The Caravan Moves On. . .

President Russell M. Nelson

I have been asked when I would post my comments about the historic events of last weekend, the 188th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Let me state up front that I have participated in many, many of these conferences over my lifetime of 70 years, but few stand out in memory as this one does now and will for years to come.

With a few days to ponder and attempt to absorb what just happened to us, one thought stands above all the rest - the ongoing development of Zion is in full flower.

Elders Soares and Gong

It was, of course, the first opportunity in a Solemn Assembly that members of the Church have had to sustain President Russell M. Nelson, his counselors and the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers and revelators. Two historic additions to the Quorum of the Twelve, one Chinese-American and one Latin-American, Elders Gerrit Gong and Ulisses Soares have put a stamp forever on the worldwide diversity of the Church population. It seemed that diversity was on full display this year, as reference was made to it throughout the weekend. The selection of speakers highlighted and underscored that reality.

I commented to our family during the break between sessions that it did not appear President Nelson would be a "caretaker" president. Little did I know he was just getting warmed up!

The whole weekend was carefully orchestrated to full effect. It seemed each time President Nelson was at the podium another blockbuster announcement was dropped. To say the effect of each announcement was jaw-dropping would be an understatement.

First, we learned about the new Apostles, then later the addition of seven new General Authority Seventies, many new Area Authority Seventies, and a new Young Women's General Presidency. Those announcements were followed that evening in General Priesthood Meeting with the announcement of "adjustments" in the way the Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums within the stakes and the wards will operate in the future. Explanations were given by Apostles Rasband and Christofferson in that meeting, and the choreography to immediately disable the LDS Tools accounts of the presently-called leaders was stunning. That was followed by detailed instructions after the announcements that were distributed to everyone in the Church for whom the leadership of the Church had an e-mail account. I found the e-mail in my inbox immediately after the conclusion of the session.

More in line now with the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, the high priest quorums in each stake will include only those high priests in the stake presidency, the high council, the bishoprics and the active patriarchs within each stake. All the rest of the high priests and elders in each ward will meet as one quorum called the elders quorum under the direction of a new elders quorum presidency.

I learned by first-hand experience how quickly these changes were being implemented, when I answered a call from the high counselor assigned to our ward, asking if he could come visit on Saturday morning. He informed me I was being called to be the second counselor in the new elders quorum presidency. The new elders quorum president would be Steve Edmunds (a high priest within five days of my age) and the first counselor would be Ryan Brown (the current elders quorum president). We were sustained and set apart for our new callings yesterday. We will sit down with our bishop on Wednesday night to receive his counsel on how best to proceed. Because Elder Rasband lives in our ward, the stake president told us they wanted to get Woodland taken care of first. So on the caravan rolls in our little Woodland Ward.

Yesterday, before the meeting as I thanked our high priest group leader for his service, his comment was classic. "I think it's the first time I have ever been released without a vote of thanks," he said with a smile. That happened during our quorum meeting.

And the adjustments in priesthood functionality didn't end it. On Sunday morning we learned that home teaching and visiting teaching would be "retired," to be replaced simply with "ministering." And somewhere in the spirit world President Thomas S. Monson is smiling. Again, detailed instructions followed from Church leaders in subsequent talks, illustrating simplicity and less reporting requirements. Those of us who live along the Wasatch Front (and Back) probably have little appreciation for the impact these adjustments will make in the worldwide applications for which they are no doubt designed. What a testament to the ongoing hastening of the the work. It seems that no matter how big the Church grows the flexibility and the nuances of organizational adaptation can be accommodated.

The final announcement came at the very end of the last session, when President Nelson announced the proposed construction of seven new temples around the world, including Russia and India. The audible response of approval from the audience within the Conference Center was elicited with the inclusion of Layton, Utah, and Richmond, Virginia.

