Perfection in our Church Leaders

Do we expect too much perfection in our leaders?

One of my church leaders, one I trust and love, made a technical error about the scriptures. He talked about how Nephi went and got ore and melted it to make a new, metal bow to get food for his family. In reality, Nephi made a bow out of wood (1 Ne 16:23). Yet this man went on to teach a great lesson about having earnest prayer and not letting ourselves say unmeaningful, repeated prayers.

So what is the greater truth?  A detail about Nephi's bow and arrow story or persuading each other to have meaningful communication with God?

Another leader of mine made a scriptural mistake. He said that Mosiah was 13 years old when he began to reign as king. Mosiah 6:4 says he began to reign in his "thirtieth" year. He was making the point that the Lord does not regard age when calling his servants. He sometimes calls them when they are very young. What he was teaching is correct, look at Samuel, David, Mormon or Joseph Smith.

These two experiences have caused me to think about the nature of our church leaders. We do not have our  leaders professionally trained to be our leaders. They come from all walks of life. What is more important, a leader that will not make technical mistakes about the scriptures? Or leaders that will not make mistakes about the central, spiritual principles of the doctrine of Christ and its main offshoots?

I will go with the latter. Mormons are about changing the heart and soul and hands and mind of humankind.  Leaders that are imperfect perhaps are more approachable. Perhaps their weaknesses are stumbling blocks to the learned.  I will stand with the good leaders of my church any day. I love them. They have my heart, my mind and my shoulders.

Farmers, Atheletes and Musicians

On the way home from our Priesthood Campout, my sons and I listened to Farm Wisdom for City Folks.  It is one of the best talks I have heard.  My dad grew up on a farm and orchard.  His dad supplemented their income from the farm.  When my dad graduated from BYU in the late 60s he got a job in Phoenix.  We lived there for about 10 years.  One of my dad's concerns was that he raise his children well.  One of the main reasons he moved west to the suburb of Peoria was he could get a couple of acres of irrigated land.  He wanted to make sure his children knew how to work.  And that they would grow to love it.

Some of my best memories with my dad were when we were working.  I was pretty little when we built the house in Peoria.  My dad spent at least a year going into work extra early so he would have time to go out to the property and work on something or another.  He did get contractors to dig the basement, and many other large items.  But Dad helped a lot with the electrical system, all of the drywall, taping and painting and I am sure much more.

The younger brothers and I built the work shed he has.  We would pour a little slab of concrete at a time.  I remember using the electric drill to put in hundred of screws to put up the siding and the roof.  Our family vacations were also work.  I think camping is a way to make work fun.  Coming off of our priesthood camp out, I tell you that it is work.  From the planning, packing, setting up camp, breaking it down and all the hiking around.  I remember when mowing the grass turned from being a chore to having a measure of satisfaction in a job well done.  There were many times that I looked forward to mowing.

John Bytheway mentioned talking to a mission president.  He said that if all his missionaries would be farmers, athletes or musicians, 70% of his problems would go away.  He said that each of these pursuits cultivate a certain character in people.  The law of the harvest is in effect.  You cannot plant seed at the beginning of September and expect a harvest by dumping hundreds of gallons of water on it and waiting a few days to harvest.  The same goes for dedicated athletes and musicians.  You have to dedicate yourself to them and incrementally get better and stronger and more skilled.  You have to learn to continue on when you don't feel the progress happening.

President Benson said it this way.

I have often said that one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.

A second aspect that stood out to me was that we are amusing ourselves to death.  That we are moving generally from a work ethic to an entertainment and welfare ethic.  While I think that it is possible that this is a general trend in our society, there are many, examples that I see of a work ethic and honor in craftsmanship around me.  There are so many that are willing to put in the effort needed to be honorable producers and not just consumers.

Moments of Clarity

There are times when life gives you moments of clarity.  Like tonight when Steph noticed that I moved my hand from her arm to her hand.  You see I sweat easily and her skin gets irritated by it.  She noticed it.  But I didn't.  She told me and we had a tender moment.  I could see that in some ways I am becoming the man I aspire to be.  It was a moment to see the direction I am going.  What I am becoming.

