Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord: April 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

David A. Bednar Servant Leader Addresses Taiwan Missionaries and Members Teaching with Great Power

Last week David A. Bednar visited three missions in Taiwan for five days, April 16-20. He made quite an impression on my daughter Sister Flora Bruno who is currently serving in the Taiwan Taipei Mission. Elder James and Judith Phillips reported: "Elder Bednar's soft-spoken, yet powerful messages to the Taiwan saints are captured in a comment he made at the Taipei member meeting. "Because I love you, I simply want to serve and assist you." Elder Bednar is emulating the servant leader model and is patiently addressing practical questions from members and missionaries alike.

Sister Bruno reported from the mission field :

So, now to go further back in history...Elder Bednar came to Taiwan and did meetings with all the missions here, and also he did a broadcast for the members in the cities the mission offices are at, so Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei with the members (which by the way, next month, Kaohsiung and Taichung missions are combining and Taipei will expand and take part of the current Taichung mission if you hadn't heard, so there will only be 2 missions in Taiwan...I'll have to write my friends in Kaohsiung and see what they think of the change and what exactly has been going down...when I have time to write hand letters at all that is)...so anyways, us Zhongli missionaries were told that we weren't exactly allowed to go to the member meeting, since we would go on Monday to mission conference, so we had no plans to go, but on Sunday after going to our 2 wards that our area covers, we went home to eat and do personal study...and we got a call from the assistant's saying that they needed sister Hill to come interpret for a deaf girl at the conference, so we packed our bags and went to Taipei. We spent the night in the mission housing, then the next day we listened to Elder Bednar and asked questions at mission conference. It was amazing. Both nights he let the audience ask questions and answer them. The time went by really fast, and I was totally intrigued. It was a really spiritually uplifting time. He said a lot of things that I need to improve on. OH! and after mission conference, a man in the front, so some kind of bishop or VIP in Taiwan who had spent the last week with Elder Bednar turned to me and was like "Sister Bruno, so nice to meet you!" Or something to that effect...so basically from the conversation with him I found out he is a nice man from Taiwan...who happens to know me through my online blog. EMBARRASSING. I mean, he was nice, he said he had wanted to answer some of my questions about Taiwan he had seen, but it was still embarrassing. And the second time some stranger told me they had seen my Taiwan blog. Gaaah.

But I want to send videos from the MTC and pictures so I'll do a quick quick thing on what Elder Bednar talked about...he told us that our goals as missionaries were to eventually have our members be independent in their faith. That they relied on the Lord and not the missionaries or anyone else. I think that was something really good to hear at the beginning of my mission, because he said we need to teach our investigators one by one...like Jesus did when he let people feel his wounds one by one...it was unique for everyone. So right now before I've ever been able to coherently teach a lesson in Chinese, I already want to be able to make my lessons unique to individuals, because E. Bednar is right, the gospel is a unique experience for everyone, everyone gains and individual testimony, so we need to let our investigators do that by giving them lessons unique to their needs.

And then the other biggest highlight I'll mention is he talked a lot about the natural man, both to the members Sunday night and to us missionaries Monday. He mentioned the scripture about the natural man being an enemy to God when a sweet Chinese girl asked how she could be bold yet meek, and he told her that you could be bold because you KNOW the work you are doing is of God, so you aren't scared to do it, but meek because you know it is the Lord's work and you are weak and dependant on him. And he told the missionaries that we needed to teach the lesson, bring the spirit...and then GET OUT OF THE WAY. To get our natural man out of the way of the investigators feeling the spirit. To teach them not just applications, but the principles and correct doctrine behind applications so they understand what they are doing and why...he mentioned how this is necessary to teach children as well, otherwise they won't understand and be more likely to fall away because they don't have as strong of spiritual power to withstand if they don't understand the doctrine and principle behind the things they are asked to do.

Oh and to Michael, (and my other Priesthood holding readers) a question was asked by a sister about the keys of ministering angels...and E. Bednar said that God won't send literal angels to do stuff that worthy priesthood holders can do, because the priesthood holders have the keys of ministering angels...so then he said that the Young Men's responsibility is to strenghten members, so you remember that is your responsibility, so make sure to serve the people who need help when they give you an opportunity and make sure to see if there is anything the missionaries can have you do like visiting inactive members or something so that they can spend their time on teaching lessons! Because the priesthood is really amazing and you are blessed to have it! A lot of people don't have the influence of the priesthood in their lives yet...and that's where I come in with my other fellow missionaries...telling people about it!

Elder Tyler MacKay reported his impressions of the same meeting:

So, elder Bednar came to visit and we had a 3 HOUR Q&A session with a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles! Afterwards we got to shake hands with him, his wife, and Elder Watson of the 1st quorum of the 70! It was the most excellent meeting of my life! We talked a lot about asking inspired questions, about teaching doctrines and principles and not so much about how to apply, both to our investigators and to our future children. It was just incredible! He's a really really nice and impressionable man, and definitely an apostle of Jesus Christ who, along with the prophet and members of the 12, hold the keys of the kingdom on the earth today. We had fun, but weren't light-minded, and I had a lot of questions answered, even though I didn't ask any. That was another lesson of his: we might speak and ask questions, but the Holy Ghost teaches, and all we need to do is get out ego's out of the way. It was so incredible! At the very end he told us that if we wanted to know what the judgment would be like, and what it would be like to stand in the presence of Jesus Christ, just look into the eyes of our mission president, or those of an Apostle of the Lord, because we'd condemn ourselves, or not. So I made a definite effort to look him in the eyes, and though it was quick, it was a powerful experience, and I know that he really is a prophet. I just want to keep going, but my time is almost up, and I have to write to president.

The Phillips reported to the Church News:

Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve began his Taiwan tour meeting with the missionaries of the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission on the south end of the island. It concluded with a meeting with the missionaries of the Taiwan Taipei Mission in the island's capital city of Taipei in the north.