To conclude, my mind went back yesterday to a letter from my father, presiding at the time in the California Arcadia Mission in 1978. He had attended the three-hour block of meetings in an East Los Angeles ward earlier that day, and included this comment in his letter: "I can't imagine that I was served the sacrament by a black deacon in a 9:00 a.m. sacrament meeting seated as I was in my two-piece garments. But it actually happened that way!!" He could have added with a new set of scriptures in his hands, but he never migrated to the new set.

A few years later, one of his former assistants, David W. Checketts, was serving as his home ward bishop, who recommended this seventy-something former mission president as the ward elders quorum president with the approval of the stake president. So, rest assured these are not such earth-shattering "adjustments" without precedent as one might suppose.

And we will see more of it as the work of establishing Zion accelerates. . .

Home Teaching, An Inspired Text Message

One good story begets another, and this post's guest blogger is a daughter-in-law who described an experience our son, Joe, had with a home teaching family a few months ago. I had intended to post it when I received it, but never got to it until today.

I am grateful to Toni for sharing this experience they had recently with a family Joe home teaches. I thought about how the Lord is able to magnify "small and simple things" as we extend ourselves in service to those who need us. I hope it provides as much inspiration for you as it did for me. I've changed the names except for our family members.

Dad,

I know Joe has contacted you for information about one of the families he home teaches where the father has been excommunicated. I wanted to share a story with you that happened between them this week.

Joe is such a dedicated home teacher. His care and concern is unmatched. I am thankful for the example that you have been to him in this regard. I am thankful for the example he is to my family. We pray together for his families and talk about different things that will help them.

Joe has always been given part-member, in-active, and struggling families. He takes the responsibility very seriously to impart the Spirit, share the gospel, and invite the families to make changes.

He gives Rick weekly reading assignments and checks in with him on his progress. At his last visit he invited him to prepare for his re-baptism and to meet with the Bishop to determine what he needed to still do as part of the repentance process. He accepted. (Rick has been very concerned that he "know" more of the scriptures before he is re-baptized.)

This Sunday, Joe had been praying and studying and decided to assign an excerpt from the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, Doctrine and Covenants, Section 109. He sent the assignment via text message.

Rick started reading his assignment during Church and responded to Joe's text that verse 42 had struck him like no verse ever had before, he couldn't hold back his tears, and that he was going to visit with the Bishop right after Church.

Joe was thrilled, but didn't remember verse 42 being one that he had highlighted or thought would be moving.  He commented as much to me and we read it together. Joe said, "Well, you never know what will affect the reader." But we were so pleased with the result.

This Tuesday he went for a visit to Rick's home. Joe said, "So, verse 42, huh?" and started to read it. Rick said, "No, that is not the verse." Joe said, "Yeah, I gave you Section 109."  Rick said, "You gave me Section 93." He pulled out his phone and showed Joe. He had, indeed, sent Section 93 instead of 109. Verse 42 reads, "You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction." Rick was being told why he felt conflict in his heart about the Church and his life, and he understood.

We are so thankful for the Spirit that helps us as we serve others by performing miracles, and softening hearts. What may have looked like a mistake by Joe, was really God working through him, speaking to one of His lost sheep.

We are thrilled for this family of seven that will soon all be reborn in the covenant again, worthy of all the blessings of a temple sealing. Sunday, Rick's, his wife's, their children's and our family's prayers were all answered by a simple text message.

I love you,

Toni

Home Teaching and Becoming "Valiant"

Today's guest blogger is oldest son, Jeff. For a season, as he explains below, Jeff was inactive in the Church, disaffected and disillusioned about life in general and the Church in particular. His story is not dissimilar to many in the Church today, and he and I agreed his story about how he is becoming a more diligent home teacher might be instructive. I've changed the names of all the participants except Jeff's family of Kim, Izach and Tessi.

In Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn those who inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom, "are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kindgom of our God." (Verse 79, emphasis mine). By extension and implication, then, we may assume those who do inherit the crown are valiant in their testimony of Jesus. The Church offers many facets in the diadem of celestial glory. Home teaching is one way we demonstrate our willingness to "step up" and be counted.

