Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here is why we have so much to celebrate at Christmas. Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

The Atonement: The Ultimate Gift

A. Redeeming and Cleansing Power

A mission president, Brad Wilcox, told this story:

One day a missionary called and asked if I would interview a woman for baptism…

When I met with her, she tearfully told me details of her past she had never shared before with anyone. As a young bride she had become pregnant. She was joyful, but her husband was furious. He scolded her and demanded she get an abortion. He claimed they could not afford a baby. When she refused, he beat her severely and promised that the beatings would continue until she agreed. For her self-preservation, she finally conceded, but she never forgave her husband or herself.

Years later the marriage ended in ruins. On her own she sought a better life, yet she still carried the constant memory of the baby she had given up. Through her tears, she said, “There is not a day that passes that I don’t think about how old my child would be now and what my child would be doing. There is not a day that passes that I don’t privately beg for forgiveness from my child and from God.”

No one knew about this woman’s private prayers. Even her closest relatives were unaware of the abortion or the sorrow that followed it. When she met the missionaries she found new hope as they taught her of Jesus and the Atonement. They spoke of baptism and the chance to be cleansed, but it seemed too good to be true. She convinced herself they were only making such a promise because they didn’t know of her dark deed.

As my interview with her concluded, she said, “Now that you know, I am sure you will tell me I am not worthy to be baptized.”

“On the contrary,” I said, “With all my heart I testify that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ you can be forgiven, cleansed, and made totally whole again.” I explained that the consequences of the choice could not be changed, but the pain she felt could be replaced with peace.

She smiled sweetly and said, “President Wilcox, you have no idea how much I wish I could believe you, but I really don’t think there is anything that can make me clean again. I am afraid that if I got baptized God would curse me for daring to enter such holy water unworthily.” We both left the interview downhearted.

Several days later she requested another meeting. In this interview she told me of a dream in which she was dressed in white ready to be baptized, but when she approached the font it was filled with white flowers instead of water. “What does it mean?” she asked. “What is God saying?”

I responded, “Perhaps this is His way of telling you to not be afraid of baptism. He wants you to be baptized so you can become as clean as those white flowers.”

Together we read the words of Jesus in 3 Nephi: “Return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you.”

She… committed to be baptized the next weekend.

No one attending [her service] realized how many years she had carried the grief, shame, and remorse that accompanied her private decision. No one else knew about her dream and why the [white flowers I brought] meant so much to her. She held them throughout the entire meeting. (The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox)

I am so grateful the Atonement lets us start over with a clean slate.

B. Enabling power

Elder David A. Bednar taught the following:

I suspect that many Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power…

… Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. We may mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our …limited capacities.

Nephi is an example of one who knew, understood, and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior. [When the sons of Lehi were returning from Jerusalem where they enlisted Ishmael and his household in their cause, Laman and others in their party rebelled. Nephi exhorted his brethren to have faith in the Lord, but Nephi’s brothers bound him with cords and planned his destruction. Notice how Nephi prayed for deliverance]: “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound” (1 Nephi 7:17; emphasis added).

Do you know what I likely would have prayed for if I had been tied up by my brothers? “Please get me out of this mess NOW!” It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances. And I believe he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew, understood, and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement.

I don’t think the bands…just magically fell from his hands and wrists.] Rather, I suspect he was blessed with both persistence and personal strength beyond his natural capacity, that he then “in the strength of the Lord” (Mosiah 9:17) worked and twisted and tugged on the cords, and ultimately…was enabled to break the bands…(“The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality” by Elder David A. Bednar)

I’m so thankful the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own.

C. Power Over Death and All Sorrow

Elder Robert E. Wells of the First Quorum of the Seventy lived in South America, where he worked as an international banker. Because of the great distances they had to travel, both he and his wife had pilot’s licenses and owned and operated their own planes.

On one occasion they flew from their home in Paraguay to Uruguay with some friends, where they attended the Saturday sessions of a Church conference. They planned to attend the Sunday meetings as well, but were advised of a bad weather report and decided to leave early, trying to return home ahead of the storm.

Everything was going as planned until they flew into some thick clouds and lost visual and radio contact with each other. Elder Wells flew on to the next airport where they had planned to refuel, only to be informed that his wife’s plane had crashed and neither his wife nor the two passengers had survived...

Elder Wells remembers: “…Words will forever be inadequate in expressing the pain that swelled within me, consuming my emotions and numbing my senses. Profound tears of sorrow simply wouldn’t stop flowing. To make matters worse, as my mind was attempting to deal with the devastating realization of my wife’s passing, I found myself experiencing tremendous guilt for having somehow caused the crash…”

…he berated himself for not having had the plane checked out better before they flew. He chastised himself for not giving his wife adequate instrument flying instructions. He felt he was guilty of neglect. Elder Wells continued: “That combined with the remorse and loss of two dear friends in addition to my…sweetheart became almost more than I could bear. Once the tears stopped, I simply lost my desire to continue on…

Following my wife’s funeral in the United States, and after returning to Paraguay with my three [young] children, my mind went into a dark daze. I became a walking vegetable, able to function only on a minimal level. This I did for the sake of the children and for no other reason…Everything I saw was in black and white and had no beauty to it. I simply existed---nothing more.

Then one evening, while on my knees in prayer, a miracle occurred. While praying and pleading to my Heavenly Father, I felt as though the Savior came to my side and spoke these words to my soul and to my ears: ‘Robert, my atoning sacrifice paid for your sins and your mistakes. Your wife forgives you. Your friends forgive you. I will lift your burden. Serve me, serve your family and all will go well with you.”

From that moment, the burden of guilt was amazingly lifted from me. I immediately understood the encompassing power of the Savior’s Atonement, and I now had a testimony that it applied directly to me. While I had previously felt like I could have been swallowed up to destruction, I now realized that Christ had comforted me. Just as my mind and emotions had been at the darkest level, I now experienced light and joy like I had never before known. I was filled with a new desire to serve Christ, His Church, my family, and my employer. The guilt and despair had disappeared.” (Wells, Family History by Elder Robert E. Wells)

As long as we face discouragement, injustice, abuse, disease, and hurts of every kind---even when they come as a result of unintentional mistakes and accidents---we are not alone. Just as trials are a continuous part of life, so too is the Savior’s Atonement continuous.

I’m profoundly grateful that our loved ones will live again.  I’m just as grateful that the Savior comforts us in all our sorrows and wipes away all our tears.

D. No Other Name

- Because Jesus was the one foreordained by the Father, He was the only one authorized to atone for us.

 

- Because He had an immortal Father and a mortal mother, He was the only one capable of atoning for us.

 

- Because of His completely perfect life, He was the only one qualified to atone for us.

 

- [And because of His infinite capacity to love, He wanted to atone for us.] 

“For there is none other name under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This crucial teaching is so important that it is repeated in all four of the standard works (see Moses 6:52; Mosiah 3:17; D&C 18:23). (The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox)

Perhaps it will take a lifetime or even an eternity for us to fully understand and appreciate the ultimate gift given us by our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ when they gave us the Atonement.  In this season of gift giving it’s good to remember how much we have been given by them.

