, after a very routine tackle during the first quarter of an NFL
football game, the safety, Damar Hamlin, fell to the ground lifeless.
Teammates, coaches, and then doctors and medical personnel rushed to his side.
As the ambulance arrived on the field, an assistant trainer and the medical
staff worked to resuscitate Hamlin’s lifeless body. The stadium, filled with
cheering fans moments before, became quiet. The ambulance rushed him to the
hospital. Then something very unexpected happened. These seemingly invincible
football players, so strong and confident only a few moments before, began
kneeling on the playing field. Before a stadium of spectators and a large
television audience, the entire Buffalo Bills team knelt and prayed fervently
for their teammate Damar Hamlin.
In the
hours and days that followed, all the NFL teams headlined their websites with
the plea “Pray for Damar.” In a remarkable expression of faith, an ESPN
commentator bowed his head and prayed out loud to God on air. While many people
do not always speak openly about their faith in God, they very naturally
believe in God, and in times of crisis, their prayers and hopes ascend to God.
We are so very grateful for the miracle of Damar Hamlin’s recovery.
Prayer
is vital to faith in Jesus Christ. Prayer draws us closer to God. He hears and
answers our prayers. If you feel your faith diminishing, pray more sincerely
and more frequently.
Live Your Life with Hope in
Jesus Christ
Next,
live your life with hope in Christ.
Just a
week ago, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife, Sister Patricia T.
Holland, spoke to us about this hope. Do you remember these words?
Accompanying that bright hope will be the undeniable
whisper that God loves you, that Christ is your Advocate, that the gospel is
true. Its brightness will remind you that in the gospel there is
always—every day, every hour—a new chance, a new life, a new year.
. . . Because of Christ’s gift, the best things in life
are ours.2
To keep
a brightness of hope, it will be important for you to be right before the Lord.
We’re not perfect, and we all need to follow President Russell M. Nelson’s
counsel about daily efforts to change, to repent. Elder Holland said, “Life is
difficult enough without carrying a pack of mistakes on your back.
. . . Unload that. Change anxiety for peace.”3
President
Russell M. Nelson said:
Hope emanates from the Lord. Only with an eternal
perspective of God’s great plan of happiness can we ever find a more excellent
hope. . . . Have you heard the old statement that “hope springs
eternal”? It can only be true if that hope springs from Him who
is eternal.4
Look for the Hand of the Lord in
Your Life
My next
point: Keep your spirit open to seeing the hand of the Lord in your
daily life.
Our
friends on the stage will teach you this principle.
Grettel Garcia: “If you can see Him, you can take your decisions to
Him or acknowledge that this would not have happened if you hadn’t been praying
or if you didn’t know about the gospel. If you let it be a bigger part of your
life, you start seeing the miracles and you start seeing the blessings. And so
your testimony grows as you try to look for God and for our Savior in your
everyday life, in the little things.”
Michael Ebert: “When you look for God’s hand in your life, you see
that He is always there and always reaching out. It may just be that someone
was put in your life that day or something went your way. He helped put you in
a place that you needed to be.”
Lachlan Phillips: “There are a lot of things I’m not good at—whether it
was learning Spanish on a mission or getting to BYU and realizing the classes
are a lot harder than I expected. Just getting up in the morning some days is
tough. And sometimes I just want to be like, ‘Oh, I can do this by myself.’ But
definitely it is having the opportunities to find out: ‘Oh, I can just ask the
Lord. He can help me out, and He can help me get through those trials.’ So many
times in our lives—not intentionally—we end up being prideful and feel like,
‘Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. I don’t need to ask the Lord.’ Once I was able
to see that, now I know that throughout my life I can rely on Him every day. He
is going to help me.”
Jada Brown: “There is a lovely piece of art that I love. I don’t
know who painted it, but it’s called Hand in Hand, and one of
the reasons I love it is because there is a little girl who looks like me. That
just means so much to me. I think the main thing is that it always helps me
visualize that there is a loving, just, merciful, all-knowing, perfect God, the
Savior, and the Holy Spirit who love us and are walking right
alongside us.”
Many
years ago I learned something very important from President Henry B.
Eyring. He determined as a young father to ponder every night how the Lord’s
hand was blessing his life. Here are his words:
I wrote down a few lines every day for years.
. . . Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I
seen the hand of God reaching out to touch [my wife and me] or our children
. . . today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would
cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of
us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened,
and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to
show me what He had done.5
Consider
following President Eyring’s example. Some of your experiences will be small
and simple, and others will stay in your righteous mind forever.
Embrace the Gift and Protection of
the Gospel
Next, remember
the restored gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a
gift and a protection for your faith.
Someone
might ask, “Can’t I be a disciple of Jesus Christ and not be a participating
member of the Church?” There are certainly many wonderful Christians in the
world who are not members of the Church, and we admire and respect them
very much.
But once
we have been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are
changed forever. We become “the children of the covenant,”6 and our souls need the truths of the restored gospel,
the priesthood and ordinances that follow, the power of the Book of Mormon,
and the safety that comes from prophets and apostles.
Speaking
of the Restoration, the Lord declared, “Righteousness will I send down out of
heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine
Only Begotten.”7 The Lord also said, “For I will
raise up unto myself a pure people, that will serve me in righteousness.”8 This is who we are becoming.
Think of
the power of the Book of Mormon. No book teaches the Atonement of Jesus Christ
as strongly and as clearly as does the Book of Mormon. Regularly immersing
ourselves in the Book of Mormon brings a remarkable settling of our faith in
Jesus Christ.
Moreover,
we need the ordinances and covenants we remember and renew each week as we
take the sacrament.
Our
faith grows and develops as we regularly and consistently work to build our
discipleship along with others who are as committed as we are. Here are Grettel
and Micah.
Grettel Garcia: “I remember being in Young Women when I was twelve
and asking my dad, ‘Why can’t we just be at home?’ I didn’t want to go to an
activity. He told me, ‘Sometimes we go for ourselves, and sometimes we go for
the people who are there.’ And I really felt it in my life. Even this last
Sunday I was struggling, and I was able to be helped by somebody at church. And
then during the week, one of my friends was struggling, and I was able to
enlighten her.”
Micah Johnson: “I remember an analogy that I heard. The speaker
talked about fire and how there are coals within the fire. He compared that to
coming to church and being around others and sharing your light and knowledge
and the truth with each other and learning from each other. He talked about
when you take a coal out of the fire: maybe you don’t go to church one week or
you don’t read your scriptures one day. It’s not going to immediately cause the
coal to go dark. But you are going to remove yourself from the flame. And over
time, one week turns into two. Two weeks turn into three. Months go by, and
suddenly you are dark and you are cold inside. I think that is a way Satan gets
us, by degrees. At least that is how he gets me. Going to church, continuing to
take the sacrament, finding ways to serve others and be around others, and
bearing your testimony are all ways you can be firmly planted within the flame
of the gospel so that you are burning bright. And when you get kicked out, just
quickly get kicked back in.”
President
Dallin H. Oaks taught:
Members who forgo Church attendance and rely only on
individual spirituality separate themselves from these gospel essentials: the
power and blessings of the priesthood, the fulness of restored doctrine, and
the motivations and opportunities to apply that doctrine.9
Finally,
in the temple we separate ourselves from the commotion of the world. We
unselfishly serve others. And the endowment gives more clarity to the
difficulties and the temptations before us. In the temple we quietly ponder why
we are here upon the earth and the power and glory of our Savior in making our
return to our Heavenly Father possible. Listen to Jessie’s comments.
Jessie Ebert: “I have been thinking a lot about the temple because,
with all of the distractions, that is where I am able to find peace and
redirect myself. It is a sacrifice to go, especially with so many exams and so
much homework. It’s never-ending. The temple is something that I have tried to
prioritize as my number one because I know that when I do that, everything else
works out.”
I hope
we all remember the beautiful story that President Kevin J Worthen told
last week about his experience in the temple. The temple brings miracles to
our lives.
Diminish the Distractions and Magnify
the Good
Next,
consider diminishing the distractions and magnifying the good.
We live
in a world with enormous amounts of information and influences pushing against
us: entertainment, social media, the internet, and philosophies from every
direction. Remember, President Nelson said, “Take charge of your own testimony.
. . . Don’t pollute it with false philosophies of unbelieving men and
women.”10 As we seek to grow our faith, we
will need to do our very best to diminish those things that weaken our judgment
and our faith and to conscientiously magnify those things that build our
character and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ.
Listen
to several of your fellow students.
Kami Mitchell: “I think the world is just so noisy, and a lot of
times it can really dampen your ability to feel the Spirit. But it is just the
total opposite when you are surrounding yourself with things that are going to
uplift you and when you are choosing to focus on the Christ-centered things.
Notice just how much more peaceful it is to focus on the good and the uplifting
things that are going to invite the Spirit rather than bring a lot
of fear.”
Claire Hadlock: “I think that we all have questions at different
times, and I think the key is that what sources we go to makes the difference
between whether we keep our faith or whether we slip from it. I have seen so
many people go to wrong sources. They just go to social media or they go to
people who don’t believe in the Church, and that can totally destroy their
faith. But I feel that people who go to the prophets or go to other people of
faith can end up strengthening their faith when they feel that they are
slipping. I just feel that is such a key to keeping your faith when you feel
like you have questions.”
Michael Ebert: “I really like the scripture in Mosiah that says,
‘When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of
your God’ (Mosiah 2:17). There is so much joy that comes when you are able to
do something for someone else. It feels kind of contagious. You want to keep
doing it after that because you are feeling the blessings of serving your
Heavenly Father and also His children.”
Manoa Mangisi: “When your faith is being attacked by those doubts in
your own mind, that is the time to turn to Jesus Christ. . . . I have
found a lot of the things that strengthen your faith are the small things: just
saying a little prayer here and there, reading our scriptures, and trying to
take small moments to hear the Spirit. I find that those things strengthen our
faith the most and that striving to do those things in times of doubt can
really help us.”
Macee Pickup: “I know that it can be difficult—especially in
today’s day and age with all the distractions and all the confusion that the
world is trying to throw at us through our social media—but personally I try to
fill my feed with gospel pages and with uplifting quotes and insights that will
help me draw closer to Heavenly Father. When I see those posts and share those
posts with other people, I message them or say, ‘This reminded me of you. I just
hope you are doing okay’—that kind of thing. I know that is what Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ want me to do. That is a way of ministering, and that
is a way of using technology and social media for good. That is the way that
Heavenly Father desires us to use it—to crowd out all of the noise and focus on
the good.”
Be Spiritually Prepared for the
Challenges and Tests in Your Life
Finally,
realize that there will be tests in your life. There is no need to fear. Many
tests will come not because of anything you did or didn’t do. They just come.
Life is that way. The Savior said that His Father “maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”11
You have
only lived two decades, but even in those two decades you have already felt
some of life’s tests. As you listen to Claire and Benton, think of tests that
you have faced and how your faith has grown during those times.
Claire Hadlock: “My parents went through a pretty bad divorce when I
was younger, and it really tested my faith because I didn’t know how to deal
with it. It really brought me closer to Christ and helped me understand the
Atonement a lot better. I think when you are younger, you kind of think of the
Atonement as ‘Oh, I make a mistake and I repent.’ Through this experience I
realized that Christ overcame everything, and He overcame all of our pain and
all of our suffering. The Lord gave me so much peace throughout this experience.
And if I hadn’t gone through it, I don’t think I would have the amount of faith
that I do now in my Heavenly Father and in my Savior.”
Benton Worthen: “I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. The particular suburb
that I grew up in was not overly populated with members of the Church, though I
had a pretty decent-sized Young Men group. But of those senior boys who I had
grown up with, I was the only one who ended up going on a mission. At that
period of my life, I was slipping, we could say, because it is easier to dim
your light when other lights aren’t shining as bright—if that makes sense. And
so within this certain period of my life, I felt very strongly that if I didn’t
go on a mission soon, I was going to have some struggles. So through prayer,
scripture study, and the basics that we are familiar with, my Heavenly Father
and my Savior Jesus Christ pulled me through to where I am today, regardless of
the decisions that people I love made around me.”
The Lord
comforted Joseph Smith:
Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a
small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee
on high.12
Lehi
promised his son Jacob, “[God] shall consecrate thine afflictions for
thy gain.”13
These
are the promises for the righteous.
There is
no need to be fearful about the tests of life. As your faith in Jesus Christ is
firm, the tests of mortality will shape your eternal destiny.
In
summary, here are some of the important things I pray will strengthen your
faith in Jesus Christ during the next five decades:
- Remember that you are a son or
daughter of God and that the spiritual feelings that draw you to Him will
grow as you respond to them.
- Keep as the burning, bright,
powerful star in your life your hope in Jesus Christ.
- Look for the hand of the Lord in
your life.
- Embrace the gifts and protections
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Diminish the distractions and
magnify the good that focuses your attention on the Savior and
His teachings.
- Be spiritually prepared for the
challenges and tests that will come into your life.
I want
to give special thanks to my friends on the stand who have strengthened us
today with their faith and their experiences. You can see more of their
outstanding insights and counsel on BYU social media. After I have shared my
testimony, Dr. Andrew Crane and this gifted choir will lead us as we stand
and sing three verses of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation.” The closing prayer
will be offered by Claire Hadlock, my granddaughter.
Your
faith in Jesus Christ will bring you assurance in the choices you are making,
happiness in good times and in challenges, and peace in knowing your eternal
destiny. Remember, there is a power that can cause things to happen that need
to happen, and that power comes from your faith in Jesus Christ.
As the
Lord’s servant, I bless you that as you reach out to the Savior, you will feel
His hands reaching out to you. I bless you that as you keep Him central in your
life, all will be well.
I share
with you my sure and certain witness that He lives, that He is resurrected, and
that He calls to each of us, “Come unto me.”14 He
makes eternal life possible. He appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. His
priesthood power is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Russell M. Nelson is His prophet upon the earth. One day we will
all kneel at His feet, and all the world will confess that He is the Only
Begotten of the Father, the King of Kings, the noble Son of God.
I
testify that to His true disciples, He gives the assurance of the hymn we will
now sing: “Fear not, I am with thee. . . . I’ll strengthen thee,
help thee, and cause thee to stand, . . . Upheld by my righteous,
omnipotent hand.”15
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Neil L Andersen, April 2023, BYU
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
6-15-23
Oh do I love my missionary!
You are like your sisters- good at
organizing and getting things in order—and while it will keep you busy,
cleaning up your area book, and making sense of the members and less actives
will be a HUGE blessing while you are assigned there and to all the
missionaries after you. That’s such a
great talent to be able to organize and bring order to it. I know the Lord will bless you specifically
as you do the work of gathering saints in Curacao.
I am glad you were safe waking
home and scared me too reading about it but I’m glad you are honest and write
these things down. You often end with, “I’ll
never forget….” But you will after 24 months’ worth of experiences so I’m so glad
you journal them. They are special and will help you recall so many important testimony
builders and challenges, triumphs and struggles as you serve with your whole
heart. Because of your patriarchal
blessing, Im sure that you’re going to have many opportunities to speak and
share and having these things recorded—and the whole of it—not just the awesome
parts- will strengthen you to see and remember the Lords hand you felt while on
the islands, but also as you serve the rest of your life.
It's good you got a dinner apt in—no
pictures though? We’re always hoping…..
Things here are good. Graham finished up the Rocky BBall camp this
week and liked it. Today on the last
day, all the campers (his group is 5-8th grade) and the coaches
(Rocky coaches and the Varsity and JV players that were running the camp)
played lightening- prob 125 people—anyway—Graham won. It was cute hearing him talk about it. I think this camp gave him some confidence bc
today when I picked him up he said “well next summer I’ll have rocky summer
ball tryouts (as an incoming freshman!) and they said some of us that make that
team will probably help coach kids camp next summer- so I might be coaching
next year.” Love the confidence! Good for him to feel that. He seems to be growing taller—and growing out
of clothes- church pants, shirts, shoes etc.
He’s a solid 8.5 or 9 now. Still
not taller than me but I bet he his when you get home.
Emma hasn’t worked at Dad’s as
much this week but we’ve kept her busy planting and replanting some bushes in
the front planter by the sidewalk that were dying or just not doing well. Dad told her it was car fixing money—but we’ve
never paid a gardener like that well before…hahaha.. no really- we appreciate
her willingness to do the dirty hard jobs!
I think she likes Louie’s and there’s a new girl working there she likes
a lot—even mentioned having her write to you- but I put the kibosh on that—I’m
sure she’s great (and LDS obviously) but just felt awkward and I didn’t want
that distraction for you- so maybe she won’t mention it- I don’t know- but act
like you don’t know anything about it—hopefully she just drops it since I was a
pretty hard no when she brought it up. She talked with Ethan on Monday night I think
on the phone- but it was a pretty short, pretty buddy-buddy, low key conversation
and he kept it short and wrapped it up quickly and I think it hurt her feelings—I
am sad for her- but also glad she has a chance to step back and choose him in
the fall, and not just get swept up in it if she doesn’t want to. We’ll see
what happens- I think she is still planning on going down to Provo in July (she
needs to get out of here I’m sure and she’ll see roommates, and a mission comp,
maybe Ruby Watkins if she’s still there, and get some Sadie time—I’m not sure
if or when Ethan works into it—and a little odd bc he’ll be there with his
whole immediate family for a close friend’s wedding and he won’t have a car- so
it’ll either be a lot of family time, or many not much at all- I’m not sure
what she wants- but she was kind of wanting to be “over it” the other night
after the call—you’ll have to ask her generally how it’s going
Ave had that tooth surgery which
was cool and intense and seems to be healing up well, though I am starting to worry
that she’s addicted to Tylenol… just kidding but seriously, we need to back
that down. She’s still fighting a cold
and I hope she is just feeling better for next week and girls camp.
We decided to do swim lessons for
about 5 families.;.. I still have a lot of lesson planning to do, but it’s coming
together—rebought pool noodles, kickboards, some swim school pool toys, candy
treats, reconfigured and printed up exit tests and got the policies paperwork
and website updated somewhat. Still lots
to do and not a lot of time to do it. Lessons
are the week Avery is back from Camp.
Lainey got stung by a bee trying
to rescue it from the pool and her pinky swelled up like a hot dog but I think
it’s going down now (remember the movie PURE LUCK with Martin Short—hahaha
finger version of that) Emma taught her how to cross stitch and she’s been
liking that
Sadie went to the doctor today about
her ongoing sinus cold and they told her she had a fever and a bacterial
infection and likely strep throat—yikes!
Good she went in and now she’s on antibiotics. They leave for Seth’s family reunion at the
end of the month so she needs to kick this before then!
Dad and Graham go on Father and
Sons campout tomorrow to someone’s property in Donnelly- and I know they’ll be
talking about you and missing you big time!
Graham asked for sunflower seeds, Sunny D, (which I call Sunny Delight –
because that’s what it is officially called and what I called it growing up-
and that drives him nuts hahaha) and beef jerky for snacks- I got those things
and some salt and vinegar pringles and some extreme sour patch candy. Dad was hoping Kyle and Ace and maybe Cache
might go- but things are back to being really bad news at their house and a campout
is not on the radar- they were trying for a little bit but I guess it’s gone
south in a big way (enough that Bel and the kids are staying at Marianne’s) Keep that on the down low; not sure it’s
public knowledge- it just seems so sad (Cache getting his mission call prob
this coming Tuesday) and Marianne having just a couple weeks left before the
boys get started…. I don’t know—sometimes I think Marianne and Middleton family
ramp up and rescue- but I just can’t see how it helps. Dad isn’t too confident that they’ll work it
out—keep them in your prayers.
Aunt Mel offered to housesit and
watch the dogs while we are in Alaska—which is kind of her and I’d never ask
that of her- but she went on and on about how she’d love to have a break, stay
at our house, enjoy our Air conditioning which she doesn’t have in Washington,
and even swim in the pool/ I think she
likes the break- and hopefully it will be relaxing to her to stream whatever
she wants on TV, have all the food in the fridge and pantry and just chill with
Watson and Copper J. I think it’ll be nice
that they won’t have to be at Miss Diane’s for so long bc that was a long stay
(10 days) and expensive bc now it’s $50 a night since there are two dogs. The dogs like Aunt Mel and they’ll be happier
here. We can pay her gas money and get
her some gift cards etc as a thank you and I think it’s a win all the way
around. So that’s what we’re doing. I do
want to prep you that on July 3rd—that’s a Monday- is the day we get
on the ship and won’t have a lot of internet access or time that we can talk. We’ll still have data though and can
hopefully do our group call through messenger.
Our boarding time is 2pm Washington time, so an hour ahead of Idaho- so
that is a bad window since sometime around then is when we talk. Maybe we can try to talk that morning before
we head to the port. Just maybe plan
something later in the day that pday and we’ll talk in the morning… I am really
conflicted about all of this and will miss you so much—nothing is as fun
without our Miles- and we’ll be thinking of you the whole time and I’ll try to
post pics from Dad’s phone while we are away.
We’ve had lots of nighttime thunderstorms
and lightening shows—it’s been kind of windy and stormy every day after
4pm. I hope your AC has been working
okay for you! I hope Elder Adams gets better soon—make sure he is drinking a
lot—that’s so important to hydrate esp with sickness. Wash your hands often and disinfect your desk
area and doorknobs etc; —it’s nice you
have separate bathrooms so there’s less cross contamination. I am sure the days will go slower with him
down- so it’s good you have your list from the clerk to pour over! We are praying for you both!
I am so proud of you Miles—I think
of you all day and pray for you over an over throughout the day, for good days,
successful days, happy days, good comp experiences and the ability for you to
keep striving like you are.
Here’s a good talk on Missionary
work from Pres Monson from 2007 that I liked that I’ll end with: (from a New
Era article)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2007/03/the-five-ms-of-missionary-work?lang=eng
I’d like to speak about
“Five M’s of Missionary Work.”
1. The Message
The message is divine. I think our keynote was sounded by
our Lord and our Savior, who stands at the head of the great army of
missionaries worldwide. After His Resurrection, He appeared to His 11
disciples. He could have given them any counsel, any expression, any warning
that He chose to give. But what did He say? It’s recorded in Matthew 28:18–20. He said as follows:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.”
What a promise! If we respond affirmatively to that sacred
call, that binding authority, “I will be with you alway, even unto the end of
the world.” I can’t think of a greater promise.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said simply this:
“After all that has been said, the greatest and most
important duty is to preach the Gospel” (History
of the Church, 2:478).
