England (2009)
Thursday, 01 January 2009
During scripture reading this morning, I was reading in 1 Nephi Chapter 16 where Nephi had broken his bow and the family murmured including Lehi. In looking at the Institute Manual, I read the following:
Elder Marion D. Hanks said: “I see a lesson of life here that I do not think Joseph Smith could possibly have contrived. It has too much meaning. He did not have the experience. He had not lived long enough. This is so simple a thing that I doubt many would pause to note it. It is the lesson of the day Nephi broke his bow when they were in the wilderness. This bow was a symbol of food. He was keeping them alive, being a great hunter. And when that bow broke they were in trouble. Laman and Lemuel complained, of course. They were habituated to, they were looking for trouble. But for the first and only time the book tells us about, that I know of, even wonderful old father Lehi complained. He to whom God had revealed his will, this Lehi, when it came to facing starvation, even he complained. Then what happened? This situation is sometime present in almost every business, every college, every governmental unit in the land, in many homes, in churches, where there is a crown prince and heir apparent, the boy who is ready to step up. Lehi was the prophet, but he was old. Nephi had already been designated to succeed. He had seen angels and had talked with the spirit of the Lord. He had had marvelous experiences. The time was here, now, for him to take over—his dad was wavering. The old man had lost it.
“What to do? Nephi says he made a bow and an arrow out of some available wood, got a sling and stones and, ‘I said unto my Father, “Whither shall I go to obtain food?”’ It is a simple thing, isn’t it? This is what Goethe meant when he said, ‘If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be.’ This means that Nephi went to his father and said, ‘Dad, the Lord has blessed you. You are his servant. I need to know where to go to get food. Dad, you ask him, will you?’ Oh, he could have gone to his own knees. He could have taken over.
“I count this one of the really significant lessons of life in the book, and, I repeat, the pages are full of them. A son who had strength enough, and humility enough, and manliness enough to go to his wavering superior and say, ‘You ask God, will you?’ because somehow he knew this is how you make men strong, that wise confidence in men builds them. Lehi asked God and God told him, and Lehi’s leadership was restored” (Steps to Learning, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 4 May 1960]).
President Ezra Taft Benson tells of an actual experience that illustrates how this principle can be applied:
“Some time ago, a young man came to my office requesting a blessing. He was about eighteen years of age and had some problems. There were no serious moral problems, but he was mixed up in his thinking and worried. He requested a blessing.
“I said to him, ‘Have you ever asked your father to give you a blessing? Your father is a member of the Church, I assume?’
“He said, ‘Yes, he is an elder, a rather inactive elder.’
“When I asked, ‘Do you love your father?’ he replied, ‘Yes, Brother Benson, he is a good man. I love him.’ He then said, ‘He doesn’t attend to his priesthood duties as he should. He doesn’t go to church regularly, I don’t know that he is a tithe payer, but he is a good man, a good provider, a kind man.’
“I said, ‘How would you like to talk to him at an opportune time and ask him if he would be willing to give you a father’s blessing?’
“‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I think that would frighten him.’
“I then said, ‘Are you willing to try it? I will be praying for you.’
“He said, ‘All right; on that basis, I will.’
“A few days later he came back. He said, ‘Brother Benson, that’s the sweetest thing that has happened in our family.’ He could hardly control his feelings as he told me what had happened. He said, ‘When the opportunity was right, I mentioned it to Father, and he replied, “Son, do you really want me to give you a blessing?” I told him, “Yes, Dad, I would like you to.”’ Then he said, ‘Brother Benson, he gave me one of the most beautiful blessings you could ever ask for. Mother sat there crying all during the blessing. When he got through there was a bond of appreciation and gratitude and love between us that we have never had in our home’” (Conference Report, Oct. 1977, pp. 45–46; or Ensign, Nov. 1977).
I guess I never thought of this passage that way, but that is the manner in which I have always tried to manage people (expect good things out of them and they usually comply).
Then, at the end of Chapter 16, Laman and Lemuel were discussing killing their father and Nephi when the Voice of the Lord came to them, chastising them, and they repented (for this time). Even though I have read this many times, I still can’t believe these brothers—how many times do angels or the Lord or someone have to tell them? I guess some hearts are SO HARD that no experience (however earth shaking) could really change them; they were just frightened for the moment because they got caught. I wonder how they could be so oblivious, but I guess I see people every day that are no different. They hear the truth, but don’t want to believe it because it doesn’t fit into their lives. I guess we’ll just have to work harder!