The East Conference Room

20 Aug 2012  The East Conference Room

Here is a picture of our current mission office staff in the East Conference Room of the third floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. 

For prayer meeting we meet Tuesday through Friday in this room and we sing a hymn (they wouldn’t make a bad choir), someone gives a spiritual thought (they are often excellent, really inspiring), and then someone closes with prayer.  Occasionally we have a brief announcement before we start our work day.  Prayer meeting is one of the perks of serving in the mission office (sort of like the 20^th zone of our 19 zone mission).  These people are experienced (they have been bishops and stake presidents, Relief Society, Primary, and YW presidents, temple workers and presidents, mission presidents, etc.), tried (two of the couples are second marriages because of the death of their first spouses, three of the sisters are widows, they have had children and grandchildren die, and they suffer with various illnesses and limitations – like Parkinson’s and Asperger’s), true (they are always where they are supposed to be, doing everything they are asked and more, and choose not to complain), and genuinely charitable (quick to forgive, slow to criticize and judge, anxious to bless). They may not be perfect, but they are awfully good.  Living the gospel makes people great.  See how blessed I am to serve with them?

We have a monthly staff meeting in this room.  They used to be long and rather repetitive (same problems brought up each time) and were held once a week.  Early in my mission, President Peterson and Sister Peterson were concerned that I was working too many hours and asked about my various assignments.  One of the changes they made was to go from once a week staff meetings to once a month and limit the topic of discussion to only what concerned the entire staff. Private meetings with the members of the presidency addressed matters that only concerned one or two people.  It has saved time for people to work on their own assignments and President Peterson has mentioned that making decisions has been more efficient without so many cooks to stir the pot.

Once a month (usually the first Wednesday), we all meet in this same room for a birthday lunch.  Everyone brings their lunch to eat together and the people who have a birthday that month bring the cake (or whatever dessert they want).  We enjoy it so much that we asked and were granted permission to do it every month, whether or not anyone had a birthday. 

Occasionally we have used this room to send off someone who is going home.  All the sisters brought their lunches and a dessert to honor the sisters who were being released that month.  We all liked it much better than meeting at the Church Office Building cafeteria.  It was private and quiet so we could reminisce and ask about their plans when they got home.  Of course, being sisters, someone just had to run home for a tablecloth and a centerpiece before we could have lunch.

It’s my responsibility to schedule the East Conference Room.  There are lots of other meetings held in this room: Zone and District Leader meetings, interviews with new missionaries to place them in their assignments (kind of like speed dating, they meet briefly with each member of the presidency and their wives and then move to the next couple), meetings with potential missionaries to explain the various service opportunities in our mission, and so forth.  I’ll definitely have lots of memories tied to this room.

September Spiritual Thought

Mom said, "Use this for my blog letter. This is where my thoughts are these days." I think she's got some pretty good thoughts...

Be Still My Soul hymn #124

James E. Talmage wrote “The Parable of the Unwise Bee” which I now share with you.

A wild bee from the neighboring hills once flew into the [upper room in the tower of a large building where I spent many peaceful and busy hours with books and pen]; …at intervals during an hour or more I caught the pleasing hum of its flight.  The little creature realized that it was a prisoner, yet all its efforts to find the exit through the partly opened casement failed. When ready to close up the room and leave, I threw the window wide, and tried at first to guide and then to drive the bee to liberty and safety, knowing well that if left in the room it would die as other insects there entrapped had perished in the dry atmosphere of the enclosure. The more I tried to drive it out, the more determinedly did it oppose and resist my efforts. Its erstwhile peaceful hum developed into an angry roar; its darting flight became hostile and threatening.

Then it caught me off my guard and stung my hand---the hand that would have guided it to freedom. At last it alighted on a pendant attached to the ceiling, beyond my reach of help or injury. The sharp pain of its unkind sting aroused in me rather pity than anger. I knew the inevitable penalty of its mistaken opposition and defiance; and I had to leave the creature to its fate. Three days later I returned to the room and found the dried, lifeless body of the bee on the writing table. It had paid for its stubbornness with its life.

To the bee’s short-sightedness and selfish misunderstanding I was its foe, a persistent persecutor, a mortal enemy bent on its destruction; while in truth I was its friend, offering it ransom of the life it had put in forfeit through its own error, striving to redeem it, in spite of itself, from the prison-house of death and restore it to the outer air of liberty.

Are we so much wiser than the bee that no analogy lies between its unwise course and our lives? We are prone to contend, sometimes with vehemence and anger, against the adversity which after all may be the manifestation of superior wisdom and loving care, directed against our temporary comfort for our permanent blessing. In the tribulations and sufferings of mortality there is a divine ministry which only the godless soul can wholly fail to discern. To many the loss of wealth has been a boon, a providential means of leading or driving them from the confines of selfish indulgence to the sunshine and the open, where boundless opportunity waits on effort. Disappointment, sorrow, and affliction may be the expression of an all-wise Father’s kindness.

Consider the lesson of the unwise bee!

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 2:5, 6) 

Faith in the Lord is trust in the Lord. We cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. As a result, no matter how strong our faith is, it cannot produce a result contrary to His will. That’s important to remember when our prayers don’t seem to be answered in the way or at the time we desire. The exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always subject to the order of heaven, to the goodness and will and wisdom and timing of the Lord.  Bette’s story illustrates this.

 

Find Her by Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard

Bette had a dream about a little girl and was told in the dream to find her. She realized that this was not going to be easy, because she only saw the girl from the back. Bette recorded in her journal that she seemed to be about six or seven years old and had long, dark, wavy hair down to her waist.

Bette lived with her husband and family in Florida at the time. They already had four little children—ages six months, two, four, and five years old.  They decided to contact an adoption agency because they didn’t know any other way to find the little girl. After several months, they were accepted as worthy candidates to adopt a child.

They spent two years in Florida searching through hundreds of little faces in books of children waiting to be adopted. They didn’t feel that she was among any of them. They were then asked to transfer to San Diego, California for his job. They prayed about it and didn’t feel that it was the place their family belonged. They also turned down Mesa, Arizona, and asked for a transfer to Utah. They were told that there was only a one percent chance they would be able to move there.

They continued to pray for a move to Utah. When Bette’s husband received a call at work and was told they could transfer to Tooele, Utah, he accepted immediately. He just felt it was right for his family.

They called the adoption agency, thinking that their adoption records could be transferred to Utah. They were told that they would have to start the process of qualifying all over again. Bette was afraid that someday she would have to face Heavenly Father and tell him that she hadn’t found the child He told her about. But she didn’t really feel that He was giving her a lot of help.

Shortly after arriving in Utah, Bette discovered that she was expecting again; they decided that this would be the little girl that she had seen. September found them with a new son instead.