What is the gospel? It is the message we take, a message
that declares that an angel flew in the midst of heaven and that the gospel of
Jesus Christ was restored. If we’ll remember that and the other elements of the
message missionaries bear, we’ll be effective. In that message is the Book of
Mormon, which is part and parcel of every missionary’s library—internal, what
he knows, and external, what he teaches.
The Book of Mormon, the true nature of the Godhead—the
world hungers for this message. It’s part of that which missionaries will take
to the people.
Another element that I have found very important is that
the Church is based on a foundation of Apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ
Himself being the chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20). And we emphasize a “living” prophet
today. I testify that President Hinckley is such a living prophet—the prophet,
seer, and revelator of the Church.
If I could put my finger on that portion of the gospel
which seems to penetrate a broader range of people and penetrate more deeply
their hearts and their souls and move them to action, it’s the plan of
salvation, or our Heavenly Father’s plan—where we came from, why we’re here,
where we go when we leave mortality.
It’s been my observation that the stumbling block for
investigators is not the Word of Wisdom. It isn’t Sabbath day observance. It’s
a testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. It’s very important that we
declare that message. The message is divine. Remember that.
2. The Missionary
The second M: the missionary, the desire of a lifetime.
One of the Brethren went to a conference and brought back
to me a very simple note from a missionary.
“Dear President Monson, You shook hands with me when I was
17. You told me to go on a mission. I’m here in Seattle on my mission. Thank
you.” Think of it—the influence of a handshake.
Missionaries are marvelous. They’re called of God by
prophecy. Only those who are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators make
the suggested call to a missionary, and they’re called by the prophet of God.
They represent the fruits of all that is good within the Latter-day Saint
family.
3. The Member
Let’s talk just a little bit about the member.
When I was a mission president in Toronto, Canada, we knew
that investigators worry about the changes that are going to come into their
lives. We had a practice of supplying teams of members to help the
missionaries. For example, the missionaries were working with a Catholic family
(and that was the majority faith in our area). About midway through the set of
discussions they could call on Brother and Sister Anthony Belfiglio. They had
been Catholics. They’d joined the Church and were a great help to the missionaries.
When the missionaries had borne their testimony, Brother and Sister Belfiglio
would say, “We know what you’re going through. We were in the same position,
but when we heard the truth and realized that a prophet was on the earth at
this time, there was no question what we must do, and we never looked back and
we’ve never been sorry.” It buttressed the testimony of the missionaries.
Brother Stoneman from up in the north area had been a
member of the United Church of Canada. He’d been employed by the United Church
of Canada. He was their printer. He lost his job. He found another, better one.
He and his wife would go to the investigator who has been a member of the
United Church of Canada and bear their testimony. He said, “I lost my job. I
lost many of my friends, but I found a wealth of new friends, and I found
the truth. You will not regret it.”
We had others who had been members of the Anglican Church.
In fact, we had three teams in every area where missionaries were laboring. And
what did it do for those new members? It strengthened them. What did it do for
the investigator? It helped convince him. It was a proselyting method; it was a
fellowshipping method. It worked both ways.
4. The Mission
Now, a word about the mission itself. Build an esprit de
corps in your mission. It doesn’t matter which one it is or where it is. We
were in Canada. I didn’t know anything about Canada, but I did a little
reading. I found out that Canada was the only place the Prophet Joseph Smith
ever went outside of his own country. That’s also where the early elders of the
Church went to prepare for their mission to Great Britain. I let our
missionaries know that. Sister Monson pointed out that Brigham Young went to Kingston,
Ontario, and labored 30 days, walking through snow hip deep, and converted and
baptized 40 people. I made sure our missionaries knew that. Parley P. Pratt, in
answer to a referral, finding a man from England named John Taylor no more than
20 miles from Toronto, brought him into the Church, and he became the third
President of the Church. All of those things we would weave into the history,
the goals and the objectives of our missionaries.
5. The Mission President
Now, a word about mission presidents. Their philosophy is
that of a teacher who says, “No one fails in my class.” They’re responsible for
the missionaries’ success. Every missionary wants success, and the mission
president shows him how to achieve success.
He helps each missionary to work, but more significant yet,
he helps each one to work effectively so that the kingdom of God will grow
under his inspired direction.
Remember: “I am with you alway,” said the Lord (Matthew 28:20). In addition, the great promise found in
the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants is yours: “I will go before your
face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in
your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (v. 88).
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
6-28-23
Miles
You sounded so good on Monday- it makes my heart happy to see you so settled and dialed in on your mission. I hope you recognize what a blessing that is not to fight it…. And that’s not to say you won’t have your moments, or the lows, or the days that drag but I can tell you are striving to love it- to be all in and to find JOY in it. I love that you make progress in the areas you are assigned to—the Lord knows He can count on you—how great does that feel?
Sadie and Seth have decided to head here Thurs and sleep over then Friday head up to McCall until Sunday when we fly out (in the afternoon) for Seattle.
Emma is going to the temple (first time we’ve been able to get her with us this summer) on Thursday evening and my heart is happy about that. She’s working for dad Thurs and Friday this week. Dean had a birthday last week—we sent him with homemade cookies that said Happy Birthday Uncle Dean!
Avery and Graham have been killing it at swim lessons—like naturals- prob helps having done it with you guys and seen how you do it—I’ve been super impressed- esp how patient they are and how they are creative with helping all the different needs—it’s not too big or crazy this session or any of them actually and not having siblings running around (one of our new policies at the Meridian Little Fish School bc I don’t have a fence around the pool) makes it more low key. Sherron Danner’s great grandson is in one of our classes so that’s been cute—I get lots of visiting in with her daughter, Roxanne—who is the one who takes care of Sherron most of the time—she’s the one who lives in Meridian in Lochsa Falls sub by dad’s office.
Lainey does her piano during lessons and I think next session we’ll have her as a helper teacher. We finish this session tomorrow and don’t have another one till end of July bc of vacation and FSY- so it’s not too overwhelming and it hasn’t been too hot yet—which is kinda weird, we’ve had a really cool summer so far, still with wind storms at night.
Not much is happening with the Alliance build- I designed (with dad) a sign for the front entry- it’ll be acrylliic—like raised away from the wall and I think it will look cool. Dad had those two camping weeknds in a row with Father and sons and then High adventure—and then we’ll have the cruise and the weekend after we get back he’s taking the deacons camping- Emma is slightly miffed there’s not a girls campout planned but I think that’ll be enough camping for dad!
You did a great job on Elder Adan’s buzz cut- hopefully that’s what he wanted!
Thought you might enjoy reading these emails between sister Ridd and I (I had reached out to thank her for Kathy and the package) and of course youre her favorite- but keep it on the downlow!
My email to Sister RIdd:
On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 11:17:09 AM AST, Holly Miller <clevelandmiller@yahoo.com> wrote:
Just wanted to thank you and if you would please thank Kathy-- Miles got the package this week - I just saw a picutre but I could tell how happy he was, even for just a few things from home-- and for us, it just made him feel a little closer to know he could receive some love we'd packed up. So appreciate your kindness in making this an opportunity and connecting us with Kathy so it could even happen. We hope you and Kathy had a great visit... please thank her for being our package angel-- we didn't expect to be able to ever do that. ♥♥
Her email back: On Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 03:10:49 PM MDT, Ridd Tracy <tracyridd@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Holly! It's so nice to hear from you, and it's great to know that your cute elder got his package! :)
I'm sure it is fun to get some things + love from home. I know I loved sending packages to our boys while they were on missions, too. Kathy is awesome to have thought of bringing things for the missionaries; she is so great at thinking of others. Don't worry ~ I will let her know how grateful y'all are! She was happy to do it. (She brought a bunch of things for us too, thankfully!).
We had a very fun visit and she got to scuba dive almost every day! (I'm not a diver, but we did a few snorkel sessions together and also with Elder Ridd!).
Hope that Elder Miller is loving Curacao. We sure loved having him here in Bonaire. I think his little "cut" is all healed up now...that was an experience at the Urgent Care last month! We sure miss him here...don't tell the other missionaries, but he is our favorite!
Have a good weekend!
Love,
Hermana Ridd (aka Tracy)
My response:
that's so cute-- I bet it was fun to get in that pretty blue water and snorkel- and fun to see a friend. Thank you for taking care of him at the urgent care-- I am sure he'll remember that experience always...he told me later that he was worried that he was making too big of a deal, but initially I think the amount of blood worried him-- I am sure you two had to do some convincing to get them to help him not being a local-- and it makes for a good scar story. :) I think it's healed up great. He looks forward to seeing you both at a mission conference sometime soon- I know you don't get there for all the zone conferences- but when you do head over--he'll be looking for you! You all are in our prayers!
Here are the talks that were in the Carribbean section of the Liahona and the one fro your mission- I brought my own shoes
I’ll end on this talk by Elder Rasband- maybe you remember when he gave it:
It’s a good one to review anyway
Love you so so much! Big hugs! ♥ Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Miles
Oh how I love you. I
am sorry I haven’t been emailing more lately—you are in my constant thought and
all my prayers.
This morning Mel left and it was time—she’s easy to have-
but I think Graham is tired of being displaced from his room and we just need
to get back to normal/
Emma also went this morning to Provo- I’m not exactly sure
why except that she’d planned this weekend (with Ethan) and even though that’s
fallen through she doesn’t want him to be her change of plans. She’s not expecting to see him even though he’ll
be in Provo- so it feels a little weird that she’s still going but not telling
him. Like a game. She’s pretty heartbroken when she admits it
that he doesn’t prioritize her like she wanted him to- but I say good to figure
that out now- and not get caught up in
something that isn’t real. I try to be
sensitive but I’m not a fan of the guy so it’s hard. Sometimes I get a vibe from her (and maybe it’s
just the Provo vibe) that you have to go hook line sinker bc you might not get
another bite- and there’s this underlying panic like she’s getting “Old” in
Provo- but even if that were the case (which I don’t think it is) it’s not
worth settling over. And it’s also not
worth coupling off just because it’s fun or your roommates are pushing it- if
it’s not checking all the boxes and it’s not.
Emma deserves to be a priority and it shouldn’t be so hard or feel like
so much effort to make things work. They
have texted since our trip some- but nothing too detailed and he never brought
up this weekend again- it’s almost like if he said something cute, she’d fall
again, and I am just not hyped on that plan.
He doesn’t seem very aware or thoughtful of her. We’ll see- she’s going
to hang out with Sadie and Seth and Sadie gives it to her straight and she’s
not a fan (she wasn’t a fan of Ethan after they went for ice cream to meet him
when things were going well for Emma and Ethan, so now with the lack of
communication and the awkwardness she’s really not on board. I know Em is disappointed- and even a break
up with the wrong person hurts- but I wish she’d have more confidence in herself
and just move on. He’s not the one, at
least I don’t think so.
Grahm and dad went with the Deacons up to Last Chance
Campground/ Hike Goose Creek and then do some biking- not the full length of
the trail you went on bc they don’t have enough drivers to leave cars- but some
part of it. Dad wasn’t feeling that
great going into the weekend (not sure if it’s from being around the kids who
were getting over colds on our cruise or just traveling in general, but both
dad and I are fighting colds again- the brutal violent cough and super congested
kind- so I was kind of worried about dad going on this overnighter- but it was
all planned and he didn’t want to cancel on the boys. They should get back later this afternoon
I just sent Avery and Lainey off to the temple on their own
bc I can’t stop coughing—they don’t like to go without dad to baptize but they
were willing and I’m grateful. Avery and
Lainey leave Monday morning at 5:30am for the busses for FSY to Moscow (6.5 hour
bus ride) So it’ll be quiet around here
without them- Emma will drive home Monday- so talking with you will help her drive!!
We don’t have anything going on Monday so whatever works for you is great. Dad’s
first pt is at 8:30am
Sorry if that was TMI about GG—I put it there for everyone
and then realized I could’ve shared that via text and parred down the details
for you. I talked with her last night
and she seemed good—scary experience—I am worried that she just does to much
and doesn’t take cues from her body about what’s too much- why she’s falling asleep
while driving—it is terrifying. But her need to be needed trumps reason and
scaling back I think. So there’s nothing
to do. She was sore this morning and is
taking Advil. Ruby goes through the temple
today and GG really wanted to be there, so I think she’s planning on going to
that and then resting after- but she’s got 8 houseguest so I’m sure that’s a
zoo. Ugh- it’s hard to see her add so
much that is unnecessary if shed just not overextend herself. Grateful she’s okay—Sadie’s right- shes’ kind
of got superpowers in car accidents—worries me so much though
Dad’s still been working with Kyle and Bel—it’s not going
well. There’s so much pride and anger
and disfunction. Kyle has been trying to
work thru some issues, going to some AA meetings and such (don’t share that
with the other and let dad tell you abt it if you ask for details) but I think
Dad is starting to see it’s maybe not going to “work out” and that’s so
hard. I can’t imagine what that’s like
for their kids- but the anger and harshness (mostly Kyle) and pride and no
accountability (both of them) is a hard thing to scale- esp without the Savior’s
help and Kyle has no room for that right now.
So it’s a heartbreaking situation.
In some ways I think it’d be better to cut losses and try to both get
healthy – spiritually, emotionally, physically, and try to tamp down the hate
and rage and abusiveness rather than beat a dead horse with no progress…. But they
are going to have to navigate that. Dad
and Mar did get bel back at home with the kids and Kyle Is at Gpa and Gmas—it’s
been 2 weeks like that. The fam reunion
is the weekend of the 28th- not sure what’ll happen there.
On a more postiitive note the dogs did great with Mel and were
happy to see us- I guess you were on the phone for that. Everyone is settling back into routines which
is good
Super excited for transfer news- even though you think you
know what it’s going to be- and there’s some necessity in how everyone shifts
around—remember to start strong with goals and prayer together and positivity—the
Lord will be in the details if you keep including Him and His plans for your
area are specific. Anyway I’ll be watching your photos for the news….
I’m going to respond to your first journal entry first….June
12th
I’m glad you had a few days bike break with the truck and I
hope you got pics printed—take a pic so we can see what you put up. Our fam pic was a sort of frustrating experience—the
group one better than individuals—I haven’t looked at those yet—everyone is so
critical and it’s hard to get shots that people like- or angles, or
whatever. I just wanted to get you a family
one quick so you could print it. WE MISS
YOU IN THAT PICTURE!!! I am looking
forward to your post mission photoshoots bc I can tell you are a much better
natural smiler now!! And I love to see it!
That was nice of you to tackle that “friend’s” honey do
list-- 😊 I am
sure you have learned a few skills in all of your house service projects! Hopefully her interest will follow!
That was such a fun picture of Daniel at the temple- and so
neat he wanted to be there and call you—that must’ve felt so good to see him
think that was important and meaningful to be there and to call/
I’ve been praying about Osmailia—and I am glad you thought
to include that Pres Mckensie—I loved that the lesson was insightful for you
too. Sounds like a powerhouse, that guy! I always liked the quote about the way we
personally reverence the sabbath is a manifestation of our relationship with the
Lord (or something like that- but I like
the emphasis that quote puts on how we show God a sign about how dear He is to
us by how we observe and keep His day holy.)) I am sure what you and Pres McKensie
taught resonated with her. It’s good she’s
asking the questions that weigh on her heart now - and as much as you want that
baptism date soon- if she can approach it feeling more solid, there’s a better
outcome for retention-=- so don’t give up heart—the Lord wants this for her-
but He’s going to let her choose it…. So keep leading her to the Savior and let
Him do the heavy lifting! It’s neat you journaled about that powerful lesson!
July 14
I am sorry about the money issue—use your personal funds if
you have to—you can’t do the work if you aren’t physically strong--- you have $300
in your USAA. If you need to use it- do
it. I can add more. I want you to eat and I want you to have what
you need. Given the mistake in funding, it’s an out of the ordinary situation
and your should adapt accordingly. ‘m
going to add $200 so there’ll be $500 in there…./ just go get a few staples- ♥(I
just did it so it’s in there) I am sure the Pedersens are still figuring things
out but that’s going to be tricky for a lot of companionships—so don’t get too
worked up about it.
I’m sorry about the contentious Pentecostal lady and glad
you were bold but also sensitive to the spirit to know when it was time to be
done. It is HUGE that the less active
member can see the light in you – that says so much about you two but also what
she wants in her heart- even if she’s not ready to act on it – deep down she
sees it and she wants that in her heart and life. I think it’s great you were there- that outreach
is important and it might take lots of visits to help her come back- but
everyone is a connection an opportunity to share Christ’s light and love with her
Nice job on winning at chess—and sorry your comp didn’t let
you bask openly in your win! That was
showing charity to not rub it in and have your own private celebration!
Washing kids in a washer—wow… that’s weird—and a little
risky even with top open-I hope they were super attentive—seems like even if
you only had a shower or sink , even without a tub, that’d be easier than using a washer. That will be a funny memory/
I’d say being able to communicate at all in yet another
language (“why yes, I speak several languages” Lady and the Tramp”) is a gift
of tongues- it’s amazing and a testament that the Lord multiplies our best efforts—it
doesn’t have to perfect to communicate love and make connection! You go Miles!
Well love- the girls just got back from the temple—they missed
you they always do. They said it was
pretty quiet in the baptistry. Haven’t
heard from dad—hopefully he’s doing okay on the bike part with his cold. We
were supposed to have Jack and Janice over tomorrow but I’ve cancelled on them
bc I can’t deal with that on top of this cold.
I was going to dig in to the salmon and halibut we have from Alaska---
it’s a lot, so we’ll be sure to save some for you THIS MONTH NEXT YEAR Wahoo!!
I’m so very proud of you.
We all are! I read your cousins
emails (Dad couldn’t get through Trey’s first email, it was like rah rah Lone
Peak high school and I was like , just try and move on) Anwyay and I just have
such a gratitude for your level of maturity and quiet confidence in how you
communicate and testify. It’s full of love and power and I know that’s how it’s
received by friends and members in your areas too.
I wanted to find a good talk to share with you on the topic
of the Sabbath day. But in my studies came across this one (which I’ll share
with dad in light of Kyle) and I loved it—taught me a lot personally— I love
where he says, speaking of meekness “Even if
it stood alone as a benefit, one reason for developing greater meekness is to
have greater access to the grace of God. The Lord guarantees that his grace is
sufficient for the meek (Ether 12:26). Besides, only the meek know how to draw
fully upon his assistance anyway.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/neal-a-maxwell/meek-lowly/
I love you Miles- You
have left Elder Adams better than you found him and you have been impactful in this
area- so whatever that transfer doc holds—embrace it with faith and call down power
from heaven to do and be what is required.
He will answer you with EVERYTHING you need to get it done in His way-
because HE CAN TRUST YOU.
XOXXO
Mama
Wearing His Yoke
Meekness
ranks so low on the mortal scale of things, yet so high on God’s: “For none is
acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart” (Moroni 7:44). The
rigorous requirements of Christian discipleship cannot be met without the
tutoring facilitated by meekness: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
I am meek and lowly” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus, the carpenter, “undoubtedly had
experience making yokes” with Joseph (Interpreter’s Dictionary of the
Bible, vol. 4 [New York: Abingdon Press, 1962], p. 925), and thus the
Savior gave us that marvelous metaphor (see Matthew 11:20). Unlike servitude to
sin, by wearing his yoke, we truly learn of the Yoke Master in what is an
education for eternity as well as for mortality.
Meekness
is needed, therefore, in order for us to be spiritually successful—whether in
matters of the intellect, in the management of power, in the dissolution of
personal pride, or in coping with the challenges and routine of life. With
meekness, living in “thanksgiving daily” is actually possible even in life’s
stern seasons (Alma 34:38).
Meanwhile,
the world regards the meek as nice but quaint people, as those to be stepped
over or stepped on. Nevertheless, the development of this virtue is a stunning
thing just to contemplate, especially in a world in which so many others are
headed in opposite directions. These next requirements clearly show the
unarguable relevance as well as the stern substance of this sweet virtue.
Serious
disciples are not only urged to do good but also to avoid growing weary of
doing good (see Galatians 6:9 and Helaman 10:5).
They are
not only urged to speak the truth but also to speak the truth in love (see
Ephesians 4:15).
They are
not only urged to endure all things but also to endure them well (see D&C
121:8).
They are
not only urged to be devoted to God’s cause but also to be prepared to
sacrifice all things, giving, if necessary, the last full measure of devotion
(see Lectures on Faith6:7).
They are
not only to do many things of worth but are also to focus on the weightier
matters, the things of most worth (see Matthew 23:23).
They are
not only urged to forgive but also to forgive seventy times seven (see Matthew
18:21–22).
They are
not only to be engaged in good causes, but also they are to be “anxiously
engaged” (see D&C 58:27).
They are
not only to do right but also to do right for the right reasons.
They are
told to get on the strait and narrow path, but then are told that this is only
the beginning, not the end (see 2 Nephi 31:19–20).
They are
not only to endure enemies but also to pray for them and to love them (see
Matthew 5:44).
They are
urged not only to worship God but, astoundingly, they are instructed to strive
to become like him! (See Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48, 27:27.)
In the
midst of all these things,” they are given a Sabbath day for rest, during which
they do the sweetest but often the hardest work of all.
Who else
but the truly meek would even consider such a stretching journey?
The
preceding enumeration is certainly a verification of the crucial role meekness
plays in the lives of serious disciples. Thus, if we really learn of the
Savior, it will be by taking the yoke of such experiences upon us.
This is
a high-yield, but very severe form of learning. However, there is “no other
way.” Moreover, when so yoked, we may then get much more learning than we
bargained for. Furthermore, to be spiritually successful, Jesus’ yoke cannot be
removed part way down life’s furrow, even after a good showing up to that point;
we are to endure well to the end.
The Key to Deepening Discipleship
Did Paul
not speak knowingly of the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians
3:10)? Are we not told that meekness is so vital that God actually gives us
certain challenges in order to keep us humble (Ether 12:27)? Did not Peter
write regarding how Christians should expect to be familiar with fiery trials
(1 Peter 4:12)? Furthermore, as the disciple enriches his relationship with the
Lord, he is apt to have periodic “public relations” problems with others, being
misrepresented and misunderstood. He or she will have to “take it” at times.
Meekness, therefore, is a key to deepening discipleship.
In the
exchange between Jesus and a righteous young man, we see how one missing quality
cannot be fully compensated for, even by other qualities, however praiseworthy.
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept
from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful: for he had great possessions. [Matthew 19:20–22]
In this
instance the missing meekness prevented a submissive response by the young man;
this deficiency altered his decision and the consequences flowing there from.
