Tag Archives: Missionary Work

What do they have to say?

Today we got a rare opportunity to go down as a family to the Missionary Training Center and volunteer in the TRC. It is an opportunity to help missionaries preparing to go out in the field to practice their Romanian, teaching the gospel.

In the years since I went through, they changed the format to focus on us as individuals instead of us trying to take on some assumed role (like someone who has never heard of the Church). It is simple, but I think it does a lot to help the missionaries focus on the Spirit and meeting needs instead of technique or style.

As a major part of their lesson, they focused on ‘enduring to the end, which means something totally different to me now as a father of two than it did as a student or missionary. With any previous role, it always had pretty clear statute of limitations, an expiration date, a goal line. But as a Father, and in a faith that believes the family is eternal–it is a completely different type of end than I’ve previously encountered. It’s not an end of time or material resources we’re talking about. It’s more along the lines of at the end of your wits, and ‘after all you can do’ kind of end.

So in that thought process, I considered how do I know the best way forward? I think therein lies my love and excitement around LDS General Conference.

Shortly after coming home, my Bishop shared with me his experience coming home from my mission and finding the guidance he needed to endure to the end, from conference. It is an opportunity to hear from inspired men, who have the authority to speak truth and light the path.

I know for some Conference is a chance to take a Sunday off. After all, we get it printed and we’ll hear about many of the talks in Church meetings for the next six months until the next conference.

My evidence is anecdotal, but it is personal. I believe a special spirit and degree of heightened insight comes from demonstrating to the Lord that what the leaders of the Church have to say is important to you. There’s something about that exercise of faith to prepare for and actively listen to conference that brings answers to prayers, peace to the troubled mind and a confirmation to the heart that God is not only mindful of you and your needs, but that He is actively participating in guiding the efforts of this Church.

Come and see. There truly is something for everyone.
General Conference on LDS.org

David O. McKay on D&C 4

Speaking on the revelation contained in Doctrine and Covenants, section four, David O. McKay said,

“When that revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he was twenty-three years of age. The Book of Mormon was not yet published; no man had been ordained to the priesthood. The Church was not organized; yet the statement was made and written without qualification that ‘ . . . a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.'”

April 1952
General Conference

Give The Lord A Chance

George Albert Smith shared the following story,

I remember one day I was impressed to say to a missionary who was going to a certain town where they would not let us hold street meetings:
“Now remember, give the Lord a chance. You are going to ask a favor. Give the Lord a chance. Ask him to open the way.”

The young man went to that city, went into the office of the mayor, and asked if he could see him. He was going to ask if they might change the rule.

When he got there, he found that the mayor was out of town. The young man came out of the office, looked down the hall and saw on a door at the end of the hall, “Chief Constable’s Office.” He hesitated a moment, and something said to him: “Give the Lord a chance.” He walked into the chief constable’s office and told him what he had come for. When he finished the man said:
“Well, what street corner would you like?”

He said: “I don’t know this city as well as you do. I would not ask for a corner that would be undesirable, or where we would block the traffic. Would you mind going with me to select a corner?”
Just think of a missionary asking the chief constable to pick a corner on which to preach the gospel!

The constable said:

“Surely, I will go with you.”

In fifteen minutes they had one of the best corners in town, with permission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ where it had not been preached on the streets since before the war [World War I]. …

(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 17: The Strengthening Power of Faith)