Sandwiched between those meetings were a half dozen member and missionary meetings, plus a stake conference. In total, approximately 5,000 Taiwan members and missionaries were taught in the presence of one of the Lord's apostles. Hundreds more witnessed the various meetings by closed-circuit television broadcasts to outlying meetinghouses.

Elder Liang Zhi-kai of Yuan Lin, Taiwan, a missionary in the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission, considered it a high honor to be in the presence of Elder Bednar. "He taught me to rely on the Spirit in my missionary teaching," he said at the conclusion of the Kaohsiung Mission's three-hour meeting. "It is the Spirit that teaches."

Commented Elder Laren Helms of Manassa, Colo., of the same mission: "I learned that people are converted by the Spirit which has no language barrier," Elder Helms, like all of the non-local missionaries in Taiwan, has had to learn to teach the gospel in Mandarin Chinese.
At all of the mission and general member meetings during Elder Bednar's visit, his primary teaching method was to solicit questions from the congregation. He would then respond to the questions, always concluding his comments by asking the questioner, "Have I responded to your question?"

Elder Bednar has been touring a few missions and has a consistent message:

In both the missionary and member meetings, Elder Bednar emphasized that it is the member's job to find and the missionary's job to teach. He told the missionaries that they are now full-time missionaries, but when they are released they will become "lifelong missionaries."

At the meeting with missionaries of the Taiwan Taichung Mission, Elder Bednar emphasized that missionaries must listen, observe and discern when they teach the gospel. Unless such an approach is used, there can be no teaching, he said.

Elder David A. Bednar Gives Answer to a Sister Missionary Seeking Answer on the Atonement

Brigham Young used to say that people we encounter are ministering angels to us when theyanswer questions we have asked God.

Sister Ashley Elison of the Taiwan Taichung received a special insight when David A. Bednar answered a gospel question she had during a member meeting:

Elder Bednar came and it was so amazing. Just our mission and Elder Bednar! He is sooo bold! When he talks to missionaries in person it's a lot different than his talks in conference. He is so funny...he says it like it is and doesn't apologize.

I wish you could have heard him! There were a couple times when he answered a question someone asked and started out by saying "don't get offended...choose not to get offended by what I'm gonna say." And then he went off. It was amazing...he's old and powerful and doesn't beat around the bush.
He doesn't worry about offending someone or making what he says sound good. He just says it like it is. But he's so humble at the same time. Just like the prophets in the scriptures, bold, yet humble. He's amazing! It was set up like a question and answer setting. Pres. Hoer asked us to prepare inspired questions to ask him beforehand. So we had about 3 hours with a prophet of God to ask him whatever we wanted. He told us that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that we would probably never have a chance like this again.

With that in mind,I should have been the first one with my hand in the air. But I was too scared...the whole time I wanted to raise my hand and ask my question, but I was too scared it would be a stupid question to ask a prophet of God.

And before I knew it the time was gone and I never asked! I learned my lesson! That's not a good feeling to miss an opportunity like that! But the meeting was incredible...he taught some deep doctrine that I've really never understood before. It was incredible to sit at the feet of a prophet of God...close enough to ask him questions and hear his answers face to face. Wow! I wish you all could have been there!

The real miracle came that night though. After zone conference, Elder Bednar had a devotional for the Taichung stake. It was broadcast live at our chapel in Zhunan. It was set up the same way...people in the audience could ask any question they wanted, and they had a professional translator there. Elder Bednar was amazing. His answers were so inspired, and everything was there on the spot.

There was one part that he talked about the power of the Atonement,and it was an answer to one of my inspired questions from conference. He spoke about how we all know how the Atonement helps us overcome sin, but a less often discussed power of the Atonement is how it helps us "become a Saint"- Mosiah 3:19.

He said there are three phases discussed in that verse in Mosiah...1. putting off the natural man(stop doing bad things) 2. start doing good things 3. become a Saint. He talked about the power of the Atonement helps us through every single phase of the process...not just number 1. In the Liahona there is a talk by Cecil Samuelson about the Atonement....read it! He even quotes Elder Bednar in that talk. He talks about how our own willpower, hard work, or determination is not what's gonna help us become a Saint. It's reliance on the Atonement. I needed to hear that! My hard work, determination, and willpower is important as a missonary, but it's never gonna be enough. And that's relying on myself, not the Lord. It's just amazing to me...the power of the Atonement extends into realms we just don't understand. Anyways, Elder Bednar set a challenge...he said to read the Book of Mormon and look for every example of "in the strength of the Lord." And by doing this he promised we would be able to understand and utilize the power of the Atonement in our lives to do hard things...to "become a Saint." So I started the Book of Mormon again, and I'm gonna find every place in the scriptures that uses that phrase or something similar! An assignment and a promise from a prophet of God.

This missionary was really uplifted by his boldness and learned that the spirit can make us bold so that revelation can come with power of the Holy Spirit. Elder Bednar is picking up the baton and going throughout the world addressing missionaries in a special question and answer format.

Burned Objects: Why Ties, Suits, Pants and Other Items Can't Be Ignited in the South Carolina Columbia Mission (Not for the Squemish)

Last year in June 2008 newly called mission president Stephen Lowell McConkie of the South Carolina Columbia Mission was greeted by a minor missionary catastrophe. A few elders were having a bit of fun burning stuff. Missionaries as you know are pyromaniacs, one threw a can in to a fiery trash can and he received a jet propelled surprise as the hot dense air in the heat-filled can literally shot out the metal lid in to the his arm. He experienced a burning as well as a bloody reward. Needless to say the metal part of the can left a noticeable imprint in the mish's arm. He is lucky he didn't catch the lid in his face.

The mission president set a very hard rule that from that point on missionaries couldn't burn any objects for any reason whatsoever not even a matchbook.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Missionary Letters: Exchanges are Great

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:54 PM

Hey everyone,

This week was fun! First I'll actually answer questions because I usually run out of time and don't. And ARC is an Alien Residence Card. So it's like my green card. A Dan Jones is when you get up like in the front of a bus or on some kind of thing that is high, and you start preaching the gospel in a really loud voice and testifying for everyone in the large group of people that the gospel is true. It's unique.

