Tag Archive for: discipleship

A Small Adjustment

It had been well over three years.
It was time.
I’d noticed in recent months, I was straining to see things at a distance.
During the eye test, the optician told me that although my eyesight was actually improving, I’d still need to get some new lenses to correct my sight.
I really liked the frame I have and so I shopped around a few opticians until I found one who’d be able to provide a similar one.
Yesterday, I collected my new glasses.
They looked identical to my last ones, except in two ways.
Firstly, you’d have to look closely, but the frame itself is a different colour.
Secondly, unless you were me, you’d be unable to see the difference, as it is the strength of the lenses that has changed.
Through the focus and strength of the lens, the result is I can see clearly again.
Nothing else has changed.
The world didn’t move closer.
The signs didn’t get bigger.
What changed was the way I was seeing.

Spiritual Insights

To me, that feels like a gentle spiritual truth.
Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).
Sometimes faith doesn’t require a new view, just a corrected one.
Not a different world, but clearer sight.
David A. Bednar has taught “Spiritual discernment is not about seeing what others cannot see; it is about seeing what others can see but fail to notice.”
As we slow down, by taking time to live more deeply, perhaps the most important things for us to see clearly are who God is and who we really are.
I know personally that when our spiritual eyes begin to focus on Christ, our vision is sharpened around what matters most.
Perhaps the work of discipleship is not always about changing what is before us but rather allowing our vision to be sharpened so we can see what has been there all along.
What are you really focusing on right now, and does your vision need a small adjustment?

The Slowless Society

Earlier this week, a nasty bug forced me to slow down and spend a couple of days in bed.
On the upside, it allowed me some time to think.
And I realised something once more…
In our modern world, everything around us is designed for speed, at full throttle: fast answers, fast success, fast solutions, fast change, fast communications and fast paced results!
All in an instant!
Our phones, computers and tablets buzz constantly with the latest message and update – my own devices were merrily beeping around me.
Faster and faster and faster.
More scrolling, less living.
We live in what I’m now calling a 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚.
I turned to one of my favourite scriptures for grounding – Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God”.
Yet in our world there is a strong allergy towards stillness.
More noise, less His voice.
Hurry grows; clarity goes, whilst complexity swirls around us.
We’ve moved from that older “microwave mentality or mindset” to something I fear is far more pervasive.
Simply stated, it is the belief that everything meaningful in life should arrive instantly, without delay, without effort, and certainly without patience.
But my experience is that the soul doesn’t work at microwave speed.
Neither does growth.
Nor discipleship, leadership, healing, or even wisdom.
All of these require time.
And time is one of the greatest gifts we are given, but one that we so rarely honour.
Our Slowless Society pushes us to hurry, to rush, to skip the process, and to become frustrated when life doesn’t heat up in 60 seconds.
It was good to be forced to slow down and be still.
My realisation was this…
Speed steals what stillness reveals.
It’s not about speed, it’s about intention.
What might stillness reveal if I made space for it today?

A Sure Compass

Just before setting off on my walk along Scotland’s West Highland Way this May with my missionary friends, my brother Paul and his wife Gwen gave me a beautiful gift to mark my 60th birthday: a 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔, inscribed and deeply personal.
Oftentimes, I’ve carried it with me, not always for navigation, but for what it reminds me of: direction, intention, and trust in something steady.
One of my favourite activities as a facilitator involves asking groups, sometimes 10, 20, or even 100+ people, to stand, close their eyes, and point in the direction of north.
The results are always the same: arms point in every direction.
Some are confident, many are uncertain, and only a few ever get it right.
Then I pull out a compass and show them how quickly truth is revealed when you use the right tool.
I always gift them each a small compass to keep, a simple reminder that knowing where you’re going, starts with knowing what you’re using to guide you.

What tool do you use?

In a similar manner,  I love the words of Marvin J. Ashton:
“…just as a compass is valuable to guide us out of the dense forest, so the gospel points the way as we walk the paths of life.”
There’s something insightful in that comparison.
I know that life can be full of dense forests: uncertainty, doubt, temptation, fear, distraction.
I also know that the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t eliminate these things, yet it’s my experience that it helps us move through them without getting lost.
President James E. Faust once said: “The gift of the Holy Ghost is available as a sure guide, as the voice of conscience, and as a moral compass. This guiding compass is personal to each of us. It is unerring. It is unfailing.”
Not perfect circumstances. Not perfect knowledge. But a perfect guide.
I’ve learned that you don’t have to see the whole map if you trust your compass.
Whether you’re navigating the Highlands of Scotland or the hard questions of life, it’s the same principle.
The Spirit points true. The gospel holds steady. And I’ve kept walking.
60 years with the gospel as my guide. I still face storms, but I never face them alone.
As 2 Nephi 32:5 reminds us:
“For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”
What are you using today to find your way, and is it pointing you to True North?
If you’d like to know more, speak to a member or a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Wake-up Call

