An example of the Believers…

There is never a typical week in missionary work.
And there is also never a dull moment as they Preach the Gospel.
This week was busy, very busy, as more people than ever responded to their message of hope.
From singing in choirs, playing violins, serving cookies, street contacting, knocking doors, reaching out on social media, serving in the community, teaching Dutch or English classes, biking everywhere and occasionally a flying kick, missionaries serve and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ through their actions and service.
They are called to represent Jesus Christ.
Day in, day out, missionaries work tirelessly in their efforts to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”
The message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses individuals and families.
Their message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that all individuals are part of God’s family and that families can be united now and in eternity.
We believe that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” – The Family A Proclamation to the World.

Joy in Action

Missionaries are to go “in the power of the ordination wherewith [they have] been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great joy, even the everlasting gospel” (Doctrine & Covenants 79:1)
And as the Lord’s representatives, they are to be “an example of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12).
They honour Christ’s name by their actions.
During His mortal ministry, the Saviour “took upon him the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). He went about “doing good” (Acts 10:38) and “preaching the gospel” (Matthew 4:23).
Through their service, they fulfil the two great commandments of loving God and their neighbour (see Matthew 22:36–40).
“True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work” (Gospel Ideals p129).
If you’d like to know more about why they are so happy, I suggest you stop and speak with one of them today.

Forgotten Wedges

I want to share part of a talk given by Spencer W. Kimball in April 1966.
“There came to my mind an article by Samuel T. Whitman entitled “Forgotten Wedges.”
I had learned to use wedges when I was a lad in Arizona, it being my duty to supply wood for many fires in the big house. May I quote Whitman:

The Iron Wedge

“The ice storm wasn’t generally destructive. True, a few wires came down, and there was a sudden jump in accidents along the highway. Walking out of doors became unpleasant and difficult. It was disagreeable weather, but it was not serious. Normally, the big walnut tree could easily have borne the weight that formed on its spreading limbs. It was the iron wedge in its heart that caused the damage.
“The story of the iron wedge began years ago when the white-haired farmer was a lad on his father’s home- stead. The sawmill had then only recently been moved from the valley, and the settlers were still finding tools and odd pieces of equipment scattered about. . . .
“On this particular day, it was a faller’s wedge; — wide, flat, and heavy, a foot or more long, and splayed from mighty poundings. The path from the south pasture did not pass the wood- shed; and, because he was already late for dinner, the lad laid the wedge . . . between the limbs of the young walnut tree his father had planted near the front gate. He would take the wedge to the shed right after dinner, or sometime when he was going that way.
“He truly meant to, but he never did. It was there between the limbs, a little tight, when he attained his manhood. It was there, now firmly gripped, when he married and took over his father’s farm. It was half grown over on the day the threshing crew ate dinner under the tree. . . . Grown in and healed over, the wedge was still in the tree the winter the ice storm came.
“In the chill silence of that wintry night, with the mist like rain sifting down and freezing where it fell, one of the three major limbs split away from the trunk and crashed to the ground. This so unbalanced the remainder of the top that it, too, split apart and went down. When the storm was over, not a twig of the once proud tree remained.
“Early the next morning, the farmer went out to mourn his loss.
‘Wouldn’t have had that happen for a thousand dollars,’ he said.
‘Prettiest tree in the valley, that was.’
“Then, his eyes caught sight of something in the splintered ruin. ‘The wedge,’ he muttered reproachfully.
‘The wedge I found in the south pasture.’ A glance told him why the tree had fallen. Growing edge-up in the trunk, the wedge had prevented the limb fibers from knitting together as they should.”
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔!
Hidden weaknesses grown over and invisible, waiting until some winter night to work their ruin.
What better symbolizes the presence and the effect of sin in our lives?
This brings to my memory some verses I heard long years ago entitled:
𝐉𝐢𝐦 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲
Around the corner I have a friend, In this great city which has no end;
Yet, days go by and weeks rush on, And before I know it a year has gone.
And I never see my old friend’s face; For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well As in the days when I rang his bell
And he rang mine.
We were younger then
And now we are busy tired men —
Tired with playing the foolish game; Tired with trying to make a name;
Tomorrow, I say, I will call on Jim, Just to show I’m thinking of him.
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes;
And the distance between us grows and grows
Around the corner! Yet miles away — Here’s a telegram, sir — “Jim died today!”
And that’s what we get — and deserve
in the end — Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Finally, I’d like to quote more lines from Whitman:
“Pride, envy, selfishness, dishonesty, intemperance, doubt, secret passions — almost numberless in variety and degree are the wedges of sin. And alas! almost numberless are the men and women who today are allowing sin to grow in the heart wood of their lives.
“The wedge is there. We know it is there. We put it there ourselves one day, when we were hurried and thoughtless. It shouldn’t be there, of course. It is harming the tree. But we are busy so we leave it there; and in time, it grows over and we forget. The years slip swiftly by. Wintertime comes with its storms and ice. The life we prized so much goes down in the unspeakable loss of spiritual disaster. For years after the wedge had grown over, the tree flourished and gave no sign of its inner weakness. Thus it is with sin.”
I commend the Spencer W. Kimball talk to you. Why not look it up?
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞(𝐬) 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?