I hope to continue on that path.

It reminds me of the moment in The Matrix when Neo recognizes he has complete control over his virtual surroundings.  Or when Eragon in the Inheritance Cycle series recognizes that he must not become faster in his sword skills, he must only wait for the right moment.  Or Nephi as he stood on the shore working to build the ship God asked him to build.  He said that nothing is impossible for the Lord.  If He asked Nephi to command the water that it be dry ground and if Nephi were to give that command, the water would become dry ground.  Or when Gandalf says to the bellowing balrog, "You. Shall. Not. Pass."

Sometimes I feel that power.  The power of God.  The power of Good.  Mostly I don't feel it that strongly though.  Most of the time is spent doing regular things.  Menial tasks.  The laundry.  The homework.  The grocery shopping.

I am reminded of the pilot who saved the flight that was rising out of an airport in New York City.  He said something to the effect that he went through training his entire career.  He practiced the training and over the years he had built up a reserve that he was able to tap.  When he needed it, it was there.  He tapped his reserves and it came out all right.

That is what I want for my family and friends and community.  I want it to turn out all right.  Ultimately.  Finally. Eternally.  It is so interesting that these destinies come from every day decisions.  That turn into every day habits.  That turn into the character of the people we are.  That determines our destinies.  Our every little decision.  Piled up over our lifetimes.  And eternities before and eternities to come.

My church teaches me that this life is different than what we experienced before.  That in this life, time exists.  There are deadlines.  If you don't meet the deadline, no one saves you.  Or if they do, it's because they have gone above and beyond.  Our lives are messy.  We don't remember our existence before.  We are here to live by faith.  To see through a glass darkly.

We are more mold-able here. We have tabernacles of flesh, maybe that is one reason.  Time causes things to change.  The fall of Adam caused entropy or a tendency for things to go towards chaos.  We must work to retain our lives.

I have not seen the lives we have ahead of us after this life.  I do know that we can improve our lives in the here and now by practicing Goodness.  Be Good according to the dictates of my conscience.  And when I fall short, get, back up and try again.  Allow forgiveness for myself and others.

I have faith in a great life to come.  That never ends for any of us.  We are Eternal beings, spiritually born of The Eternal Being.  Our lives are what we make of them.  The moral choices we make each day.  We can choose happiness or misery.  These don't come in one day but they do come drop by drop, day by day until we obtain an infinity of Goodness by the Grace of God, an exceeding depth of pain and bitterness, or somewhere in between.

So what choose you?  I choose life and life more abundantly.  But each day will be the verifier.  Choose each day to keep trusting in God.  To allow happiness in my tasks.  To lean into the work I have to do.  All with a prayer of gratitude for the chance to experience it and to do my part to pass it on.

Trust in the Lord

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 3:5)

I love the three things I focus on when life gets hard:
- Trust God
- Be Happy
- Work Hard

Trusting in the Lord means that I expect the Lord to fulfill His promises whether now or in eternity.

Choose to be happy in the situation I am in
Work hard doing what the Lord wants me to do.

Letters to Loved Ones

There were two talks in General Conference this April that spoke about letters to loved ones: "Willing and Worthy to Serve" by President Monson and "Was It Worth It?" by David F. Evans.  I also read a news article recently that asked if our social media makes us lonely.

It has caused me to think of my letter writing habits. Also my social media habits. I asked myself if my interactions were meaningful online. Also if my habits in real life are fostering strong relationships. I have three teenagers now. They will soon be out of my home. Am I creating the relationship I want with them as they become adults? Am I investing in my relationship with my wife so it can blossom and bear good fruit?

There is a lady in our ward that has spoken of letters she received from her grandma. There were a lot of them.  They were encouraging to her. She thought she was the only grandchild to receive them.  Her grandma sent similar letters to all her grandchildren.

I want rich relationships with my family and friends. I have decided to write a few more letters to those I love. And make my time in real life more meaningful. I am grateful for the messages in General Conference and the other things that have led me to this.

"Teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment"

"Sometimes the most powerful way to teach our children to understand a doctrine is to teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment." (Cheryl A. Esplin. "Teaching Our Children to Understand" Mar 31,2012)

A wonderful story of teaching a child to recognize the sweet inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Here is the whole story from 2:28-5:19 in the video.

I’m reminded of a phone call I received several years ago from our daughter, Michelle. With tender emotion she said, “Mom, I just had the most incredible experience with Ashley.” Ashley is her daughter who was five years old at the time. Michelle described the morning as being one of constant squabbling between Ashley and three-year-old Andrew—one wouldn’t share and the other would hit. After helping them work things out, Michelle went to check the baby.
Soon, Ashley came running in, angry that Andrew wasn’t sharing. Michelle reminded Ashley of the commitment they had made in home evening to be more kind to each other. 

She asked Ashley if she wanted to pray and ask for Heavenly Father’s help, but Ashley, still very angry, responded, “No.” When asked if she believed Heavenly Father would answer her prayer, Ashley said she didn’t know. Her mother asked her to try and gently took her hands and knelt down with her. 

Michelle suggested that Ashley could ask Heavenly Father to help Andrew share—and help her be kind. The thought of Heavenly Father helping her little brother share must have piqued Ashley’s interest, and she began to pray, first asking Heavenly Father to help Andrew share. As she asked Him to help her be kind, she began to cry. Ashley ended her prayer and buried her head on her mother’s shoulder. Michelle held her and asked why she was crying. Ashley said she didn’t know. 

Her mother said, “I think I know why you’re crying. Do you feel good inside?” Ashley nodded, and her mother continued, “This is the Spirit helping you feel this way. It’s Heavenly Father’s way of telling you He loves you and will help you.” 

She asked Ashley if she believed this, if she believed Heavenly Father could help her. With her little eyes full of tears, Ashley said she did. 

Sometimes the most powerful way to teach our children to understand a doctrine is to teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment. These moments are spontaneous and unplanned and happen in the normal flow of family life. They come and go quickly, so we need to be alert and recognize a teaching moment when our children come to us with a question or worry, when they have problems getting along with siblings or friends, when they need to control their anger, when they make a mistake, or when they need to make a decision. (See Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for Gospel Teaching [1999], 140–41; Marriage and Family Relations Instructor’s Manual [2000], 61.)

An Illness We All Share

Here is a post that has a link to a 2008 talk by James L. Ferrell given at Southern Virginia University.  There is a link there to an mp3 of his talk. He is the author of The Peacegiver and The Holy Secret. I loved this talk.

He speaks about an illness that all humankind shares and how to overcome it. I will give away the end.  The solution is to Come Unto Christ and be healed.

Why is Jesus Important to me?

This seems like such a fundamental question. I am going to try to break down my feelings for Jesus Christ and why He is so valuable to me.

I have felt the consequences of my sin. There have been times when I recognize that I have acted against God's will resulting in the pain and harm of those I love. As I have prayed to know the right thing to do, I have been inspired to how to reconcile myself to God and to those I have offended. When I surrendered to those promptings and asked for forgiveness from the person(s) and from God, I have felt an immediate flood of relief and joy in my heart. It is especially potent when the other person frankly forgives me. It feels so good to be right with what I know God would want me to do. 

From the Book of Mormon, the New Testament and elsewhere in the scriptures, I have learned about the fall of Adam and how sin came into the world. I see this life as a chance to choose between right and wrong with only faith and my conscience (or light from God) to guide me. As I have followed that light I have been filled with joy.

That light of God comes from Jesus Christ. He was chosen before the world was created to be our Savior. We all agreed to come from God's presence into this world, so we can grow to be more like our Heavenly Parents. From Jesus comes all Good. He created the earth. All the good you see in this world comes from Him.

Jesus lived a perfect life. He came to earth as the physical son of Mary and of Heavenly Father. Because of that he had power to lay down his life and to take it up again. Because he was the son of Mary, he was subject to the normal ills of life. He grew up as a normal child.  Only he did not choose evil.  Not even once. 

