Mountain Zone Conference

 From our zone conference hikes up the mountain behind the mission home/office.  Dad had the missionaries reading scriptures in 1 Nephi 8 about Lehi’s Dream. There is an excellent article in the August 2010 Ensign by President Boyd K. Packer titled Finding Ourselves in Lehi’s Dream that is worth reading. The office elders hiked ahead to tie a pear up in one of the trees. One of the “Adams” later commented that when volunteers were asked for people hesitated, not wanting to step forward. Yet afterward, they all flocked around wanting to partake. He said that sometimes proselyting is like that. People hesitate, aren’t sure they want to listen. Yet when they do stop and listen others tend to lean in and want to partake as well. And it is sweet/glad they partook.  We hiked the mountain with numerous stops along the way where we had our assistants, sister training leaders, zone leaders, Dad, me, and other speak about certain scriptures or topics. Breaking up the hiking made it easier for the missionaries overall. Generally they were all in good shape; except one or two individuals who needed a head start after each stop to set the pace they could handle. Our office couple ended up taking the cable car down after several attempts of getting lost and backtracking to the loading station.

 

 

Even our military couple, in their sixties, made the hike up and down (though I did have to go back looking for them going at a slower pace—another adventure!).

  

 

I will share a portion of my talk that I shared with our missionaries at the top of the mountain, on our zone conference hike:

 

As we sacrifice we should be more prayerful, devoted, and dedicated as well as thankful to the Lord for our blessings. A number of years ago President Barrow and I were asked how our lives were affected as both of our sets of parents served missions at the same time. I could not pinpoint any tremendous blessing or change in our lives except that we Felt the Blessings of the sacrifice and service of our parents. I think that if you were to ask the members of your families how their lives have been blessed through your service they would feel the same way as we did; not able to give specific accounts but still Knowing and Feeling that their lives have been blessed because of your service.

It reminds me of an experience Sister Choi, wife of Elder Choi of the Asia North Area presidency shared at a meeting last year. Sister Choi shared that one of their sons profession was that of a musician and that he had been invited to perform in Carnegie Hall, known as the most prestigious concert stage in all of the US. Sister Choi expressed her sadness in not being able to attend, to the Lord in prayer. She really wanted to be able to see her son perform, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She wished that she could be there to see him perform. The impression came to her that it is because she is not there that he was able to perform. It was because of the Choi’s sacrifice that their son was blessed in his musical career.

So my question to you is how dedicated and devoted are you to your service and sacrifice? Is your heart really broken? Is there more that you can give and sacrifice on your mission? Do you have need to repent? Have you offended God and need to correct anything?

Obedience is a great and important part of the law of sacrifice. The Lord acknowledges the Prophet Joseph Smith’s obedience and sacrifice in these words: “Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you” (D&C 132:50). When we are obedient, we are blessed with a greater ability to communicate with Heavenly Father; to know and do His will.

The weather did not cooperate with each of our zone conference hikes, but we still had fun!  Each hike was the same route with the same assigned talks, but each one was different. Different personalities of individual missionaries as well as zones.

The afternoon sessions of zone conferences, after we have eaten lunch, there will be a special musical number by one or more of the missionaries in that zone. Elder Smith is so talented!

Elder Royce shared with us that he had been practicing two separate musical numbers for zone conference, not knowing which song to play, yet as he prayed about which song to practice he felt like he should practice both. He ended up playing Come Thou Fount for one zone conference, and then he played You Can Make the Pathway Bright for the Jeju zone conference (very small zone that did not prepare a number). Elder Royce is one of our office elders so he attended each of the zone conferences working translation, computers, whatever was needed. He realized later that he felt inspired to practice both musical numbers as he would be performing both musical numbers unexpectedly.

A fun exercise class with a bunch of “harmonies”/grandmas that our assistants and office missionaries came upon one morning after hiking the mountain. Along one of the other trails there is an exercise area with equipment that older people use most mornings, along with an area where they participate in an exercise class. Our missionaries invited Sister George and I to join them, after which many of the “harmonies” gathered around for a picture. We hope to try going again soon. I love the harmony pants each of the elders is wearing!