Prospective missionaries should read all of this long post:
This is our mission president, President Ghent, Elder and Sister Uceda from Lima, Peru.
Quito Mission – attendance today included the 7 districts within Quito in the Inaquito chapel. Outlying areas each got their own conference previously.
Teaching session by two young missionaries
How to find new investigators and teach them with faith was their topic according to my understanding. They used Preach My Gospel, the scriptures and a short video clip in their presentation. I especially liked the responses that they received from their fellow missionaries. Some I caught were: Q. “What is it like when we leave our apartment without faith?” A. “We just go for a walk - we are not going to find someone to teach.” Other responses during the session included: “Our morning study should increase our faith.” “We need to be united as companions.” “Our faith begins when we get up in the morning and follow our schedules.” “We have tasted the fruit and we want to share it with others.” I felt like everyone was engaged and the missionaries provided a great example of how to effectively teach a principle.
Sister Ghent
We are representatives of Jesus Christ. The two most prominent names on our tag are our own and that of Jesus Christ. We need to represent Him at all times and in all places—always. The leaders of the church are concerned with a trend of increasing informality among missionaries. She asked for examples of this tend within their own experience and received several examples such as, informal dress, slang and not using full names. Sister Ghent taught that we should use full titles and complete names. All missionaries are Elder or Hermana. Missionaries should not use the familiar forms of Spanish during their mission. She explained that formality is a protection for the missionary. Formality refines our character and takes us to higher ground. Other people will notice and appreciate your speech. Remember your role as valiant men and women. With love and humble formality, others will see with greater clarity our message of truth.
President Ghent
“What kind of mission would this be if every missionary was just like me?” Excellent question to ask ourselves often. As a mission it would be prideful to say we are the best. But we can certainly say no other mission is better than we are. There are three practices that we have recently adopted in this mission. 1. Take investigators to the church building on a day other than Sunday so they will be more comfortable when attending our meetings. 2. Share the Proclamation on the Family with as many people as possible. 3. If an appointment fails, look around and find the reason the Lord wanted you in that place at that time. President Ghent introduced a new emphasis on an additional practice with the story of Elijah and the widow. We need to remember to be obedient to our prophets and leaders in order to receive the blessings the Lords has ready for us.
Hermana Uceda
She explained that they worked with the Ghents in the Area Office and are good friends. She revealed that one of her teenage daughters said that Elder Ghent is very serious but Sister Ghent is very sweet! Sister Uceda said that she could say that the Quito Mission is the best. She said she would give the mission a rating of A1. She asked, “Who were your childhood heroes?” She got responses like, Superman, Power Rangers, and Batman. She asked why and found that they solved problems, saved the world, fought for the right and were strong and fearless. She then turned this into a wonderful discussion about heroes in the Book of Mormon and again got lots of good responses to Who? and Why? questions. She then asked, “How do you feel when you see a former companion again?” This led to a discussion of the meeting between Alma and the sons of Mosiah in the scriptures. She pointed out the phrase “sano entendimiento” (sound understanding) and explained that it meant focused on the most important only, as if we had blinders on and ignored all the things that do not qualify as the most important. She reminded the missionaries that their focus now is to teach the Gospel. Missionaries are to study the scriptures, learn and teach. Remember your purpose. You have only 2 years to make the memories that will be with you for a lifetime.
Elder Uceda
No one has more power than you missionaries…or more responsibility. English is the language of the Restoration. Spanish scriptures are translated. English language scriptures are pure. In Italian they have a saying that a translator is a traitor. It is impossible to translate word for word and get something that sounds good. It is a constant battle to decide how to best express the original meaning. Elder Uceda learned some English on his mission and felt he should continue to read his English scriptures for the next 20 years.
Missionaries are different. Not superior to anyone else, but different and powerful. They have a little white book to guide their actions while they are on a mission. When President Hinckley was on his mission this little book had fewer pages. It gets longer as missionaries commit more sins. Please do not add to this book. The purpose of the book is to protect missionaries. A mission is a test. Be obedient. The word obedient is from a Latin word that means hear, listen, or pay attention. An obedient missionary listens to, hears and pays attention to guidance from the scriptures and the instructions of his leaders.