Then her life was filled with complications. A teenage nephew moved in with them, she was called to be the ward Young Women’s president, and a few weeks later developed a painful arthritic condition. She thought to herself that Heavenly Father would understand if she didn’t pursue finding the little girl for a while.

A few weeks later, her Young Women’s counselor called to say that a badly abused girl had been brought into the medical center the counselor worked in. She had been beaten with a two-by-four until most of her body was a seeping purple bruise. The counselor felt that she and her husband should become foster parents to the little girl. She couldn’t call her husband until that night about the girl because he was out of town for his job.

The counselor called Bette the following day a little confused and said that her husband had felt that with their other obligations they wouldn’t be able to spend the necessary time with a child that needed so much help.  The counselor couldn’t understand why she had felt so strongly about being a foster parent to the abused girl. Two days after Bette’s counselor had called, the still, small voice quit whispering and started shouting at her. The message was, “That is the little girl you’ve been looking for!”

Bette called her counselor for a description of the girl and was told that she had long, wavy, dark hair down to her waist and was about six or seven years old. Her friend said that she couldn’t tell Bette more, because she had only seen the girl from the back.

Bette called the local family services, who told her that the girl was in temporary custody and would be returned to her natural family within the month. Bette felt confused but somewhat relieved because of her other pressures.

When the girl’s situation changed and they needed someone to take her in a long-term placement situation, family services called Bette back. Because Bette worked part-time in the office next door to theirs and they had come to know her, they said they could skip the usual paper work and waiting period.

Leslie was placed in their home two days later. Family services told them that this was definitely a temporary placement and they also stressed that adoption was very unlikely.

Nevertheless, two and one-half years later Leslie was adopted by Bette and her husband and then sealed to her new family in the Salt Lake Temple.

Bette learned a great lesson from this experience. She thought Heavenly Father wasn’t helping to find Leslie, but He knew all along what had to happen.  He had to get the family transferred to Utah where Leslie was, and have Bette called as the ward Young Women’s president so she could call as her counselor the woman who worked at the medical clinic. He then had to help Bette become friends with the family services people so they would accept her as a foster mother on the spot. And He also had to guide everything that happened to allow Bette and her husband to adopt Leslie when family services said that would not happen. Now when Bette wonders if her prayers are being answered, she remembers this experience and trusts in the Lord’s loving care.

As in everything else, Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of trust in our Father in Heaven.

In the premortal life He trusted His Father, saying, “Thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”  The scriptures teach us that throughout His youth, He went “about [His] Father’s business” and “waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.”  In Gethsemane, He trusted His Father, declaring, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Through the humiliation of a public trial and the agony of crucifixion, He trusted His Father, willing to be “wounded for our transgressions … [and] bruised for our iniquities.” He trusted and carried out our Heavenly Father’s plan. The Savior, who knows our Heavenly Father better than any of us, trusts Him completely and so we should, too.

 Tests and trials are given to all of us. When health fails, when a spouse dies, when financial hardship befalls a family, when children wander from the path, or when we pray sincerely and persistently for a righteous desire and our request is not yet granted, we may question. To trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

It may help us to remember who our Father in Heaven is.  He is the great God of the universe, the father of us all, the most intelligent being, and the creator of all things.  Jesus said He did nothing except what He had seen His Father do. He knows all things, He sees all things, and He loves us perfectly.  It was He who presented the plan to create this beautiful earth, give us a mortal experience, and provide us with a savior so that we may someday not only have all that He has, but be all that He is.

We can trust Him.  We can trust His superior wisdom and loving care. We can trust Him enough to do what His Son has taught us to do to be happy in this life and in the world to come. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy Ground

August 5, 2012

Mission Letter

This week one of our young missionaries didn’t wake up in the morning.  Elder Jesse Kingston passed away sometime in the middle of the night.  His older brother, Charlie, was also serving here in our mission.  Charlie was devastated, as you can imagine.  Their family lives in Layton, not too far for them to come be with Charlie in a short time.  In the meantime, our young missionary coordinators, Elder and Sister Brandon, and our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Peterson, were with him and with Jesse’s companion, Elder Hurd.  Our young elders are shaken, as you can imagine.  It was particularly unexpected for everyone in the mission to lose one so young.

This all happened Friday, the 5^th of August, on my son-in-law’s birthday.  I was leaving after work to spend the weekend with the Hardins so I have not heard the final plans, but on Friday there was a discussion about a possible meeting Sunday night for all the young elders to comfort them and strengthen them and answer their questions.  They were also considering allowing the young missionaries to attend Jesse’s funeral.  The Salt Lake Temple has been closed for maintenance and the missionaries have been traveling in mission vans to various other temples while it is closed.  They will employ the same system to get all the young men that want to be there to the funeral.  I think it will be a large number (we have about 70).  It was very touching all day Friday to see the young elders embrace and sometimes shed tears when they met.  They are a close group, kind of like a small branch where everyone knows everyone.

I have not worried about Elder Jesse Kinston.  As his mother said when she arrived, what better place for him to be when he was called home to his Heavenly Father than here serving his mission?  He was happy here and enjoying success in serving. We know he is in a wonderful place, excited about all he is seeing and learning.  It is his brother and the rest of his family I feel so much empathy for.  There is no way to lose someone you love without pain.  However, I know they will draw strength and comfort from their belief that he lives on, that he is happy, and that they will be with him again someday, never to be parted from him again. And nothing comforts like the Comforter.  This I know.

Charlie was finishing his mission in August anyway and going to be released at the end of the month.  He and President Peterson talked it over and decided he would leave with his mother and help her with the funeral.  I spoke to a man from their ward (on the phone) who said they had another brother on a mission out of the country.  They were trying to work out how to reach him and let him know about Jesse. 

As sad as all of this has been, I have felt once again that I walk on holy ground here.  There is so much brotherly love and kindness between the young missionaries and between their leaders and them.  The gospel of Jesus Christ makes good men and women better.  It is evidence to me that the gospel is good and therefore true.

Visitors Are Welcome!

Mission Letter June2012

One of the unique blessings of the Family and Church History Headquarters Mission for senior missionaries is that I can have visitors.

My first visitor was Chrysta, who helped me move up here and cart all my stuff up three flights of stairs to my apartment. I already posted that story with pictures.

My next visitor was Shana who used her spring break to come up with her roommate, Zana, for a visit. That has also been posted with a few pictures.

Jonny and Chrysta flew up and spent a couple of nights. They visited old missionary companions, girlfriends turned moms and their new babies, and me. They went to church with me on Sunday and we toured temple square and the Salt Lake City Cemetery. I’ll post a picture I have of them in front of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where I serve. I know we took more pictures, but I don’t know where I stashed them.

Mark and Lisa’s family moved to North Ogden and became my fourth wave of visitors. I got to help them move into their new home, see their new ward, and they came and visited me in my apartment. I’m posting a few pictures of moving day. I didn’t pull out the camera until the end of an exhausting day.