This week was pretty for finding investigators. We had a girl, Chen Zixia, show up at the church one day, and we invited her to come to Sunday church. She came! And stayed for all 3 hours too! Then we set up for Monday, she got there early (Woo that excited!) so our zone leaders taught her, and she already has a baptism goal for the last Saturday of the transfer! And she already plans on coming to church again, since last Sunday when a member asked her about next Sunday, and she said "of course I'll come." It was a miracle. One of the members saw her looking at the church and asked her if she wanted to come in, then we showed up with like perfect timing. But yeah, we have a couple members that are amazing missionaries! :) Having a really good ward is so nice in the missionary work. I'm blessed to be in Zhongli...

On Monday before I left for splits, we were on our way to a morning appointment and ran into a member, and she was just like, OH I'll go with you! And then we had a peike (lesson taught with member present). It was awesome. She was a great asset. Especially since my speech is very limited and it takes lots of time and effort for me to say things, so if we are on a time limit sometimes I'll talk less than I already do. I'm getting slowly better about talking though.

And not to worry about my health, because 4 of our investigators, which we call the "Herbal Life team" are concerned for me. Peiyu told her mom that at 6 at night before a lesson with her, I was eating chocolate, because she had showed up early and we were eating. She was like "BU XING!!!!" Or, that is not okay. They say it a lot. Lin Jiazhen has tried to commit me to drinking 4 of my water bottles worth of water a day, and that is a lot, because she gave me this HUGE water bottle that I carry around with me now. But I try, since we committed her to read the Book of Mormon. Her husband died from a heart attack, so they got really into health. She wants to help people who are overweight become normal. Her daughter was overweight and is now really thin. They are always trying to get me to buy the shakes and stuff for my "own health" and instructing me on how I shouldn't go to McDonalds and eat more vegetables. Haha.

Taiwanese people are really blunt. People always tell me "did you know you are fat? Riding that bike will help you lose weight." Or once even, a member spend a lot of money to take us to drink grass and other gross "natural foods" Then I'm supposed to say thank you for calling me fat. That's so kind of you to tell me riding my bike will help me lose weight. :) It makes me laugh a lot though. I love their bluntness. It's amusing.

However, the food is taking longer to adjust to. I've eaten some pretty nasty things...pig's foot, grass, weird fishes of every kind, gross slimy things that I've never even seen in america so I couldn't tell you if I wanted to...But there is also food that is amazing

You know Desi, I don't think I would have sat down and cried walking on some pioneer trek. I wish I could walk! Riding a bike to Neili and all kinds of other cities since the sister's area is huge is a lot worse...well for the straight uphill part. The return trips, or going trips depending on where we are going aren't bad.

I'm glad you guys already got my package. It came fast! I just sent it last p-day a week ago! That's amazing! Sending packages here is really cheap, so I sent one to the Sneddons too. It cost like 12 dollars (American), including postage to send both of them. That's less than sending some stuff from the MTC was. Give Annika that piano pencil! I didn't realize she'd be home already when I sent it. I'll send another one in a couple months with candy once I figure out what the good stuff is. Don't worry about sending me anything until I ask for it, oh except in an envelope I'd like a family picture please, sending stuff from America is way more expensive! Americas postage is bad I found out. For us to send a letter to America here, it is less than the equivalent of sending a letter in the US to another state in the US.

So exchanges in Taoyuan were really fun! It was like a party. And my Chinese improved a lot. I was with 2 other sisters, so a threesome for 24 hours. One was a bendiren, or native Taiwanese. So if I used English it generally had to be translated, so I was forced to try REALLY hard to express myself in Chinese when I wanted to. They were so good for me. Planning was like a party, and we ate junk food, even though my trainer lectures me when I eat at night about storing fat...but nobody lectured me...and we just had a lot of fun. It was pretty much like a sleepover with lessons and tracting, etc during the day. In Taoyuan, they had a very distracting boy, about 10, so they had me teach him the ABC's while they taught his mom. I felt useful and in my element. His ABC's aren't perfect, but now he has V down, so that's an accomplishment. His mom gave me mangoes for payment for my English lesson. We tried to refuse, but she insisted. I ate one this morning. So yummy! That's a plus on food for here, the fruit. So good!

Sister Zhang and Bernardo were really sweet! I love them! They snuck a candy bar in my suitcase when I left. I need to get them something today in Taipei when we go to our once a transfer temple trip right after this email...and leave it in their mail. Sister Shi, the companion that split and went to Zhongli is really cool too! She left me a note and a bookmark and some candy on my desk. Aww. They are so sweet. I love bendiren (natives).

Oh ...something kind of funny about Taiwan...the weather is crazy! One day I'm dripping sweat, the next I'm dripping soaked from the rain...and yesterday I almost got knocked off my bike a couple times the wind was blowing so hard. Ah the joys of the tropics!

Xie Dai Dai's baptism date is mother's day. I'm excited! I love her. She is so cute. we drew "I love dai dai" in characters on the white board and she was like "OHHHHHH I LOVE IT...and took pictures...haha!

Yeah, so a mission is fun. Hard, but fun! I miss you guys!

Congrats on your job Gigi! Thanks for getting addresses. That's good about Matt and Felicia. I'm glad you are updating me about them, since our p-days we keep getting random lunches and dinners and temple trips so thus far I haven't had a single second to write a hand written letter besides those packages I sent. Keep me updated on the SC boys Annika, and Desi...Maybe that way I can have friends when I come back indirectly by hearing about it.

Love ya

Fu jiemei

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The False Priest: Usurper of the Bride Groom (A Poem)

I recently reencountered a man that I had held in high regard as a young missionary who marched us around back in the 1970s at the LTM singing Italian songs with us and teaching us to count. He has since left the church and is a former polygamous who has interestingly been brought back in to my life through his involvement with my wife who he mentors. It is my first attempt at poetry in 20 years and conveys a conversation I had with the man recently and paints what he said to me as accurately as I remember in poetic form.

On Facebook I wrote:

I am sending this out to my good brother in Utah who would never come between a couple when he is friends with both of them.