He Lives!

Today is 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.
On that first Easter Morning, the tomb was emptied and we find hope and great peace in the words of the angel “He is not here: for he is 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒏, as he said.” (Matt. 28:6).
We commemorate the greatest of all events in the history of mankind — the breaking of the bonds of death by Him who is the eternal Son of the living God.
I cannot remember a time that I did not believe in Jesus Christ.
It seems that the reality of His life, His death, and His resurrection has always been a real part of me.
Raised in Scotland, I was brought up in a home by parents who followed Jesus Christ.
They believed in and regularly shared their testimonies of Him and strived to follow Him – always.
I have always been grateful for that.
In our Missionary Zone Conferences this week, I spoke about Jesus Christ, His Atonement and resurrection and the impact His life has for all mankind.
In the Conferences, I shared one story about my Nana.

Nana’s story

I told them about the funeral service of my Nana, who died at the age of 94, in 1998.
As a young newly called Bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was the first funeral service that I had ever conducted.
I recall that jokingly, Nana would often say, that when the time came, she wanted me to conduct her service – and so it was.
At her funeral service, I shared a letter she sent me whilst I served as a missionary in London in 1984.
In it, Nana refers to her own belief…
“God will bless you son, for taking his word to many. I always feel so very sorry for those who do not believe, they miss so very much and in this world. He is the only one we can hold on to…. I still love my Lord and know He is always with me to bless and guide me. To me He is everything and I know He is to you also. May He bless and keep you safe till I see you again.”

The Ultimate Question

Job asked the ultimate question “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14)
Like so many others, I believe the answer to Job’s question is a resounding YES!
Some in the Christian world doubt the reality of a universal resurrection, however Latter-day Saints believe and declare that Jesus was resurrected to a tangible, glorified body of flesh and bones (see Luke 24:3 and 3 Nephi 11:1-15). And because of Him, and his victory over the grave, all mankind have the promise of our own resurrection.
Because of what happened in the tomb that first Easter morning, one day all of us will arise from our graves. The we will set aside our own burial clothes, just as Christ did and be reunited with family and friends who have already passed through the gateway we call death. It will be a happy and glorious
reunion.
I know that Jesus Christ is the living witness, that this is so and so can you too.

Good Friday

Today is 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲.
Christians all over the world remember this day as one of immense suffering for our Saviour.
Last night, two millennia ago, He suffered great pains in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Who can fail to remember His agony.
Speaking of Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane, Luke wrote…
“And he… kneeled down, and prayed,” saying Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ” And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. ” And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ” (Luke 22:41-44.)

Challenges

Quentin L. Cook said; “If the grim realities you are facing at this time seem dark and heavy and almost unbearable, remember that in the soul-wrenching darkness of Gethsemane and the incomprehensible torture and pain of Calvary, the Saviour accomplished the Atonement, which resolves the most terrible burdens that can occur in this life. He did it for you, and He did it for me. He did it because He loves us and because He obeys and loves His Father. We will be rescued from death — even from the depths of the sea.”
From Gethsemane, to the cross, and then the tomb, He rose triumphant, bringing life and hope to all of us.
In our Missionary Zone Conferences this week, I spoke about Jesus Christ, His Atonement and resurrection and the impact His life has for all mankind.
Sometimes, we may feel that He has forgotten us, yet He testifies… “Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee… Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” – see Isaiah 49:15-16.
Upon His hands, are engraven our sins, our pains and all our afflictions, and if we come unto Him, I promise, that each of us will feel of his redeeming love and heal us.
Through repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can feel the joy of forgiveness of His redeeming love, always and forever, just like Emma Bair and Janessa Anderson
Why not invite the missionaries over this weekend, and reconsider why the Easter message is so important for you?