Last Sunday, Lori, Brogan, Kimbrie, Makenna, Hayden, and Brynlee spent Sunday with me. They came to Utah to bring Kaitlyn to BYU to start school and take Brogan to basketball camp. We took the tour of the Conference Center and spent quite a bit of time at the Church History Museum.

Thursday they picked Brad and Tanner up at the airport to start their family vacation and surprised me in the mission office. That was such a fun surprise. I left a little early from work and we went across the street to City Creek to see the mall.

Saturday we met the Hardins at This Is the Place Heritage Park. I’m including pictures from our day at Heritage Park. That was a great place to hang out with family. Friday all the Nallys except Trevor (we’ll excuse him since he is serving a mission)came back and we all went to dinner at the Roof Restaurant on the tenth floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Then we went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to see all the famous people buried there. Lori, Kaitlyn, and I found it interesting but I think we lost the rest of them after we saw President and Sister Hinckley’s burial site. Still, I enjoyed seeing all of them very much and really appreciate the time they took from vacationing to come visit me.

Jeff, Melanie, and all their kids came next. They were only here half a day on July 6th, and yet we managed to fit quite a bit in. They came to the mission office, toured the Conference Center, the Church History Museum, and City Creek Mall. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Chrysta and Jonny came back the 8th and we met Kaitlyn at the Hardin’s Sacrament Meeting. Jeff and Melanie and kids came over from her mom’s to hear Mark and Lisa speak in church, too. Then we went across the street to Hardin’s afterward.

Yesterday, Mary Jane and two of her friends met me at the Deseret Bookstore so we could spend the afternoon visiting Temple Square and City Creek Mall. She came up for the wedding of a friend. We see each other about once every ten years.

Today, July the 15th, Kaitlyn and Tanner are coming to dinner after church. Kaitlyn is picking Tanner up at the airport to spend a few days at a BYU sports camp.


July 17th Brother and Sister Montgomery are meeting me at my office to go to lunch while they are in town. They were my home teachers in Surprise.
 

This mission is a great place to attract visitors! It really is perfect for single sister missionaries. I think I might have Mary Jane sold on the idea of coming back here for a mission some day.

I love my family and I enjoyed their visits so much. I look forward to seeing more of you and repeat visitors are always welcome!

The Big Run

Sunday, June 03, 2012
Mission Letter

Last Sunday, May 27th, I was at Mark and Lisa Hardin’s house in North Ogden. I got to help them move into their new home, meet some of their neighbors, and go to church with them in their new ward. I got caught up on all the hugs, kisses, and “I love yous” that I had been missing from Lewis, Jack, Ashley, and Renee. Someone is teaching those kids to be very loving. I have decided to just enjoy having the Hardins close by while I am on my mission and not think ahead to when I go home and they will not be there. They are in a beautiful setting.

This last week Elder and Sister Allan Packer spoke to us in the Salt Lake Temple in a mission devotional. It is unusual to have mission devotionals in the temple, so we especially appreciate the opportunity. It was held at 5:30 p.m. I had just enough time to walk home, eat dinner, and walk back to the temple early enough to get a good seat. It was my assignment to take notes and then write a thank you letter for the president to sign. President Peterson sometimes adds a personal note to the letters I compose, which is as it should be.

Sister Packer reminded us with her personal stories that our families will be blessed during our service. After talking about the difference between testimony and conversion (When we are converted we act on the knowledge and feelings we have that are our testimony), Elder Packer encouraged us to help others with their conversion as we interact with them in the various roles we have (missionary, friend, family member, etc.) by all the things we think, say, and do. Food for thought.

The routine things I do at the office have gotten easier with experience. This week, however, Sister Olah and I did the “Big Run”. The big run is the process of printing and delivering dozens of Access database reports to dozens of people at the end of each month. Some reports are as much as 33 pages long. Then we email some reports to a list of people that want to receive them that way. It takes most of the day plus any preparation we can do ahead of time to make Big Run day go smoothly. We leave our desks (other people have to cover for us) and go back to a large cubicle with lots of counter space where we can work on the Big Run without interruption. We use a computer and printer there because they are close together and we can lay the reports out on the counters, grouping them together according to where they will be sent. This saves lots of running back and forth between our own computers and the printer near counter space. We always do this on the last business day of the month. This only happens one day out of 30 or so. Why did that have to be the day the drum broke and caused the toner cartridge to rupture? There were black smears all over the pages of copy and the inside of the printer which immediately spread to clothing and the carpet when the printer was opened. Then there was waiting time while maintenance came and cleaned up and tech support came and repaired the printer. In the meantime, we ran back and forth to another printer on the opposite side of the office to try to finish the run. Now I understand why they prayed for the Big Run in prayer meeting.

I also see that things going wrong deliver some of the best teaching moments. We had the opportunity to keep our cool, find solutions, be patient, experience the kindness of others who stepped in and tried to help (That’s when their clothing and the carpet were sprinkled with toner) and learn things we didn’t know before about how to get that particular job done which will apply to other assignments. Next month I will already have created distribution lists in Outlook and things like that which took extra time this month. And surely the printer won’t implode again.

Thoughts on Charity - So Good

Some Thoughts on Charity
7 May 2012 Spiritual Thought

Here are some great thoughts on charity.

President Thomas S. Monson-“Charity Never Faileth”
In a talk given during a General Relief Society Meeting broadcast, President Monson said:

I consider charity—or “the pure love of Christ”—to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity…I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.
Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.

President Ezra Taft Benson – “Beware of Pride”
In a now famous talk on pride given by President Benson he taught us that:

We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.) The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. [Even our righteousness] In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf- “The Merciful Obtain Mercy”
More recently in a Conference address President Uchtdorf reminded us that:

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that those who pass judgment on others are “inexcusable.” The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves, for none is without sin. Refusing to forgive is a grievous sin—one the Savior warned against…

Of course, these words seem perfectly reasonable—when applied to someone else. We can so clearly and easily see the harmful results that come when others judge and hold grudges. And we certainly don’t like it when people judge us.
But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.

Elder Paul E. Koelliker-“He Truly Loves Us”
In his Conference talk, Elder Koelliker explained that when we actually live the gospel in the pattern taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, our ability to help others increases.

He told the story of two young missionaries who knocked on a door, hoping to find someone to receive their message. The door opened, and a rather large man greeted them in a less-than-friendly voice: “I thought I told you not to knock on my door again. I warned you before that if you ever came back, it would not be a pleasant experience. Now leave me alone.” [And]He quickly closed the door. As the elders walked away, the older, more experienced missionary put his arm on the younger missionary’s shoulder to comfort and encourage him. Unknown to them, the man watched them through the window to be sure they understood his message. He fully expected to see them laugh and make light of his curt response to their attempted visit. However, as he witnessed the expression of kindness between the two missionaries, his heart was instantly softened. He reopened the door and asked the missionaries to come back and share their message with him. We become effective at helping others as we think, speak, and act the way the Savior would if he were here.