The False Priest: Usurper of the Bride Groom

The False Priest speaks words with cordiality to influence and charm
His intentions he decries are not to stand in the steed of another
Nor take the betrothed.
He lost the bride of his youth she has gone far away.
The loss of his family was a small price to pay for his gall.

A comrade in arms who fought in a cause once shared now seeks his advice in restoring his bride.
He proclaims he has no intent on the other.
He was merely the oracle of truth, that will free and direct the bride.
His brother in arms is mistaken to believe his intention would divide asunder nor take her as plunder.

He denies with words spoken in love to appease his brother that he would not come between the wife nor the brother.
He is falsely perceived his ambitions most pure he does not love her at all.
The person unhinged who relies on his word he is harmless to blame in the alienation of love.
He was merely a friend on the way.

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Excuses: A Few Thoughts on Fidelity and Commitment and Being There

When I was a young missionary my mission president M. Russell Ballard told us that most people who sinned excused their sins with good excuses. Everyone other than themselves was usually blamed. If a woman was unfaithful to her husband she would inevitably blame it on the inattention of the spouse or she was just weak.

Before my mission I had a girlfriend who went away for the summer she swore she was passionately in love with me. She idolized the ground I walked on. She was constantly in touch with me. She couldn't stand being apart from me. As the summer romance moved in to the middle of the summmer she was sad and heartbroken that she was going to have to leave me to go to Fish Lake near Salina, Utah. When she returned a few weeks later during a tender reunion and embrace she broke down crying and berating herself. She confessed that she had fornicated with an attractive life guard while at the camp. Being the sap that I was I forgave her. Later she ended up pregnant and didn't know the identity of the father since she had multiple men she was involved with. Out of a sense of duty and thinking I had a clue what love was I tried to run off with her.

My father was an old man and had a heart attack a couple of years before. But when I tried to go and run off with her he and I wrestled as I tried to go to my true love. He said something that made me love him in one of the few moments I ever knew he cared for me. He said son I love you and even if I died fighting you I am saving you from yourself. In my heart I knew she really wasn't committed to a lifetime let alone an eternal relationship. Everyone that walks this earth seeks for someone committed to them. It never fails to amaze me when a person will throw away those who love them purely for a perception of something better.

Many people need to be saved from themselves. The way that a missionary can save them is with the power of the word. The only way to overcome a good excuse by those who have lost their way is to rebuke them with the word of God. Many times investigators and even faithful members lose their way. Elder Ballard taught us as missionaries that we should love the sinner but hate their sin.

If we all sat passively by and didn't stand up for anything the world would disintegrate even faster and more wickedly. I am willing to fight for the souls of every last man, woman, and child. I no people have their free will to sin but we have a responsibility as missionaries and members to raise a warning voice.

My father knew from his mistakes in life the hell my life would have been had I ran away with my friend. By the time she was 25 she had been married and divorced two times. She was never able to have a baby. She actually called me and offered herself to me. I met her behind the gas station on Sahara Avenue. She was married to a pharmacist and had a new pickup truck and a German shepherd as her consolation.

I told her I still loved her and because I loved her I could not be intimate with her physically. I said I offered her the gospel of Jesus Christ and that it would bring her a lasting fulfillment that she was not finding in her life. She said she had known Mormons when she worked at a truck stop in St. George and she knew many of did things with her. I said there are always a few that don't live up to their commitments but that I knew if she joined the church that she had a chance at what she wanted most. I promised her in the name of the Lord that if she would learn the gospel and live it she would find what she wanted. She said that wasn't for her. I cried as I made my way across Las Vegas that day. I literally walked and hitch hiked the twenty miles back to my house knowing my father had saved me from some one that would wander from husband to husband and from one failed relationship to another for the rest of their life in to eternity.

The most difficult thing for a missionary and the saddest situation is when a good faithful member strays. The destruction of a family is Satan's goal. Missionaries need to preach with power and bind up the failed hearts of those who fall. They can help in strengthening families by having the spirit. I remember many a time going in to the home of a person not committed to a relationship. When people were living together I would ask them did they believe in eternal marriage. The first four times I was surprised that every time it wasn't the man but the woman who declared that they didn't want to be with him for eternity let alone this life. Most of the men got a wake up call believing that the woman loved them. In one case the person joined the church in two it sadly dissolved the relationship. One of my companions would say when I was sad "love is a miracle" elder. Commitment has to be found in both people. The most successful missionaries are those who see through the excuses and get people to make commitments on the way back on the path. Commitments take time and effort. Sometimes a person needs a friend. Missionaries are some of the best friends to sinners I have every seen.

Sometimes the person through rebellion will not return to the fold or live up to the covenants. In that case we shouldn't condemn we need to pray for them. My mission president told us that some kind come not out but through fasting and prayer. I pray for those who don't have faith I not afraid to do whatever it takes to reclaim a person. Love is difficult because we are finite beings only man was perfect and could love unconditionally. Our best efforts require making our best effort and letting Christ make up the difference. Missionaries are ambassadors and as such can act as mediators in reclaiming others. God bless the missionaries and God bless those who are struggling that they might find a way back.

What The Prophets and Apostles Taught Us About Missionary Work at the April 2009 LDS General Conference

Every conference I listen to the talks to see if the theme of missionary work will be covered. Some conferences there are several talks on the subjects. Other conferences it is a well-mentioned theme. This conference I found only three talks that related to missionary work. President Thomas S. Monson mentioned it in all his talks. Dallin H. Oaks used missionary work as an example of unselfish service. A direct talk by L. Tom Perry Bring Souls Unto Me focused on what members could do to overcome their fear of sharing.

The conference opened with President Thomas S. Monson reporting on missionary work in the opening of General Conference said:

We now have approximately 53,000 missionaries serving in 348 missions throughout the world. We take most seriously the Savior’s mandate when He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”¹ We are deeply grateful for the labors of our missionaries and for the sacrifices which they and their families make in order for them to serve.