This evening we had dinner with the Whitthreads who live out along the coast in Osmington. We had a typical English dinner with roast beef, roasted potatoes, cooked carrots, not mushy peas (for those of you who remember Tina’s mushy peas at the British restaurant on Coleman), Yorkshire pudding, and Christmas pudding. With all these lovely dinners out, I’m not going to lose any weight. Thanks to the Whitthreads, I was able to post my latest Blog entry. I really appreciate their indulgence in letting me take the time to get it onto the internet.
Friday, 02 January 2009
Today we made calls to the less active people on our “Reimers Visit List” to continue setting up appointments to talk with them and try to get them back to church. I also called Sister Sandra Scott to move her appointment for next Friday since we just found out the Zone Conference will be on that day (starts early in the morning and goes until 5:00 pm in Poole which is at least an hour of driving to get there).
During scripture reading this morning, I was reading in 1 Nephi Chapter 16 where Nephi had broken his bow and the family murmured including Lehi. In looking at the Institute Manual, I read the following:
Elder Marion D. Hanks said: “I see a lesson of life here that I do not think Joseph Smith could possibly have contrived. It has too much meaning. He did not have the experience. He had not lived long enough. This is so simple a thing that I doubt many would pause to note it. It is the lesson of the day Nephi broke his bow when they were in the wilderness. This bow was a symbol of food. He was keeping them alive, being a great hunter. And when that bow broke they were in trouble. Laman and Lemuel complained, of course. They were habituated to, they were looking for trouble. But for the first and only time the book tells us about, that I know of, even wonderful old father Lehi complained. He to whom God had revealed his will, this Lehi, when it came to facing starvation, even he complained. Then what happened? This situation is sometime present in almost every business, every college, every governmental unit in the land, in many homes, in churches, where there is a crown prince and heir apparent, the boy who is ready to step up. Lehi was the prophet, but he was old. Nephi had already been designated to succeed. He had seen angels and had talked with the spirit of the Lord. He had had marvelous experiences. The time was here, now, for him to take over—his dad was wavering. The old man had lost it.
“What to do? Nephi says he made a bow and an arrow out of some available wood, got a sling and stones and, ‘I said unto my Father, “Whither shall I go to obtain food?”’ It is a simple thing, isn’t it? This is what Goethe meant when he said, ‘If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be.’ This means that Nephi went to his father and said, ‘Dad, the Lord has blessed you. You are his servant. I need to know where to go to get food. Dad, you ask him, will you?’ Oh, he could have gone to his own knees. He could have taken over.
“I count this one of the really significant lessons of life in the book, and, I repeat, the pages are full of them. A son who had strength enough, and humility enough, and manliness enough to go to his wavering superior and say, ‘You ask God, will you?’ because somehow he knew this is how you make men strong, that wise confidence in men builds them. Lehi asked God and God told him, and Lehi’s leadership was restored” (Steps to Learning, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 4 May 1960]).
President Ezra Taft Benson tells of an actual experience that illustrates how this principle can be applied:
“Some time ago, a young man came to my office requesting a blessing. He was about eighteen years of age and had some problems. There were no serious moral problems, but he was mixed up in his thinking and worried. He requested a blessing.
“I said to him, ‘Have you ever asked your father to give you a blessing? Your father is a member of the Church, I assume?’
“He said, ‘Yes, he is an elder, a rather inactive elder.’
“When I asked, ‘Do you love your father?’ he replied, ‘Yes, Brother Benson, he is a good man. I love him.’ He then said, ‘He doesn’t attend to his priesthood duties as he should. He doesn’t go to church regularly, I don’t know that he is a tithe payer, but he is a good man, a good provider, a kind man.’
“I said, ‘How would you like to talk to him at an opportune time and ask him if he would be willing to give you a father’s blessing?’
“‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I think that would frighten him.’
“I then said, ‘Are you willing to try it? I will be praying for you.’
“He said, ‘All right; on that basis, I will.’
