Dear Elders and Sisters:
I continue to bask in and ponder on the great compliment from President and Sister Nelson of our obedience. Something about it continue to press upon me but I didn't know what until this week when I received some comments on obedience from several of you. I share them with you, thanking the authors for being an answer to a prayer.
"My brother serving in ___ wrote to me telling me how hard it was to obey because other missionaries were so disobedient, including his trainer. I was nervous that my mission was going to be similar. However, as we know it is not at all the same! I'm so grateful for the obedience in this mission! It is another testimony to me that the California Fresno Mission is where I need to be."
"It really was an amazing thing to hear from the mouth of an Apostle that we are an obedient mission. If there is one thing that I noticed right off when I got to the mission, was how obedient it was, and how everyone was really striving to be the best."
I know of a young man who arrived in the mission of his assignment only to find a disobedient mission, including his trainer. He had always desired to serve a mission and was willing to sacrifice, among many things, his own will and desires (be obedient) to do so. The environment of disobedience in his mission and the attitude of "do what I say, not what I do" of his trainer was more than he could reconcile emotionally. He returned home after one short transfer with severe emotional distress, not being able to reconcile his vision of what a mission should be to what the reality of his mission (sadly) was.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught; "When we seek to know God's will and do everything He commands us to do, the blessings of heaven will rest upon us. To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded....The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it." (HC, 6:223)
I just want to thank you once again for being obedient. It doesn't happen by chance. Each and every one of you make this choice and the sum of our choices equals a culture of exact obedience. It begins with a choice, then requires diligence, then a willingness to sacrifice your will for the will of the Lord, and lastly a faith that He will bless you for doing so. I promise exact obedience is a true principle that will bring miracles! It will be one of the greatest lessons you can and will learn as you seek to love and serve others. Correct and encourage one another. Be accountable! Repent when you need to and be a blessing to your area by being worthy of miracles the Lord will rain down upon you for choosing to exactly obey and serve Him.
With much love and admiration for who you are and who you are becoming!
President Clark
I continue to bask in and ponder on the great compliment from President and Sister Nelson of our obedience. Something about it continue to press upon me but I didn't know what until this week when I received some comments on obedience from several of you. I share them with you, thanking the authors for being an answer to a prayer.
"My brother serving in ___ wrote to me telling me how hard it was to obey because other missionaries were so disobedient, including his trainer. I was nervous that my mission was going to be similar. However, as we know it is not at all the same! I'm so grateful for the obedience in this mission! It is another testimony to me that the California Fresno Mission is where I need to be."
"It really was an amazing thing to hear from the mouth of an Apostle that we are an obedient mission. If there is one thing that I noticed right off when I got to the mission, was how obedient it was, and how everyone was really striving to be the best."
I know of a young man who arrived in the mission of his assignment only to find a disobedient mission, including his trainer. He had always desired to serve a mission and was willing to sacrifice, among many things, his own will and desires (be obedient) to do so. The environment of disobedience in his mission and the attitude of "do what I say, not what I do" of his trainer was more than he could reconcile emotionally. He returned home after one short transfer with severe emotional distress, not being able to reconcile his vision of what a mission should be to what the reality of his mission (sadly) was.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught; "When we seek to know God's will and do everything He commands us to do, the blessings of heaven will rest upon us. To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded....The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it." (HC, 6:223)
I just want to thank you once again for being obedient. It doesn't happen by chance. Each and every one of you make this choice and the sum of our choices equals a culture of exact obedience. It begins with a choice, then requires diligence, then a willingness to sacrifice your will for the will of the Lord, and lastly a faith that He will bless you for doing so. I promise exact obedience is a true principle that will bring miracles! It will be one of the greatest lessons you can and will learn as you seek to love and serve others. Correct and encourage one another. Be accountable! Repent when you need to and be a blessing to your area by being worthy of miracles the Lord will rain down upon you for choosing to exactly obey and serve Him.
With much love and admiration for who you are and who you are becoming!
President Clark