We also have countless volunteers and missionaries in nonproselyting activities. These are generally mature individuals who donate their time and talents in order to further the work of the Lord and to bless our Heavenly Father’s children. How thankful we are for the valuable services these individuals are providing.

At priesthood session President Monson related a missionary conversion story to illustrate the power of praying fervently by imvestigators and the missionaries:

Second, pray fervently. With God, all things are possible. Men of the Aaronic Priesthood, men of the Melchizedek Priesthood, remember the prayer of the Prophet Joseph, offered in that grove called sacred. Look around you and see the result of that answered prayer.

Adam prayed; Jesus prayed. We know the outcome of their prayers. He who notes the fall of a sparrow surely hears the pleadings of our hearts. Remember the promise: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”⁸

To those within the sound of my voice who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace. Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer.

Sister Daisy Ogando lives in New York City, home to more than eight million people. Some years ago Sister Ogando met with the missionaries and was taught the gospel. Gradually, she and the missionaries lost contact. Time passed. Then, in 2007, the principles of the gospel she had been taught by the missionaries stirred within her heart.

One day while getting into a taxi, Daisy saw the missionaries at a distance, but she was unable to make contact with them before they disappeared from view. She prayed fervently to our Heavenly Father and promised Him that if He would somehow direct the missionaries to her once again, she would open her door to them. She returned home that day with faith in her heart that God would hear and answer her prayer.

In the meantime, two young missionaries who had been sincerely praying and working to find people to teach were one day examining the tracting records of missionaries who had previously served in their area. As they did so, they came across the name of Daisy Ogando. When they approached her apartment the very afternoon that Sister Ogando offered that simple but fervent prayer, she opened the door and said those words that are music to every missionary who has ever heard them: “Elders, come in. I’ve been waiting for you!”

Two fervent prayers were answered, contact was reestablished, missionary lessons were taught, and arrangements were made for Daisy and her son Eddy to be baptized.

In his Sunday morning talk President Monson mentioned a personal conversion story of one of his ancestors:

Too numerous to mention are the examples of all the individuals who have faced difficult circumstances and yet who have persevered and prevailed because their faith in the gospel and in the Savior has given them the strength they have needed. This morning, however, I’d like to share with you three such examples.

First, from my own family, I mention a touching experience that has always been an inspiration to me.

My maternal great-grandparents Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie lived in Clackmannan, Scotland. Their families were engaged in coal mining. They were at peace with the world, surrounded by relatives and friends, and were housed in fairly comfortable quarters in a land they loved. Then they listened to the message of the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, to the depths of their very souls, were converted. They heard the call to gather to Zion and knew they must answer that call.

Sometime around 1848, they sold their possessions and prepared for the hazardous voyage across the mighty Atlantic Ocean. With five small children, they boarded a sailing vessel, all their worldly possessions in one tiny trunk. They traveled 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across the waters—eight long, weary weeks on a treacherous sea, watching and waiting, with poor food, poor water, and no help beyond the length and breadth of that small ship.

In the midst of this soul-trying situation, one of their young sons became ill. There were no doctors, no stores at which they might purchase medicine to ease his suffering. They watched, they prayed, they waited, and they wept as day by day his condition deteriorated. When his eyes were at last closed in death, their hearts were torn asunder. To add to their grief, the laws of the sea must be obeyed. Wrapped in a canvas weighed down with iron, the little body was consigned to a watery grave. As they sailed away, only those parents knew the crushing blow dealt to wounded hearts.⁴ However, with a faith born of their deep conviction of the truth and their love of the Lord, Gibson and Cecelia held on. They were comforted by the words of the Lord: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”⁵

How grateful I am for ancestors who had the faith to leave hearth and home and to journey to Zion, who made sacrifices I can scarcely imagine. I thank my Heavenly Father for the example of faith, of courage, and of determination Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie provide for me and for all their posterity.

I dealt with Elder Perry's talk in an earlier blog post. I am glad to see President Monson focus on the missionary experience.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Cool Missionary Pixs

Thursday, April 23, 2009

LDS Church Strongly Discourages Parents from Picking Up Their Missionary (Form Letter)

10642
Taiwan Taipei Mission
4F, 24, Lane 183, Chin Hua Street,
Ta An District, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

March 18, 2009

Dear Mr. and Mrs. F. A. B.,

We extend our warm greetings from Taiwan and express our pleasure in working with Sister B. in this great part of the Lord's vineyard.

From time to time it becomes necessary to clarify policy on certain matters of concern as we have received a new mission president's handbook. It has become necessary to clarify that "Missionaries should travel directly home from their missions...The Church discourages parents from picking up their missionary." (Mission Presidents' Handbook, pg. 67) We encourage all family members of every missionary to be considerate of this policy.

Should you decide otherwise it would be important for you to know the following:

Your plans must be based on the release date of the missionary. You should not request a change of release date to accommodate travel plans or commitments.
You need to inform the Church Travel Office at least three months in advance if you choose to come pick up your missionary.
You are expected to make your own arrangements, including travel, lodging, and meals. The Mission Office and the Area Office Staff or local members will not be able to accommodate anyone making such arrangements.
You are expected to make your own travel itineraries or sightseeing activities rather than asking your son or daughter to arrange travel itineraries and sightseeing activities as this greatly distracts from the spirit of proselyting. Please allow Sister B. to keep her promise to devote all her "time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs" (Missionary Handbook pg. 4)

Missionaries are encouraged to serve with all their heart, might, mind and strength until the last day of their mission. "[They] are accountable to the Lord and to their leaders of the Church for how well [they] honor their promise." In addition missionaries are not released until they have been interviewed personally by their home stake president.

We send this letter to request that you support this policy which we know will help your missionary feel they have served faithfully giving all glory and honor to God. They will have completed their mission with honor as they endure valiantly to the end of this sacred time they have had to spend in service to the Lord, His church and His children here in the Taiwan Taipei Mission.

With warmest regards,

President Norman S. Nielson

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Missionary Letter: Missions to Collapse from 3 to 2 in Taiwan

Monday, April 13, 2009 12:22 AM

Hey, could someone ask the following people for their current addresses, since school is getting out and I just have people's schools address: Felicia, Matt, Amanda Lowder (I don't have her address at all) ...that's all I can think of for now.

