WEEK
SEVEN August 19, 2013
First
some random things:
1.
Came
across a quote this week from Shawn Achor, which resonated with me: “Happiness
is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we
can.”
2.
Saw
an application for “real intent” in King Lamoni precursor statement to Ammon
(Alma 18:21-22) that he would give whatever Ammon required in advance of
learning what would be required, that is, the king made a commitment prior to
making his request.
3.
Lots
of discussion this week and meetings re repentance causing me to reflect upon
D&C 19:15-19. The question is not whether to repent or not to repent as
many seem to see it, but rather more accurately, whether to repent or to
suffer.
To
help explain in a district meeting that a change of heart was much more than
merely stopping or refraining from doing something an idea of how to show it
graphically came to me while Jan and I were discussion our assignment this
week. I drew a circle with the word God in it then a horizontal line extending
a couple of inches away with an arrow at the tip. Then a circular line from the
arrow to the start of a line parallel with the first but this time the arrow
back at God. I told them this was a picture of what repentance looked like.
Then a similar diagram with the circle with God inside, the line heading away a
couple of inches with an arrow at the end pointing away. Then three dots and a vertical
line. I told them this was a picture of what stopping or refraining from doing something
looked like and asked them what the difference was. They got the turning back,
or turning around to God as being the difference. I then asked how that
happens? With the answer that repentance requires a complete recognition of one’s
absolute dependence upon Christ, which in turn produces a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. As Jan and I prayerfully considered what we have observed over
the years as the qualities of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we came up
with the following:
In
summary a broken heart and a contrite spirit is the willingness to do anything
and everything that God asks of us, (see Abraham 3:25; Mosiah 3:19), in
following the example of the Savior who “came from heaven not to do mine own
will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). It is this submissiveness
that allows the atonement to take effect and repentance to occur.
Those
who possess a broken heart and a contrite spirit—
•
Are
completely open to the Holy Spirit
•
Recognize
their absolute dependence upon Christ
•
Willingly
sacrifice all pride and personal desires
•
Allow
themselves to be changed in Christ, to be molded and shaped by the Master
•
Have
a heart continually filled with gratitude for Christ’s suffering in their
behalf, causing their heart to break
•
Exhibit
“godly sorrow” which is a desire to be cleansed from sin that is so consuming
their heart aches with sorrow for the suffering they have personally caused the
Savior, coupled with an intense yearning to be at peace with their Father in
Heaven.
This
week our Zone, the Rancho Santa Margarita Stake, had what is called a “Zone
Conference with the Mission President.” It went from 10 a.m. until a little
after 4:30, including lunch. The presentations were made by the three
assistants and President Orgill (a very enthusiastic presented making it
difficult for the assistants to keep up) coupled with several breakout sessions
to practice. The theme was 20/20, giving twenty 20 minute discussion per week requiring
multiple visits each week rather than marathon 45 and longer discussions once a
week as they have been doing here historically. I’ve seen the results of such
discussion when Elder Robert Taylor was my companion. We seemed so in sync in
every aspect that our discussion time was reduced by at least one-half and the
commitments of investigators were more firm. We also noticed there were far
less objections during a discussion, everything just seemed to flow.
I
noticed in the “preferred” language for street contacting the question is “Can
we share a special message ….” The though immediately came to me that such a
question is easy to say no to but if we were to say, “Would you allow us to share
a special message ….” It would be much more difficult for someone to say in
effect, “No, I won’t allow it.”
Also
during the conference the mission president’s wife and Jan were in hushed
conversation. Turns out she is seeking some help to relive burdens she believes
her husband is carrying and was interested in learning of my experiences as
bishop and in working with the YSA group. Not sure anything will come of it but
apparently there are a number of missionaries with needs that she feels need to
be addressed.
Shortly
after our arrival I had the feeling the six pamphlets were not being used very
much nor effectively. I thought for example they could form the basis of the
entire new member discussions and marked up and added scriptures to my set
accordingly. At the zone training meeting the missionaries were asked to make
better use of them.
President
Orgill wants the following planning outline to be used in all investigator
planning;:
1.
What
does the investigator need to do
2.
What
will their concerns be
3.
What
is their desire
4.
What
do I need to study for them
5.
What
can we teach him
We
got into the meeting just a tad late as brother Russ Greiner, the institute
director here, had called me asking if I could teach a weekly, 10:30 Wednesday,
hour and one-half class at the institute building on the Doctrine &
Covenants. I was over joyed with the news and over that day put together quite
a list of questions I wanted to ask Russ as we met the next morning. But by
then the Area Director had warned him that if the class was successful it could
cost the job of one of his two full-time personnel as it would be difficult to
justify if the classes were already being taken care of. So he withdraw the
offer and I didn’t ask the questions. He did ask me to teach his classes the
last week of August as he would be out of town. So Monday through Thursday I
have 2 Old Testament classes, 1 Book of Mormon and 1 Pearl of Great Price and 1
Preparing for Eternal Marriage class.