“A few days later he came back. He said, ‘Brother Benson, that’s the sweetest thing that has happened in our family.’ He could hardly control his feelings as he told me what had happened. He said, ‘When the opportunity was right, I mentioned it to Father, and he replied, “Son, do you really want me to give you a blessing?” I told him, “Yes, Dad, I would like you to.”’ Then he said, ‘Brother Benson, he gave me one of the most beautiful blessings you could ever ask for. Mother sat there crying all during the blessing. When he got through there was a bond of appreciation and gratitude and love between us that we have never had in our home’” (Conference Report, Oct. 1977, pp. 45–46; or Ensign, Nov. 1977).
I guess I never thought of this passage that way, but that is the manner in which I have always tried to manage people (expect good things out of them and they usually comply).
Then, at the end of Chapter 16, Laman and Lemuel were discussing killing their father and Nephi when the Voice of the Lord came to them, chastising them, and they repented (for this time). Even though I have read this many times, I still can’t believe these brothers—how many times do angels or the Lord or someone have to tell them? I guess some hearts are SO HARD that no experience (however earth shaking) could really change them; they were just frightened for the moment because they got caught. I wonder how they could be so oblivious, but I guess I see people every day that are no different. They hear the truth, but don’t want to believe it because it doesn’t fit into their lives. I guess we’ll just have to work harder!
This evening we had dinner with the Whitthreads who live out along the coast in Osmington. We had a typical English dinner with roast beef, roasted potatoes, cooked carrots, not mushy peas (for those of you who remember Tina’s mushy peas at the British restaurant on Coleman), Yorkshire pudding, and Christmas pudding. With all these lovely dinners out, I’m not going to lose any weight. Thanks to the Whitthreads, I was able to post my latest Blog entry. I really appreciate their indulgence in letting me take the time to get it onto the internet.
Friday, 02 January 2009
Today we made calls to the less active people on our “Reimers Visit List” to continue setting up appointments to talk with them and try to get them back to church. I also called Sister Sandra Scott to move her appointment for next Friday since we just found out the Zone Conference will be on that day (starts early in the morning and goes until 5:00 pm in Poole which is at least an hour of driving to get there).
As we were preparing dinner (stir fry with rice), we had a call from the Elders saying they were tracting in our neighborhood and could they come over and use the bathroom. Of course, we had made twice as much stir fry as we needed, so I invited the Elders to stay and have dinner also.
Before they left we asked them for a spiritual thought. Elder Ellsworth asked for a Book of Mormon and turned to Moroni 10:34 – “And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.” He explained that when his mission is over, he wants to feel like Moroni does that he has fought the good fight and can return home with honor knowing he has done the very best he could while he was here.
Sunday, 04 January 2009
Fast Sunday and a new Branch Mission Leader: Brother Hutchings. He was the last branch president and I believe he will be a great mission leader. We are having dinner at his house this evening.
During Relief Society the topic was the 2009 Poole Stake Theme: The Last Days with the following scripture: 3 Nephi 27:20-22
20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;
22 Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
Then four things that need to be done in order to stand spotless before the Lord at the last day:
1. Strengthen Faith in Jesus Christ
2. Strengthen Families
3. Establish the Church
4. Increase Convert Baptisms
I would like to add another: 5. Retention of old and new (converts) members. We need to spend at least as much energy to keep them as we do to convert them. Too many members are lost to apathy or a “falling out” with another member. We need to love them back into activity. As senior missionaries we can visit them and talk about why they no longer attend church, but once we’re gone, less active members will need a friend or two or three.
D&C Section 4 puts it very succinctly. You need the desire to preach the gospel, but it helps tremendously if you have humility, brotherly kindness, love, and charity toward all you come in contact with.
1 NOW behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
We just had a lovely dinner and excellent conversation and planning. As you can see from what I wrote earlier today, we are in full accord with Brother Hutchings in that we need to have “fellowshipping couples” or friends. We will meet with the Elders and Brother Hutchings after Zone Conference to come up with ten people for PEC to work on. Then we’ll set up some “cottage meetings.”
