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!
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