The Apostle Paul-“1 Corinthians 13:1-3”
Paul discusses the high status of charity in 1 Corinthians.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 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. (1Cor.13:1-3)
Charity has been defined as “the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love,” the “pure love of Christ …; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”
May it be well with us. May we think, speak, and act the way the Savior would if he were here to a greater and greater degree. May this wonderful, blessed mission become an even greater force for good than it already is because we do. It is good to be here with so many others who are striving for the same generosity and compassion that the Savior shows us.

Pivotal Moments - Mission Devotional

All the new missionaries are asked to take a turn speaking in the mission devotional held every monday morning. We are asked to take just 3 minutes and talk about ourselves and how the gospel has blessed our lives. Here is my turn.

My name is Karen Wellman and this is only a three minute talk so I’m going to spend my time on a few pivotal events. The first of these events was really a culmination of many years of hoping and praying when I was sealed to my parents, my two brothers, and my sister in the Arizona Mesa Temple when I was 18 years old. My father was raised in an inactive family and my mother was not a member when they married. I saw the great difference the gospel made in our family when my mother joined the church and later my father became active. The gospel made our family so much better. Now when we are all together we talk non-stop and the discussion always comes back to the gospel.

Another of these pivotal events was when I was married to Bruce Wellman in the same temple just a few months later and we started our life together. However imperfectly we traveled that journey, both of us started out sincerely grateful to our Father in Heaven for having found each other and for the privilege of making temple covenants that could bind us together for eternity. I still have cards and notes Bruce wrote back then that speak of his desire to be a good husband and father and build a forever family.

Together we made the decision to start our family right away and keep the children coming. We had ten children in the next 20 years and now have 30 grandchildren with 2 more on the way. I know not everyone has that choice and I don’t know why that particular blessing came to us, but I’m so grateful that it did. My favorite calling is being a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. My idea of heaven includes having all these people I love close by for eternity with no one missing from our circle.

Fourteen years ago there was another pivotal event when my dad died of cancer and Bruce and I rushed up to Lakeside, Arizona to be with my mother and siblings. Bruce stopped going to church seven years earlier but when my mother asked for a priesthood blessing he couldn’t refuse her, so he stood in with my brothers. During that prayer he heard a voice asking him how much longer he was going to hurt his family. When we returned to our home, Bruce went to see our bishop and asked what he needed to do to come back. He did everything he was asked to do. This was a time of great happiness and thanks-giving for all of us despite my dad’s death. I began looking forward to being in the temple with Bruce and our children who were married. He missed their temple marriages and this was the thing I wanted most.

Bruce was killed in an accident just 6 weeks after my father’s funeral. This is only a three minute talk, so here are some things I learned from the deaths of my dad and my husband: I know God lives. I know He hears and answers my prayers. I trust Him. I know the Comforter can comfort like nothing else can. I know I really will see Bruce again because of a witness I received shortly after his death. I know this is only possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that this is His church. Living the gospel and keeping the commandments makes me happy and makes my life good. When I see Bruce again I will want him to be proud of us. This has helped me realize how much I will want my Heavenly Father’s approval when I see Him again.
 
By nature I fall short of all that I want to be and I have to repent a lot. Nevertheless, I am a much better person because of the gospel of Jesus Christ than I would be without it and I am so very grateful for it. I can see that this mission is going to be another pivotal event for my life. I feel so blessed to be here and so privileged to serve with all of you very good people.

Spiritual Thought

Friday I went to the temple with our mission office staff and the new graduates of the training zone. Walking back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building afterward underground (because it was windy and raining outside) I walked past L.Tom Perry and his wife going to the temple. They were having an animated discussion but stopped long enough to say hello to me. It was nice to see them enjoying each other's company. This was the week I spoke in the Mission Devotional on Monday morning and then gave the spiritual thought in our mission office prayer meeting on Thursday. Anyone who knows me well knows I spent a lot of time writing and throwing out these little talks. I'm attaching the spiritual thought I gave:

A young sister missionary wrote the following letter at the end of her mission:

Dear Family and Friends,

At this, the close of my mission, I would like to thank you for what your love, support, encouragement and prayers have made possible for me.

On my mission I have served in the branch of the church the farthest away from church headquarters in the world. I have fully experienced Africa, Europe, and India as a missionary. I have seen and smelled real poverty. I have depended upon anti-malaria drugs and de-worming medicine. I have bathed in boiled kettle water. I have taught discussions by the light of one candle. I have lived for weeks without electricity and days without plumbing. I washed my clothes by hand for months on end, and I haven't worn machine-dried clothing for a year and a half. I have met people who pray to Bob Marley. I know people who walk on fire and drink goat's blood and call it religion. I know people that worship God in buildings that look like the "it's a small world" ride at Disneyland. I have listened to Muslims chanting from a tower at the Mosque. I have seen constellations that can only be seen in the southeastern hemisphere. I have eaten fruits and vegetables that I never knew existed. At times I have unknowingly eaten white worms in those same fruits and vegetables. I have been chauffeured by drunken taxi drivers in seatbelt-less taxis. On two different occasions, I have been chased by a man who had the intention of physically harming me. I have fallen into an open sewer in a heavy downpour. I have vomited from transfer anxiety. I have stood on a volcano and looked at hot lava. I have eaten rice and beans with my bare hands. I have lost an endless battle with fleas. I have walked miles in shoes held together by a safety pin. I have waxed wood floors with half a coconut. Children have thrown rocks at me. I have eaten roots and boiled leaves.

I now know people from Canada, England, Belgium, France, Congo, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, Nicaragua, and Australia, and I have a testimony in common with each of them. I attended the dedication of the first L.D.S chapel in Madagascar. I rejoiced in the completed translation of the Book of Mormon in the Malagasy language (as well as the missionary discussions). I have sung and spoken in front of General Authorities. I have taught people the gospel in a language that was neither mine nor theirs. I have felt carried by angels and guided by the spirit. I have accomplished things that I thought I was totally incapable of doing. I have cried more and prayed harder than I ever have before.

Why?

Because God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith the prophet and restored the fullness of the everlasting gospel upon the earth. And I know it. And other people need to know too.

It was so worth it.
Sister Tamara K. Wellman


Reading this young sister’s report of her mission makes me wonder what a letter from me at the end of my mission might sound like.

Dear Family and Friends,

At this, the close of my mission, I would like to thank you for what your love, support, encouragement and prayers have made possible for me.

On my mission I have served in the branch of the church the closest to church headquarters in the world. I have only had to walk a city block to my mission home, a luxurious one hundred year old landmark. I live in a clean, safe, healthy environment across the street from my stake center. I have all the clean water I need to drink and bathe in. I have my choice of many options of good food. My biggest inconvenience is washing my clothes in a laundry room a few yards from my front door. I walk to and from my assignment every day through a beautiful garden that rivals Eden. The temple is the center of this garden and I could attend a session almost every day if I chose to. Next to it sits the Tabernacle where I listen to the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir in person every Sunday morning. I also walk by the Family History Library and Church History Library where the finest resources in the world are available to me. I have sacrificed being with my family and friends back home for a time. Oh wait, they call and text me on the phone, send me packages and letters, Skype with me, and even come visit me sometimes.