Monday, 05 January 2009
We took today as a “P” or preparation day. I had my hair colored today at the Elegance Hair Salon. (For Sandee, she used a “natural 8” which looks just like normal.) I’m wearing my hair virtually unteased since I’m wrapped up in a warm scarf most of the time. The temperature has been running anywhere from -3.5 degrees C to +4.5 degrees C. We haven’t had to get out and scrape ice of the car windows (but we don’t go out very early either) yet. We have had to wait for the car to warm up the ice on the windows though.
We had a surprise visit from the owner of the flat today. A very well traveled gentleman (he and his wife went pretty much around the world on their 40-ft sailboat which they sold last year as his wife is tired of sailboat living). We must have passed muster. He asked if there were any problems and I told him about the mattress (Walt still comes down early to sleep on the couch which is anywhere near long enough). We got a call just a little bit ago and he and his wife will replace the mattress tomorrow. Sounds good to me!
Tuesday, 06 January 2009
This morning we were up at 4:30 am so that Walt could take the Elders to Dorchester where Elder Ellsworth would be at a Mission Leadership Meeting all day. That means we get to have Elder Bang with us today. He and Walt are going out to tract and do street contact in High Street. Then we (the three of us) have three appointments and then a dinner appointment. I teased Elder Bang that we were babysitting him today – actually he is letting us get in some real missionary work that we haven’t had working with the less active members.
Today is bright and sun-shiney. This is a picture I took from our kitchen window. Yes, that is the ocean out there.
This afternoon, two men came with a brand spanking new Sealey mattress with a memory foam top and took the old one away. We made up the bed, and it looks great. I can’t wait to go to bed (stop giggling).
This evening the three of us had a dinner appointment with the Walkers. We talked with them and their son Emmerson (who stopped going to church when he was 16), his girlfriend Mel, and baby Grace. He had a lot of questions which we answered to the best of our abilities. We left him with the assurance that Heavenly Father loves him and will forgive him because of that love if he will only ask.
After we left the Walkers we met with Colin and Mandy Rowbotham and their girls Amy and Sophia. What a nice family! We read from Alma 6:5-6 and then bore our testimonies and invited them back to church.
5 Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.
6 Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.
I’m so glad we are here!
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
Today we had an appointment with a sister who lives over on Portland Island. It really isn’t an island, there is a bridge that goes from Weymouth to Portland that stands on a strip of land that isn’t very wide (maybe 60 feet). See the box in the pictuere above – that’s the bridge.
While we were over on the island we did a bit of driving and picture taking. This is a picture of Portland Castle. We would have gone inside, but it is closed for the winter.
Next we went up to the Verne Monument. It is a monolith that was built to honor the Portland dead
from WWI. Then after WWII they added those names. There are names on all four sides of the monument.
from WWI. Then after WWII they added those names. There are names on all four sides of the monument. By the way, that is Walter there in the baby blue hat that Delight crocheted for her Dad. He really needed it. The weather was 2.5 degrees C (about 38 degrees F, I think).
After we finished at the monument, we went on up the hill and saw this sign. I was told that there were two prisons on the island. By the way, the H.M. stands for Her Majesty. This prison is for medium and high-security prisoners. The prison is all underground with a dry moat all around it. As far as I could see, the only way in is
that “reddish-brown” door with the blue then gray rails guarding the pathway up to the door. See what looks like a hill just beyond the tree in the right top corner of the picture. There is a vent up there (for what I don’t know).
that “reddish-brown” door with the blue then gray rails guarding the pathway up to the door. See what looks like a hill just beyond the tree in the right top corner of the picture. There is a vent up there (for what I don’t know).After we took pictures of the Verne prison we headed down the hill toward Portland proper. I was about 3:30 and children were obviously just getting out of school; little ladies and gentlemen in school blazers, ties, and slacks with black lace-up shoes.
I took this picture out of the front windshield as we were coming back. What was interesting, was that I mentioned to Walt that the school looked like a prison with the high walls, etc. Then we realized that there was razor wire on top of the walls. As far as I could tell, the walls never stopped between the school and the prison. This prison was the Grove Prison for “Young Offenders.”
I’m going to sign off and not post what I have on the blog – still have my evening scripture study to do before bed and tomorrow is zone conference. Blogspot is only showing one picture per posting. I’ll post as soon as I can. Love you all. Jackie