Not Your Model Home Teacher

I'm the first to admit, I'm not exactly the poster child of a home teacher. I know I have brothers who are way more qualified to address the subject and who have been seen as an example of what a great home teacher looks like. I guess my lack of home teaching excitement stems from my hippie days of using the excuse, "If we all just treated each other as brothers and sisters and acted as good neighbors, there'd be no need for home teaching." I think the better answer now is simply, I never had a testimony of home teaching.

I remember home teachers coming throughout my early years, though some sporadically, but we always had Dad, so who needs home teachers? I remember Dad teaming me up with his counselor when he served as Bishop of the young married student ward at the U of U. It was when I was preparing for my mission. Honestly, I remember going, but couldn't tell you who we visited or lessons taught. All I do remember is how Travis Baer made me feel after as we sat in his car or mine for hours taking about how hard being a teenager was, or what the meaning of life was for me at the time. I guess Dad was inspired to that end, but I still had no real testimony of home teaching or its value.

For years I declined to be a home teacher, citing my job in timeshare and its odd hours as a valid reason why I couldn't get with families. I also hated the idea of letting a family down which I knew I'd probably never visit. A few years ago when I had settled into my new job, I was given my assignment of two families. After the outpouring of service and help we received from this ward, I felt it was an opportunity to try and serve or give back in some way, so I accepted, and was determined to change my lacking ways.

I was assigned two families, both were familiar names, and both were prominent names surrounded by family within the ward. Why do these guys need home teachers when their parents and siblings live next door or down the street? It seemed rather redundant, but it saw it as an easy task. Imagine my surprise when the mother of one of the families approached me and told me I had been hand selected to home teach her son. She held an important calling in the ward and knew the needs of everyone, and she wanted me to take care of her son's family as they had recently come back to Church after a few years away. I didn't want to let her down, she had been so good to us since moving into the ward. I home taught sporadically. We had them for dinner and invited them to social events and called it home teaching so I could be seen as at least 50% on months I actually went. Izach had left on his mission and my new companion was shy and withdrawn when he was at Church, so I mostly went solo.

I built a relationship pretty fast with Brian and Jenna, as both had divorces and inactivity in their pasts. I'd say we became friends and understood each other on many different levels. Brian made it very clear in the beginning that if I showed up in a white shirt and tie, I may not be let in. Those who know me, know that my casual dress most my life is my calling card. I remember several times growing up, the look and the "You're not wearing that are you?" They are words I mostly heard from Mom, though I continue to hear them from Kim on occasion. The casualness was ideal for me and encouraged me to get my home teaching done. I found myself enjoying my visits and discussions with Brian and Jenna. The best way to describe Brian would be me in my twenties, though he is probably five to ten years my senior. Saying things controversial to get reactions, or purposely wearing a colored shirt to Church, anything to see who would judge, were things we had in common. Anything to stir the pot just a little, or to provoke the label of a "Rebel Mormon" that follows the beat of his own drum.

A few months ago, our Elders quorum president re-assigned all the home teaching. I looked at the names and immediately after class approached President McCarthy, lobbying to keep the Hoffmans as one of my families. I even told him I'd keep the two he had assigned me in addition to Brian and Jenna. He told me that with Izach back as my companion, he felt impressed to assign me the Bells. He explained that Brent's and Brittany's 19 year-old son could really use Izach's influence as he was now graduated, not really working a job, not planning a mission, and not coming to Church much. He said with this new assignment, he wanted to give me another low maintenance family. I told him he couldn't take Brian and Jenna from me, and I'd gladly take all three as long as I could keep them. He caved and let me keep Hoffmans and added Bells, but re-assigned the third to someone else.

With the new challenge and inspiration that they needed Izach, I knew I had to step up my efforts and commitment to be more diligent in my home teaching efforts and if nothing else, be a better example to Izach than I'd been in the past. My new assignment came the end of May and we jumped right on it and visited both families the first weekend of June. It felt good to have 100% home teaching for June and to be done so early in the month. Last week, I felt an urgency to stay on track and get our visits done early in the month. Little did I know at the time what the real urgency was, but I would find out Sunday after Church.