There
appears to be “no other way” to learn certain things except through the
relevant, clinical experiences. Happily, the commandment “Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29) carries
an accompanying and compensating promise from Jesus—“and ye shall find rest
unto your souls.” This is a very special form of rest. It surely includes the
rest resulting from the shedding of certain needless burdens: fatiguing
insincerity, exhausting hypocrisy, and the strength-sapping quest for
recognition, praise, and power. Those of us who fall short, in one way or
another, often do so because we carry such unnecessary and heavy baggage. Being
thus overloaded, we sometimes stumble and then feel sorry for ourselves.
We need
not carry such baggage. However, when we’re not meek, we resist the informing
voice of conscience and feedback from family, leaders, and friends. Whether
from preoccupation or pride, the warning signals go unnoticed or unheeded.
However, if sufficient meekness is in us, it will not only help us to jettison
unneeded burdens, but will also keep us from becoming mired in the ooze of
self-pity. Furthermore, true meekness has a metabolism that actually requires
very little praise or recognition—of which there is usually such a shortage
anyway. Most of the time, the sponge of selfishness quickly soaks up everything
in sight, including praise intended for others.
Disciples
are to make for themselves “a new heart” by undergoing a “mighty change” of
heart (Ezekiel 18:31; Alma 5:12–14). Yet we cannot make such “a new heart”
while nursing old grievances. Just as civil wars lend themselves to the
passionate preservation of ancient grievances, so civil wars within the
individual soul—between the natural and the potential man—keep alive old
slights and perceived injustices, except in the meek.
Is there
not deep humility in the omnicompetent Christ, the majestic Miracle Worker, who
acknowledged, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30)? Jesus neither
misused nor doubted his power, but he was never confused about its source,
either. Instead, we mortals—perhaps even when otherwise modest—are sometimes
quite willing to display our accumulated accomplishments, as if we had done it
all by ourselves. Hence this sobering reminder:
And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine
hand hath gotten me this wealth.
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that
giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he
sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.[Deuteronomy 8:17–18]
Meekness
is especially needed to labor in the Lord’s vineyard, which involves such lowly
work—as the world measures worth. No wonder, as one prophet wrote, the laborers
in the Lord’s vineyard are comparatively “few.” Moreover, the Lord’s work is
not usually performed on a luxuriant landscape, but, said Jacob, in “the
poorest spot in all the land of [the] vineyard” (see Jacob 5:21, 70). The
world’s Caesars pay little heed to such workers.
Had
Jesus not been meek and lowly when “a great multitude with swords and staves”
(Mark 14:43) came to take him, he could have resisted his destiny. Led by
Judas, there came “thither” that band of men “with lanterns and torches” (John
18:3). So spiritually blind was the multitude, they actually needed lanterns to
see and capture the “Light of the World”!
Though
he was actually the Creator of this world, the earth being his footstool,
Jesus’ willingness to become from birth a person of “no reputation” provides
one of the great lessons in human history. He, the leader-servant, who remained
of “no reputation” mortally, will one day be he before whom every knee will bow
and whose name every tongue will confess (see Philippians 2:10–11). Jesus
meekly stayed his unparalleled course.
Brigham
Young, who stayed his lesser but very impressive course, knew both the fatigue
of leadership and the rest Jesus promised. He counseled those less spiritually
secure and more anxious about the outcome:
It is the Lord’s work. I know enough to let the kingdom
alone, and do my duty. It carries me, I do not carry the kingdom. I sail in the
old ship Zion, and it bears me safely above the raging elements. [JD 11:252]
In our
own time, the late Elder LeGrand Richards was heard by some of us to declare
that he did not fret about the Church, because it is the Lord’s Church, “so I
let him worry about it!”
Wise
secular leaders are not strangers to meekness either. The following episode in
the life of George Washington involved potential mutiny:
Washington called together the grumbling officers on March
15, 1783. . . . He began to speak—carefully and from a written manuscript,
referring to the proposal of “either deserting our Country in the extremest
hour of her distress, or turning our Arms against it. . . .” Washington appealed
simply and honestly for reason, restraint, patience, and duty—all the good and
unexciting virtues.
And then Washington stumbled as he read. He squinted,
paused, and out of his pocket he drew some new spectacles.
“Gentlemen, you must pardon me,” he said in apology. “I
have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind.”
Most of his men had never seen the general wear glasses. Yes, men said to themselves,
eight hard years. They recalled the ruddy, full-blooded planter of 1775; now
they saw . . .a big, good, fatherly man grown old. They wept, many
of those warriors. And the Newburgh plot dissolved. [Bart
McDowell, The Revolutionary War: America’s Fight for Freedom (Washington,
D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1967), pp. 190–91]
The meek
leader, having “humbleness of mind” (Colossians 3:12), is not only more easily
taught, but he is also freer. Even in routine he is relieved, for instance, of
the pressure to be the single or even the chief source of ideas for the group.
Nor need he be the sole source of his group’s memory. He lets others, too,
report what they see by the light of what Samuel Coleridge called experience
and history’s “lantern on the stern.” The meek individual is more concerned
with the light on the bow, which shines ahead.
He need
not be afraid to praise, lest someone gain on him. He follows the pattern of
rejoicing in the achievements of others as shown so effulgently by the Father
and the Son. After all, the meek and lowly Leader did not need advance men or
paid demonstrators with bands and banners: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
meek, and sitting upon . . . a colt” (Matthew 21:5).
True Education
Meekness
of mind is not only essential salvationally. It is also vital, of course, if
one is to experience true intellectual growth, especially that which heightens
his understanding of the great realities of the universe. Such meekness is a
friend, not a foe, of true education. Stephen spoke of Moses: “And Moses was
learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in
deeds” (Acts 7:22). Though Moses was a learned man, he was the most meek man
“upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). So it was that he could and did
learn things he “never had supposed” (Moses 1:10).
As the
well-educated Paul warned, the indiscriminate or arrogant approach to learning
fails to distinguish between chaff and kernels. Therefore, some are proudly
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2
Timothy 3:7). Unsurprisingly, therefore, great stress is deservedly placed upon
the need for intellectual meekness—“humbleness of mind.”
Meekness
is thus so much more than a passive attribute that merely deflects discourtesy.
Instead, it involves spiritual and intellectual activism: “For Ezra had
prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in
Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10; see also 2 Chronicles 19:3, 20:33).
Meek Nephi, in fact, decried the passivity of those who “will not search
knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in
plainness” (2 Nephi 32:7). Alas, most are unsearching—quite content with a
superficial understanding or a general awareness of spiritual things (see Alma
10:5–6). This condition may reflect either laziness or, in Amulek’s case, the
busyness usually incident to the cares of the world.
Intellectual
meekness is a persistent as well as particular challenge. Without it, we are
not intellectually open to things that we “never had supposed” (Moses 1:10).
Alas, some have otherwise reached provincial and erroneous conclusions and do
not really want to restructure their understanding of things. Some wish neither
to be shaken nor expanded by new data.
The Chains of Pride
Just as
meekness is in all our virtues, so is pride in all our sins. Whatever its
momentary and alluring guise, pride, as Henry Fairlie articulately notes, is
the enemy—“the first of the sins” (Henry Fairlie, The Seven Deadly Sins
Today [Washington, D.C.: New Republic Books, 1978], p. 39).
The meek
individual may not, to be sure, always fully decipher what is happening to him
or around him. However, even though he does not “know the meaning of all
things,” he knows that the Lord loves him (see 1 Nephi 11:17). He may feel
overwhelmed, but, unlike the proud, he is not out of control. In fact, in
some moments it is important for us to “Be still, and know that [he is] God”
(Psalms 46:10). Even articulate discipleship has its side of silent certitude!
The
“rest” promised by Jesus to the meek, though not including an absence of
adversity or tutoring, does, therefore, give us the special peace that flows
from “humbleness of mind.” The meek management of power and responsibility
relieves us of the heavy and grinding chains of pride; however glitzed and
polished, they are still chains.
Meekness
also protects us from the fatigue of being easily offended. There are so many
just waiting to be offended. They are so alerted to the possibility that they
will not be treated fairly, they almost invite the verification of their
expectation! The meek, not on such a fatiguing alert, find rest from this form
of fatigue.
Bruising
as the tumble off the peak of pride is, it may be necessary at times. Few of us
escape at least some of these bruises. Even then, one must next be careful not
to continue his descent into the swamp of self-pity. Meekness enables us, after
such a tumble, to pick ourselves up—but without putting others down blamefully.
Meekness mercifully lets us retain the realistic and rightful impressions of
how blessed we are, so far as the fundamental things of eternity are concerned.
We are not then as easily offended by the disappointments of the day, of which
there seems to be a sufficient and steady supply.
When we
are thus spiritually settled, we will likewise be less apt to murmur and
complain. Indeed, one of the great risks of murmuring is that we can get too
good at it, too clever. We can even acquire too large an audience. Furthermore,
what for the murmurer may only be transitory grumbles may become a cause for a
hearer that may carry him or her clear out of the Church.
The meek
are unconcerned with prideful preeminence, including considerations of scale.
The lowly are not exercised, for instance, over quantitative considerations.
The Lord put that concern to rest centuries ago.
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,
because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all
people:
But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep
the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out
with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand
of Pharaoh king of Egypt. [Deuteronomy 7:7–8]
With Ears to Hear
When the
Lord declared, “My sheep hear my voice. . . and they follow me” (John 10:27),
it was not only an indication of how profound recognition and familiarity would
be at work; it also bespoke another role of operational meekness—listening long
and humbly enough for such recognition to occur.
This
readiness with ears to hear has been needed in all dispensations, but never
more than after the Restoration. The “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21)
ended centuries of deprivation, but the Restoration goes sharply against the
grain of heedless secular societies. So, while the truths of the Restoration
are “had again,” they are useful only “among as many as shall believe” (Moses
1:40–41). Yet those astray include “humble followers of Christ” who err only
“because they are taught by the precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:14). In addition,
the adversary’s kingdom “must shake” in order that those who will may be If
“stirred up unto repentance” (2 Nephi 28:19). The meek understand such
realities.
Meekness
also contains a readiness that helps us to surmount the accumulated stumbling
blocks and rocks of offense; we can make stepping stones of them and achieve a
deeper and broader view of life. Obviously, Philip had such readiness and
meekness when he recognized Jesus as the Messiah of whom Moses had spoken (John
1:45). Obviously, Paul had the broad view, too, when he described Moses as
having foregone, by choice, the favored life in Pharaoh’s court for a life of
service to Jesus (Hebrews 11:24–27). Nevertheless, the stones of stumbling and
rocks of offense are real. In fact, these offending rocks (see Isaiah 8:14–15)
can prove insurmountable, unless we have the facilitating attribute of meekness
with its promise of access to the grace of God.
Even if
it stood alone as a benefit, one reason for developing greater meekness is to
have greater access to the grace of God. The Lord guarantees that his grace is
sufficient for the meek (Ether 12:26). Besides, only the meek know how to draw
fully upon his assistance anyway.
Meekness
comes trailing a cloud of other beneficial considerations. The prophet Mormon
(see Moroni 7:43–44) observed that without meekness there can be no faith,
hope, or love. Furthermore, the remission of our sins brings additional
meekness along with the great gift of the Holy Ghost, or Comforter (Moroni
8:26). These supernal blessings are not to be enjoyed for any length of time
except by those who are meek. As to genuine joy, it is received by none “save
it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness” (Alma 27:18).
Preliminarily,
we cannot even have true faith, except we are meek and lowly in heart (Moroni
7:43–45). Thus we are able to enjoy greater faith, hope, love, knowledge, and
reassurance. We will thus know the answer to what Amulek called the “great
question” (see Alma 34:5)—whether there really is a rescuing and redeeming
Christ. It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that we know that Jesus is the
Christ, that he lived and lives. Thus it is the meek who receive the great
answers to the “great question,” rejoicing, therefore, over the “great and last
sacrifice” (Alma 34:10).
Preparing for Eternity
Since
life in the Church illustrates, painfully at times, our own defects, as well as
the defects of others, we are bound to be periodically disappointed thereby in
ourselves and in others. We cannot expect it to be otherwise in a kingdom
where, initially, not only does the net gather “of every kind,” but those of
“every kind” are also at every stage of spiritual development (see Matthew
13:47). When people “leave their nets straightway” (see Matthew 4:20 and Mark
1:18), they come as they are—though in the initial process of changing, their
luggage reflects their past. Hence, discipleship is a developmental journey
that requires shared patience, understanding, and meekness on the part of all
who join the caravan. Together we are disengaging from one world and preparing
ourselves for another and far better world.
Meekness
and patience have a special mutuality. If there were too much swiftness, there
could be no long-suffering, no gradual soul-stretching, nor repenting. With too
little time to absorb, to assimilate, and to apply the truths already given,
our capacities would not be fully developed. Pearls cast before us would go
unfound, ungathered, and unsavored. It takes time to prepare for eternity.
For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept
upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. [D&C 98:12]
I will give unto the children of men line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those
who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall
learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more. [2 Nephi 28:30]
The meek
are also less likely to ask amiss in their prayers (see James 4:3). Being less
demanding of life to begin with, they are less likely to ask selfishly or to
act selfishly.
In so
many ways, the wise interplay of our individual agency with God’s loving
purposes for us is greatly facilitated by our meekness. Were it not so, we
would, at best, offer ourselves pridefully to God, but only as we now are—“Take
it or leave it,” an unacceptable offering. The only individual who might have
credibly done that instead meekly submitted himself to the Father’s further,
shaping will (see Alma 7:11–12).
Meekness
could have rescued proud and fearful Judas even after he had left the Last
Supper. He could have slipped back in later, quietly and humbly, rejoining his
apostolic colleagues, having belatedly determined not to do the dastardly deed.
Meekness can rescue us from ourselves even when we are deep in error, even when
others have written us off.
The Small View Versus Reality
Meekness
enlarges souls, but without hypocrisy. Contrariwise, “littleness of soul”
(D&C 117:11) insures that only a small view of reality will be taken. This
narrow view prevailed when Cain slew Abel and then gloried and boasted,
“Behold, now I am free” (see Moses 5:33). Free? Yes, free to be “a fugitive and
a vagabond” in the stretching desert he had made of his own life (Moses 5:39).
Both Cain’s desire for Abel’s flocks and his being offended at the acceptance
of Abel’s sacrifice played a part in his fall. Moreover, proud Cain “rejected
the greater counsel which was had from God” (Moses 5:25).
The
small, myopic view also lends itself, in the Lord’s words, to coveting “the
drop,” while neglecting “the more weighty matters” (D&C 117:8). In all of
our getting and grasping we do not seem to grasp, for instance, the
implications of this searching question from the Lord:
For have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of
the sea, and the beasts of the mountains? Have I not made the earth? Do I not
hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth? [D&C 117:6]
No
wonder the Lord also reminds us acquisitive mortals, “For what is property unto
me?” (D&C 117:4).
I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the
earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. [D&C 104:14]
One day
he will share all he has with the meek. For every one else, whatever their
temporary possessions, the Creator’s reversion clause will take effect.
The meek
likewise understand still another reality—that, as much as or more than
anything else, it is our faith and patience that are to be tried (see Mosiah
23:21). Our trials, however, occur in the context of this precious promise:
Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith,
might . . . becometh a
great benefit to his fellow beings. [Mosiah 8:18]
Before
he became encrusted with power, Saul knew a time when he was “little in [his]
own sight” (1 Samuel 15:17). However, meekness did not stay on as his uninvited
guest; it quickly departs where it’s not wanted. It is so easy for us to become
puffed up and to be condescending to others. One devoted public servant who
ably served several British Prime Ministers as their private secretary,
observed:
Vanity is a failing common to Prime Ministers. . . ; and I suppose it is
natural in view of the adulation they receive but to which they are not, like
Kings, accustomed. [John Colville, The Fringes of Power (New
York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 1985), p. 79]
“Meek and Lowly” Men
Fortunately,
we have fine examples of meekness to help us, and I need go no farther than my
own Quorum.
The
Acting President of the Council of the Twelve, President Howard W. Hunter, is a
meek man. He once refused a job he needed as a young man because it would have
meant another individual would have lost his job. This is the same lowly man,
when I awakened after a weary and dusty day together with him on assignment in
Egypt, who was quietly shining my shoes, a task he had hoped to complete
unseen. Meekness can be present in the daily and ordinary things.
The
President of the Twelve, President Marion G. Romney, is also a meek man. The
scene was a fast and testimony meeting in his home ward, just after he was
first sustained by the Church as a Counselor in the First Presidency.
Touchingly, meekly, and tenderly, President Romney said to his beloved neighbors
that he could obediently sustain whomever the Lord called, even when the person
called was Marion G. Romney. All of us who were there loved him all the more!
Meekness can be there even in moments of deserved recognition.
Sir
Thomas More was a victim of injustice and irony. Generously and meekly, just as
he was about to be martyred, he said:
Paul . . . was present, and consented to the death of St.
Stephen, and kept their clothes that stoned him to death, and yet be they
[Stephen and Paul] now both twain Holy Saints in heaven, and shall continue
there friends for ever, so I verily trust and . . . pray, that
though your lordships have now here in earth been judges to my condemnation, we
may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together, to our everlasting
salvation. [Anthony Kenny, Thomas More (Oxford and
New York: Oxford University Press, 1983), p. 88]
Meekness
can be present in moments of injustice and crisis at the hands of lesser men.
Jesus
meekly endured the lesser spiritual maturity in the Twelve and in his other
disciples. He endured this while helping remedy it. He did this without
condescension, without despairing, without cynicism, and without murmuring. We
have only to look at his prayers to the Father for and in behalf of his
disciples to see how perfect his love is (see John 17). Indeed, when his
followers deserved censure, they received teaching. Though he sometimes spoke
reproving truth to them, Christ spoke the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
What a
contrast to us mortals! At times we withhold reproof, time, talent, and
knowledge from others in order to retain a seeming advantage, an edge. No
wonder there could never be compliance with consecration without meekness. For
consecration seeks to share—not to withhold.
The Serious Disciple
The full
witness often does not come “until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6).
Those trials may be very focused. President Lorenzo Snow once said to the
Twelve of his day, “Every one of us who has not already had the experience must
yet meet it of being tested in every place where we are weak” (Abraham H.
Cannon journal, April 9, 1890). Indeed, did not the Lord specifically promise
the meek that he would make “weak things become strong unto them” (Ether
12:27)?
In those
instances of available record, the Lord has displayed much gentleness and
tenderness in his tutoring of meek individuals. The pattern usually involves
his disclosing more about himself, about his work, and what taking his yoke
upon us will mean. He thus expands the horizons of the person being tutored.
The Lord likewise usually assigns the individual a portion of the Lord’s work
to do. The disciple’s course involves more lab and fieldwork than lectures.
For the
serious disciple, the greater his knowledge, the greater his meekness. The more
he strives to become like Jesus and the more he wishes to declare his gospel,
the more he rejoices exceedingly when Christ’s message is heeded, as did the
outreaching sons of Mosiah, who rejoiced that no human soul would perish if
they received the gospel.
Unsurprisingly,
the Lord’s angelic messengers also reflect meek friendship, as did the angel
that spoke with Alma:
Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and
rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in
keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivest thy first
message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you. [Alma 8:15]
The meek
are such caring realists!
These
patterns of gentleness and tenderness are too striking to be accidental. They
are even reflected in the voice of the Lord, even in its very timbre, for his
is a pleasant, mild, and gentle voice:
. .
. it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great
tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if
it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—[Helaman
5:30]
. .
. yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper. [Helaman
5:46]
. .
. it was not a harsh voice neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless,
and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to
the center. [3 Nephi 11:3]
The
stunning episode atop the Mount of Transfiguration doubtless involved the same
pattern of further disclosing, preparing, reassuring, instructing, and blessing
with regard to Peter, James, and John (see Matthew 17:1–9). Though we do not
have all of the sacred particulars of what occurred there, Peter, James, and
John received special blessings and insights as a result of being atop the
Mount of Transfiguration. It was good for them to have been there (Matthew
17:4), but they would not have been in those supernal circumstances except they
were sufficiently meek, though further trials and tutoring still lay ahead.
The
pattern of calling, blessing, expanding, reassuring, and endowing are
reflective of the generosity as well as the gentleness of God our Father and
his son, Jesus Christ!
Astonishingly,
to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and
the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe! If only you and I can
avoid being offended by their generosity.
If we
would be with them, whether on a mountaintop or forever, we should ponder anew
these sobering words: “For none is acceptable before God, save the meek and
lowly in heart” (Moroni 7:44). Besides, can we ever truly and fully accept
ourselves until we become more like them?
That you
and I may be meek disciples is my prayer on this special day. I salute you as
servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and thank him for being our yoke master, for
being meek and lowly, and inviting us to learn of him. It is the only way we
can truly learn of him—to take his yoke upon us. I say this in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Just wanted to check in 😊
Finally got a minute to myself to sit down and write a quick email- without the
kids or Leila needing something. Today
Lainey and I went to the Middle school for orientation and that was a total
zoo- so we’ll go back with Graham to walk her schedule and figure out her
locker (which is a bottom one) on Tuesday.
Couldn’t hardly move around the hall with all the kids and parents today
so we left. We also wrapped up our last
session of swim lessons and I think it was a good season—a lot of work to get
it going again, but it will make it super easy next summer- having it ready to
go. Graham is still working on his certification and I think he thought the
written test which, if you remember, you
just take chapter by chapter, like you don’t go on to the next chapter till you’ve
passed it—first time is read the chapter and test on that chapter—If you miss
any you can retake with open book. But
Graham didn’t take it too seriously, I think he thought that because he is safe
in the pool, that was all good and he didn’t need to apply himself to learning
all the things required to certify… so we’ll see how this goes. He’s been a little onery lately- just puberty
stuff—I think he’s still trying to find his place—with all this company I haven’t
had a chance to sit on his bed and just talk to him to get a sense, but I need
to. Dad also needs to have that heart to
heart with him. I don’t want the kids to
go back to school, and I know they aren’t ready for that- but some routine will
be a good thing and having that accountability for assignments and having to
schedule your time is a good thing.
Dad
is supposed to be taking the kids backpacking tomorrow but it ended up not
being so much of a backpacking trip bc we don’t have enough gear for everyone
to pack stuff in- so I think the current plan (which seems a little unplanned
but I think Dad and Emma are working it out) I think I am usually pushing to
plan things a little more advance, like menu packing etc- but it’s just one
night- they can figure it out tonight and leave in the morning. I think they’ll hike tomorrow and come back
to campsite to camp overnight- play in the lake in the morning and head home
early afternoon- I think they settled on Stanley Lake and the sawtooth mountains and an 8 mile hike- 4 miles in and 4
miles back out-to GOAT lake—might be a
tougher hike than the kids (avery) are prepped for—it says 3½ miles are
moderate and ½ mile is extremely hard--—but it’s supposed to be really pretty-
def not my ability level but I never planned on going no matter where they
chose bc I’ll be here with VIry and company.
