Things One, Two, and Three!
Dear Elders and Sisters:
Thing One: Faith is NIs hoped for, not yet found! (Ether
12:6) I want to start by congratulating the many companionships who found 6, 7,
and 8 New Investigators two weeks ago. We even had a companionship who found 11
New Investigators. This kind of finding
requires great faith, diligence and obedience coupled with sacrifice. I also noted several areas which had
struggled to find, were successful at reaching the CFM's Standard of Excellence
- four New Investigators! This kind of
finding has everything to do with the ingredients - faith, diligence,
obedience, and sacrifice! It will always
be so that when faith is first planted and exercised, it will lead to an
increase in one's ability to "do" things which ultimately leads to
one's ability and success to "accomplish the thing the Lord has
commanded"! Thank you for your examples of being Missionaries with
"Fire in their Bones!"
Thing Two: "Oh Wretched Man that I Am! My God hath
been my support." (2 Nephi 4:17, 20) I have been greatly blessed as you
have shared with me the impressions taught you by the spirit as you read and
studied "Beware of Pride", by President Ezra Taft Benson. Thank you for teaching me and thank you for
your commitments to work to eliminate pride in all its many forms from your
lives. One special and instructive
observation for me was brought to my attention as I watched the General
Conference session of this talk in April, 1989.
While it was President Ezra Taft Benson's talk, his health was such he
asked his counselor, President Gordon B. Hinckley to give the talk! What a marvelous display of humility! This is one of the all-time great inspired
and prophetic teachings from the pulpit and his humility was such that the talk
simply needed to be delivered, not necessarily by him, but that the word of the
Lord would be made known on this subject.
I am grateful for your humility that allows you to
recognize things that need to be eliminated and changes that need to be made to
better give your will to God! Thank you
for seeking to do so. Can I point out
that it is not an event but rather a life-long pursuit. It is part of the journey to the Celestial
and, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell has pointed out, that journey is a strait and
narrow path full of a lot of chuck holes and loose gravel. Just "Be Aware of Pride"!
Thing Three: "Agents Unto Themselves" (D&C
58:26-28) One of the clear objectives in the new schedule is the Brethren's
desire to help you become better agents unto yourselves! You are doing so well at this and I
congratulate you. You all know this
concept of being agents unto yourselves, act rather than being acted upon, is
thematic to my life and my desires for you.
For some time, it has been pressing upon me that we need to make some
changes to our accountability which will bring us more in line with these
concepts. After discussion with our MLC,
we have decided to do this as manifest by the following change. Going forward, we would like you to keep
track of the times during a week you are late to studies, out of an
appointment, a dinner, our out of the house.
If no one of these "infractions" are greater than 10 minutes,
please account to your District Leader on Friday, as part of your weekly
planning, and inform him what you are and will be doing to resolve the
challenge. If any one of these displays
of a lack of exact obedience is greater than 10 minutes, then please account
immediately to your District Leader. We
are asking you to be agents unto yourselves and if being late is a problem,
solve it, fix it, overcome it, and Press Forward! Make sense?
I know the Lord would have you be exactly obedient in all
things. I know this is His desire for
all of us. I also know that working to
overcome and repenting is a big part of becoming more Christ-like, more worthy
and so we ask you to engage in this worthy endeavor of repenting/changing and
if you have just a little work, particularly in the area of tardiness/lack of
timeliness, then resolve it. If it
builds through the week to be a trend, then that is a big problem and you need
to account. If it any one incident is
big (greater than 10 minutes) then account.
I know He will bless those who Rise Up and Act, rather than have to be
Acted Upon. I think as you sacrifice
your enmity, your pride, you will find that being exactly obedient in all
things, even in timeliness, matters and you will desire to repent for even the
smallest of mistakes, errors, and sins to truly give your will to Him.
We love you so much.
We are so "well
pleased" with the many, many wonderful things you do well as you strive to
live your Missionary Purpose! We know
there is always room for improvement and simply appreciate the "Road to
Damascus" you are all on where you are asking: "Lord, who art thou
and what would thou have me do?"
With much love, many prayers, and much rejoicing in your
greatness!
President Clark
No comments:
Post a Comment