After meetings I rushed home and got some lunch for the girls and got changed into my shorts and flip flops home teaching uniform. Izach had ducked out of our meetings to attend the singles ward. He arrived home just in time to leave and so he stayed in his shirt and tie from church. We spent about forty minutes visiting with the Bells and left them with a simple message and prayer. Their son, James, was there for the second month in a row and I congratulated him on being at Church earlier in the day. I was hoping that we were somehow making a difference with him, but it's hard to know with a wayward teenager. Izach and I have both borne testimony on whatever our message is, and I hope that is somehow getting into James's heart.

We then headed across the street to Hoffmans. Brian met us outside as we were standing on the front steps. He had come from the garage door and yelled, "If you don't know where the side door is by now, we probably shouldn't let you in." We followed him through the side door, through the garage, and into the front room. We started with our normal chit chat and jokes about me being in the flip flops and Izach being in his shirt and tie and how backward to "the norm" that was. The conversation moved quickly into bad relationships and ex's, driven mostly by the fact that Jenna's son and grandson were living with them and regrouping after a messy breakup. My anxiety grew as I was pulled into the ex bashing. Over the years we let Izach and Tessi hear and see more of our dealings with George and Cindy as they grew older and became adults, though I doubt they will ever hear the full gory details of those horrible years.

As I was pulled deeper into conversation, my uneasiness began to consume me, the Spirit finally said to me, "This is counter-productive, and not what they need." I scrambled in my mind, trying to search for the words of how to steer the conversation back to our topic of Covenants and Ordinances. I'm not even sure how I transitioned the conversation, the Spirit had taken over at that point. Somehow we got to the subject of going to Church for us individually, and not expecting someone else to come prepared to feed us spiritually. I have shared my re-activation story with the Hoffmans in the past, so I picked up my story where I had left off. I explained that as recently as only a few months ago, did Kim realize that I had only been back active about six weeks when we got married. Six weeks after seven years being away! Those first few months were hard. It was hard going to Church, and I'd go as far as to say I hated it and felt it was a complete waste of time. Here I had just gone through a miraculous journey back, laden with deep and profound spiritual experiences, including meeting Kim and marrying eighteen days later. I couldn't understand how so many people just didn't get it. I felt angry and let down every week I went.

As I told Brian and Jenna the story, I gave them my similar close that I had used hundreds of times on my timeshare table. I said, "Guys, there's a hundred reasons not to go to Church, and if you look you'll find all one hundred. But, if you can find just one reason why you should go, and why you need to go, that one reason will be stronger than the hundred not to." As I got emotional, I pointed at Izach and finished. "My one reason was Izach and Tessi. I now had kids to think about, and if for no other reason those first few months, I went for them. They were my one reason." Everyone was a little misty-eyed by the end, and then Jenna spoke up and said, "Thank you. It's funny you would bring all that up. Brian and I have been talking the past few weeks and had decided that maybe we'd take a break from Church for a while." Wow! Funny I would say that? No, it wasn't funny, it wasn't coincidence. The Lord knew exactly what He wanted me to say, and what they needed to hear. I bore testimony that they were needed, that they could make a difference.

You see, it wasn't until I quit focusing on, "What am I getting out of this?" and started looking for ways to help others see and feel what I had experienced in my own conversion, that I finally felt fulfillment in going to Church. I quit going for me, and went for others, and in that I got what I needed.

I now have a testimony of home teaching and why I go. I never had that before, but the calling is as real to me as the day I was called as a full-time missionary. I now go to try and help others avoid the pain of where I've walked and to taste the peace and joy of what I've found on my journey. I'm just a shorts and flip flops kind of home teacher. I'm not saying my dress code is right or wrong. All I know is on a Sunday afternoon the Spirit used me, flip flops and all to make a difference.

In sales we have a saying, "Half the battle is in showing up." I think sometimes that's all the Lord asks.