May 15, 2016 - Sunday in Nauvoo

What a powerful Holy Sabbath Day today!  I trust many of you had a wonderful day as well!  We started off our day with our morning devotional and prayers.  The temperature dropped into the high 30's last night and this morning.  However, the skies were clear and cloud free!  We had an assignment to set up chairs at the Stake Center this morning with our district.  We got there a few minutes before 7:00am.

Mom and I were able to pitch in with the chair set-up and we were done within just a few minutes.  It always seems like those folks who come early just jump in and help others in their service.  It is really pretty fun to serve together when so many want to participate.  Never pass up an opportunity to serve!

During our marvelous Sacrament Meeting we were able to enjoy the Sacrament and renew promises and covenants together.  Then we had some significant teaching moments in the Sacrament talks from two relatively new senior missionaries.  Sister Moench spoke with her husband, and was explaining the feelings she had when a friend of hers lost a child to a drunk driver.  She indicated how upset she was that a person could be driving in that condition and do such a terrible deed upon this family.  Actually she was a little more upset over the fact that her friend was able to have compassion on the drunk driver!

Well, she left that funeral service still very shaken over the loss of the child and the irresponsibility of that driver.  Then, just 10 days later, her two and a half year old child was hit and killed by a drunk driver....  (There was a audible gasp in the congregation of about 300 missionaries and friends).   This precious sister then told of the feelings she had for this drunk driver, as she left the hospital, when a voice told her that her innocent little girl was "safe and sound", and that the driver was the one who was in very serious pain....  Her entire attitude changed, and she could feel that compassion that the Lord helped her to feel, for the consequences this young driver would feel for the rest of his life...

The message was this; "Everything that challenges us comes from the temporal world"... Every solution to these challenges comes from the Spiritual world".  That was a powerful message.

Then she spoke about her day of service at Carthage a few weeks ago.  She was giving a tour to a family and explaining the details about the events that took place there on June 27, 1844, with the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum.  Interestingly, a young boy about 7 years old was named Hyrum.  He asked her why Joseph had to die.  She tried to explain to him that this was part of Heavenly Fathers Plan, for not only Joseph and Hyrum, but for members of the Church, to have this foundation of the Church put in place, and this sacrifice of Joseph and Hyrum given and accepted.

He wasn't convinced... He asked why Joseph didn't jump under the bed, or climb up the chimney?  Again she explained that Heavenly Father has a plan for each His children, and that these men gave their lives, so that the Gospel message would be firmly set and sealed with their sacrifice.  He finally understood.

Here is a 7 year old young man whose life will never be the same after his experience at Carthage.  Nor will any of our lives be the same as a result of our experiences with learning about the Gospel Plan in its entirety.  We just need to put these marvelous principles into practice every day!

And then we were taught by her husband that "we don't teach the Gospel to convert people, but we teach the Gospel to give them a choice between good and evil".  First of all, we can't convert anyone.  We can only present the Gospel message and hope and pray they will be receptive enough to receive it.  Our charge is that we make the effort!  Anything less will bring upon us the judgements of Heavenly Father.  Our mandate is to fulfill our responsibilities of  taking His Gospel to "all the world"... After all, we are all missionaries as we were taught by David O. McKay, and all the subsequent Prophets and Apostles!

And during our site assignment at the Brigham Young Home today, we had a visit from a member of the mission presidency.  He asked us to speak in Sacrament on May 29th, (Memorial Day weekend), on the topic of "The Parables of the Last Days"...  We gratefully accepted this wonderful opportunity!