It has been a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG week. Oh wow.
Long for all of us. Love her and
her little fam, but it’s been a lot—Leila is very much only child vibes and
kind of manipulative- she’s cute and sweet but it’s been a little overwhelming for everyone—she always wants
someone to watch her do something and at first Lainey was getting worked over
until we had a little talk about her not having to say yes to everything Leila
wanted her to do- but Leila even does it to Emma and the other kids—she did swimming
lessons and one day I told her she couldn’t jump on the trampoline bc it was
distracting to other swimmers and she told me she didn’t have to listen to me
because I wasn’t the “boss of swimming, that her teacher Avery was the boss) likely
bc VIry had tried to tell her to listen to Avery in her swim class- but I had
to keep my cool on that one. So anyway, when the kids are gone camping I might get
more than my fill of Leila time—but we’ll see.
I am looking forward to being in the temple with Cache on Friday. I am not sure who will be there—I think some
family is planning on coming up this way the following week for his farewell,
probably more than the temple. (hmmmm)
but for sure Gpa and Gma and hopefully some aunts and uncles. I don’t know about Bel—she hasn’t been to church
in months so that makes me wonder—pretty sure Kyle won’t be in there- but Kenedee
just got home from a summer nannying in Australia and so it’ll be a nice time
to catch up with her dad outside the temple- hopefully they wait outside for
him—I hope they come, even if he can’ t go in.
Dad went to Cache’s priesthood ordination on Tuesday and the Bishop
invited Kyle to join the circle and that seemed nice- dad was worried if that
offended anyone (maybe Bel) but idk?
Kyle and fam left right after the ordination to go to airport to pick up
Kenedee so I don’t think Dad really got
to talk to Kyle much. I am glad I can go
to the temple, but I will miss your call and I’m sad about that! Still call the
group chat bc you never know…..
I
loved reading your last entry- you are doing so many wonderful things and I just
loved knowing your thoughts and preparation for your district council. Yeah- I’d be a little extra nervous with your
MP/wife there, but I also think it’s probably an insightful experience for him
to get to see you lead out and get to know you, your heart, your testimony better; I love that you were prayerful and went early
to feel ready and that it went so well, the timing, what was discussed and accomplished,
and that there was an abundance of the spirit.
It’s so neat that you not only were prompted with what to bring up, but
that you recognize that it was directly from the spirit. What more could you want?😊 I also love
the sweet reminders we get in moments like that to feel God’s love and
awareness for us- which is really such an incomprehensible thing- that the God
of the universe knows our names, our strivings, and will bless us individually when
we call down those blessings in faith. ♥
I’m
proud of you for sticking to your prompting with your comp to continue on to
the visit you were trying to find—that even all that commotion and pile up didn’t
distract you from delivering those Books of Mormon and just being where the
Lord needed you. I hope that progresses
into more visits with those ladies and their families.
I’m
so glad you can feel like you have given your best at the days’ end—that’s not pride,
it’s feeling tired in the work and knowing you an instrument in God’s hands. It’s knowing He can trust you and knowing He
knows he can trust you. That is a happy
and fulfilled tired—and I’m glad you felt that at night—hopefully you feel it often
and as a result know how loved you are by your Father in Heaven.
Oh
on a side note- I saw your weekly board and Elder N’s word Cacophonous- well
just thought you might like to know- hope this doesn’t put me too much in the
weird category- but my second year of 4H raising pigs for the fair, the piglet
I picked was a big squealer…We always named our pigs and that year I named mine
Cacophony- as he got older his cute piglet squeal turned into a harsh crazy squeal,
like someone had their foot run over kid of scream/squeal…so he turned out to
be very well named….well it was all fine until it time to fair time and we had
to handwrite about a hundred letters to local business telling them about our
4H journey and introducing our pigs and we sent a picture of me with my pig Cacophony
in each letter- the goal was that the business owners would come to the fair on
market day to bid on (if you got a blue ribbon, which I never did) or buy whole
or part of your pig (if it was a red ribbon- meaning you made less cash) but
you needed to get local businesses to the fair to support you. My mom made us write them (we could have
typed them and made photo copies- we didn’t have a personal home computer) but she
said that our letters would stand out to people because of our effort to personally
write each one. Well that year my letter
said my pig’s name Cacophony about 4 times in the body of the letter—and I
regretted not picking a short name to write like Ben. Hahaha.
Anyway, I don’t use that word usually, but I do know what it means. Your
board looked great and I love reading it to understand better the progress of
each of your friends
That’s so cute you made the sign for the new couple to welcome them. They will love you. I remember so many times Sadie and Emma talking about second hand embarrassment from comps that just were odd or didn’t have social cues. I think of all the missionaries we’ve had in our home and it’s so easy and obvious to tell when one is just weird or challenging and it’s so impressive to see a comp who handles that with class and love. Everyone knows ( even your MP and wife- get to see it in that kind of grape mode- and trust me they are somehow deep down prob a little worried it reflects on them in that kind of setting for how missionaries interact- but it really doesn’t—there are just some different ducks) it isn’t your influence or you that makes those choices—I know it might not feel like that- but everyone can tell. So keep loving—keep showing up with good social cues as an example and hang in there. Keep seeking out his strengths. I know it’s not an easy thing to juggle – but you have such a soft heart and you can help in low key ways with your example- and also with an example of love—it’ll show other missionaries how to do cope with their comps with love and kind patience too- Excited to hear more about this senor couple! Yay for more chances to speak Spanish-- you’ll be able to learn a lot from them about pronunciation, inflection, and just conversational phrases! It’s so cool to think of senior couples serving from South (or central?) America!
All
right babe- need to go- Love you endlessly!
Hope you have the best day!!! It’ll
be so sweet to Sadie to get that time with you! -mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
8-26-23
This is kind of a slow weekend, which is nice- Last night Dad and I went to the temple and later Avery had her lunch friends over to swim and watch a movie-- it was nice to meet them and they seemed like really nice girls—not high maintenance types- I have been pushing for her to invite friends over and was glad this worked out. This morning we took the kids to do baptisms which was good—and now they are swimming with Dad. He’s done a good job with the pool this year, managing all the chemicals and being consistent with testing and treating it—Yay Dad! Last year was frustrating with James or whichever tech they’d send who didn’t really seem to know what they were doing. Tonight, we have a ward corn feed (sounds like something for animals—idk I think someone donated a bunch of corn and the rest is a potluck. Dad invited Salvador and family, so it’ll be fun to see them- there’s some lawn games going on too. Right after the corn feed we have a baptism of an older lady in our ward—(the one the missionaries took like 10 tries to get songs for) So that’ll be neat and we’ll go to support. She likes to be called Auntie Linda bc she says aunts are more fun. She’s probably about 75 and a real talker! I’m excited she’s willing to be baptized and I think she’s really enjoyed all the fellowship from the ward. Tomorrow we have Auntie K coming over for dinner and I’ll probably bake some of our Alaskan Salmon (don’t worry, I’ll save you some too);. It’s just taking over my freezer!
I was glad to see that journal entry- know you’ve been busy and haven’t probably had a lot of time this week with exchanges to journal. I am happy that your second exchange went well- and nice haircut! Glad you fit that in- it was time! In a bit you should hear about transfers and hoping for some change—but mostly hoping you’ll feel pumped to renew with whatever it looks like. I’ll keep checking tonight to see that transfer doc!!!
Emma has mixed feelings about going back to Provo- but I think it will be good for her once she settles in—we’ll miss her- but she probably would like her independence more. She and Avery have come to the realization that they aren’t going to be able to finish Hawaii 5-0 before fall- even though they are on season 10- but that’s okay. Bc it gives them something to watch when Emma comes home. Maybe that’s a series you and Graham can watch slowly together—last night we were trying to find a show for him and it was that usual frustrating process—he kept picking shows, I’d look them up and pretty much the profanity level was so high—one of which was a venom movie that he said he’d watched with you- but it literally had multiple uses of every swear word you could think of and lots of taking the Lord’s name in vain, so we said no—he was upset with that- but I tried to explain that we needed to be selective and that we don’t want to invite things into our home intentionally that offend the spirit. We finally found a spiderman that was better than most and he watched that—but it’s hard. I know they hear it at school, but I don’t want them to be desensitized to the point that it feels okay at home.
Graham has done a super job with the yard this summer—he’s super responsible about it and doesn’t complain. Dad took him out to Middleton for a lesson with Braxton- and today went and bought some “soft balls” and a mat to hit off of—I guess he now needs a practice net to hit in bc the soft balls, even though they aren’t supposed to go far, they aren’t like a whiffle ball, and when dad and Graham hit them from the grass by the trampoline they went up in the rain gutter by the tall garage—so we’ll need a net- but I put my foot down on something crazy-= dad gets stars in his eyes when he goes to that golf store. You were kind about G hitting your clubs—we’ll probably just let him keep yours and get you new irons when you get home (birthday or something). Dad is feeling the pressure a little bit to help Graham get better since next summer he’ll have tryouts for highschool golf in the fall. Basketball has taken a bit of a back burner- but it’s been hot. I hope Graham gets a fire for it in the winter when 8th grade ball starts up—Lainey got invited to play on an AAU team (you know how they have varity and Jv AAU teams- well this one should be more competitive bc it’s the varsity level for her age group) The coach is Sheldon Stanford—you remember him from our ward—has all the daughters who play bball but aren’t that great? They are on like a bunch of club teams and travel around playing, but it’s weird bc his girls aren’t that good. One is a year younger than Avery and that summer after her freshman JV year at Owyhee, during summer ball, his daughter never played- even in summer ball. She’s a pretty moody and drama kind of girl so I was glad they were at Owyhee when Ave switched. Anyhow—they have one Lainey’s age who is a real spitfire, but I’m not sure how awesome she is at ball/ her mom stops me in the hall at church and says about her daughter Lainey’s age that is on this AAU team with her dad as the coach, “I just don’t know what we’ll do without a club schedule!” I didn’t roll my eyes. I hope Lainey can really enjoy it and learn something—I think she’ll be good at practice and on drills, but she doesn’t know anything about game play or that kind of intensity. So we’ll see—but her season will be same time frame as Grahams so hopefully we can juggle and I think it’s at the end of Ave’s season (G and L will be jan-march)
Sadie seems super busy buying furniture (she tacked a couch this weekend, and is now selling hers) and refinishing it—I think she’s made as much these last few weeks selling décor and furniture on Facebook marketplace as she did working part time but not sure how she’ll sustain that or structure her time once her school starts. I was hoping she could really focus on school and not be distracted by the side job- I think with her interests and skills and Seth’s abilities, it’s a little tricky for them to reign in their projects—Emma says they are becoming hoarders – filling the one shed they have with project furniture. This week they got a paint sprayer and a pop up tent to spray it in so they are taking it seriously and acquiring stuff, skills and that’s probably a win- but you can imagine the mess. Seth’s family always has unhealthy amount of drama going on and they navigate it really well—I think it’s a lot though. Sadie will be glad to get Emma back- and they have fun together- hanging out and shopping and Sadie is so great about feeding Emma bc she doesn’t eat a lot when she’s at school- but Emma also doesn’t want to be a grunt worker for Buggy’s projects so she’ll have to navigate that a little. Emma did find out who the last roommate is in her apt and she seems like a nice girl… young but a little more with-it than the others. For all their quirks, I did love the influence of going to the temple and being involved in the ward that those girls brough to Emma’s college experience- I think she needed that. Emma’s calling of being a ward temple person was good for her too. It got her to the temple with her ward regularly while at college- being on a committee in charge of scheduling and promoting that for the ward. It’s been hard to get to the temple with her bc of her work hours—she went today with us for baptisms though and did confirmations. I was grateful to have her there.
Well, I am
just rambling now, so I’ll go—I love you so so much!! I just checked for the
transfer doc and it’s not there yet, but I’ll keep watching! Wishing you luck with your church talk—it’ll
be amazing. You do lead by example and
so it’ll be easy for the members to feel the spirit in what you are
saying. When I was reading your talk, it
reminded me of Dad’s talks. 
The
style of it, I mean.
We are praying for you! and each of your friends-- i love that you don't give up on Osmailia- and that other friends are progressing. How beautiful! Can’t wait to talk to you on Monday
Xoxo Mama
Here’s a
good talk to leave you with—I do miss President Hinckley- this talk might have some good training material in it—and if
not, it’s just uplifting- for both the member and the missionary
I love how he ends with : “Before the Church was organized, there was missionary work. It has continued ever since, notwithstanding the difficulties of many of the seasons through which our people have passed. Let us, every one, resolve within ourselves to arise to a new opportunity, a new sense of responsibility, a new shouldering of obligation to assist our Father in Heaven in His glorious work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters throughout the earth. This is God’s holy work.”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/find-the-lambs-feed-the-sheep?lang=eng
____________________________________________________
9/1/23
I hope you are feeling settled in your space- I’m still watching
for inside/outside pics of your new living situation. It makes us so happy when
there are pics on your roll to see and share.
Last night we had Bowen for dinner and I made halibut tacos which were
good, but super enhanced by Emma’s mango pineapple pepper salsa and then like
your picture, I sliced up some pickled beets (even though I don’t love beets, I
thought the color and taste and texture would be good- so thanks for your taco
pic the other day) Anyway they were
pretty good. It was fun to see Bowen—she’s still traveling and golfing and is a
little flustered with skyview administration—she said tons of teachers have left.
Girls bball is a disaster—boys still run by sanders- but not great—she said football
is a weird joke—hype and players have 4 uniforms and 4 helmets and have to
pay/fundraise 1200.00 just to play. Lots of image and hype and Cam Wheeler and
Robi are running more of a marketing firm than a football program…players have
to sign up for Axiom GYM, see a friend of Cam’s who is a nutritionist etc..
just next level and they lost their
first game to Kuna. Yikes. Dave Young is
now doing more admin stuff, doesn’t teach or coach…got pushed out like Pasta
did.
Tonight we are going to the temple and Emma has her last
night of work at Louie’s. She and Ave
have 3 episodes of Hawaii 5-0 left so they’ll finish- it’s taken them forever-
but it’s been a fun thing to do
together. Tomorrow morning we’ll play
pickleball and go to Red Robin for Lunch and then send Emma off. I’m really
going to miss her but, like I told her, even with all the things she’s anxious
about, she’s ready and she’s just stagnant here- she needs to spread her wings,
have some fun, and feel productive tackling things again. She’s not too optimistic about her ward and I
hope that some awesome guys have moved in between her set up date a couple
weeks ago and when school starts. She’s
got a BYU game Sat night right when she rolls into town with her roommates and
that’ll be a good kickoff—leaving her Sunday for church, and the Monday holiday
to grocery shop and get herself settled in.
I sure love you Miles—I think of you all day every day and
just say about a billion little prayers that you can find someone, or have a
good interaction, or be happy, sleep well, etc. So so proud of you!!!
Here’s a talk for you 😊
I like the concept of “always improving” (Elder Worthlin) Also really thought a
lot about this quote from President Benson: “When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in
that moment God will endow us with power.”
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/donald-l-staheli/achieving-full-potential/
Achieving Your Full Potential
of the Seventy
March 2, 2003
Good evening, my young brothers and sisters. On behalf of the First
Presidency, I welcome you to this fireside.
I am impressed with the cultural diversity, the spiritual strength, and
the future potential of this worldwide audience of young people.
I pray that the Spirit will touch you and me as we discuss some
principles of how you can find greater success and eternal happiness in your
individual lives.
Each of you are very much aware that we are living in challenging times.
Since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September
11, 2001, the world has changed, never to be the same again, regardless of
where in the world we may live.
Economic uncertainty is prevalent in most countries of the world. The
crusade against terrorism is ever present. Preparation for war continues to
escalate.
Satan’s influence continues to abound, not only in the hearts of those
who seek to destroy lives and property, but also on the morality and integrity
of people everywhere.
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave us these reassuring but sobering words
as he closed the October 2001 general conference: “Our safety lies in the
virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness. God has made it
clear that if we will not forsake Him, He will not forsake us” (CR, October
2001, 112; “Till We Meet Again,” Ensign, November 2001, 90).
Notwithstanding the perilous nature of our time, you young people are a
choice generation. You are the future of the Church. Many of you will have
opportunities for considerable influence in your communities and countries as
you live the commandments and stay true to the principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
President Hinckley has described “you as the finest generation in the
history of the Church” (CR, April 1992, 96; or “A Chosen
Generation,” Ensign, May 1992, 69).
From that commendation I hope you feel the love and confidence that the
prophet has for each of you. Your challenge and mine is for each of us to
strive to live up to President Hinckley’s and the Lord’s expectations for us.
This evening I want to talk about how you might more fully meet those
expectations by achieving your full potential.
This is a time in your life when choices are made and patterns and habits
are formed that will have a major impact on who you will become. Your future
happiness, personal righteousness, and relationship with the Lord will depend
in large part on the habits you embrace and the choices and commitments you
make over these next few years.
The challenge lies in the question “Is the road you are now traveling and
the present conduct of your life leading you to achieve your full God-given
potential?” If you were to make no changes in the present course of your life,
would you be happy with who you are and what you have become five years from
now?
In posing this question, we recognize and commend so many of you who are
pursuing your education in preparation for the future. You are striving to live
the commandments and be true to gospel principles. Many of you have an idea of
what you would like to do with your life as you prepare for marriage and dream
dreams of the kind of family you would like to have. Those of you who are
married are concentrating on how to make real the dreams and ambitions that you
and your spouse have for the future.
On the other hand, many of you are still working on a vision for your
future and the action plans that you need to follow to achieve your full
potential. Some of you are challenged with some of the issues that life has
handed you and may be struggling with how you can better prepare yourself for
the future.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has a
favorite two-word statement that he uses frequently to motivate us: “Always
improving.” The implication is clear—there is room for improvement in each of
our lives.
It has been said that one of the greatest tragedies of our time is that
so many people live so far below their potential. President Spencer W. Kimball
continually encouraged us to “lengthen our stride” and to “enlarge our vision”
(“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, October 1974, 5).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said it another way: “The Lord loves each of us too
much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for he knows what we have
the possibility to become!” (“In Him All Things Hold Together,” Brigham
Young University 1990–91 Devotional and Fireside Speeches [Provo: BYU,
1991], 107).
Implicit in the statements from each of these distinguished leaders is
the message that each of us can and should do more to meet the Lord’s
expectations of us.
With these statements in mind, let’s now talk about a few ways in which
you can take and keep control of your lives. In so doing, you will not only
find success in a temporal sense but you will be moving toward achieving a
relationship with your Father in Heaven and Savior that prepares you for the
prize of membership in the celestial kingdom.
Develop a Strong Testimony
First and foremost in your pursuit is the development and nurturing of a
strong testimony. I assume that most of you have a basic testimony of the
gospel. Yet I would suspect that many of you are being challenged by the
“things of the world” with which you deal every day. By things of the world I
am referring to the daily bombardment of worldly messages, enticements, and
peer pressures that tend to tempt or distract you from keeping your testimony
strong.
Perhaps some of you can relate to a young friend I met while serving as
president of a stake that included West Point Academy in the state of New York.
He was a bright 4.0 student at the academy. He had been given leave from West
Point to serve a mission and was readmitted on completion of his mission—not a
common occurrence at West Point. On one of my visits to the West Point Branch
he requested some time to talk.
As we talked he told me of how he had deepened his conversion to the
gospel as he served his mission. He remembered the feelings and strength of his
testimony as he returned to West Point following his mission.
Then he said: “In the two years since my mission I have gradually felt
the Spirit slipping away from me. Every day I am associating with other cadets
with different values. Their whole focus in life is successfully graduating
from the academy. Periodically the honor code is compromised. Nearly every
weekend is party time—alcohol and young women. I am hazed and ridiculed because
I have refused to join with them.
“President Staheli, I need help. I feel like I am being tossed to and fro
on the seas of life and I have lost my mooring. My gospel anchor of the past
seems to be giving way to the life of fun and pleasures enjoyed by my
colleagues at the academy.”
As we talked it became clear that the magnet of the adversary was
gradually but surely drawing him into Satan’s grasp. My young friend had lost
his mooring—not because Satan’s magnet had become stronger but because he had
not been nurturing and tending to his testimony. He was in the process of
losing what he had previously so deeply cherished.
Many of you have already or will face similar challenges. It may not be
alcohol and immorality—yet, my brothers and sisters, never forget that these
are some of Satan’s most tempting attractions. They are just two of the
adversary’s many magnets that look attractive on the surface and may appear
harmless only because you feel you can resist.
It is essential to your testimony that you understand your relationship
with your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. President Boyd K. Packer
talked very clearly in this same broadcast last month about our premortal life,
the choice to come here, and the choices we now have that determine what we may
become.
Elder M. Russell Ballard has said:
Nothing is more remarkable or important in this life than to know that
God our Eternal Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, have spoken again from the
heavens and have called prophets and apostles to teach the fullness of the
everlasting gospel once again upon the earth. That is a glorious thing to know.
When you know it, that knowledge affects your life. It influences every major
decision you make. It changes the course of your life to a safer one because it
provides an anchor that helps hold you fast to the teachings of the gospel
despite the evil influences all around you that entice you to drift toward sin
and transgression.[“Anchor to the Soul,” in Brigham Young University
1992–93 Devotional and Fireside Speeches (Provo: BYU, 1993), 3]
But knowing is not always enough. You recall my young friend at West
Point. He knew. He had developed a testimony, but it had slipped away from him
because he failed to nourish it. As he had begun to respond to and engage in
the activities of his peers, he gradually lost the promptings of the Spirit.
Often we are reminded that a testimony is like a muscle. As we nourish
and exercise and use it, it develops and becomes stronger. When we fail to do
so, it atrophies and becomes weak.
Our testimonies grow through faith, prayer, scripture study, and
obedience to the commandments. The daily exercise and nurturing of these
principles is key to a strong and resilient testimony and commitment to gospel
principles. Let me comment on each of these principles.
Faith
Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said
the following about faith:
If there is any one thing you and I need in this world it is faith, that
dynamic, powerful, marvelous element by which, as Paul declared, the very
worlds were framed (Hebrews 11:3). . . . Faith—the kind of faith that moves one
to get on his knees and plead with the Lord and then get on his feet and go to
work—is an asset beyond compare, even in the acquisition of secular knowledge.