This week was okay. Long because P-day was different last week, so we had to go a lot longer without a little break, but it was fun in a lot of ways too. I'm going to update you in reverse order because that is the easiest to remember. This morning we went to Taoyuan to do our ARC residence cards. It took awhile since we had lunch really quick, and now emailing at 1 is the next thing we are doing. My companion has to register for school, so by the time we get out of here, it will probably be 2:30 and only 3 hours will be left of preparation day...so much for having time to both shop and write the letters I feel like I should...seth, paul, christian, amanda, matt, felicia...I don't have most of their addresses anyways though, so next week will have to suffice for most of them. Oh yeah, I opened my first snail mail letter in Taiwan today. All that it had was one picture. From Christian. Man, some Elder's are so lazy, they send a picture and expect to get a letter in return, my friend James did the same thing back at the MTC, and some of my friends in college had the same thing happen...but I'm thinking he'll get a picture in return. It was actually pretty thoughtful though...it was Christian Burstall downing a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Given that I still have a bag in my suitcase it was funny and I wasn't envious, but if i got a picture like that in 6 months, it might be a different story.

Yesterday we went down to Taipei...we actually spent since last Sunday in Taipei..we spent the night Sun-Mon, but Yeah Tuesday morning we went into Taipei to do temple tours. It was a lot of fun because it's a different pace, and you aren't rained on all day. We got a really awesome guy, and he came in and he was like..."I'm Buddhist but I believe in Jesus Christ (in Chinese mostly of course), history shows he exists." We walked him through the chapel and showed him pictures of Jesus and he talked to us about how one day he started to wonder his purpose on earth and all these other GREAT questions that we happen to have the answer to. We didn't get to talk about everything because he had stopped in on his way to class, but we told him about Joseph Smith being similar to him and got his number. The obstacle (zhang'ai) though is that his mother fandui's (opposes). That's a word I had to learn here my first day. A lot of mother-in-laws or mothers fandui...so people who even want to be baptized never are because they are very respectful of what their elders say. We have a lady who is pretty much a member, minus being baptized because the mother-in-law won't allow it. Hopefully one day she will soften her heart...But if not, I'm sure as long as she stays strong, the time will come that she will be baptized.

So, now to go further back in history...Elder Bednar came to Taiwan and did meetings with all the missions here, and also he did a broadcast for the members in the cities the mission offices are at, so Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei with the members (which by the way, next month, Kaohsiung and Taichung missions are combining and Taipei will expand and take part of the current Taichung mission if you hadn't heard, so there will only be 2 missions in Taiwan...I'll have to write my friends in Kaohsiung and see what they think of the change and what exactly has been going down...when I have time to write hand letters at all that is)...so anyways, us Zhongli missionaries were told that we weren't exactly allowed to go to the member meeting, since we would go on Monday to mission conference, so we had no plans to go, but on Sunday after going to our 2 wards that our area covers, we went home to eat and do personal study...and we got a call from the assistant's saying that they needed sister Hill to come interpret for a deaf girl at the conference, so we packed our bags and went to Taipei. We spent the night in the mission housing, then the next day we listened to Elder Bednar and asked questions at mission conference. It was amazing. Both nights he let the audience ask questions and answer them. The time went by really fast, and I was totally intrigued. It was a really spiritually uplifting time. He said a lot of things that I need to improve on. OH! and after mission conference, a man in the front, so some kind of bishop or VIP in Taiwan who had spent the last week with Elder Bednar turned to me and was like "Sister Bruno, so nice to meet you!" Or something to that effect...so basically from the conversation with him I found out he is a nice man from Taiwan...who happens to know me through my online blog. EMBARRASSING. I mean, he was nice, he said he had wanted to answer some of my questions about Taiwan he had seen, but it was still embarrassing. And the second time some stranger told me they had seen my Taiwan blog. Gaaah.

But I want to send videos from the MTC and pictures so I'll do a quick quick thing on what Elder Bednar talked about...he told us that our goals as missionaries were to eventually have our members be independent in their faith. That they relied on the Lord and not the missionaries or anyone else. I think that was something really good to hear at the beginning of my mission, because he said we need to teach our investigators one by one...like Jesus did when he let people feel his wounds one by one...it was unique for everyone. So right now before I've ever been able to coherently teach a lesson in Chinese, I already want to be able to make my lessons unique to individuals, because E. Bednar is right, the gospel is a unique experience for everyone, everyone gains and individual testimony, so we need to let our investigators do that by giving them lessons unique to their needs.

And then the other biggest highlight I'll mention is he talked a lot about the natural man, both to the members Sunday night and to us missionaries Monday. He mentioned the scripture about the natural man being an enemy to God when a sweet Chinese girl asked how she could be bold yet meek, and he told her that you could be bold because you KNOW the work you are doing is of God, so you aren't scared to do it, but meek because you know it is the Lord's work and you are weak and dependant on him. And he told the missionaries that we needed to teach the lesson, bring the spirit...and then GET OUT OF THE WAY. To get our natural man out of the way of the investigators feeling the spirit. To teach them not just applications, but the principles and correct doctrine behind applications so they understand what they are doing and why...he mentioned how this is necessary to teach children as well, otherwise they won't understand and be more likely to fall away because they don't have as strong of spiritual power to withstand if they don't understand the doctrine and principle behind the things they are asked to do.

Oh and to Michael, (and my other Priesthood holding readers) a question was asked by a sister about the keys of ministering angels...and E. Bednar said that God won't send literal angels to do stuff that worthy priesthood holders can do, because the priesthood holders have the keys of ministering angels...so then he said that the Young Men's responsibility is to strenghten members, so you remember that is your responsibility, so make sure to serve the people who need help when they give you an opportunity and make sure to see if there is anything the missionaries can have you do like visiting inactive members or something so that they can spend their time on teaching lessons! Because the priesthood is really amazing and you are blessed to have it! A lot of people don't have the influence of the priesthood in their lives yet...and that's where I come in with my other fellow missionaries...telling people about it!