He is Risen

Gran to the left.
Nana to the right.
A little 2 year old me, in the middle.
I am so grateful for the many sweet memories.
Death takes loved ones from us.
It has been many years, since both have passed away.
But,… I am comforted to know, that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, two millennia ago, resurrection is a reality for all of us.
The Apostle Paul said this to the people of Corinth…
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the Twelve. After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
Each recurring Easter is a constant reminder that reinforces this eternal truth, that He lives!
“He is not here: 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧.” See Matthew 28:6.
Because our Redeemer lives so shall we.
I know that He lives. And you can know too.
I look forward to a happy reunion, with Gran, Nana, Dad, Jack, Joyce, Ronnie, Violet and the many other beloved relatives and dear friends who have already passed through the gateway we call death.
Why is the existence of a resurrected God so important to all of mankind?

Hear Him

It’s been a busy week of interviews for us, in Leiden, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
I mentioned preparing for General Conference in all my interviews.
A common theme was about hearing and following the voice of the Lord.
I shared an experience with a few that I had with prayer some 15 months ago.
In my blog of 3rd January 2022, I recorded the following:
“Arising from my knees early this morning, I asked myself had I simply been “saying a prayer or had I 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒅 with God?”
I paused and reflected upon the question.
I slowed down.
I sunk deeply into my very comfortable chair.
I noticed all of the distractions around me.
The ticking of a clock.
The buzzing of an electric light.
The whistling and howling of the wind.
A car engine roaring into life.
The chirping of an early morning bird.
I noticed my breathing, in an out and the physical sensations of my breath.
I became much more 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.”

Can I invite you to do an experiment today…

Turn off the television, the radio, your podcast, put your mobile device down, and switch off anything else making a noise in the room where you are sitting.
Listen to the silence.
What can you hear?
The ticking of a clock perhaps?
The sound of traffic from outside?
Someone making noise in another room?
Had you heard those noises before?

Why not?

If our lives are filled with noise, we won’t hear the still, small, whispering voice of the Lord.
Likewise, it’s only in the silence of our little experiment, that we hear the quieter sounds.
We have to learn to quieten both our inner and the outer noise to find stillness.
Henry B. Eyring said “Your problem and mine is not to get God to speak to us; few of us have reached the point where he has been compelled to turn away from us. Our problem is to 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫.”
Some 5 ½ years ago, our dog Fawn, found a quiet, still place to rest her head on mine, for half an hour watching General Conference.
I hope that all of us will take the time to tune in to General Conference this weekend and listen for that still small voice that whispers, as we hear from those who have been called to speak about Him.
In our lives, how can we demonstrate what we think of Him?

Voices

We are beset by a clamour of voices, to which our ears are subjected daily.
Today we face so many kinds of voices on the internet via social media, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, to name only a few.
There are so many other kinds of voices that contend with one another, in politics, television news, newspapers, magazines, podcasts and on the radio.
I often wonder what is being communicated in advertising, in books, in movies, the latest Netflix series, and in pop culture to our youth and young people of today.
Voices that threaten, that spread terror, that promise miracle cures, that lust for power, that lull us into a false sense of belief, that set out to deceive, are filled with fake news, along with misinformation and many others that promise something for nothing.

Media

In our day, we are living through a period of blurred media boundaries and of mass communications.
There are many persuasive voices that try so hard to beguile us into believing something that is inherently false.
What do you hear in your homes, or in the streets of your towns and communities?
Centuries ago, the Apostle Paul warned in 1 Corinthians 14:10 “There are…so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.”
I see fulfilled daily the famous quote of Abraham Lincoln, when he said “He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions.”

Influences

We can be influenced by so many today, whose morals and ethics may be questionable.
However, the story of any great achievement in the world, is nearly always the story of some strong individual.
Speaking of our day, in Isaiah 24:2 we read “as with the servant, so with his master.”
Ultimately, this means that in order for people to have a good way of life, they must have good leaders.
All of us follow someone’s voice.
Above all of them, I know that one day each of us will hear the Voice that many have forgotten, but when they hear, will know again, for every ear shall hear, and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
What are the voices you are listening to?