I do not minimize the need for study and labor. I would add to these faith and
prayer, with the sacred promise that “God shall give unto you knowledge by his
Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.” [D&C
121:26] [“God Shall Give unto You Knowledge by His Holy Spirit,” Speeches
of the Year, 1973 (Provo: BYU, 1974), 109]
I had the privilege of returning with President Hinckley from Nauvoo on
his plane following the cornerstone ceremony at the Nauvoo Temple. I was
commenting on the unbelievable faith and commitment of those early Saints. I
was musing that I was not sure I would have had sufficient faith to keep
company with those faithful Saints. In his usual optimistic response, President
Hinckley said, “Sure you would, Don.” And then he made his real point with me
as he reminded me that some of the most faithful Saints faltered, lost faith,
and fell by the wayside. His response strongly suggests that our testimonies
are vulnerable if we do not stay on course in keeping God’s commandments.
President Hinckley frequently refers to that earlier statement in encouraging
us to have “the kind of faith that moves one to get on his knees and plead with
the Lord and then get on his feet and go to work.” That is sound advice for
every one of us. As we follow it, our testimonies and commitments to make right
choices will grow.
Prayer
Prayer is as essential to a righteous life as food and water are to our
daily sustenance. Taking this analogy one step further, if we had to live on
the sustenance and the frequency and intensity of some of our prayers, many of
us would be much thinner than we are today.
As I reflect on my youth and the initial development of my testimony,
nothing had a greater impact on its development than the faith of my mother and
father and their daily application of that faith in their prayers. The Lord
responded to their faith and prayers, and as children we witnessed the hand of
the Lord in our family. We came to know the meaning of what Moroni meant when
he said: “I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for
and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no
witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6).
The faith of our family was tried time and again. Periodically special
spiritual experiences too tender to tell followed. I bear testimony that the
Lord does hear and answer prayers—prayers from the hearts of His faithful
children.
As your lives become crowded with other activities, it is easy to skip a
prayer or use an abbreviated version of your prayers. Don’t shortchange the
Lord on your prayers. Nothing you will do during any day of your life will be
more important to your temporal success or your eternal progress than
consistent, humble, sincere prayers offered at least morning and night of every
day.
As I visited with my young friend from West Point, it became clear that
his faith had wavered and the consistency and sincerity of his prayers had
waned. The joshing of his peers and the seeming attractiveness of Satan’s
alternatives had begun to overshadow his commitment to exercise his faith and
prayers.
Scripture Study
Equally important in the pursuit of happiness and a secure testimony is
the daily habit of reading from and pondering the scriptures. This represents a
significant challenge for most of us. The busier life becomes, the more difficult
it is to stay connected to this important part of our spiritual growth.
One of my fellow quorum members confided to me that he had not missed a
day in reading or pondering the scriptures since he entered the Missionary
Training Center in preparation for his mission. That was approximately 40 years
ago. What a commitment! What dedication to the Lord! What a great example for
each of us to follow!
Those who demonstrate the greatest consistency in their scripture study
do so because they follow daily a set time to read. They do not speed-read so
many pages a day. Rather, they read and then ponder about the application in
their lives of what they have read. But they do it daily, and they do it as a
serious part of their personal plan for spiritual growth.
My challenge to you tonight is to reflect carefully on how you evaluate
your personal progress in the practice of your faith, prayers, and scripture study
daily. Are you providing daily spiritual sustenance to your testimony? Are your
actions in these areas providing the willpower against all that the adversary
is showing you every day? If not, please think carefully about the changes you
will make. As King Benjamin sternly admonished his people, “If you believe all
these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10).
Obedience to the Commandments
Living to be worthy of the Spirit and then responding to its promptings
is another important milestone in our temporal and eternal progress. It is an
essential ingredient to a strong and vibrant testimony. To be worthy of the
Spirit embodies the bottom line of obedient, righteous living. To truly
accomplish this is the quest of a lifetime.
Nephi’s early example of obedience has been taught to many of us from our
youth. Lehi had not long journeyed in the wilderness before he recognized the
differences in his sons. Laman and Lemuel had developed into the “murmurers” of
the family. They were already playing the role of “the natural man” that King
Benjamin described (Mosiah 3:19). Conversely, Nephi made his commitment to the
Lord early on when he said:
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know
that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall
prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth
them. [1 Nephi 3:7]
Nephi had made the decision as to how he was going to respond to the
Lord’s commandments. From that point forward he was steadfast. I suspect Satan
worked on him just as he does on each of us today, yet the scriptures indicate
that the adversary was totally unsuccessful in affecting Nephi’s decision to do
the Lord’s will.
The prototype of Lehi’s family has played out through the centuries. The
world is replete with the Lamans and Lemuels. They are some of Satan’s best
students. Great blessings come to those who follow Nephi’s example.
Understanding and responding to the principle of obedience has singular
importance in preparing us for success and eternal happiness. President Ezra
Taft Benson put it most poignantly when he said: “When obedience ceases to be
an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with
power.”
That is such a profound statement that I would like to repeat it—in hopes
each of you will write it down so you can ponder its meaning in your life:
“When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment
God will endow us with power.”
Do you catch the spirit of what he is telling us? Will you carefully
ponder its meaning?
Of our 13 grandchildren the youngest is now 18 months old. Her name is
Zoë, and, according to Sister Staheli, she is one of the most precious, sweet
granddaughters in the whole world. There is only one problem. The word Zoë
learned first and likes best is no! The challenge to Zoë’s mother is
the same challenge that your mothers and mine had as they taught us when to say
“no” to the wrong things in life but how to say “yes” in response to obedience
to the Lord’s commandments. Nephi had learned that lesson well. Laman and
Lemuel never did.
So we see that the irritants of obedience are the impediments to God
endowing us with power. Tonight before you retire and say your evening prayer,
would you carefully ponder and then write down the irritants in your life that
keep you from being completely obedient to the Lord’s will? As you do so,
please be honest with yourself. Remember, you cannot change that which you deny
or fail to acknowledge.
As you are contemplating your possible irritants, remember the counsel
from Elder James E. Faust, given when he was a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles: “It will often be necessary for all of us to choose between
having a good time and leading a good life” (To Reach Even unto You [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 1980], 3).
Some of you may find that your list relates more to the passive things
you don’t get done—not because they are irritants but because they are too low
on your priority list of important things to do. Or is it because the adversary
has rearranged your priorities by sidetracking your thoughts and actions?
I expect each of us have a few irritants that inhibit our progress. And
some may be struggling with a number of serious irritants that have become
roadblocks to enjoying the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.
Although there are several things that might qualify as irritants in your
life, some of the most important ones at this stage in your life may relate to
the standards of morality.
Elder M. Russell Ballard has commented on numerous occasions that Satan
has a dominant influence on the media: television, movies, and the Internet.
Each becomes seductive in its own way. (See “When Shall These Things Be?” Ensign, December
1996, 57–59.)
As young adults you may feel you can handle some of the sexually explicit
programs on television without affecting your spiritual well-being. A
recent New York Times article reported that “83 percent of the shows
most watched by teenagers had sexual material; one in five included sexual intercourse.”
The article stated, “Sex sells, and the fevered competition . . . keeps pushing
the limits.” The author concluded that “as the boundaries expand, viewers
become increasingly inured to material that they not so long ago considered
taboo” (Alessandra Stanley, “The TV Watch; It’s a Fact of Life: Prime-Time
Shows Are Getting Sexier,” New York Times, 5 February 2003, E1).
Even more pernicious are the R-rated movies that are more explicit. It is
clear that frequent exposure tends to legitimize that which we see and hear. It
dulls our sense of conscience between the acceptable and unacceptable. It is
Satan’s way of leading you down the slippery slope toward immoral thoughts and
actions.
And those parts of the Internet that move you into pornography serve as
the devil’s trump card. It only takes a few viewings of pornography and he has
you hooked. Then he begins to work his magic, because what you have seen and
heard becomes paramount in your thought processes.
In the case of the single adult, he gradually leads them into the abyss
of immorality. In the case of the married, he debases and devalues the spouse
and at a minimum destabilizes relationships and spirituality in the home. At
worst, it can lead to adulterous relationships and potential divorce and breakup
of families.
My young friends, if you are involved in pornography in any way, stop it
before it is too late.
Be careful that you don’t let Satan use his influence to control your
thoughts and actions.
I believe there is a direct correlation between your ability to remove
your personal irritants to obedience and the success and happiness that you
will enjoy in this life and the eternities to come.
As you are able to conquer and overcome your personal irritants to
obedience, you will feel God endowing you with the power of the Spirit to
resist the inappropriate things that the world and Satan would have you enjoy.
When we are able to declare as the people did to King Benjamin that there
has been “a mighty change in . . . our hearts, that we have no more disposition
to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2), then we will be well on
the road to being endowed with the power of the Spirit.
That companionship of the Spirit and the strength of your testimonies
will depend on your daily nurturing of faith, prayer, scripture study, and
obedience to the commandments. As you do so, you will be moving toward
achieving your full potential for spiritual blessings.
Now let me visit with you for a few minutes about your secular
aspirations. The Lord wants each of you to find joy and happiness and success
in your professional and vocational pursuits. But He wants you to do it in a
way that your ambitions for success do not supersede your priority for living
gospel principles.
President Thomas S. Monson painted the picture as follows: “We have been
provided divine attributes to guide our journey. We enter mortality not to
float with the moving currents of life, but with the power to think, to reason,
and to achieve” (“Invitation to Exaltation,” Ensign, June 1993, 5).
Let me suggest four simple principles that I hope you will find helpful
in your pursuit of temporal and spiritual success.
1. Take Responsibility for Who You Are and What You Want to
Become
Near the beginning of my remarks this evening I asked, “Is the road you
are now traveling going to take you where you want to be five years from now?”
I used the five-year time frame because the patterns, habits, and actions you
take with your life over the next five years will have tremendous impact on
what you will become in the years that follow.
Some of you have just left parents and family to be on your own for the
first time. Many of you have had more years of experience in being independent
and accountable for your personal actions. Others have returned from missions
to a less structured life following the discipline of a mission. Regardless of
your circumstances, these are the years when you must take responsibility for
who you now are and what you want to become.
Many of you are well on your way with your education and the early stages
of your careers. We commend you. For those of you who are still pursuing your
formal education, complete your degree or vocational training no matter the
intellectual or financial struggles you may be encountering along the way.
For those of you who may not have had the opportunity for advanced
education or have dropped out of school for various reasons, think carefully about
where you are. Remember, education is the key to the door of opportunity. Is
the road you are now traveling going to take you where you want to be? If not,
what might you do to change the course you are traveling?
The Savior’s parable of the talents is so applicable to you at this stage
in your lives. Jesus knows there are differences between you intellectually,
emotionally, and physically. Although each of us has been blessed with various
talents, some of us have been challenged with various kinds of handicaps.
Therefore the Lord only expects you to magnify and develop whatever talents and
abilities you have. But He expects you to be accountable for your actions in so
doing.
At all costs do not allow yourself to “float with the moving currents of
life,” as President Monson has counseled (“Invitation to Exaltation,” 5). Take
control of your actions and prepare to succeed at whatever you are capable of
doing. As President Hinckley frequently counsels, “Just do the best you can,
but be sure it is your very best” (“A Challenging Time—A Wonderful Time,” An
Evening with President Gordon B. Hinckley, seminary and institute broadcast, 7
February 2003, 5).
This is also a time in your life when counsel from others can help you
decide what you should be doing that will move you toward achieving your full
potential.
As I look back over my life, it is the wise counsel and mentoring of a
few special teachers, priesthood leaders, parents, and a loving wife that
helped me make some course corrections that put me on the right road in
preparation for what has turned out to be a wonderfully challenging and happy
pursuit of life.
If you do not have a clear view of where you are going or what you want
to do with your life, ask for help. Seek good counsel. Then follow it. There are
numerous Church leaders, institute teachers, and friends who would be pleased
to help counsel and mentor you through some of your challenges of life.
2. Stay Focused and Use Your Time Wisely
One of the more difficult challenges for young people, and some of us
older ones alike, is to stay focused and stay on course—to finish what you have
started.
I am convinced that distractions and discouragement are some of Satan’s
most effective tools. He finds ways to help us make excuses as to why we can’t
do this or that. He gets us involved in wasting our time and resources in
things that lead us away from improving our lives and developing our talents.
He blurs our focus by diverting our attention. And this can happen to the very
best of you. Let me share an experience of how it happens.
A beautiful and vivacious young sister had just returned home from a very
successful mission in South America. As her stake president, I had just
completed an interview and released her from her mission. I asked her, “What
are your plans for the future and how are you going to keep vibrant the
beautiful spirit and testimony that you have expressed here this evening?”
“Oh, that’s simple, President Staheli. I have my goals very clearly
outlined.”
And then she enthusiastically recited several of her goals. They included
daily prayer and scripture study, educational pursuits, and dreams of the kind
of man she would marry, along with a few other goals. I commended her, thinking
that this young lady really had her life together.
Several months later this young sister called for another interview—this
time for a temple interview to be married and sealed in the temple to the young
man of her dreams. As we finished the interview I casually asked, “How are you
doing on your goals?”
“What goals?” she replied.
As I reminded her of our earlier conversation, I recited back to her a
few of the goals she had articulated to me. She teared up and her face flushed
with embarrassment as she said, “President Staheli, I can’t believe I have
forgotten so soon that which was so important to me when I returned home from
my mission.”
She still was a worthy young sister, but she had been caught up in the
things of the world and had lost focus on some of the things of greatest worth
to her.
To those of you who have returned from missions, we would hope and pray
that you have not become too casual about nurturing your testimony and the
Spirit you enjoyed while on your mission.
Staying focused, disciplined, and committed to some meaningful goals,
both spiritual and temporal, is an important—in fact, essential—key to your
success here in this life and in the eternities to come.
3. Have the Courage to Be Different from Those in the World
Around You
One of the greatest challenges for all of us is to learn how to live in
the world without participating in all that it offers.
Worldly standards will always be in a state of flux, and the only true
and unchanging standards are those set by the Savior and His teachings of the
restored gospel.
World standards are like fashions. They are frequently changing and
testing the levels of acceptability for that which provides new excitement,
pleasure, and a lure for the daring. The vice president of one of the major
media networks explained: “Acceptability is an ever-expanding and retracting
elastic band” (Roland McFarland, quoted in Stanley, “The TV Watch,” E8).
That may be true for the world, but it is not for a true Latter-day
Saint.
Unfortunately, frequent exposure to what at first is unacceptable will
over time legitimize in our minds that which we have seen and heard. Be careful
that you do not become the victim of this seduction.
As you dare to be different, your exemplary conduct will not go
unnoticed. Although you will be tried and tested, your faithful adherence to
the Lord’s standards will be seen as a beacon in the night to those around you.
Since graduation from university my wife and I have lived our entire
married life in the mission field. We have traveled the world as part of our
business career. In the earlier years of our career, to be a nondrinking
businessman was an oddity—and not a well-accepted one either. Yet, with a few
exceptions, once people understood our principles and standards and our desire
to stay true to them, they respected us for them.
I could recite dozens of examples of my personal experiences on this
subject. I hope you will indulge me with just one.
More than a decade ago I was invited to join a small group of chairmen
and presidents of companies from around the world to form a council to advise
the mayor of a very large city outside the United States. Our charge was to
help him achieve world status for his city as a world-class financial center
and at the same time upgrade the life and opportunities for its citizens. I was
one of three heads of companies from the United States invited to join this new
council. At one point I served for two years as chairman of the council.
In the meantime the mayor and I had become good friends. According to
custom, the chairman of the council would join the mayor at the beginning of a
major annual banquet to offer reciprocal toasts. As I stood to do so with a
glass of water in hand, to my surprise the mayor explained to this large
gathering that my toast would be with water. And then to my amazement he went
on to make some very complimentary remarks about my standards and personal
ethics.
Have the courage to be different when it is required of you to be true to
the standards of the Church. You will be respected for it. And if occasionally
you are not, you need not worry, because that is not the kind of association
you will want or need in your future.
For those of you who are struggling with yourself because you may have
crossed a line of the Lord’s standards, please know there is a way back. The
Lord loves you. His great atoning sacrifice was wrought so that the principle
of repentance and forgiveness could be applied in each of our lives.
Make an appointment this very week to see your bishop or branch president
so that he can open the door to helping you be clean and comfortable with
yourself and your relationship with your Savior.
I have not addressed the standards of morality and the Word of Wisdom
tonight because of what President Boyd K. Packer taught and counseled you at
this same broadcast last month (see “The Instrument of Your Mind and the
Foundation of Your Character” [2 February 2003], BYU 2002–2003 Speeches [Provo:
BYU, 2003], 167–75). His talk and very clear counsel was some of the very best
that you will ever hear. If you did not hear it or cannot recall it, get a copy
of his talk and study carefully how he addressed the issues of morality and the
Word of Wisdom.
4. Lose Yourself in Service to Another
In closing I want to ask you for a special favor that will bring you joy
and happiness as you lose yourself in service to another. Former president of
the United States George Bush said, “Any definition of a successful life must
include serving others” (“Remarks at a Briefing on the Points of Light
Foundation,” 13 December 1990,
http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/papers/1990/90121301.html; see also Dotson Rader,
“I’ve Had a Wonderful Life,” Parade, 1 December 1996, 5).
King Benjamin taught the standard for service when he said: “Behold, I
tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye
are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your
God” (Mosiah 2:17).
The Savior’s life, as the ultimate example of service, made clear His
feelings of the importance of our service. He said: “Inasmuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”
(Matthew 25:40).
This evening we have talked extensively about how we prepare ourselves
spiritually and temporally for our future success and happiness. We commend the
many of you who are also experiencing the blessings and personal satisfaction
that come from serving others.
Now for the favor: Each of you here tonight must know of one or more of
your friends or acquaintances who is struggling with some of the principles we
have been discussing. Some are discouraged, and some have even lost hope.
Others have been disappointed or have faced daunting challenges that they were
unable to understand or handle emotionally. The end result, for whatever
reason, is the loss of faith in and a testimony of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. They have become less active or inactive. In many cases personal habits
or transgressions have overshadowed them with guilt—to the point where it has
become difficult for them to come back.
In Chicago, a large city of the United States, a survey found the names
of 3,000 young adults who are members of the Church. Less than 600 of those
were active. A “search-and-rescue” program was undertaken. A team effort of active
young adults with the full-time missionaries and youth leaders is producing an
encouraging response. Many of these inactive youth are responding to the
invitation to come back.
Attendance at sacrament meeting has increased 35 percent during the first
three months of this effort. That’s more than 200 additional young people
attending sacrament meeting. Some are meeting with their bishops and branch
presidents and clearing up the issues that have kept them away. Testimonies and
commitments are being reawakened. Lives are being changed.
A new bishop of a young single adult ward in Canada organized his own
search-and-rescue program. Eighteen months later the ward had taken on a new
feeling of spiritual enthusiasm. Of those who returned, 61 were invited into
disciplinary councils. Old issues were discussed and handled, and 58 of the 61
became active. Marriages blossomed in the ward, with 99 percent of them being
sealed in the temple.
What greater service could each of you render than reaching out to
someone you know who needs a helping hand to return to full fellowship in the
gospel of Jesus Christ?
Will you accept our challenge tonight to join with your youth leaders,
priesthood leaders, and institute teachers and directors to lose your life in
the service of helping another young person return to the fold?
The counsel the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith in June 1829 is
applicable to each of you as you accept this challenge: “And if it so be that
you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and
bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the
kingdom of my Father!” (D&C 18:15).
Summary
Now, I conclude as I began. Is the road you are now traveling and the
present conduct of your life leading you to achieve your full God-given
potential?
“As the finest generation in the history of the Church,” much is expected
of you.
In summary, keep the fire of your testimony burning brightly through
faith, prayer, scripture study, and the spiritual blessings that come from
obedience to the Lord’s commandments.
• Take responsibility for who you are and what you want to become.
• Stay focused and use your time wisely.
• Have the courage to be different from those in the world around you.
• Lose yourself in service to another.
As you do these things the Lord will bless you and strengthen you so that
you may move forward in magnifying the talents and opportunities He has given
you.
I bear testimony, my brothers and sisters, of the divinity of Heavenly
Father’s plan for each of you. Jesus is truly our Savior, and He very much
loves and cares for each of you. As you keep His commandments and follow the
counsel of the prophet and your leaders, He will be there to guide you through
the challenges that lie ahead.
May His choicest blessings be with each of you, I pray in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
__________________________________________________
9-3-23
I hope you know that every fast Sunday we are fasting for you and your area…. It’s such a tender thing to fast for. Just as I was finishing my fasting prayer I checked your camera roll. Yay! I was so happy to read your entry and to see those pics of your new place—it looks nice and clean and like a good space. My favorite of course, was the pic of you and Rubenita- how cool is that? All from painting floors white and walls colorful- and there she is- it’s so wonderful. I bet that made your heart explode- to see her there and thriving. I am sure the branch was happy to see you back!! That’s so neat
Emma got off and made it to the game, as you know from the pics in the chat—her roommates only wanted to stay a half and it was a slow and lame game. She said the environment was fun though. So far she hasn’t bumped into Ethan and maybe she won’t- that situation is awkward—but at least they don’t live in the same complex. I think it was all a little overwhelming for her to dive back into the social scene—but she’ll be all right. I think she’ll probably hang out with Sadie tomorrow so hopefully they’ll both be able to get on the call in the afternoon and chat for a long time. We should all be here too—so that’ll be fun. Dad doesn’t have work so I’m not sure if you still want to call in the morning or not? I’ll mention it on the chat and you can thumbs up if you are calling in the am too. We don’t have plans 
Kathryn is on her way here with Dad and Graham so I can’t write long- but wanted to cheer with you over those pictures/entry in your journal. We love you so much and you are doing this work just right! I can see it over and over.
Can’t wait to talk to you tomorrow! Mama
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
9/7/23
Things here are good. Kind of a low key week. Dad and I have a sealing apt in the temple on Friday and we have Stake conference this weekend- so extra meetings Sat eve and Sunday morning (they do the leadership meeting early Sunday before general session)
The weather has felt cooler lately which is nice, but I think the hot will come back. I read things about hurricanes in your area-- but look north of you and seems like most dissipate to tropical storms-- still I hope it cools you down and brings you some rain- esp now that you don't have to bike in it!