Also, give missionaries referrals! Like L. Tom Perry said in conference, a lot of time is spent looking. It would be really great if more referrals were given by members, try to pray about who would recieve the gospel in their lives that you know, and give the missionaries their information.

In other words, it rains a lot here, I'm always soaking wet when I come home, I'm either drenched in sweat because it was a hot day, and we cover 2 wards area (because we are sisters, and there are 2 companionships of elders in each ward, but we cover the 4 companionships areas! ...in Taiwan sisters teach girls and elders teach boys...well we both teach families, but for singles, it always works like that, we give our male contacts when we have them to elders, and vice versa so the sisters have a lot of appointments since our area is bigger and we have a lot of inactivity, and we try to go see inactives a lot because sometimes all they need is to know nobody cares)...or I am soaking wet. Weather here is def tropical! It's burning outside when it's not raining...but the rain comes a LARGE majority of the days. But i'll probably miss being drenched when summer comes and it's so hot it's ridiculous. haha.

Yeah now i'm going to try to send pictures, so I'll end with that. Taiwan is unique. The food my vegetarian companion eats is really not good to me yet, but I hear most Chinese food is an acquired taste, so maybe by the end of my mission I'll be sad to leave the food...but so far i've only been daring enough to try pigs feet (yes, not vegetarian, it was at a members, and my comp. didn't try it..haha) and dofu. They were both not so good, but bearable. Pigs foot more than dofu. Everyone wants their own businesses, so we have a lot of options and I've only been here a week, so not tried a lot...but i've also had some of the best food of my life here as well. Really good scones and these things that have bread on the outside and sausage inside, no idea the names for foods yet, maybe baozi? Not sure. Anyways yeah...it's fun. It's def. not like American food! I paid a little extra for my cereal and milk to have every morning for breakfast, but it was worth it to me to have one meal I'm used to a day :).

OH, and one last thing, as we were leaving temple tours last night, we ran into a boy who is in the top 14 of the Taiwanese version of American Idol, Super Idol. His name is Benji, Pan jie ming. I wish I knew how to type characters on a Chinese keyboard, but I can't. If you can figure out how to find the right characters, you can watch him on Youtube. He's LDS from Utah. I was going to have Desi tell me if he sang any good, but then I couldn't figure out how to use bopo mofo..

only 9 minutes to try to send pictures! bye!

Fu Jiemei

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

L. Tom Perry Calls on Members to Open

Our Mouths

Monday, April 20, 2009

LDS Missionaries and the Book of Mormon

California Fresno Mission

California Fresno Mission

Mission Website(s)

LDS Mission Network (Tina Rawlins)

“Feedback--MiniMissions,” New Era, Mar 1986, 3

“Four New Missions Created, New Mission Presidents Called,” (Robert D. Linnell) Ensign, July 1984, 76–77

“Elder Robert B. Harbertson of the First Quorum of the Seventy,” (former mission president) Ensign, May 1984, 93

"New Mission Presidents Assigned," (Harold P. Christensen) Deseret News [6 May 1984].

“Church Calls New Mission Presidents,” (Harold P. Christensen) Ensign, May 1981, 109–110

"8 New Mission Presidents Called," (Harold P Christensen) Deseret News [28 March 1981].

"New Mission Presidents Assigned," (new mission president Harold P. Christensen, former mission president G. Ellsworth Brunson) Deseret News [28 March 1981].

Kathleen Lubeck, “Big Blowup Turnout,” (Elder Carl Hendricks) New Era, Sep 1980, 18–25

“New Mission Presidents and Their Assignments Noted,” (G. Ellsworth Brunson) Ensign, June 1978, 78

Blog(s)

Elder Aaron Barnard 2009-2011

Sister Kaitlin Bolliger 2010-2011

Elder Jason A. Glowa 2009-2011

Elder Eddie Holloway 2009-2011

Sister Joceyln Turner 2009-2011

Articles

“That Their Burdens May Be Light,” Ensign, Sep 2007, 44–48

The Missouri Connection: What I Learned About Ecclesiastical Abuse or Being Judged for a Single Comment

In the scriptures we learn that we will be judged by our thoughts, our words and our deeds. I learned a hard lesson that the perception of saying something can have consequences also. It was something I did when I was a young married man in my early 30s. In 1990 I moved near Columbia Missouri to a small town Fayette, Missouri. I was hired by Central Methodist College as the head of the library and worked there two years. Our family were the only members in the small town. We initially attended Church in Booneville, Missouri. We went there a couple of Sundays. It was a small struggling branch of about 40 members. My wife and I as returned missionaries were excited to be able to contribute to a small growing branch. A senior missionary couple were assigned there to help the branch to develop leadership since there were few priesthood leaders and I was the only active priesthood holder other than the missionary and one other brother who had barely been reactivated.

I had come from working at BYU--Hawaii where I had a job in the library and taught part-time in the Religion Department. The regular missionaries were excited that my wife and I both returned missionaries would be going to church there with our young family. Our first week there we didn't say much. After the second week we were called in by the senior missionary and told that we weren't fitting in to their branch because most of the people who went there were blue collar workers and didn't feel comfortable with us as college graduates in their branch. He said he had conferred with the stake president and that we were to drive to Columbia a distance of about 30 miles instead of the 10 we were traveling. We learned from the regular proselyting missionaries that he was afraid I would be made the branch president and he didn't want that to happen since it was his branch.

Needless to say the senior missionary had badmouthed us to the stake leaders and local ward bishops in Columbia. The stake president was D. W. now a professor at another Law School but formerly a law professor at Mizzou. His second counselor was J. F., an institute teacher at the University of Columbia. The bishop was R. V. who was a health care executive and a former church leader from New York.