I’m surrounded by faithful missionaries all day every day. Kindness is shown to me by everyone I meet. Doors and gates are held open for me, elevators are held for me, and strangers come up to me while I’m shopping to thank me for coming here to serve a mission. My leaders and co-workers help, praise and encourage me. I have frequently attended conference, firesides, and devotionals where I was taught by apostles and prophets.

I now know people from Germany, Australia, and the North Pole, and I have a testimony in common with each of them. I have felt carried by angels and guided by the spirit. I have accomplished things that I thought I was totally incapable of doing. I have learned more and prayed harder than I ever have before.

Why?

Because God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith the prophet and restored the fullness of the everlasting gospel upon the earth. And I know it. And other people need to have the blessings I have.

It was so worth it.
Sister Karen D. Wellman

If I have to stand next to that young sister missionary and before God someday as we report our missions, I want to at least be able to say I didn’t waste my opportunity. I pray my Heavenly Father will open my eyes to all the good I can do with the time that I have been given. I’m so thankful to be here and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mother's Day

Mission Letter
May 13, 2012

I’ve had Mother’s Week instead of Mother’s Day.

It started off with a visit from Chrysta and Jonny. They flew in Sunday morning and I picked them up at the airport. We went to the Salt Lake Cemetery and tried to follow a map to famous headstones, sometimes with more success than others. I got to show them off at church in my branch and afterward we walked around temple square. We toured the Beehive House with two sweet sister missionaries and enjoyed the gardens. Jonny and Chrysta were really good sports to do all that when it turns out they only had a few hours sleep the night before. Monday I went to work and they visited Chrysta’s girlfriends and their new babies. Tuesday morning we took the Conference Center tour and went south of temple square to the Deseret bookstore and City Creek Center. We ate lunch on the tenth floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and I went back to work. They came back after work (about 4:00 p.m.) and on the way to my apartment we stopped and toured the Church Museum. That evening they visited some of Jonny’s old missionary companions. Wednesday morning I took them to the airport and they flew home. It was so lovely to have them here.

I got a package from Dany and Paul and a nice card from Luke. He is amazing! I need to see him write.

Then I had a virtual visit with Mark and Laura. Since I missed the baby shower, they gave me a tour of the nursery and showed me all the stuff little Evan Howard got at the shower. They are ready! I enjoyed spending the time with them almost as much as being there.

Somewhere in here I talked to Cheryl and Mother in Lakeside. I’m so glad Cheryl could visit Mother for Mother’s Day. I expect that made both of them happy and Cliff is always happy for Mother.

Sunday between Music and the Spoken Word and church I talked to Shana and caught up on all her exciting news. It makes me happy when my kids are happy. After church I talked with Tami and her family. I love that sweet family, one and all. The kids told me all about the cards they made for me and I could show them I got them. I Skyped with the Nally’s while Brad made dinner. I love Skype! It’s so much better to see everyone while we talk. Tanner, Brogan, and Kimbrie played their recital pieces for me and I could see their fingers flying over the piano keys while I listened. I also got to Skype with Jeff and Melanie and family. The kids made faces and hung upside down over the camera and mimicked what I was doing. It was all so fun.

The next day I had an appointment with Scott and Cheryl and crew and got another Skype visit. They are ready to get going to Virginia. I can always think of dozens of questions I would like to have asked after we hang up. I got to talk to Eric and the girls. They were so cute on the phone, I could almost see them even without Skype. Eric was finding it hard to wait to find out if they are having a boy or girl.

Thanks everyone for all the visits, cards, gifts, and well-wishes. More came today. I’m sure blessed.

Christ-like Love and Effective Missionary Work

Mission Letter
May 6, 2012

I have been thinking about the importance of the two great commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor, for quite some time because Jesus said all the law and all the prophets hang on these two commandments. In Elder Koelliker’s message in conference he told this story:

Two young missionaries knocked on a door, hoping to find someone to receive their message. The door opened, and a rather large man greeted them in a less-than-friendly voice: “I thought I told you not to knock on my door again. I warned you before that if you ever came back, it would not be a pleasant experience. Now leave me alone.” He quickly closed the door.

As the elders walked away, the older, more experienced missionary put his arm on the younger missionary’s shoulder to comfort and encourage him. Unknown to them, the man watched them through the window to be sure they understood his message. He fully expected to see them laugh and make light of his curt response to their attempted visit. However, as he witnessed the expression of kindness between the two missionaries, his heart was instantly softened. He reopened the door and asked the missionaries to come back and share their message with him.

Elder Koelliker said when we actually live the gospel in the pattern taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, our ability to help others increases. This principle of having love one to another and developing our ability to be Christ centered in how we think, speak, and act is fundamental in becoming disciples of Christ and teachers of His gospel.

I see the connection between having Christ-like love and being effective here in my mission so clearly. What is it that makes some people such powerful influences for good? I think it is directly related to how they have internalized this principle of charity. I see it in the good people around me.
For instance, we have two young elders in our office who are the assistants to the mission president, Elder Clancy and Elder Lyon. Their cubicle is just over the wall from my desk area, so I hear them interact with each other and the stream of elders who come to them daily for various reasons. You would love these young men! I do. They are unfailing kind and sincerely desire to help each elder grow and have a happy, successful mission experience. I don’t know how they could be better than they are at their responsibilities.
   
Another example is our mission president. This week President Peterson called me into his office to talk to me about working less. He and his wife want to lighten my load. He took back two responsibilities that were given to me by staff members as they left the mission to go home. He asked me to take a full hour lunch every day and to leave by 4:00 p.m. (That’s eight hours). He asked me to take a Temple and Research half day off every week. He also said not to take work home anymore. He asked me to try this for a month and then we will re-evaluate. He said if the work doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done. I am to write notes about what I am able to cover and what I am not able to get to for our meeting at the end of a month. Then we can decide if an assistant secretary is needed. 

While I think it was Sister Peterson who brought my long hours to his attention, it was President Peterson and his counselors who discussed it and came up with this plan. He said they wanted me to have a good mission experience. They aren’t just trying to make their own missions look good to others by wringing as much out of the missionaries as they can. They really love everyone and want to do what the Lord would have them do in every situation.

I can learn so much here from the lives of others around me. I get as much inspiration there as I do from the things that are delivered from the pulpit….which are also very inspiring.

Chrysta and Jonny are here! Time to enjoy the moment.

Happy Exhaustion

April 29, 2012
Mission Letter

Here is the message from Music and the Spoken Word today. It pretty well sums up my week:

“HAPPY EXHAUSTION” given by Lloyd D. Newell

“In a hospital emergency room, a team of surgeons was urgently called. Four passengers in a car accident had just arrived by ambulance, and their injuries were life threatening. Running on adrenalin and focused on their demanding task, the doctors worked around the clock, mobilizing others around them to give all they had to save the lives of these four people. Afterward, the doctors shared embraces of relief and joy, worn out but elated that their patients would survive.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: ‘Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.’