Grandma (even though the entire Middleton crew put in for it) was the lucky one who drew out for a unlimited pass type of hunting tag and so instead of them being limited to certain areas- they can go where the big boys are—so the Millers are prepping for a hunt next week—lots are going—Gpa and Gma, Mike and Tee, Mar and Bryce (not sure who watches everyone’s kids), Zak, Braxton, Cache (since his mtc date was pushed back), Brody, Briggs, and I guess now Nate and his boys… which is fun for them to have that experience like you and Sadie got to with them that one time. Dad says it'd be fun to go for a few days but can’t take off work for it—and they’ll be out there as long as it takes scouting and then well, you know the process- dad says most of the fun is the treasure hunt to find it—so that could be a week, two weeks? Idk? They’ll be stories for sure!
Emma seems to be settling in after a rough emotional start on Monday with Ethan. I don’t think I told you this but after their meetup in the park discussion, he posted a picture of the summer fling girl on his Instagram account along with a bunch of dufus boy summer pictures- random stuff, but he’d captioned a pic of this girl by herself as the best picture of his summer. He posted that hours after talking to Emma- and I thought that wasn’t classy- like maybe he realized it was a long shot with Emma so he was putting eggs back in the other basket. That helped her unfriend/unfollow him, which needed to happen but it was a blow to Emma who, up until he did that, prob thought Ethan was a distant returnable option should she ever decide she wanted it- but that cemented the deal and her feelings went from hurt to mad. (it’s been like grief stages—denial all summer, hurt and now anger- hopefully she can get to acceptance soon and stop letting him hurt her and just be more open to what’s out there) I think she’s discouraged about the options available though and her social scene is not super ideal with the crowd her roommates run with… but I keep telling her—it doesn’t have to be that group- it could be friends of cousins of etc of people she meets--- it’s a lot of networking that she’s just not up for at the moment—but something will happen. I talked to her after her classes on Tuesday but not yesterday- so maybe she’ll meet someone cool in class, Idk. Not sure if she’s planning on institute. So anyway- some drama for Em, and hopefully getting more into school will help distract her. She’s got soooo much going for her—we just need a sharp guy to find her and I know he’s out there- and he’s going to be one lucky guy!
She just actually texted me that this morning she got a boot on her tire in her apt parking lot—which is lame because she paid to park there and has the digital pass- it was weird bc her new complex doesn’t have a sticker or tag you hang in your car, which would make it obvious- you do it all online- and she was registered and had it set so it’s not her fault, but now she has to deal with it. Parking in Provo sounds like a real nightmare… be warned! This semester is not going her way…. ☹
Avery starts open gym on Monday and still isn’t excited. Pump her up when you get a chance to email her—I keep telling her Bball is her thing!!! (as long as she has the opportunity to do it, she’s needs her heart in it)
Graham has been taking more interest in golf, and Lainey too, but Dad’s kinda just focusing on Graham right now.
Sadie and Seth will be here in a couple of weeks just for a night on their way up to Donnely. They are going up the third weekend in Sept for Seth’s littlest sister (half sister) Mira’s baptism. She’s 8. Also Seth’s dad is getting remarried—he’s marrying Mira’s mom, Jessica Vance. So that’s a whole bucket of worms…esp with Seth’s mom and in a small town of Donnely/McCall, but maybe a blessing too—I’m really impressed with how seth handles it all- his siblings look at her as a mistress and the reason their family broke apart, which is valid on some level- though it takes two- but Seth’s parents’ marriage was broken long before that happened… it’s just easier to dump it all on that pregnancy and unfaithfulness than on all the other issues for them. Sadie approaches it with more grace and less baggage, ready to move forward and move on- which is a blessing and probably one of the reasons Seth can see it that way too, but sometimes I think she expects Seth’s siblings to take that high road too, and that’s a lot to ask of them on a fast timeline. I don’t know it’s kind of a mess. I am pretty sure just Sadie and Seth will be at the weekend happenings (baptism and wedding) and that’s going to be a burn for Seth’s mom that I’m sure they’ll have backlash over. It’s all so sad. Happy for Mira though- her birthparents married. I don’t know—I just don’t know how you sift though all that—and I am impressed with how Sadie and Seth balance all the “feelings” and fall out from so many hard things. Anyway- Sadie and Seth will just stop by on their way through.
I have a colonoscopy apt (not fun, and no concerns, but part of routine checks once you are 45 +) coming up soon. Dad had one in 2019 so he’s good for a few more years. We did schedule an endoscopy apt for him for his throat though—(he also did that in 2019) that’s a scope down your throat- he’s having a much more difficult time swallowing—used to be occasionally, now it’s pretty much every night. I don’t know why it spasms and is so hard for him but sometimes it’s a little scary when he can’t swallow or get lodged food down. He hates vomiting, but often that’s the only way to get it out. Whatever the deal is, it’s not normal and he needs to get some relief. That apt is in October.
Also scheduled Graham and Lainey for braces apts- Graham in early Oct and Lainey a month later in early Nov. Fun times with silver smiles! Poor Abe has been in braces 3 times—and dad has had to do some kind of crazy procedures to get teeth to erupt that weren’t coming on their own and her enamel just isn’t good so all of this is probably prep for eventual veneers—so she’ll end up with the most Hollywood smile, but getting there has been a journey. Poor thing.
Now about you 😊
I love that a lesson with the missionaries was important even on a birthday. That’s so exciting Miles—one solid friend is better than many that aren’t committed… one by one a great work is accomplished!!!
I am sure you are also busy with your district leader stuff—lots to be accountable for and companionships to help motivate. You will be blessed with what you need and magnified as you serve in this way too. I know that’s true.
I love that you can see your Spanish coming along—translating is a totally different (more complex level) of understanding a language than just being able to formulate your own thoughts—so that’s really awesome that you can do that- I’m glad you see the progress!
I can feel the stress that you have over not feeling productive- but part of being effective is “organize yourself, prepare every needful thing” and in your area right now, those member lists are those needful things- a launchpad for what’s to come. Remember that the Lord doesn’t waste time- so if you are giving it your best effort, then you can know that He is laying a groundwork for His miracles to unfold. Count on them happening and call them down.
Keep taking lots of pictures—check all day multiple times a day—kind of obsessively actually … hahaha
Good talk for this week: Enduring Power by Elder Johnson
I love you so much Miles. So impressed with you—I can literally see the growth and spiritual maturity and it’s setting you on path that aligns with exactly what your patriarchal blessings says, which places you as a impactful builder in God’s kingdom. Surely angels see it too and cheer and aid you as you strive in this capacity as HIS missionary.
I hope you are doing well and feeling prepped to host the masses….
I feel very confident in your “mom skillz” to take care of everyone and everything.
Speaking of that: here’s Mother Goose Popcorn:
Mother Goose Popcorn
This Pink (or whatever food coloring you use) Popcorn is almost as fun to make as it is to eat! It is super versatile and you can make it any color or flavor you like!
· 1 cup sugar
· 3 Tbsp water
· 6 Tbsp butter
· 2 tsp vanilla
· food coloring
· 16 cups popped popcorn unbuttered, unsalted
1. Put all ingredients except for popcorn in saucepan and bring to a boil
2. Pour over popped corn and stir until well coated and it goes sugary
3. Spread the popcorn out in a single layer on some parchment paper or a baking sheet and let it dry. The popcorn is then ready to enjoy.
I hope it works out well- even without food coloring—maybe I’ll make it for the kids and try it out- it’s been awhile
I’m excited that you have zone conference to be a spiritual boost. I love something Liv shared from a recent conference in her email- it was about the power of positive mindset- how our mindset either limits or unleashes our capabilities.
Things around here are going well. Avery felt good about her first night of open gym and goes again tonight. She likes that it’s the later timeframe (7-8:30) and I think they do bball from 7-8 and then just spend a half hour in the weight room and just Monday and Tuesday nights. She’s pretty excited to get this robot baby—I hope that goes well. I guess it records everything you do and don’t do—with points attached for how fast you respond etc.
Graham finally passed off his swim certification pool and written test and is now officially a Little Fish Swim Instructor! He was glad to get it done and I think he learned a few things along the way. Being in the pool with the kids is probably when you work out most of the kinks—esp if the teacher will take and apply feedback. I think he’ll do well.
Starting tomorrow I am on a clear liquid diet prepping for my colon screening on Friday. Ugh- can’t wait for that to be over!
We didn’t plan a lot for this weekend—and I think I’ll be a little loopy from the sedative most of Friday eve—
Copper J’s bump seems to be going down, good response to antibiotic I think. It will be interesting to see if it stays down after the meds—I hope so- because the surgery option wouldn’t fun and it’s expensive.
Not a lot else to report— We love you so much! Praying for your friends and the prospects of more friends to be responsive—there are people to gather in Santa Cruz! And I can’t think of a better missionary for the job!
I should probably leave you with a talk to review (because it was just in 2019 that President Uchtdorf gave it)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/14uchtdorf?lang=eng
“This is my fave part:
But What If It’s Hard?
“But,” you might ask, “what if I do all this and people react poorly? What if they are critical about the Church? What if they unfriend me?”
Yes, that may happen. Since ancient times, disciples of Jesus Christ have often been persecuted.17 The Apostle Peter said, “Rejoice … as you share Christ’s sufferings.”18 The early Saints rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”19
Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways. It may be that by your Christlike response to rejection a hardened heart could be softened.
As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless you with the confidence to be a living testimonial of gospel values, with the courage to always be recognized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the humility to assist in His work as an expression of your love for Heavenly Father and His children.
well just a quick minute to respond---so glad you are feeling all prepped for your incoming
elders... they are in for a big treat with your Shepard's pie! That's smart to
have it ready to go- I'll be praying for you with all the taxiing round-- but
mostly just wanted to cheer with you about the sweet service provided to feed
you missionaries-- the Lord will bless those families for their willingness to
share and serve you. Exciting about talking about a date for Mark and Victoria
and so awesome about Rubenita's brother-- it's amazing the ripple effect-- God
is good and you are impactful because you bring them closer to Christ by being
his hands and sharing His light and love. I am so happy that you are having these
experiences-- what a blessing for the Noord elders too to jump on that
bandwagon of blessings! i love you miles! Enjoy zone conference and
interviews-- excited to hear all about it! xoxxo
10-20
I hope you've been able to get some things in the works since we talked-- I've had you on my heart-- love you so much-- you are doing your part-- keep expecting miracles!♥♥
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11-9-23
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11/17/23
Emma got in last night and it's wonderful to have her home-- I literally feel pieces of my heart coming back together when they come home from Provo-- and I'm so excited for a post mission reunion with you all- when my heart will feel whole again-- still- wouldn't rush it-- wouldn't change it-- you older kids are launching and doing the things that are needful right now......
*********************************************************************
11/30/23
Not too many pics yet this week on your camera roll! I was glad to see the shoes fit—what about the pants- did they fit- I hope so—no pics of those…
I did love this journal entry from the 29th. I could imagine the spirit that must’ve filled that space and the light and hope and peace you brought into the home when you went to visit with Anthony’s grandma. That was a beautiful experience. I wonder how many could hear you bear that testimony about the plan of salvation and how it must’ve been a comfort to hear truth witnessed. What a neat and important gift to have given that sweet lady in her final hours.
This has been a good week- pretty low key- Viry is easy to have. Just today (thurs) she got a rental car for the next couple days to go around to do all her visits and that’s nice- so I don’t feel like she’s trapped here and it also allows me to focus more on what I need to do for dad. He’s had a pretty stressful week- just so much to do with the new office, new front gal (Janda) and Dr Wagner. I need to go in and meet him- I think Dad needs me to do pictures of him actually. We have our work Christmas Party on Friday the 8th- doing breakfast this year instead of a dinner- after we eat (at Joe Momma’s) we’ll all go over to the new office to check it out. Things are moving along- still waiting on power—it’s stressing dad out. Lots of spending on furniture and furnishings, office equipment etc. Big bills and a big monthly mortgage when we do move over- but these things are always faith leaps- and we are trying to proceed with hope and faith in it all—but I know it falls on dad with the stress. He’s started reading a A MARVELOUS WORK AND A WONDER- and is enjoying it—
Kids are good- somehow it got crazy cold this week and they don’t want to wear coats- possible flurries today. I saw your weather 80-86 windy every day!
Avery’s bball wasn’t so awesome v Owyhee- she didn’t get much playing time at all and what she did get she didn’t do well- dad said it was the worst he’s seen her play—I feel her winding it down- I hope she can get some fire back for the rest of the season and move on from that game. She plays Kuna next Tuesday and Meridian on Friday and both teams should be beatable. We have the team over for dinner I think before the Meridian game- so hopefully the vibe is up!
It really did make me so happy that package made it to you—wish I could be sending them all along the way- but so special to get to send two via others- really appreciate that kindness on their part—anxious to hear how that all went down.
Love you so so much
Here’s a good talk I read today from a BYU devotional with Elder Anderson 2015
My dear brothers and sisters, I am humbled to stand before you. Many of you will know that the First Presidency originally assigned Elder L. Tom Perry to speak here today. I am honored to stand in his place.
In the past 90 days, we have witnessed, as President Russell M. Nelson likes to say, the “graduation” of two extraordinary Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. President Boyd K. Packer was made a General Authority just after my 10th birthday. Elder L. Tom Perry was ordained an Apostle before my wife, Kathy, and I were married, as we were students here at Brigham Young University. For more than 40 years, they sat together in the Quorum of the Twelve, and for more than half of that time they sat next to one another. President Packer, with a smile, would say that the Lord put Elder Perry next to him to kick him in the ankles when he got out of line.
During those many decades, they moved across the world and used every opportunity to testify of the divine mission of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Restoration of His gospel. And as they bore witness of Him, He refined them, purified them, and sanctified them. President Packer, who was by his nature a very private man, would lament at times that members of the Quorum of the Twelve were destined to die onstage. President Packer had a very quick wit. One Thursday morning, before our meeting began in the temple, Elder Perry was conversing with me at the junior end of the semicircle of chairs. President Packer, speaking in a cheerful voice so all could hear, said, “Tom, come up here where you belong. Ten good men have died to put you in this chair.”
They each moved through the veil with dignity and spiritual power.
On the week that Elder Perry passed away, he attended our meeting on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, as recorded by his son, he had a spiritual experience that let him know his time was soon.1 With Elder Russell M. Nelson on assignment in eastern Europe, Elder Perry, on Wednesday morning, called Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard to his apartment. He told them his time was short and he would not be coming back into the office. He recorded a six-minute message for the Quorum of the Twelve, telling us he loved us, encouraging us in the work ahead, and bearing his sure witness of the Savior. We were sobered as the recording was played for us Thursday morning in the temple. The First Presidency went Thursday afternoon to say their good-byes to their dear friend. Elder Nelson called Elder Perry from Bulgaria Thursday evening. On Friday morning, President Packer rose from his feeble condition and traveled to Elder Perry’s apartment to say good-bye. They reflected on their many years together. President Packer reminded him that Elder Perry had always said that he wanted to go through the veil at least one day before President Packer. They rejoiced that they would soon see each other on the other side. On Friday afternoon, just after 4:00 p.m., Kathy and I had a chance to visit with Elder and Sister Perry. Elder Perry was sitting in a comfortable chair, weak but conversant. He asked us, as he did all the members of the Twelve, to watch over and care for his dear Barbara. He expressed his love to us, and we expressed our love for him. I told him that in a few years, as I followed him out of this earthly experience, I hoped he would be there to greet me. He promised that if given permission, he would. He told us he would do all he could to bless our work from the other side of the veil.
Less than 24 hours later, he stepped through the veil. Thirty-four days later, President Packer followed him. I, with you, revere these two disciples of Christ. I confirm to you that they were honest men, holy men, devoted to the callings they had received, and full of the pure love of Christ. I testify that we will yet see them again.
We live in very interesting times. Here are some selected statistics from recent studies:
· Worldwide there has been a 35 percent increase in terrorist attacks in the past year.2
· Forty-one percent of all births in the United States are to unmarried women, compared to 18 percent 35 years ago.3
· Adult Americans claiming no religious affiliation increased from 16 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2014.4
· “Nearly seven in 10 Americans ... say doctors should be legally allowed to assist terminally ill patients in committing suicide.”5
· There are now more than 43 million refugees worldwide displaced from their homes because of conflict or persecution.6
Or how about these very recent concerning headlines:
· “California college will now ask students to pick from 6 [different] genders” in their application for admission.”7
And this one:
· “Another day, another mass shooting in America.”8
Finally, this sobering headline:
· “Why selling baby parts should shock no one.”9
Let me close on a happy headline from the Washington Post:
· “World’s youngest double hand transplant recipient ‘woke up smiling.’ ”10
We live in very interesting times, yet in marvelous times. We are in the dispensation of the fulness of times, when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, and as the world is being prepared for the glorious Second Coming of the Savior. These are days of looking forward, of beautiful anticipation. These are our days.
We know as we approach the Second Coming of the Savior, our world will be full of commotion and confusion. Many in society will disregard the commandments of God. I have often quoted this statement by President Thomas S. Monson: “Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider.”11
As these temptations and distractions increase, as the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes less palatable to the world, sadly, we will see more among us who will lose their way.
When I was a young man growing up in southeastern Idaho, I remember frequently hearing a quote from Elder Heber C. Kimball given in 1867: “To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess his personal knowledge or witness will fall. … The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to [stand] on borrowed light.”12
More than ever in the 64 years of my life, this prophetic statement by Heber C. Kimball is coming to pass. Deep, continuing conversion is becoming much more important for those desiring to keep their covenants. It is becoming more and more precarious to stand on borrowed light.
You may think that my message is sounding a little gloomy, but stay with me. Hope is on the way.
The Lord has long anticipated this most important period of human history. He knows the end from the beginning. The Savior has assured us in our day, “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”13
As we find our way in a world less attentive to the commandments of God, we will certainly be prayerful, but we need not be overly alarmed. The Lord will bless His Saints with the added spiritual power necessary to meet the challenges of our day.
Here is my major theme this morning: As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.
To understand better, think of these comparisons: If the world were growing more physically dark, He could give us enhanced night vision. If loud noises were constantly in our ears, He could give us a filtering mechanism to block the unwanted sound. If the race we were running was extended, He could give us increased lung and muscle capacity. If the exam we were taking was more difficult, He could quicken our minds.
My brothers and sisters, as evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory power, an additional spiritual endowment, a revelatory gift for the righteous
This added blessing of spiritual power does not settle upon us just because we are part of this generation. It is willingly offered to us; it is eagerly put before us. But as with all spiritual gifts, it requires our desiring it, pursuing it, and living worthy of receiving it. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?”14
Faith is the muscle of spiritual knowledge and power. Faith is a spiritual gift of God, but it is developed and magnified as we eagerly pursue our journey of embracing and following the Savior. I remember once long ago, before I was serving as a General Authority, having a man approach me whom I had known for some time in business. We talked about a challenge he was facing in his life, and I gave him some of my thoughts. He then said to me, “Neil, you have something I don’t have. You have faith in God.” The way he said it to me, I sensed he felt like it was not something chosen or determined by me or by him, but that somewhere in the lottery of life, my gene pool brought a quality of believing and trusting in God that his gene pool did not. This is not a correct notion of faith in God or faith in Christ.
Let us have confidence in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to lift us and those we love to greater heights. One of President Packer’s favorite scriptures was in Alma 31, and he would read it to us in the way I will read it to you:
“As the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had [a] more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”15
There is virtue in the word of God. There is power in the testimony of Jesus Christ. There is truth in the Savior’s gospel. It will shape us and mold us as we allow its powerful effects to move upon our mind and spirit.
Our Heavenly Father desires that faith grow within the hearts of His sons and daughters. As one repents, opens his heart, or seeks to strengthen her faith, the Lord is magnanimous and generous in return. Alma said, “Remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name.”16 You will remember that Alma talked about arousing our faculties, experimenting upon the words of Christ, and exercising faith to give additional place for faith to grow.17
Never forget that the seed must be nourished. We need to help those we love to understand that faith is not stagnant. It is either growing or it is diminishing. We have all been taught these things. It is by repentance and obedience, by prayer and scripture study, by attending church and taking the sacrament, by serving and associating with other believers.
I emphasize once again: As evil increases in the world, the Lord does not leave us on the same footing. In a world that would diminish or discard or impair belief, there is an added spiritual power for those who are willing to set their course on increasing their faith in Jesus Christ.
Let me give you three examples from our world today that reveal the Lord’s hand at work in bringing more spiritual power to His Saints.
1. Technology
It has only been in the last few years that technology has allowed us to link our generations more completely. A year and a half ago we gave the challenge to the youth to bring as many names to the temple as baptisms they perform in the temple.
Elder Samuel Hepworth, now a missionary in the Chile Concepción Mission, wrote me just last month, explaining the spiritual power of finding our ancestors. He begins this way:
“Dear Elder Andersen,
“I know that I am not to write the Apostles directly, but my mission president gave me permission.
“Thank you for [the] challenge from 2014. That changed my life completely. [It] was my catalyst to get me going on my own. [My trips to the temple were] made even more special by bringing my own names. … As I did my own work instead of just following my mom’s instructions, I found a greater satisfaction than ever in the work, and the Spirit entered my life even stronger.
“I have been sharing [the challenge] with all of the missionaries and members here in Chile. … I have never seen more hearts turn to their fathers than is happening right now.”18
Along with Elder Hepworth, the youth of the Church have responded by the thousands and tens of thousands, and names submitted by youth have more than doubled since the challenge was issued. As the hearts of the children have turned to their fathers, they have been given an added gift of spiritual power. Go to ChurchofJesusChrist.org and read of their experiences, or better yet, talk to those who are in your family or who live near you. If you or members of your family have not committed yourselves to finding the names from your family for performing your ordinances in the temple, now is the time to begin.
2. Temple
Let me share a second example: In the 22 years that I have been a General Authority of the Church, the number of temples has increased from 44 to 147. In only 20 years, the Lord has given us three times the number of temples.19
We now have temples closer and more accessible than ever before. But in these times of commotion the Lord expects us to adjust our habits and be in His house more often. Listen to these beautiful words by President Monson:
“As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives.
“As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ [John 14:27]. …
“My brothers and sisters,” continued President Monson, “in our lives we will have temptations; we will have trials and challenges. As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials. In the temple we can find peace.”20
Did you hear the promises from God’s prophet? We will be better able to overcome temptations, bear our trials, and find peace.
Let me read you a letter from a very righteous woman who recently experienced a tragedy in her marriage that was not of her doing. She wrote:
“I had a beautiful experience in the temple this morning. My husband and I usually went to the temple each year on our anniversary. I decided a week ago that it might be good for my emotional recovery to go to the temple even though, of course, he would not be with me on this day that we should have celebrated our 20th anniversary.