At the end of his life he suffered for our sins. In a garden, he bled from every pore as he willingly allowed himself to feel the consequence of every sin ever committed. Not only sin, but every pain and heartache ever felt by any one on earth or that would ever be felt. He was able to withstand this because he is the Son of God. He was tested to the limits of his abilities. And He succeeded!  In all this pain He never sinned. He died for our sins and then lifted himself up on the third day. He lives again! And because he did, every person will live again in a perfected body.

Why is Jesus so important to me? He is everything that is Good. He has blazed the path for me to be joined forever to that Good if I only will. 

General Conference First Impressions

Here are some first impressions from General Conference.

David S. Baxter on Sat Afternoon
Single mother of 7 children. She had gone across the street to deliver something. As she left she heard several things from her children. “Mother, I need to go to the library. I need poster board tonight” The single mother said a prayer. “Father can I come and stay with you if only for tonight?” She seemed to hear an answer from above “No, my little one, you cannot come to me but I can come to you”

Deiter F. Uchtdorf Sun Morning
"Don't judge me because I sin differently than you"
Forgive others and ourselves.  Remove the scales of resentment.

President Packer
Make the church family friendly.  Make time for family.
Sometimes he hears someone say to him “Wouldn’t it be nice if”, The answer is almost always no. The next thing that comes after this phrase would almost always take time away from the family and not return a greater value to those involved.

Jeffrey R. Holland
Avoid envy Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20). Do not hold grudges. Set them free and be free myself.
The thrill of being merciful is what God loves most about being God.
There is no place low enough where the light of Christ cannot reach.

Larry Y. Wilson
Wise parents prepare their children to get on without them. Avoid compulsion as a leader.  Story of his daughter who wanted to play soccer on Sunday

Sister Esplin
Create an atmosphere where children can feel and recognize the Spirit
Story about Ashley. Ashley prays to ask her brother Andrew to help share with her. As she prayed she started to cry. She felt the influence of the Holy Ghost.

D. Todd Christopherson
The bright dawn of the first vision. The importance of the doctrine of Christ

Donald L. Hallstrom
Can I be active in the church and not active in the gospel?

Elder Paul E. Koelliker
Love one another - Missionaries knock on a door and a man opens the doors and says, “I told you not to come back, I said you you did it would not be a pleasant experience.”  The missionaries left.  As they did the older missionary put his arm around the other as an expression of comfort.  The man has been watching through the door to make sure the missionaries understood and took his message.  He expected them to make light of his curt response.  When he saw the expression of love his heart was softened.  He opened the door and asked the missionaries to come back and share their message.

Thomas S. Monson Sun afternoon
The spirit of contention is of the devil. Settle any differences I have with others.

Richard G. Scott
What he does to increase his ability to receive inspiration and revelation.
I fast. I pray to find and understand scriptures.
That process is cyclical.
Cautious with humor, be wary of loud laughter, a good sense of humor helps revelation.
Careful, quiet speech. Aided by good health, exercise, adequate speech.
Revelation given in a dream, strive to capture the content immediately.
Sacred feeling.  People we have great respect will teach us. God will use them so we know we can trust the message.
Messages must be protected from loss or intrusion by others.

David F. Evans
Share the gospel naturally and normally

Julie B. Beck
Align ourselves with the vision of the prophets

Thomas S Monson Sun morning
Wall of skepticism crumbled
Jesus calls, “Come back, Come up, Come in, Come unto me."

Ulisses Soares
You can’t be right by doing wrong. You can’t be wrong by doing right.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  Be not weary in well doing.

Russell M Nelson
Elder Nelson wondered about a tropical fish in a fish tank. He asked “Do you know who feeds them? “
“I do”
“Have they ever thanked you?”
“Not yet”
Some live in this life without thanking or acknowledging the God that gave them life.

President Monson Sat morning
**Oppose evil wherever it is found

He quoted Joseph Smith, "The truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (JosephSmith.net History of the Church, 4:540)

Quentin R. Cook
“Be in tune with the sacred music of faith” It is not up to us to judge.
“Have the courage to refrain from judging” Pres Monson
Do not be too judgemental. Mistakes that are foolish but not sinful.