Elder Uceda said that in his opinion one unassuming principle in the little white book is the most important. He said that 95% of the missionaries that are sent home dishonorably have broken this one rule in the missionary manual. Please pay attention to page 30 – Stay together. Remain with your companion. The definition is to remain within sight and hearing of your companion at all times unless you are being interviewed by your Mission President, on a companion exchange or in the bathroom. You need to be close enough to be aware of what is happening and also what is being said.
Elder Uceda took us through Revelations 12: 7, 9 15, and 17 to illustrate the importance of this principle. He said that Revelations is difficult to understand because it moves between present, and future, and the past without making it clear which is which. But we need to understand clearly that the war in heaven that was in the past is also in the present and will continue into the future. It is not a war of swords, or of atom bombs but a very real war of ideas. Satan means enemy or adversary. Diablo means accuser. Water comes from the mouth of Satan. Water is used to convey words, false ideas to cover and drown the woman. They are sufficient to suffocate and the intent is to kill the woman. Missionaries fight against Satan with words of truth and light and love. Their purpose is to teach people how to achieve joy. We are in a war. Satan is at war with the church and faithful Saints. Missionaries are his favorite target. He has been waging this war since the beginning of this world and is very skilled and practiced. When missionaries cross the line and break the rules in the little white book Satan is watching and already in position to do all he can to take them down.
He shared a quote from President Kimball that he has pasted in his scriptures: It included the following thoughts. Satan never sleeps, is diligent, does not give up, is methodical. He uses our five senses against ourselves. He uses our natural hungers and thirsts to divert us from good things. He anticipates resistance and fortifies himself against our resistance. Since the beginning of time he has been constant and skillful. He uses the media and all material things to distort our thinking and drive us to his ways of thinking. He skillfully uses power and influence. He overlooks nothing. He prostitutes good things. Money, power and force are his tools. He deceives us when we are weak. He uses the sensual. He changes the divine nature of music to incite dangerous passions. (I cannot find the quote. Anyone else able to?)
Elder Uceda told the story of how he learned English on his mission. In his mission in Peru, it was the rule that Elders spoke English when they were alone. (Every native Latin had a North American companion.) It was very difficult for him. He spoke Spanish and was in a Spanish speaking country. It was not easy to communicate. He reminded President Ghent that the first companion for a new missionary is very important to set the pattern for the whole mission. His first companion insisted that they speak English when they were alone. That pattern continued and when Elder Uceda was the senior companion he also followed the rule. He wore out his dictionary and filled up lots of small notebooks with his notes of English words and their meanings. He learned quite a bit of English in two years.
He showed us a grid of 8 x 8 squares and asked, “How many squares can you see?” The first answer is 64 but if you keep looking you can find more and more. He used this as an entry into how to study the scriptures.
He told us about Elder L. Tom Perry. When he was called to the Quorum he was a very young stake president in Boston. He found himself seated next to Bruce R. McConkie. Whenever the brethren were discussing the scriptures, the president would turn to Elder McConkie and Elder McConkie would recite the scripture from memory. His knowledge was encyclopedic. Elder Perry said the president never asked him so he decided to make studying the scriptures one of his priorities. He never became Elder McConkie but he learned to delve into the scriptures.
Elder Packer was teaching about studying the scriptures and began by putting up a line on the chalkboard. It looked like this: The extent of my knowledge of the Gospel Zero_____________________________________________Infinite
He asked the people present to mark where they are on this line. His listeners were understandably hesitant. Then he said, "I will begin and make my line first." He put a little vertical line just barely to the right of the zero. The message - we need to be carefu - when we see 64 squares, we might think that we know all there is to know about the scriptures and not look for more.
He gave us examples of learning more than the obvious with D&C 4
Stop and ask questions. If a word is unusual, stop and ask why the Lord used this word. Embark – take a boat. Leave shore, take only a suitcase, can´t quit in the middle and decide to return…what else? Keep your mind working, wondering, asking questions. Why did the Lord choose that word? There is always a test, a quiz in the scriptures. Are you paying attention? “all of your heart, soul, mind…” If there is fear in your heart you cannot devote all of it to the Lord. Use all of your heart and root out anything that detracts from that focus.
Faith in Latin is fido which means to trust. Don´t make assumptions about meanings. Think about it and see if you can expand your understanding.