Work that seems beyond our capacity is often a blessing and brings us a happy exhaustion. It obviously doesn’t need to be performing life-saving surgery on accident victims to fit this description. Hikers atop a mountain after a strenuous climb, athletes who willed their way to a difficult win, or parents who collapse on the couch after a day full of sacrifices of time and energy for their children---they all know what it feels like to be spent but smiling. In such moments, we discover what we’re made of, and we find that we are capable of much more than we thought.

It’s a myth that the key to a satisfying day is to relax, put your feet up, and sip cold lemonade. The real way to feel joy at the end of the day is to have achieved your goals, to have pushed yourself to accomplish your tasks. When our day is filled with unexpected challenges, instead of seeing them as obstacles that interfere with an easy schedule, perhaps we can reframe that outlook and see them as opportunities for fulfillment and satisfaction---the unexpected rewards for a job well done. “

This week I have stayed after most of the office staff have left (at 4:00pm) to 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 or later. Then at home I work some more after dinner. Apparently there used to be a secretary and assistant secretary in the mission office. The notes I refer to in a “Reports and Responsibilities” binder on my desk divides the tasks between two people and there are two work stations in my office. As the Church Service Missionary coordinators were preparing to leave it was decided to give two tasks the wife had been taking care of to the new secretary. I have felt like I was learning to juggle balls, and just as I think I can keep the ones I have in the air today, someone walks by my desk and tosses me another ball. On the day I experienced a little discouragement I came home and saw the three electronic sticky notes on my desktop. These are rules I made up for myself at the start of my mission. There is one more I will discuss some other time.

First: Live in thanksgiving daily, serving with joy
Second: No criticizing, no complaining, or quitting
Third: Speedily repent

So I speedily adjusted my attitude. It makes all the difference. I believe that the things that I persist in doing will get easier, not because the nature of the task has changed, but because my ability to do will increase. And I do get a lot of satisfaction out of pulling it all off. I’ve been experiencing “Happy Exhaustion”.

I’m so thankful to be here. I often think this is the happiest place on earth. I’m daily told that I’m doing a great job, an excellent job, that I’m so appreciated. It’s kind of like that episode from “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” where there is a closet upstairs that the characters keep visiting. They open the door and a crowd of people applaud them while shouting out praise like, “You’re doing a great job”, “you’re so amazing”, etc. Would that everyone could open the door to that closet like I have been.

Sister Shelley was so kind and generous as she left. I know she really doesn’t want her mission to end and is really sad that she has to go. And yet she has been so generous with her encouragement to me and in trying to prepare me as well as possible. She hid a gift and a note for me in the office where I would find it. It was a pretty clock with words on it about taking time for the important things. She has strongly encouraged me to take some time for myself, a thing which she did not do much of. She has assured me that it was hard for her at first, but it got better. Nothing I do is too hard for me to do. It just takes longer to look up how to do each step or figure out where to find answers because I’m new to this. Already some of the tasks I have repeated enough times that it is not such a chore to do them.

Friday President Peterson told me they have the new travel coordinator coming in Monday to start training to replace Sister Bottoms. When he called her, he told her she would be taking on some of my responsibilities because the travel coordinator is not nearly so busy. He said she was quite willing to do that, so help is coming. But it was a good exercise for me to make the adjustment before help arrived. Missions are supposed to stretch us, right?

Seeing The People Around Us

April 22, 2012
Mission Letter


Monday evening our social group (the missionaries that came into the mission March 4th and went through the training zone together) met to share a potluck dinner and choose a name for the group. They chose the “March Forths” and then played a game. Everyone wrote on a piece of paper something about themselves no one in the group would know (except spouses who were forbidden to give it away) and put the paper in a bowl. Our social director and moderator, Elder Morton, drew one piece of paper out of the bowl at a time and read it. Then everyone had to come to a consensus about who it described and that person was handed the paper. When everyone playing had a paper, we found out when we guessed right and when we guessed wrong. Amid much laughter we found out who spent a month on the road on a motorcycle (Sister Calandra), who took the Polar Bear challenge and dived into below zero water (Elder Sessions), etc. What does this have to do with serving a mission? It has everything to do with it, because ultimately we’re here on this earth to learn to love as Jesus loves. We have to lift our heads from our work now and again and see the people around us. And love them.


Tuesday I obtained permission to take Sister Munger to the dentist in the morning. She had asked for a blessing the night before because she was having a tooth extracted. I was the one person who had someone to cover for them at work because Sister Shelley is still coming in half days. It was a good thing I went with her. She was planning to be awake for the procedure, drive herself home, and return to work in the afternoon. As it turned out, the tooth crumbled, the procedure became more invasive, and she was really glad to be put to sleep. She was much too groggy to drive and took the rest of the day off. The next day she looked bruised and swollen, like someone had punched her in the jaw. The prompting to offer to take her was one of those tender mercies we talk about. The Lord loves Sister Munger. Tuesday night I went to dinner at Little America with Sister Shelley, Sister Bottoms, and Sister Wirth. Little America because President Monson likes to eat there so it must be good, and that group of sisters because everyone wants to take Sister Shelley out to dinner this week. April 27th is her release date. Our office is losing several people at once that day so there are lots of good-byes and a few tears. Before and after dinner I got started on the staff meeting minutes.


Wednesday was Bountiful Temple day! All the mission office staff (including me) was invited to accompany 66 young missionaries to that beautiful temple. After the session, we went to the little chapel (There is a big chapel) and were taught by the temple president, President Callister who is also an emeritus member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. I wish everyone who goes to the temple could have that talk. Then the young missionaries and most of the staff ate lunch in the temple cafeteria. Sister Bottoms, Sister Shelley, and I went to lunch at Kneader's Bakery and Cafe on the way home. We all got back to the office with about an hour before end of the day. I went home and did laundry, went to the grocery store, and worked on staff meeting minutes some more.


Thursday was a half day for Sister Shelley and I had plenty to do to keep me busy all day. This is as good a place as any to talk about our prayer meeting. We start at 7:45 a.m., sing a hymn (usually accompanied by Elder Lyon or Sister Piñon on a keyboard) and then someone gives a spiritual thought.
These spiritual thoughts are really a wonderful way to know the person who speaks as they share their testimony with us on any topic they choose. They give some really inspiring thoughts. Then we have a closing prayer that also helps us know the person who prays and we start our day on a high note. Can you see why the staff grows so close? I can’t help thinking about how it does the same thing for families. We probably should have more of a short discussion of a scripture as a family each day, rather than just read a certain amount of time or verses. And take turns acting as voice because the teacher learns the most. There was a movie where the old chief said, “This is a good day to die.” Here in Zion often I think, “This is a good day.” I spent more time on staff meeting minutes in the evening.