Without Guile

Recently we said farewell to Hannah Hammer and several other missionaries who departed for home.
I want to say a little today about Hannah, as she was our first missionary to arrive directly here (October 2021) and also serve her entire mission in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Serving a mission in a foreign land, learning a new language, and sharing your feelings about Jesus Christ, in a secular country where people don’t like to talk about religion, is not an easy thing to do.
If anyone tells you otherwise, believe me, they’re kidding.
Challenging missionary opportunities ensued for the next 18 months, as she served in Den Haag, Antwerp, and Apeldoorn.
In meeting with Hannah frequently, I knew her personal experiences have enriched the lives of many people and laid a firm foundation for her and all those she met, that she’ll treasure all of her life.
The words that Hannah spoke, always had a strong conviction of truth, and came from her heart.
Like her missionary peers, Hannah followed the example of Jesus Christ, daily.

She is a woman without guile.

How do I know that?
Evidence abounds everywhere, by the love that people have for her.

Without Guile

Joseph B. Wirthlin said; “A person without guile is a person of innocence, honest intent, and pure motives, whose life reflects the simple practice of conforming [their] daily actions to principles of integrity”.
To be without guile is to be pure in heart—an essential virtue of those who would be counted among true followers of Christ.
It was both humbling and refreshing to be with Hannah and it is likewise so, to be daily with all of her peers in the mission field.
Each of them, with their unique characteristics have strengthened my faith in the rising generation and give me great hope for the future.
According to the scriptures, Jesus Christ lived without guile and has commanded us to do the same.
Applying this teaching to ourselves, and it most certainly isn’t easy, means that we should always mean what we say, and always say what we mean, honestly and kindly.
Like all of us who serve around any missionary, saying goodbye is always a very difficult thing to do.

Tears

Tears are shed, hugs are given aplenty, and love abounds, evidenced in the picture.
I am so grateful for each and every single one of our missionaries (currently 115), who touch my heart, every single day.
If you allow them, they can touch your heart too with their message of hope.
As Jesus said of Nathanael, can we say of ourselves, that we are without guile?

One cube or two?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself several times recently.

Most mornings for the last 4 weeks, I have added three teaspoons of honey to a mug of hot water.

Following my heavy cold, I’ve had an annoying cough that has lingered way too long!

One morning, in an effort to increase the efficacy of my magic healing concoction, I decided it may be a good idea to add a sugar cube.

One or two I thought?

One morning I tried one.

The next morning, I tried two.

And the result of my experiment?

Sadly, it didn’t help my cough, it only made feel a little guilty about adding more sugar to something that was already sweet.

The next morning, it was back to honey only.

We all make hundreds of decisions every day, some big and some small.

While some of these choices turn out great, chances are that not every decision will be a good one.

We’ve all made choices that we wish we hadn’t.

We all make mistakes, plenty of them in fact.

We never really lose anything when we make mistakes, maybe we do gain experience, hopefully some wisdom and perhaps some compassion for others when they make similar errors.

Bad decisions aren’t all that bad after all, especially if we learn from them.

In fact, you can benefit from all your previous bad choices right now.

And the lesson learned?

Honey is sweet enough!

Every wrong decision has a lesson to teach.

It can be painful to examine your wrong choices.

Do you know what’s even more painful though?

Making the same mistake again.

What have you learned from your unwise choices?

#choices #decisions

What great leaders do…

Yesterday was amazing.
Every six weeks, we meet as a Mission Leadership Council.
I was surrounded by true leaders.
It is their time to lead.
Young men and women, with pure humble hearts, who are principle driven, selfless, devoted, disciplined and who get things done by bringing out the very best in others.
Our time is spent in training, learning, and counselling together.
Great missionary effort requires great leadership, through faith, love, obedience, and work.
All leaders must be good followers and they do that with exactness.
They see potential everywhere.
They are examples of goodness.
They are bold.
They lift and inspire.
They encourage.
They are prayerful.
They listen with genuine empathy.
They communicate with kindness.
They are great teachers.
They take time to slow down and consider what really matters most.
Ultimately, each of them endeavours to emulate the greatest servant leader of all, even Jesus Christ.
They love to serve others, as Christ centred servants.
They minister, one by one.
Remember, one is the key to the ninety and nine.
They feed their sheep.
Meeting with each of them is an absolute joy.
Ezra Taft Benson said…
“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whosoever will lose his life in the service of God, will find eternal life.” (See Matthew 10:39)
As a leader, do you constantly remember that you are a servant?