“For the past two years, I have researched and done the ordinances for a family. In a miraculous series of events, around the time I first became involved in family history (after everything happened with my husband), I found a brother of my great-great-great-grandmother … was missing from the family tree and had not had his temple work completed and had not been sealed to his parents although my grandfather had had the rest of the family’s work completed years ago.
“I asked my brother-in-law to do his temple work, and then I did the work for his wife. When I was completing the initiatory work, I felt her presence so strongly and in my mind I heard her say the words, ‘Find my family,’ with the implied message to complete their temple work. Through researching, I would discover that she had seven sons! Two had had their temple work done by others, but I was able to submit the information for the other five sons and their wives. My 17-year-old son did the baptisms for the sons, my brother-in-law did the initiatories, and my missionary son and his fellow missionaries did the endowments. My teenage daughter and I completed the ordinances for the sons’ wives.
“Even though all the preliminary ordinances had been done, because of my own marriage situation, I had not wanted to go to the temple to participate in the sealings for this family. It was too painful. However, as time passed, I have found that in the last few months I have been doing better and have been thinking about it. During the last few weeks especially, I have felt compelled to complete the sealings for this family. The work that needed to be done included sealing the woman whose words, ‘Find my family,’ had made such an impression on me and her two younger sisters to their parents.
“So I made the decision I would go today, a day I celebrated my own wedding anniversary for so many years. I was very nervous, but I took courage. I have never done sealings in the temple without my husband, so this was really a new experience for me … but the reality is that it is now necessary for me to do many things requiring faith that I have never done before alone.
“I felt very grateful for a kind and compassionate sealer in the temple today … and one of the other men in the session was our stake patriarch, who gave my son his patriarchal blessing. I don’t think he recognized me, but having him there put me at ease. The temple workers were very nice to me, and I really appreciated it because (unknown to them) I was very nervous. I am sure the Lord knew how I felt.
“Somewhat surprising to me, I deeply appreciated the time of sitting in the sealing room waiting for my turn and thinking about the blessings in the sealing ordinance as they were repeated over and over again. I participated in the last sealing of the session, acting as proxy for my great-great-great-great grandmother with her husband, as their son, Benjamin, missing from the family for so many years, was now sealed to them. I felt an overwhelming and unexpected feeling that they were there. It was a beautiful testament to me of the power of eternal families as first their son was sealed to them and then I acted as proxy for the woman whose words, ‘Find my family,’ had touched me so much, and our stake patriarch was proxy for the couple’s five sons. They were then sealed, linking this family together. It was truly an amazing experience.
“Afterward, I went to the celestial room … and had a few minutes to ponder on eternity alone—or maybe not alone—as I read 2 Kings 6, which speaks of unseen heavenly hosts that are at times ‘with us’ [see 2 Kings 6:16]. I felt that feeling today in the temple.
“On a hard day, I was not expecting this, but I’m sure it was a special blessing for me and another assurance in my life that I can move forward. … I felt very blessed today in the temple! It gives me hope for happy days ahead.”21
Listen to the poetic words of my friend Thomas Kay:
I will leave
the tumult
of the world
I will leave
the world behind
I will go
to where
the Spirit is
in God’s temple
I will find
I will find
the things
the world can’t give
I’ll escape
this mortal strife
I will find
the things
that matter most
I will hear
the words
of life.22
The temple is an added gift from heaven to us. We need to embrace it with renewed dedication. Our children will need the temple even more in the years ahead. Teach them to love the temple. Help them to be ready to receive their endowment and, eventually, their sealing. Teach them how to prepare for these sacred ordinances, and help them see how these ordinances will be a constant gift to them throughout their lives. As they do, they will not only go through the temple, but, as Brother Truman G. Madsen used to say, they will allow the temple to go through them.23
3. Sabbath day
Our world of technology and communication, with all its distractions, provides the third example of a compensatory spiritual blessing for the righteous. The words of the Lord’s prophet, the counselors in the First Presidency, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve are always available to lighten our path and help show us the way. Their unified voice, if followed, will help us set aside the enticing voices of the world. The men who occupy these positions would claim no personal perfection, but I witness that as the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve prayerfully approach the Lord, He shapes our thinking and direction and reveals His will for His covenant people.
In recent months, the First Presidency and the Twelve have felt an undeniable direction from the Lord to declare and reemphasize the Sabbath day and the importance of worthily partaking of the sacrament. As we take the sacrament, we remember the Savior and His Atonement. We come repenting of our sins, pledging our loyalty to covenants made with Him, and hearing again the promises He makes to us. To always have His Spirit with us is a pearl of enormous value. Receiving the sacrament on Sunday is more and more like an oasis in the desert, bubbling with cool spring water, quenching our spiritual thirst, and relieving our parched souls.
President Russell M. Nelson’s April general conference talk was titled “The Sabbath Is a Delight.” President Nelson explained how he approached the Sabbath: “In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, ‘What sign do I want to give to God?’ That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.”24
In our day the Lord has promised that honoring the Sabbath will help us in keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world.”25
Can you see the Lord’s hand in giving us the technology to turn our children toward their fathers? Can you see why the Lord would greatly increase the temples upon the earth? Can you see the Lord’s purposes in helping us to more fully honor the Sabbath day? These are compensatory spiritual gifts from heaven for the righteous. As we recognize and embrace them, they heighten our spiritual sensitivities, offering greater assurance and confidence. The precious gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a stronger beacon, and we more clearly see the unseen.
This added spiritual power does not just fall upon us. It comes as we act. The scriptures tell us that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,”26 but he and his family still needed to build and enter the ark.
God prepared the means for the children of Israel to be healed from the fiery flying serpents, but it still required that they look upon the serpent of brass attached to Moses’s staff.27
The Saints sang in our dispensation, “We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,”28 but they still had to pick up their handcarts and go west.
Let me return to the beautiful quote by Brother Heber C. Kimball: “To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man nor woman who does not possess [a] personal knowledge or witness will fall. … The time will come when no man or woman will be able to [stand] on borrowed light.”
I like to think of it this way: If two people are walking together along a very gentle terrain, one lantern is often sufficient. But when the time comes, as it does with each child, that he or she steps away from us to take his or her own journey, our light is no longer sufficient to light their way. And while one may be linked tightly to a companion, if we unexpectedly face jagged rocks and uneven cliffs, each needs his or her own lantern to light the path.
In this month’s First Presidency message, President Monson said: “We must develop the faith necessary to survive spiritually and to project a light for others. We must nurture our testimony until it becomes an anchor to our lives.”[29]
I pray that your faith in Him will always be the anchor of your soul. I give you my sure witness that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. He lives and guides His work today. And as you look to the Lord Jesus Christ in all you do, may your faithfulness bless those you love as they also seek to follow the Savior. As the Lord’s servant, I promise you that as you embrace the spiritual gifts prepared for the righteous, He will steady you, strengthen you, shape you, and secure you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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12/9/23
Elder Kearon, who is from England, structured his talk around the poem shared by King George VI during his message to the United Kingdom on the first Christmas of World War II in 1939.
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
”Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
”Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day ...
— Minnie Louise Haskins
“Citizens at that time contemplated a new year that promised rationing, blackouts and air raids. Many already mourned the losses of loved ones, and the future seem to hold nothing for them but darkness,” Elder Kearon said.
“The future no doubt holds challenges and growth opportunities for us as well,” he added. “What the gospel promises us is that if we are led by God with our hand in his, we will be guided through life’s tests and struggles and into his ever-increasing light.”
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with light that can and will assist us in finding the hand of God,” Elder Kearon said at BYU-Hawaii. “Jesus Christ, our beloved Savior, is the transcendent source of light in our lives.
“And because of his light, we can really choose hope and joy in the midst of life’s confusing storms. If you have discovered this, you will know the miracle of his light that can penetrate any gloom.”
Let your mantra be, ‘Whom can I serve?’
Elder Kearon quoted each member of the First Presidency in his talk.
“Taking advantage of that beacon of light in our lives means discovering what President (Russell M.) Nelson has described as the joy of daily repentance. He has told us that repentance is a resplendent gift. It is a process never to be feared. It is a gift for us to receive with joy and to use, even embrace, day after day as we seek to become more like our Savior.”
He encouraged the BYU-Hawaii graduates to study scripture, make temple covenants with God, be peacemakers and lead and serve others after the pattern of “our exemplar, Jesus Christ, the greatest servant of all.”
“As you go out from this threshold into the unknown,” he said, “holding fast to pure sources of truth and light, let your mantra be, ‘Whom can I serve?’”
Elder Kearon said that despite turmoil and suffering and sadness, relying on faith can bring complete peace.
“As you put your hand into the hand of God, as you seek Christ, meaningfully studying the scriptures and make sacred covenants in the temple, the light of the breaking of day of that perfect day will gradually increase. Indeed, you will become part of that light yourself.”
*******************************************
12/14/23
Things here are just going along—Avery is sick again (severe head
cold) and stayed home from school.
Luckily she doesn’t have practice this weekend bc of a boys bball
tourney so she isn’t missing that. I
think she’s in a good spot grades wise prepping for finals and the semester
wrapping up. Emma is still planning on
coming home on Wed I think and Sadie and Seth on Saturday. Sadie seems to think she’s in good shape with
their move and I hope it all goes smoothly- I feel a little bad we aren’t there
to help- but I think they’ve got it managed- between Seth, Sadie, Emma, and Benji
Montague (from Mccall) and his wife – they are the ones taking over Sadie’s
apt. Graham found out bball tryouts are
MTW next week so prepare a hype talk for him next pday when you talk to him in the
morning- I’ll try to make sure that he gets a little extra time with you. He says he’s ready. Lainey is excited about her bday— she decided
on going out to dinner. So we will try
to be done by 6:30 our time, to catch you at a good time. I hope that’s still
good for you. Copper went to the vet again
and the scabbing is looking good—still has the cone of shame- but all in all
things are progressing and we don’t have to go back for 2 weeks. Wahoo! Tonight Dad and I are going to the
temple. I’m finishing up a sister in the
family that Lainey found on her baptism card—so that next week we can get them
all sealed together—what a gift for Christmas for that family-to get all their
kids work done and sealed together to them. What a privilege!
I’m excited about the Columbian family—how neat—I think you are
finding them at the right time, they are ready.
Maybe that first interaction with the neighbor needed to happen so they’d
be open to the second indirect contact. We will keep them in our prayers.
Oh Miles- that second journal entry was sad—the wasp nest—yikes—that
could’ve been scary- what if they’d gone crazy or stung your face. A truck in that high of weeds has been there
long enough to make a solid home for who knows what. I hope you are okay. Glad you asked for ointment—you might have
some anti itch anti sting type stuff in your meds bag, I’m pretty sure I sent
some with you- keep applying it—or aloe
vera would be soothing too. I’m so
sorry.. if it’s really painful, take some Tylenol… it should simmer down, but
watch it bc you could have a more severe reaction.
I am so so sorry about the loss of life for those trying to get into
Aruba--- I know stuff like that happens at borders around the world, but that
feels close and is heartbreaking- gives you such a tenderness for refugee
families who are so desperate to flee or be with family—I know it’s a
complicated issue- how to be legal and whatever- but it just is so sad to think
at what lengths and risk people take. I thought it was neat that you were prayerful
for opportunities to being hope to some hearts (maybe these family members who
are now at such a horrible loss after being so hopeful)- it so so important that
you remember that everywhere you go—the message you have is all hope and peace
and that’s powerful—that’s better than any material solace you could ever offer—
I’m glad you are able to build trust with members that need that
connection—I think it’s super neat that you can tell when that’s happening-
like when you are known by name by people you visit. I am sure you having been
there will be a blessing to the Santa Cruz area
I love you so much. Hope
those wasp stings aren’t too irritated- I’m so sorry that happened but glad it
wasn’t worse. (Think of that movie with
Martin Short, PURE LUCK)
I am studying that “This do in Remembrance of Me” talk for CFM… I’m
going to print it so the kids can study it too.
Iove how that talk starts- you feel the significance of the Savior ready
(and willing) to do what it will take to become the Savior.
“The
hours that lay immediately ahead would change the meaning of all human history.
It would be the crowning moment of eternity, the most miraculous of all the
miracles. It would be the supreme contribution to a plan designed from before
the foundation of the world for the happiness of every man, woman, and child
who would ever live in it. The hour of atoning sacrifice had come. God’s own
Son, his Only Begotten Son in the flesh, was about to become the Savior of the
world.”
I
also really loved his reminder of how our covenants help us remember that
sacrifice- “Since that upper room experience on the eve of Gethsemane and
Golgotha, children of the promise have been under covenant to remember Christ’s
sacrifice in this newer, higher, more holy and personal way.”
Love this part where he reminds us to give more
meaning to this most sacred ordinance weekly: “Perhaps
we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service.
How “sacred” and how “holy” is it? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and
deliverance and redemption?
With
so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel
of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a
powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings
and impressions. As such it should not be rushed. It is not something to “get
over” so that the real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real
purpose of the meeting. And everything that is said or sung or prayed in those
services should be consistent with the grandeur of this sacred ordinance.”
I thought of pre mission you, early high school you, who didn’t
like to sing- but would most times and when not, would when I caught your eye—it’s
just so wonderful to think of the sacrament hymn as a prayer and a blessing of an opportunity to
praise Him “ The administration and passing of
the sacrament is preceded by a hymn which all of us should sing. It doesn’t
matter what kind of musical voice we have. Sacramental hymns are more like
prayers anyway—and everyone can give voice to a prayer!”
I love his acknowledgement of the bearers of the priesthood
and what a sacred privilege to participate in that ordinance “In that sacred
setting we ask you young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to prepare and bless and
pass these emblems of the Savior’s sacrifice worthily and reverently. What a
stunning privilege and sacred trust given at such a remarkably young age! I
can think of no higher compliment heaven could pay you. We do love you.
Live your best and look your best when you participate in the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper.”
Also liked his gentle teaching about what wearing
a white shirt can remind us of—our baptismal whites and our temple whites “May
I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons,
teachers, and priests who handle the sacrament. For sacred ordinances in
the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as
a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an
anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and onto
your missions.”
I am
excited to share that part with Graham especially.
*************************************************************************
1/8/24
Behold Thy Mother
Sweet Miles- thank you for your email. I know how limited your time is and it sure
means a lot to me. One of my favorite
things I keep track of on your blog (to print a book later) is this independent section where I keep all your
emails to me and also my journal responses back to you— It’s a good capture of
parts of your mission that aren’t in weekly emails, and very tender to me. I love you so much and I am so endlessly
proud of your “all in” effort as a missionary.
You do it when it isn’t easy, and you do it because of the caliber of
your testimony- I know why the island people love you so much- they feel your
genuine love and concern for them and they can feel the light about you. That’s a spiritual gift.
I listened to the talk you shared and although I remember
him sharing that in conference—I hadn’t heard it since, and it was new to me-
and brough a bucketload of tears- and was a balm for my soul. I was so touched by multiple parts—humbled by
his association of describing words of the Savior to motherhood. I love his connection to the level of love
that the Savior has to that of a mother’s heart—sometimes when I need to feel
close to heaven, I can put myself in that place of my great love for each of
you, my children, and I feel so hopeful that I am also loved like that, known
and worried over like that—by my own mom here and by heaven.
I love the reminder that in motherhood it is a continual “bear
with us” and that’s okay- somethings resolve more quickly than others and some
waves of tribulation come before the one before it has stilled—but in that “sacred
trust” of motherhood, linked with God’s love, there is enough capacity to
weather it and weather it with love and patience and temperance, grace and
goodness.
I loved the part where he says, “until the very last child
knows salvation” because that is how a mom worries—until it is truly finished—her
heart is tethered—and even in that we know that finished here is a beginning
there- and so it is an eternal love.
I will share it with my own mom because it will be a
blessing to her too—I know she has so much that she carries & bears with my
brother, and even with my sister, Jennie.
I can’t really imagine that kind of ache- for the welfare of my
children. It’s so easy to find ways we
fall short and cast blame- but it’s not merited—even in imperfect mothering-
there is great love….and trust in partnering with God.
Being a mama, being a mama to Sadie, (and now Seth who
really doesn’t have an engaged or able mom in his life), Emma, yours, Avery, Graham,
Lainey’s – is not just the greatest privilege I’ve ever known, it’s also what I
dreamed of, it’s what I was created for, it’s the most important work of my
life, the best thing I’ll ever strive at, it’s my whole heart, and it’s
something I had to wait and plead for. I
am so so grateful. It’s also one very
important way that I am continually reminded of miracles and on a very personal
level, how my Heavenly feels about and trusts me with each of you.
Even though we often think of Elder Holland’s powerful
words, I love the tenderness with which Elder Holland speaks in this talk. I love the reminder of the Savior’s love for
His mother. I love the reminder of the absolute gift and miracle it is to
experience that kind of love. It’s the
one thing I can do perfectly now—Love you each…even though the application of
it is often a work in progress… which is
okay, it’s supposed to be and you are each very forgiving and patient with me in
the process.
Oh how I love you. More than you’ll ever know. Thank you for helping me feel that from you and
from Heavenly Father through this talk.
(Behold Thy Mother)
Xoxoxo Mama (pic from our "first date" 2019)
Miles- I am all smiles after that journal entry-- so happy for you to feel that kind of "how great shall be your joy" kind of feeling at the end of a lesson and knowing Giselle and family are on track and progressing.... beautiful! I love that you have moments where you feel that sense of belonging on the islands-- I am SOOO exxited to return with you and hear your Papimento in action--- it's going to be so legit and cool to see the surprise and joy on someone's face when you are in regular clothes like a tourist, just visiting with the people in their lanaguage. Glad that you've had a good start to your week... your summer skillet looked so tasty! and colorful! I made the beef stroganoff with sour cream and beef gravy over noodles last night-- pretty tasty- hope the missionaries love it. Excited about your interview and the weekend ahead which will surely be a blessing and a strength to all. You're going to be so grateful that you journal about all these things! Love you so!!!!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I feel like it’s been awhile since I emailed and I’m sorry
for that. It was fun to get your journal
entry today- I love knowing what your days are filled with. I am very sure you are a blessing to Triumph! I’m glad you two are keeping busy and getting
involvement from the members. I love that
you are using your talents to organize your area book and make it more efficient. You have a great attitude about the biking- I
can see how it’d be lot more interactive and that’s great—and you prob sleep
better because you are so worn out at the end of the day. I’m just so proud of
your effort and your energy. Keep
bringing it! I love that you make each
day count! Exciting that you have progressing friends!
We are heading into the weekend- Dad and I are off to the temple
in a few minutes. Tomorrow we’ll have to
divide and conquer to do Lainey’s games and Grahams church ball/ When they are at the same times, Dad usually goes
to church ball so he can connect more with Uncle Kyle (who is the boys’ coach)
and I go to Lainey’s games. I think
there’s just one more week for Graham with church ball after this and they are having
a 3 point contest too—that’s fun. He’s really had fun with that this go
around. I watched him play his last
middle school game this last week and I had the sad thought (which I didn’t say
out loud) that we could be watching his last school bball game—oh I hope he can
make a team next year and maybe he’ll grow some over the summer too which will
help/ I’d be sad if he didn’t have that
experience in High School. Summer ball in June will be interesting- I need to
make sure I know when that’s happening, and we’ll all have to pump him up to
build confidence for that. Anyway tomorrow later afternoon we have temple baptisms
and cleaning the office (we’re back to doing that weekly) and then maybe we’ll
go try the new IN and OUT in Meridian (it’s right by the Village) So busy weekend.
Things seem to have cooled with Avery and Scott- at least
his interest (prob more than hers) but I’m glad. It’s tricky bc all of her friend group are
sort of pairing off and with prom coming- I think she was just hoping. Maybe Caden Thomas will ask her- who
knows. I hope someone does- it’d be fun
for her to go with her friend group. I
just registered her for the ACT that same morning as Prom (couldn’t choose the
date and hope that doesn’t interfere with her “day date” if she’s going) I went to register her and my account had all
your info, your grad year, McCall Donnelly High School, our address at the post
office for mailing etc) That’s starting
to feel so long ago that we lived there…..man- I’m still not over it. Miss it so much.
Emma has a date tomorrow
with a kid that she met at the library (she’ll have to tell you the story- but
I’m impressed that he’s that confident and normal to meet her, and ask her on a
date in person) She’s also going to a men’s
BYU game bball vs TCU tomorrow later after the date- so she’s looking forward
to a good game (BYU has been doing well) and also just having a full plan for
the weekend. She submitted her video to
the application committee for hygiene school and they said by Mid march they’d
let everyone know—I feel good about it.
Dad is looking forward to his broter’s golf trip to Arizona—that’s
next weekend. Weather is supposed to be
perfect in the 70’s. I’m glad he can go—he needs a break!
Uncle Nate shared this talk with the family (he’s shared it
before) but it’s a good one so I’ll paste it here for you—maybe it’ll be a re
listen 😊
But worth it. Links on BYU Speeches:
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/lawrence-e-corbridge/stand-for-ever/
I also listened to this one this week and loved it
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/gary-b-sabin/fear-not-and-return-with-honor/
I wish you knew how much we thought of you, talked about you,
prayed for you- you are always with us in our hearts. Thank you Miles for being such a good example
of what a missionary should be—how a missionary can love a mission and strive
with best effort to partner with heaven in the work.
We love our Elder Miller
Xoxo,
Mama
Don’t forget to take pics around your house and out in front
😊 Excited to talk to you on pday- anytime that
works for you that day will work for us! Dad starts at 9 that day.
Love, Love, Love you!
His response 3/2/24
Thanks so much for your email during the week mom! It was a long day and when I saw it in my inbox at the end of the day it was so fun and needed.
What
miracles you’ve seen this week—the mom and daughter, both feeling like they’ve
had a prayer answered and are ready to commit to their very own beginning on
the covenant path- (and yes, hope that date can come sooner) Wahoo!!! Are you able to have a member of the RS presidency
meet with you at a lesson? I would think that the sisters could really be a
strength and an uplift and be impactful welcoming them into the branch. Help with
retention too by nurturing a relationship early.
I am so glad
to hear that Juan Francisco is improving.