Another
Connection, President Dave Ellis, from Escondido, the newly called first counselor
in the mission presidency, and his wife are very close friends with Debra
Romney. Debra’s daughter Ann lives in their ward with her family of four
children. Said he, “When I told Ann about you serving in the California Irvine
Mission she seemed overjoyed telling me that you were her bishop in her singles
ward.”
In
our visit with the Two family this week we focused on the father’s previous
questions regarding repentance, he being concerned that it had been a few weeks
since his baptism and he was not yet perfect to which I responded, “Join the
club.” If we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses (see Ether 12:27), that doesn't mean we are drifting away from the Lord. More likely we are drawing
closer. When we begin to understand the Atonement we see correction isn’t
discouraging but motivating. Because of the Atonement we learn from our
mistakes without being condemned by them. Elder Maxwell said, “If we are
serious about our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do
those very things which are most difficult for us to do.” (A time to Choose, 46) I tried to explain that real growth without
repentance can’t endure to the end without the necessary changes effected in us
through the grace of Christ as we become “born again.” Unless people truly repent,
they will not experience a might change of heart and they will not develop
sufficient faith to endure.
After
we had taught a lesson we began a very frank discussion about their son’s anticipated
baptism date. The elders had noted some reticence from the family and I had
told the bishop we would visit to see if we could get to the bottom of it. The
young man shared in a very precise manner the sweet manifestation of the Lord as
he had prayed about the truthfulness of the gospel and later about being baptized.
Both experiences were similar. The elders had given him a baptism date of 24
August but when he prayed about that he did not receive a similar manifestation.
He asked if he should expect the Lord to be in the details of the date as he
had been in the details of the truthfulness of the gospel and getting baptized.
I assured him that would have been my expectation as well. So after discussing
the matter for some time with he and his parents I proposed that he set aside
the date the elders had set for him and proceed to set his own date. The
setting of his own date would be the demonstration of faith the Lord requires in
order for manifestation to come. The second part of this strategy would be that
after setting the date he would call us and the elders so we could pray that he
receive that manifestation. I gave him a couple of scriptures from the Book of
Mormon to read but later in the week had a strong impression that he and his
dad should read Helaman 5 together before setting the date. So I communicated
that to the dad and shared what I had proposed with both the elders and the
Bishop. Everyone seemed to agree this was a good resolution.
We
made two more visits to the Apple store to meet up with the Eleven family, the
YSA working there to share with her the Tabernacle version of primary songs,
the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and an offer to help he see why her grandmother
found such joy in the Church. Unfortunately on neither occasion were we able to
find her working at that time.
Friday
evening we took the Six family to dinner. They seemed quite excited as he came
home from work early to shower and get ready. We went to the California Fish
Grill and to my surprise they had Barramundi on their menu. My first time to
eat this delicious fish since our visit to Australia over 34 years ago. We had
a good talk. I had wanted to introduce to them the feeling I had to set up a
series of discussions about the temple but when I initially brought it up as we
drove to the restaurant they immediately changed the discussion which gave me
some hesitancy about bringing it up again. After dinner we went to a park near
their home and walked and talked before settling on a picnic table. We talked
about a number of things and I could tell Jan was getting a little anxious as
she keep hitting my knee under the table because the sister seemed fidgety, but
it didn’t feel right then. But shortly thereafter the conversation opened
allowing me to describe the feeling I had felt the previous week while sitting
beside the husband at church. As I was explaining my feeling to spend some time
in discussing the temple the sister spoke up, “I have never thought about the
temple before but this week three questions came to my mind. Would you be
willing to answer them?” Which I did and then proceeded to give them the first
discussion I had prepared. I told them this will be forever known as the Two
Family temple preparation discussion as I didn’t think such discussions were
the normal fare with non-members. Following the discussion I asked if we could
set a date for the next one. The brother said with his work schedule in such a
bind right now he suggested we meet at 4 p.m. on Sundays starting with the day
after tomorrow.
Sunday
at 4 we presented the second temple preparation discussion to the Six family
that I had prepared and left the discussion with them to review in preparation
for the homework assignment I left with them. The discussion went well as they
agreed to my proposal to sit around the table (to free us from the distraction
of the many dogs they have) and each brought scriptures with them. But the
surprise that has had Jan and I talking about this for days was what came up in
the first discussion. This is an unmarried couple so we have been very careful
as we have been told that marriage is a taboo subject in their home and is not
to be brought up. Well as Jan and I were driving home we realized that marriage
was had been the topic for most of the discussion. A full two-way discussion
with all involved. As Jan and I tried to dissect the evening neither of us
could remember how the topic became marriage (who brought it up, how was it
brought up, etc.) so we concluded that was the direction the Spirit wanted and
the conversation was directed accordingly. A very sweet experience and a
reminder that if we but open our mouth the Lord will take it from there.
Our
week was capped by a welcome visit with Baldur and Nancy Schindler along with Cheryl
and Lynn Teuscher, lunch at Olive Garden, sharing of memories, good stories and
rejoicing in the goodness of the halcyon days of Encinitas Ward and the environment
and solid role models our children were all privileged to grow and mature in.