When I have doubts, I focus on problems. When I am discouraged it means I am without faith in Jesus Christ. All principles rest in Christ. Faith, Hope, Charity reflect back to the example of Christ. If we have fear, we lack hope.
Compare scriptures to each other. In D&C 4:5 why does the Lord list love and charity? How are they different? Why does this section end the way it does?
There were many more wonderful examples of how to think more deeply when reading the scriptures. I kept listening and failed to write down many of his insights. Elder Uceda is a great teacher and an excellent example of one who wants to learn more and more and more of what is available to each of us in the scriptures.
He shared Elder Oaks thoughts from a recent visit to Peru where they traveled together. (Sister Uceda had previously told me how tender it was to observe Sister Oaks with two grandsons who were serving their missions in Peru. How she touched them over and over, was concerned with their health and how she pressed them to eat more when they were invited to eat lunch with the group of dignitaries.) Elder Oaks said members of the church tend to view callings as if there were a scale of importance. One would move up from being Bishop up to being a Stake President for example in most people's estimation. He said, “We never move up or down in the church, we can only move forward or backward.” He said a stake president who is released and works in the Primary as his new calling is not moving down in importance and it is known only to the Lord if we are moving forward or backward. He also called a young boy up to the stand and put his own suit coat on the boy. It was too big. He said the mantle of our responsibility is always too big for us but we have the responsibility and can have the blessing to be able to fill the measure of our opportunity.
Elder Uceda closed his remarks by telling of his experience with President Hinckley when he visited Ecuador. He told us that Elder Jay Jensen came to his CES office in 1997 and told him that President Hinckley would need a translator when he came to Ecuador and asked him to fulfill that responsibility. He traveled to Quito one day early. He asked for a copy of every conference talk President Hinckley had given. He was astonished at the stack of paper they gave to him. He had no idea there were so many conference talks. He tried to practice translating the words of President Hinckley. He prayed fervently.
The next day he had breakfast with a group of men traveling with the President. He was shown the passport of President Hinckley. He was amazed at how thick it was. He asked if he could touch it. He said there were many, many pages pasted in with writing that he did not recognize. He felt the wonderful blessing that it was to have a president of the church who could travel to so many countries and meet with the saints all over the world. He thought of how much time he must have spent in airports. He met President Hinckley for only a moment and felt the warmth of his smile. Elder Uceda traveled in a car following the car of President Hinckley and his wife. He was impressed with the love and consideration shared by the couple. At 9:30 AM they met with all of the missionaries in Ecuador at that time, in the same building we were meeting in. Elder Uceda walked to the door near the stand and explained that when President Hinckley entered everyone stood and there was complete silence and reverence. He could feel the Spirit and felt more completely his responsibility. These missionaries had come to hear the prophet and most of them could only understand his words in Spanish. They could not understand the prophet directly. He followed the prophet to the stand and said he was shaking like a leaf. President Hinckley could tell he was nervous. When they went to the pulpit together President Hinckley said, “Take it easy. Everything will be fine.” He hugged him and rubbed his arm and Elder Uceda said he felt much better. Near the end of his talk, President Hinckley walked to a huge vase of red roses at the side of the stand and took one out of the arrangement. He came back to the pulpit and asked the missionaries if they could see this flower. He compared the beauty and fragility of the rose to their investigators. He counseled that they should strive to really see their investigators, appreciate their value and need for care. He said, pray for them, share your love, and teach them how to be strong members in Ecuador. Elder Uceda said it was very tender and hard for him to translate but everyone was touched and there were some tears. Afterward they went to a huge auditorium where President Hinckley spoke to thousands of people. When Elder Uceda looked over the crowd he felt nervous again but President Hinckley gave him another little hug. The Spirit was there and it was wonderful. After the talk Elder Uceda turned to leave and President Hinckley took his arm and thanked him warmly again. He was impressed that even with a prophet's concern for the thousands of people in attendance President Hinckely focused on just one, just like the Savior.
Elder Uceda advised all of us to teach and bless and set a good example so others can learn also to follow Jesus Christ. All who choose to learn of Jesus Christ and follow his example will find joy.
It was a privilege to be in attendance at this special conference,
Hermana Pettingill
No comments:
Post a Comment