Did he ever get back to the hospital for more tests? It’s pretty amazing too that Josefa is
willing to learn more—and this will be one of those times in your mission that
you’ll see directly how the gift of tongues works, as you slowly move forward—going
slowly might just be a beautiful opportunity to carefully and powerfully
testify simple truths. It is kind of a
sweet opportunity for Juan Francisco to also testify and I am sure it will help
him cement his own faith by bearing his witness in translating. Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a
man to fish and he eats for a lifetime—same is true with bearing testimony. That’s a win win. I’m excited to hear how the
branch gets more involved with them, hoping for some help with food etc-
whatever can be lifted or added to them to help ease so many burdens.
How’s that older
sister getting along? I hope she’s not too sore from the impact of that
accident in the church parking lot. What
a blessing you and Elder Tafisi were on your way out to help her when that went
down—could’ve been a lot worse.
It’s so neat
to me to see you acting on the spirit, being able to invite so powerful and as
directed in the moment to invite them to exercise faith and then be able to
promise that an answer WILL come. You have
to absolutely believe that, know that, to make a promise like that. I can feel the spirit of that invitation all
the way over here—so yes, what a beautiful thought to know that on that night-
in a village not too far from you, God would answer a prayer so that Noah can
choose to begin his very own faith journey and come to know who and whose he
is. I love that.
I shared
that part of your journal entry with Emma bc she is teaching RS this Sunday. Her lesson is on knowing that we are children
of God and feeling his love and a suggestion I gave her at the end of her lesson
(because you are supposed to share an invitation right- so they can access the spirit
personally and be given what they each individually need as their own take away)-
but I suggested that she could invite the sisters to take an extra moment at
the end of their prayers and ask God how
He feels about them. And then (as you
also shared with Noah) to be still and listen, promising that God will fill
their hearts with His great and abiding love. I’m not sure if she’ll do that in
her lesson, but I shared with her your admonition with Noah and your faith that
night that he was seeking the Lord, and would come away with an idea, even
small, of the important and foundational truth that we are His children.
Okay and a
fishing trip that’s awesome—what a great branch activity!! Plus a fun bonding
with the EQ- so awesome! Excited to see some pictures from that—and pictures
of you with branch members. And fun for
you to get out on the water and hopefully catch something! It’ fun to mix up your days with something
different too and have a unique Guyanese
experience.
Our weekend
update—Dad arrived in PHX yesterday and they went out to dinner and soaked in a
hot tub at the house they rented near the course. It makes me so happy for Dad to get to do
this – he looks forward to it so much and he’s always working so hard and
dealing with so many stressful things- he just really needed the mental break
and he loves his brother time. I think
it’s different when they get away together from just hanging out in a family big
group setting. I heard from him this
morning and put the pics on the chat, but later he told me when he called about
a work billing issue he needed me to check into, (hahaha, I got after him
because I thought he was calling to check in, but it was really a “business
call”) Anyway he said he tweaked his hip
somehow during the first round so every time he rotates to swing it’s really
painful. He didn’t pack his advil in his golf bag, so hopefully he can find
some at the clubhouse bc I don’t think it’ll be good for him if he aggravates it
all day by playing another round (which he will this afternoon even without
advil) without some relief. We’ll
see. I hope it can settle down so he can
play his best and just not have pain. I’ll
keep posting pics.. I know golf is a big part of it- but it’s also just good
for him to take a break from the daily grind- we miss him though!
Tonight the kids
and I will go do baptisms, clean the office and if the line isn’t too go to In
and Out for dinner. crazy (so far it’s been a wrap around hour long snake of a
line with aisles of cones that you weave through so we haven’t tried it)
Tomorrow Lainey and Graham have their last games and I’m sad to not be at both,
but they are at the same time. Avery
will take Lainey- plays at 9am and if they win (single elimination) again at
11:30. This ends her AAU season. I think she’s going to keep playing, same
coach doing some sort of club Spring ball—we want her to keep playing but not
sure it’s challenging her enough- her coach is awesome, but there are a lot of
girls on her team not at the same level so I don’t know. We don’t want to spend too much or travel
really so not sure how it’ll go down- for now it’s local and with the same
coach so we’ll try it. I’m taking Graham
bc his games are at all different stake centers, game at 8am. Then 9 am, if
they win that 9am game, they play at 11:00, then 3 point contest at noon and if
they win the 11:30 game they play at 2.
Kinda ridiculous. But he’s hyped. We’ve got a kid that didn’t make the Owyhee
team (bc you can’t play church ball if you are on a hs team) and some of his buddies
that usually come and without them, we wouldn’t win bc our team (which is supposed
to be teachers and priests) has really just been Graham and a couple teachers
and then the rest deacons. Last week
Brayden Miller (Briggs son) was intown for state games and he came with Kyle to
our game and even he played—he’s 9- because we didn’t have enough players so it
could go either way. I think we’ll get
those older boys tomorrow bc for them it’s fun to dominate and Graham likes it
bc they pass to him and he contributes a lot- but I’m not sure if they’ll be
down for all day all the games (not sure I am either, hahaha)
Emma has
been seeing more of her 6”7 guy, Noah and I’m not sure that’s really going anywhere-
which is a bummer (dad said we’ve never really pulled for a guy for her before but
this one we have been) He’s seems super great—like
an awesome kid- solid (like he’s the temple and fam history rep in his ward and
he was watching a roots tech genealogy thing the other day trying to get ideas)
and squared away with his goals and routine, mature, TALL (important for Emma)
and just a really good kid- does all the things—doesn’t play games waiting to
text back, is open about being interested but not in a creepy or weird way,
gets her door, thoughtful etc… but for whatever reason she’s just not super
hyped on it—like awesome friend, but not more vibes. Ugh.
We’re trying to get her to pursue it a little more to really get a feel—I mean the solid card is the biggest
deal, but if there’s not enough chemistry than that matters too. It’s hard to pass on a great guy esp without having
another one in the wings, but we’ll see.
She’s prayerful about it. Between
you and me Dad called her to the carpet on being in the right headspace
spiritually, regularly doing the things that help you be your very best and
give you the clearest connection to the spirit—she’s doing all the right
things- just not as consistently as maybe she should – and we all could improve
in that way- but it was good he said those things—and it seemed like it
resonated with her. She’s going to the
temple this afternoon (she does get there regularly) and then this afternoon
she and Noah are playing PIG, and then going to grab take out and go to a BYU
gymnastics meet- so it’ll be a lot of together time. Hope for sparks! (Let her tell you about all this on her own,
I’m just giving you the scoop on the side)
Sunday is wearing
me out just thinking about it- but I’m grateful and happiest when engaged in
serving. 8am leadership meeting with
Verona ward pre ward conference, then go to Verona Ward 9-11, then 11:30 Leadership
meeting with Spurwing ward per ward conference, then go to Spurwing ward (our
ward) 12-2, then youth stake conference meeting at 4pm with leaders and 5pm
with youth leaders. It’ll be double
wards on the Sundays we can through June. (some break ups in it though bc of
Elder Cook coming, spring break and Mother’s day) I was at 2 meetings last night with the YW
presidencies from both wards, just gathering to train and minister leading up
to ward conference and it was so sweet to feel so much love for these sisters
and to see how much they love their own girls.
I love that about callings, the added measure of love we feel for those
we serve.
Dad gets
home Sunday afternoon. Probably
sunburned and sore 😊 Emma is planning on coming home next
weekend, and Elder Cook comes so that’ll be special and then Monday we leave
for Spring Break. I was listening to the
kids talk about it and none of them even remember ever going to Disneyland-
like no memories of it—so that’ll be fun- prob crowded bc of spring break but
hopefully a great time. We fly in Monday
hit Disney on Tuesday and CA adventure on Wed and then fly home Thursday. Our
next fam vacation will have you in it!! Wahoo!!
I love you
so ! I’lll leave you with a talk from
this week I studied- it’s a BYU speech
that I really learned fromet into the auditorium g
A Master Class in Leadership: One
Day with the Savior | Mark A. Bragg | 2023
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/mark-a-bragg/a-master-class-in-leadership-one-day-with-the-savior/
I am
very grateful for this opportunity to be with you today. It is truly an honor.
And I mean that. We love President and Sister Worthen and sustain them
completely. Mainly, it is a blessing to be with my sweet wife, Yvonne. I just
feel more at ease when we are together.
Yesterday
my three-year-old granddaughter Mila asked me if I was nervous
about today.
I said,
“No, but what should I do if I get nervous?”
And she
said, “Just cry.”
So I’m
hoping it doesn’t get to that point.
I have
always enjoyed studying leadership. My fascination with leadership has led me
to read constantly about various leaders and leadership teachings over the
years. If you look at my nightstand right now, you will see books on political,
sports, and military leaders—mostly sports leaders right now.
Now, I
am going to start with a story, but please don’t think that this story is about
me. It’s not. But it is about a key lesson that I learned. May 15, 1993,
was a much-anticipated day for me. It was the day of the UCLA Book Fair, and
one of the speakers was Warren G. Bennis, my favorite leadership thinker
and author at the time. I had studied his books and could not wait to hear him
speak in person. I got my ticket and arrived early on that hot day in hopes of
snagging a good seat in the auditorium to listen to him. I even took my copy of
his book On Becoming a Leader, just in case I met him and it
wasn’t too awkward to ask him to sign it. But I knew that it was highly
unlikely, especially as I saw the line to get into the auditorium grow
and grow.
While I
was waiting in line, I noticed an elderly gentleman who seemed lost or
disoriented in the heat, so I asked him if he was okay. He said that he really
wanted to hear Warren Bennis talk but didn’t know where to go. I told him that
he was in the right place and that the long line was to get into the
auditorium. He said that he didn’t have a ticket but hoped to get in somehow. I
told him the event was completely sold out but that if he held my place in
line, I would go ask if there was the possibility of a standby list.
The
person at the door told me that there was some overflow and that the man could
just go in with me. I went back and gave him the good news. When we entered the
auditorium, we saw Warren Bennis way up on the stage talking to
some people.
The man
said to me, “Let’s go talk to him.”
My
response: “Uh, no. C’mon, you’re going to get us kicked out. Let’s just
sit down!”
But he
insisted, so I followed him up to the stage, just waiting for security to
tackle us. Suddenly Warren Bennis looked up and saw the man, hurried over and
brought him up on stage, and hugged him. I soon realized that the older man was
his brother and that they hadn’t seen each other for years. His brother then
pulled me onto the stage to meet Warren Bennis! He told his brother how I had
helped him outside and how he might not have been able to get into the
auditorium if it weren’t for me. It was completely untrue, but I loved hearing
it. Warren Bennis then hugged me and thanked me. He saw my copy of his
book On Becoming a Leader and asked if he could sign it
for me.
Now, the
point of the story is this: As he signed my book, Warren Bennis said something
that I will never forget. He said:
You know, I write a lot about the characteristics of
leaders and how they need to examine their lives. I don’t write as much
about how they need to care for those who follow them. The first principle of
leadership should always be leading others with kindness.
It is
easy for leaders to get caught up in self, details, administration, challenges,
or even vision, but, in the end, leadership is about serving, teaching, and
encouraging and truly caring for individuals with kindness. It is not
about taking charge or being in charge but blessing those who are in
your charge.
Make no
mistake about it, your loving and inspired leadership is needed in the Church
and in the world as we prepare for the glorious Second Coming of the Savior.
One of my favorite quotes comes from President Howard W. Hunter:
The need for leadership . . . will increase
dramatically. What is needed is not just young people of training and skill,
but rather we will need a generation of great faith, those who have learned
discipline and discipleship. What will be needed is a generation who understand
not only how to organize a ward but also how to build faith, how to sustain the
weak and faltering, and how to defend the truth. What is needed is a generation
whose glory comes from their capacity to comprehend light and truth, who can
with that light and truth then enlarge their capacity to love and
to serve.1
This
speaks specifically about you and directly to you. You are the “generation of
great faith” who enters this incredible and inspiring university to learn
discipline and discipleship to go forth and to serve—and, yes, this high praise
comes from a diehard Ute! A great way to learn how to build faith, sustain the
weak and faltering, defend the truth, comprehend the light, and enlarge your
capacity to love and to serve is to study the Savior and His teachings to the
Nephites found in 3 Nephi.
Teachings on Leadership from the
Savior Himself
In all
of my reading, I have never found better teachings on leadership than those
from the Savior Himself. I am fascinated by the first day of His visit to the
Americas described in chapters 11 to 18 in 3 Nephi. I have loved
studying this topic in preparation for this devotional. It has blessed me, and
I hope that it blesses you too. I pray that the Holy Ghost will be with us
to help us learn to lead like the Savior in all that we do.
The
heart of this talk is that Jesus Christ truly is the Master Leader, and in that
single day with the Nephites, He taught all that anyone would need to know
about how to be a great leader in any situation. The lessons
operate on all levels: in your family, in church, in the workplace, or on teams
or among friends. Great joy is experienced in helping and lifting others and
seeing them progress and find purpose. That is leadership.
The
final twenty-four-hour period of the Savior’s mortal life is the greatest model
of leadership by example and selfless actions in the history of the world—bar
none. But I think that His first day with the Nephites is one of the greatest
days of leadership teaching in recorded history. Think of it: He had precious
little time, given that He had other sheep to visit. He had to be concise,
clear, powerful, and inspired in His limited time. So what did He do? Where was
His focus? How did He teach? What can we learn about principles of leadership
and how does His leadership in that single day stack up to leadership concepts
taught today?
Let me
start with universal leadership principles that can be learned
from the Savior during that first amazing day with the Nephites.
I know
as you prayerfully study His visit that you will find many more leadership
principles, but let me suggest three.
Focus on Individuals
After
bearing witness of who He was and of His mission, Jesus invited the
multitude—all twenty-five hundred of them—to come unto Him “one by one.”2 That
same day He healed the sick and afflicted one by one.3 He later
“took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed
. . . for them.”4 He ministered to and ordained the
twelve disciples one by one.5
No
matter the size or composition of your organization, it will always be a
collection of individuals. Regardless of the quorum, class, team, or
organization—church or otherwise—focusing on the progress of individuals will
lead to greater achievement and more joy. This principle applies in every
setting. In church, we can think of it as looking at each individual and
determining the next ordinance that they need to continue their progression on
the covenant path toward eternal life with a loving Heavenly Father. Outside of
church, it can mean helping others achieve their potential. It always requires
a caring focus on the one.
Build Up and Teach Your Leaders
In just
this one-day account of the Savior, there are at least ten times the Savior
turned to the twelve disciples He had called6 to teach them
specifically about their calling. He taught them how to do something or how
they could bless the people. He modeled what they were to do. He patiently
taught them how to baptize, how to bless the sacrament, and how to confer the
gift of the Holy Ghost. At one point the Savior turned to the multitude and
said, “Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom
I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants.”7 Can
you imagine how those disciples must have felt to learn specifically about
their calling from the Savior and then to hear the Savior of the world
acknowledge and sustain them so publicly?
As a
leader, you are to lift others by teaching them what to do and why and then
building them up through sincere praise. If you can do that, productivity,
effectiveness, growth, or any other measurement will improve. No matter where
you are in an organization—ecclesiastical or professional—you can lead, you can
lift, you can bless. With that focus, people will want you in their
organizations and others will want to work with you.
In every
calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you are called to
bless others. Every leader is a teacher, and every teacher lifts and inspires
others to learn more.
President
Gordon B. Hinckley taught:
Effective teaching is the very essence of leadership in the
Church. Eternal life will come only as men and women are taught with such
effectiveness that they change and discipline their lives. They cannot be
coerced into righteousness or into heaven. They must be led, and that
means teaching.8
The
Savior set this perfect leadership example, and we must follow Him.
Teach Repetitively
Christ
did not worry about repetitious teachings and sermons. Much of what is captured
in chapters 12, 13, and 14 of 3 Nephi can be compared to what
the Savior taught during His mortal ministry. For example, consider
chapter 11 of 3 Nephi. Jesus teaches of baptism and mentions it
thirteen times in twenty verses. And as He speaks of the doctrine of Christ, He
mentions it nine times in those very same verses.9 Think of how
this repetitious teaching of the doctrine of Christ cements in the mind of
the learner the importance of baptism.
I
suspect that there are a few reasons why the Savior taught in this manner. He
taught what the Father had taught Him and had commanded Him to teach from
before this world. The General Handbook states, “His central
purpose was doing the will of His Heavenly Father and helping others understand
and live His gospel.”10 It just makes sense that He would
repeat those lessons. In today’s vernacular, we would say that He was “staying
on point.” He knew that it would be easier for the multitude then—and for us
now—to hear these key points of doctrine multiple times so they could
understand and receive revelation and spiritual confirmation “line upon line,
precept upon precept.”11
Elder
David A. Bednar has taught, “Repetition is a vehicle through which the Holy
Ghost can enlighten our minds, influence our hearts, and enlarge
our understanding.”12
I have a
saying displayed on my desk: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main
thing!”13 The “main thing” to the Savior is “to bring to pass
the immortality and eternal life of [each one of us].”14 He
never tires of teaching and reteaching the doctrine and principles that lead to
eternal life. And neither should we!
Those
are just three of the myriad leadership lessons to be gleaned from a single day
with the Savior. I invite you to study Christ’s leadership during His visit to
the Nephites to bless you and to guide you as you prayerfully seek to develop
your leadership vision, style, and abilities.
So here
we are, two thousand years later, and Christ’s leadership lessons have truly
stood the test of time. I recently received a leadership best practices article
from the Harvard Business Review entitled “What Amazing Bosses
Do Differently.”15 On the list are the following:
- “Manage individuals, not teams.
. . . It’s easy to forget that employees are unique individuals,
with varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. But it’s
important to customize your interactions with them.”16 Well,
to me, this sounds a lot like ministering one by one, as the
Savior did.
- “Go big on meaning.
. . . Articulate a clear purpose that fires your team up, set
expectations high, and convey to the group that you think they’re capable
of virtually anything.”17 Think of the Savior, who—after
clearly teaching the Nephites what He had taught during His earthly
ministry—promised that if they remembered and did what He taught, He would
raise them up in the last day.18 That’s going big
on meaning.
- “Don’t just talk . . .
listen.”19 The best leaders spend a lot of time listening
with their ears, their eyes, their hearts, and their minds. The Savior set
this example, as recounted in 3 Nephi 17:
I perceive that ye are weak, that ye
cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto
you at this time. . . .
And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he
cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were
in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry
a little longer with them.20
The
Savior discerned that the multitude was at its spiritual and emotional limits
and let that sink into His heart. Then He pivoted, based on that “listening,”
to heal the sick and to bless the little children. Leaders listen with eyes to
see and ears to hear while discerning needs and listening to the
Holy Ghost.
What Did Jesus Do?
Now,
let’s move from universal leadership principles to ecclesiastical
leadership principles and learn from what the Savior did during His
visit. Time won’t permit an exhaustive recap of all that He did. I have already
shared some of these things, but here are five key actions:
1. Testify. After
the Father testified of Him, Jesus Christ testified of the Father and of His
own role as Savior.21 Church leaders always take every
opportunity to testify of the Savior in both word and deed. They never miss an
opportunity to testify of the hope found in Christ and through His
infinite Atonement.
2. Minister
to the one. As mentioned earlier, there were four times on that first
day that the Lord ministered to individuals one by one.22 The
doctrine of Christ exists to save all of covenant Israel collectively, but it
starts individually, with the one.
3. Invite
to act. The Savior invited the people to act on what He taught. In
3 Nephi 11, He said, “Therefore, go forth unto this people, and
declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.”23 Leaders
always extend inspired invitations and then promise inspired blessings.
4. Pray. The
Savior prayed for the people, and this brought joy.24 Praying
for others and letting them know that you are praying for them brings joy,
comfort, and increased love. Remember this, please, in every situation, but
particularly in your families.
5. Leave! Leaders
know when to leave to allow their people to absorb what they have learned and
to apply it.25 It is a manifestation of the confidence that
leaders have in their people if they can avoid micromanaging and allow others
to grow. It is a great blessing to turn your people to the Lord and then leave
and rejoice in their success.
What Did Jesus Teach?
In
addition to studying what He did, it is also fascinating to see what the Savior
chose to teach and how He focused His teachings on what matters most.
He
taught the importance of priesthood ordinances and sacred covenants. Right away
He taught of priesthood authority, baptism, the sacrament, and the gift of the
Holy Ghost. He knew how important it was that the people yoke themselves to Him
through making and keeping sacred covenants so they could have the power of
godliness in their lives. And it is no different for us today.
Christ
taught that “the spirit of contention . . . is of the devil.”26 Not
surprisingly, the adversary wants to confuse and to foment contention,
particularly related to the ordinances, to keep us from binding ourselves to
Christ through sacred covenants. The Savior was very direct in His teaching to
avoid contention to ensure unity.
He
taught pure doctrine—specifically, the doctrine of Christ and how to come unto
Him and build our lives on Him so that we will prevail over this world.
The
Savior taught hard truths about discipleship. He promised the soul-soothing
blessings of the Beatitudes,27 but He also spoke of the
challenging path of discipleship. For example, He taught that “thou shalt not
commit adultery” also encompasses not looking lustfully on another.28 Discipleship
is not easy or fast, but it leads to the most precious gift of all: that of
eternal life as families with our Heavenly Father. Surely, enduring to the end
of this path is worth the journey.29
He
taught of the gathering of Israel and of the need to minister constantly
without being judgmental to help in that gathering.30
I truly
believe that He taught then on that beautiful day what He would teach us today.
Think about President Russell M. Nelson. Where has his focus been? What
has he taught? Well, from day one he has spoken about keeping the end in mind
through entering and staying on the covenant path by making and keeping sacred
covenants. He has spoken consistently of gathering Israel,31 ministering
in a higher and holier way,32 seeking pure doctrine,33 increasing
unity,34 developing a do-and-be-better discipleship,35 and
letting God prevail in our lives.36 And, most recently, he has
spoken about finding rest in the Lord.37
You can
see how President Nelson has followed the Savior’s leadership and teachings in
these latter days in his talks and with each new announcement that
he makes.
Jesus
Christ is the Great Leader. He is the Master Teacher. His loving example of
leading and teaching transcends more than just an ecclesiastical application.
His leadership lessons will help you be a better spouse, parent, coach,
supervisor, friend, employee, teammate, financial planner, missionary,
neurosurgeon, or any other role that gives you the opportunity to interact with
and lift others. Follow Him. Lead like He leads. Bless as He blesses. Lift as
He lifts. Love as He loves.
I
testify of Him. I testify that He lives. He is our Great Master and Teacher.
The Great Leader and Follower. The Way. Jesus Christ, our Savior. As we follow
Him, He will endow us with power, and we will lead in light and love. He lives,
and I express my love for Him as I express my deep love and admiration for each
one of you. And I do so in His holy name, Jesus Christ, amen.
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