A few nights ago, whilst down in London, I experienced something very unexpected.
It was late, and I had just fallen asleep in my hotel room when suddenly the fire alarm sounded.
What a noise!
I jumped out of bed, put some clothes on and headed for the stairs.
As I made my way down, I noticed something worrying as some guests had already decided it was a false alarm and were turning back, heading upstairs again.
The alarm was still ringing (loudly), but doubt had crept in for many of them.
Yet, the majority kept moving down the stairs, urging those turning back to reconsider.
Eventually, even the doubters turned around and followed the others out onto the street.
Hundreds gathered outside and I got lost in the crowd.
Some in pyjamas, others clearly having rushed out in panic in their bare feet, I was glad it was a warm evening.
A few were calm, chatting, and there were many others unsure.
Then the fire engines arrived with their lights flashing and sirens wailing.
Eventually, it was confirmed: a false alarm.
We were safe and it was after midnight before we were all able to return.
As I lay in bed, I found it difficult to fall back over as my thoughts returned to the earlier alarm, my rude awakening and to those who doubted.
The alarm had come suddenly and literally pulled me from my sleep.

False alarm or real call?

In Romans 13:11–12, the Apostle Paul wrote: “It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”
It was just an unexpected fire alarm.
Yet the experience left me pondering.
Maybe it was also an unexpected spiritual wake-up call.
A sudden jolt, to stop, think, and look forward with more faith.
How often does the Lord send each of us spiritual wake-up calls?
Are we alert and responsive – or are we spiritually asleep, do we turn back, assuming it’s nothing?
The night is far spent.
The day is at hand.
What might the Spirit be gently waking you up to today?

Turning to the Light

Yesterday, I had the privilege of facilitating a couple of learning workshops with young adults (18-35 years old) from across Scotland and Ireland.
They had gathered for a three-day weekend conference at the Preston Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chorley.
The theme of the weekend was Light the Temple, and I was invited to share experiences from our time serving as Mission Leaders in Belgium and the Netherlands.
For the workshops, I chose the title: Turning Toward the Light – How Missionary Service Changes Us.
And it truly does!
The two one-hour sessions were experiential learning feasts, filled with hands-on activities, meaningful discussions, and plenty of laughter.
From role-playing missionary experiences to heartfelt personal stories, the room was alive with energy, enthusiasm, and faith.
There was something special about being together, learning, sharing, and even laughing about the unique and often humorous moments that come through missionary service.
As missionaries, we strive to follow the Saviour’s example in Acts 10:38 – going about “doing good.”
And in doing so, we are changed.
There were four key learning takeaways:
We become…
• Changed for Good
• Fluent in Discipleship
• Closer to Him
• Builders of His Kingdom
It was an absolute joy to spend time with these incredible young people.
Their testimonies, their light, and their laughter filled the room with a spirit of unity and purpose.
Being with them reminded me of how turning toward Christ shapes not just our missions, but our entire lives.
How has turning to Him changed you?

Disciplined Hearts

Daily, missionaries are invited to be disciplined.
At the commencement of their service, each missionary receives a copy of “Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ”.
I know that there is no discipleship without discipline.
Discipleship means discipline!
“Walking the path of discipleship takes practice — each day, little by little, grace for grace, line upon line. Sometimes two steps forward and one step back. The important thing is that you don’t give up; keep trying to get it right.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Discipline

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards.
The word discipline comes from the Latin word discere, ” to learn, ” or discipulus, ” learner, ” making a disciple a student and follower.
Each of us, with discipline and effort, has the capacity to control our thoughts and our actions.
Whilst serving, missionaries learn about being more disciplined, every day.
Typically, each day begins at 06.30 and ends at 10.30pm.
Daily activities include, reviewing goals, planning schedules, studying the scriptures, prayer, preparing lessons, finding people to teach, serving others in the community, working with local members, teaching lessons face to face and online, travelling and attending other meetings/activities.

Disciplined Hearts

It requires a disciplined heart to be an effective missionary.
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” – John C. Maxwell.
Through discipline and devotion, and often challenging circumstances, missionaries become much more responsible and respectful in whatever they do.
I am a witness to the fact that discipline is something that can be developed and can act as a bridge between our goals and accomplishments.
“A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.” – Dalai Lama
Making a real effort to align our actions and behaviours with our thoughts is a sign of true discipline.
How do you develop your daily discipleship and discipline?