Friday Sister Shelley took a load of roof tiles home where her family was gathered to help reroof her house, so she didn’t come in that day. That was my first day to open, operate, and close the office myself. I stayed an hour later, trying to keep up with all the work so I wouldn’t have it spill over into the next week. That could be why I walked all the way home wearing the phone headpiece and didn’t even feel it. I worked at home that night on the staff meeting minutes.


Saturday I finished condensing eight pages of staff meeting minutes down to three pages! Hurray! I just can’t put earphones in and type minutes at work with so many interruptions. I need to wear the phone headpiece while I am working and I need some uninterrupted time to think while I condense the minutes. I hope I look back on this someday and see that it got much easier with time and practice. Like most things. I also cleaned my apartment, took out the trash, and did some laundry. I planned to also go shopping but finishing the minutes took too long. Doing physical labor like house work is a nice change of pace from sitting in front of the computer.


Sunday, today, Sister Munger and I went to Music and the Spoken Word. It was excellent, as always. I guess everyone goes home in April up here. They had 25 choir members and 9 temple square sister missionaries stand who were going home this week. Choir members serve 20 years or until they turn 60. President and Sister Monson were present again today. I wonder if they came to honor the choir members going home? I remember President Monson saying in a talk that he kept the Mormon Tabernacle Choir assignment for himself. The weather is so fine today. I enjoyed the rain earlier this week, too.

Good Talks and Incredible Encounters

April 15, 2012
Mission Letter

Monday began with a Full Time Missionary (FTM) Devotional. The guest speaker was David Rencher, the Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch.  I took notes and wrote a thank you letter to him for President Peterson.  He spoke about how the Lord is advancing technology to advance the work of family history and genealogy (Here genealogy means names, dates, and places organized into pedigree charts and family group sheets.  Family history is learning everything we can about our ancestors, which turns our hearts to them). He talked about the places in the world where there were either no written records kept or the records were deliberately destroyed.  The Lord prepares a way for their work to be done.  They sent a team to Africa to do President Obama’s genealogy, for instance.  They have a video of an old woman in the village his ancestors came from reciting generations of genealogy as she counted them out on her hands.  The villagers had devised a system for remembering and passing down that information.  Now a pen is being developed for paper, non-record societies.  Already missionaries have been assigned to write down oral histories. Someday the villagers will be able to write with a pen that will record what they write so it can be uploaded later.

Tuesday will be remembered for the monthly staff dinner we had after work.  We all walked across the street to the City Creek Center to have dinner together at the Cheesecake Factory.  Although the food was excellent, what makes the evening memorable is that Elder Jeffrey Holland walked by, recognized that we were a group of missionaries, and stopped to greet us.  He made our day.  We pay for our own dinner, by the way.  Don’t think we make the Church pay for it.

Wednesday’s highlight was when President Peterson sent me next door to the Church Administration Building (CAB) to deliver a letter. It houses the offices for the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It also houses offices for other general authorities and their personal staff. I’m pretty sure we could have sent the letter by inter-office mail, but President Peterson thought it would be fun for me to go inside and see the building.  Sure enough, the security officer on the ground floor had me go up the elevator and deliver it myself. When I came back President Peterson asked if I passed anyone interesting in the halls.  I didn’t see a soul except the security officer on the main floor and the secretary I delivered the letter to.  You may begin to think I’m star-struck, but really what impressed me was that in the middle of the work day my “boss” would send me on an errand just for fun. It rained later when I walked home.

Church Administration Building

Thursday nothing extraordinary happened, except it rained all day.  I’ll take this opportunity to explain that all this week Sister Shelley is shadowing me.  I sit in the secretary’s chair and wear the wireless telephone headset.  Sister Shelley is bored with nothing to do, so she proof reads  my “secretary tutorials” I’m making not only for myself, but for anyone who subs for me and for my replacement when the time comes. Sister Vermillion has also been working on tutorials for the jobs she is handing over to me when she goes, like the Big Run(reports from the Access database) and greeting cards to missionaries from the presidency and their wives (condolence, get well, thinking of you).

Friday the Family History Department sponsored a celebration of the 1940 Census release and the work that has been done by all employees, staff, and missionaries in preparing for the event. They served pizza from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. and Elder Dennis Brimhall (FamilySearch CEO) gave a very short thank you speech. I didn’t need pizza but I went to keep Sister Shelley company. It was up on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building (COB), so that was fun.  The 26th floor has observation decks with amazing views of the Valley, so it was definitely worth the trip.  Friday was my Temple and Research day (T&R), so I only worked in the office half a day.  Then I went home and typed up my staff meeting minutes.  I can’t wear earphones and transcribe a recording from the digital voice recorder in the office.  There are just too many interruptions and I’m supposed to be wearing the wireless telephone headset there.

Church Office Building

Saturday I cleaned my apartment, did my laundry, took out my trash, got a haircut, picked up a prescription, shopped for groceries, wrote minutes from my transcription, and got ready for the adult session of stake conference at 7:00 p.m. This meeting was held in the building I go to church in, the stake center.  The percentage of attendance is so high (because of the FTMs) that we filled the stake center on Saturday night.  The talks were amazing!  They can draw on people who are coming from or going to places all over the world.  A young couple from India spoke who were so impressive.  They told about their conversions and their marriage (against the wishes of both their families) which propelled them to America.  Their parents never would have allowed them to marry in India. They have such faith promoting stories to tell.  Just one example: They decided he would come to America first, save money, and then go home and get her, and then they would be married here in the temple.  When he booked his flights (which involved 4 transfers to different planes), the flights were already nearly completely full.  He worked here four months to save enough money for her to come.  When he called to arrange flights for her, he never expected to be able to get her on the same plane with him, let alone sit by him and yet in every case he was able to get her a seat next to him.  They regard this as one of the Lord’s tender mercies. Okay, one more story. When she first saw him the Spirit told her they would marry, even though her plan was to marry someone her parents picked out for her.  They are so humble, sweet, and funny.  You could not help but love them. They are excited because the first stake in India is being organized. All the speakers were riveting; I just won’t take the space here to recount all the talks.

Sunday we had stake conference in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.  That is because the attendance is so high; we can’t fit in the stake center.  This was the 165th continuous semi-annual Salt Lake Stake Conference.  Imagine that!  This session was also outstanding.  I’ll pick just one example here, too.  Brother and Sister Fenn are going to serve as mission president in Chicago.  She is the daughter of Bruce R. McConkie.  She told us that the summer she was 15 her father spent every evening out on the porch, reading the Book of Mormon with her.  He got her a new Book of Mormon, a red pencil, a ruler, and a 3x 5 card and went through every page with her.  She underlined what he underlined, wrote in the margin what he wrote in the margin, etc.  She will always keep that copy. Sister Fenn only wanted to take 5 minutes for her talk, but she talked fast and did a great job of outlining what the Book of Mormon has to offer.  I wish I could get a copy of her talk.  It would be a great way to teach your kids.  I took notes, but I couldn’t keep up.  Anyway, I went home with definite goals from all the Saturday and Sunday talks of things I’m going to do. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Assembly Hall