For some reason J. F. was also a gospel doctrine teacher. People in Missouri had a bit of a idol worship for CES types and looked at every word that came out of his mouth like scripture. I had experienced something similar during the two years I taught at BYU--Hawaii as I was invited every fast Sunday to speak to one of the student wards. My second or third week there Brother F. taught a Sunday School lesson on the Old Testament about Isaiah. Brother F. went on about what a righteous man Avraham Gileadi was and that Gileadi was held in high esteem being a religion teacher at BYU and that he was a great CES scholar.

I had worked in the religion department at BYU for seven years and I agreed that Gileadi was a good scholar but just as I was leaving the BYU religion department to go work at BYU--Hawaii Gileadi was going through a period of doubt and loss of faith. He was living up near the Koyle Dream Mine and was into Jewish mysticism which included Kabbalah. I had personally talked to Gileadi about a few issues he was working out. His faith was vacillating and he expressed that to me in the hallway outside Larry Porter's office where I had worked. Gileadi was subsequently disfellowshipped in 1993 for those same doubts. He has since come back in to the church in full fellowship. He really is one of the leading Isaiah scholars.

So when Brother F. went on and on about Gileadi I turned to my wife and laughed and said I guess Brother F. needs to be better informed about who he quotes and holds up as an example. Apparently my comment ticked off a couple of people including his wife who told him I said "he needs to dust off his scriptures." I never really said that "he needed to dust off his scriptures," I was laughing at an inside joke with my wife that we both knew Gileadi lived up near the Dream Mine which seemed kind of kooky. After that I begin to experience a very hostile environment from members of the ward including the bishopric. I experience outright hostility. They would glare at me and snub me. They spoke disrespectfully to me. I didn't know outright that it was over the previous comment until much later but I was given a very unfriendly welcome.

One Sunday the second counselor called me in and told me I was being called as the scout master. I told him I would be glad to take the calling but was he aware of the fact that I had never been a scout and had no experience with scouting. I said I know you have several former Eagle scouts why would you want to call a guy who spends his life reading books and doesn't have a clue about how to be the scout master. I said my wife who worked at summer camps her whole young life would be a better scout master. I don't even know how to put up a tent. He then said so you have turned down the calling. I said no I haven't turned down the calling but let me know if you still want me knowing I have no scouting background.

Needless to say the next week I was called instead to be the assistant ward librarian, which was also an interesting calling for a person who was a professional librarian. I was told I wasn't to touch the library but my purpose of being there was to pass out erasers and such but to keep my hands off of rearranging the library since I was only an assistant and not the librarian. I actually enjoyed the calling since I didn't have to go to gospel doctrine any more. It frustrated me that I couldn't reorganize the library which was a total mess but I did my calling well of handing out erasers.

Despite my initial reaction to J. F. my wife wanted to attend Brother F's institute class on the Book of Mormon. I really didn't want to go but she refused to take no for an answer. She told me I needed to go to support her and help her be self-fulfilled. I didn't have a problem with J.F. being our teacher I just felt he wouldn't appreciate my being in his class because he considered me competition since I knew a lot about gospel doctrine maybe as much as he did. I felt uncomfortable whenever I talked to J.F. I could sense he didn't like me. I taught it was over the fact I had also taught religion in the CES.

Despite the fact the class was during the morning my wife insisted that I needed to take off work and drive her there and attend with her. I didn't really want to go but she said she was feeling stifled in her life with five small children to care for and didn't get enough adult interaction. F. wasn't much of an intellectual in fact he spent a lot of time reading copious amounts of scriptures and quotes from general authorities. He rarely offered much unique commentary. I didn't think my wife would get much out of the class but she said it was good to hear the class members opinions and offer her own. Most of the students in the class were housewives like my wife that didn't work and a few really got in to the topics each week. There were only around ten students including my wife and me in the class. My wife enjoyed the adult interaction and contributing a comment from time to time.

One day the topic of mothers working came up. I felt strongly about the matter and sacrificed so my wife out of her choice could stay home. She made that decision after hearing ETB personally tell us why mothers should stay home. I had compiled the Teachings of Erza Taft Benson so I shared the story in J.F's class of how my wife and I with Reed Benson and his wife and Dennis Wardle and his wife had all gone with President Benson and his wife to the Jordan River Temple. I related how we sat in the temple dining room and President Benson described to us the sad fact that too many LDS women were working and not enough were staying home and having children. He felt that the Latter-day Saint women could all have more children since a few of children of our Heavenly Father could be born in our homes rather than in places like communist China. He told us he was going to give a talk entitled "To the Mothers in Zion" since he felt it a real issue.

I related how he gave the talk and received about one hundred thousand pieces of mail. The first forty thousand told him what a uninspired prophet he was and he should mind his own business. The next sixty thousand that came in told him how many of the women decided to reduce their work loads and what a blessing it had been for several to go home. I was just sharing a story about the prophet and showing how prophet of God were not always popular and how he was like a voice in the wilderness since even LDS women decried his getting involved in their lives.

A week later the day before our institute class I received a phone call from the institute secretary saying that President F. wanted to meet with me the day of class and have an interview. Since he was a member of the stake presidency and she referred to him as President F. I thought it must have to do with something involving the stake or a calling. If he wanted to see me as an institute teacher she would have referred to him as Brother F.

When I went in to the meeting he told me that he had a non-member in the class who was a working mother and that I had offended her by telling the story about Ezra Taft Benson. He said that I should refrain in the future from sharing any personal experiences. Having worked for the CES I told him that he should have informed me if there was a non-member in the class and in my opinion institute wasn't the best place for a non-Mormon since it could get indepth like the experience I shared and that there was even a CES guideline not to have non-members in institute classes for this very reason. I told him he should have let us know if one of the class members wasn't a member so we could be more careful. He said some of the members of his class knew it but he didn't feel he needed to disclose that to us. He then told me that my wife and I were troublemakers and that we weren't welcome in his class.

He said that he had heard from his wife and other students in his gospel doctrine class that I had made fun of him and that I had said "he needed to dust off his scriptures." He felt I was not uplifting and that he didn't want me there anymore. I told him I went for my wife's sake since she needed the intellectual stimulation and that she shouldn't have to suffer because he didn't like me. I said I would be glad to stop coming but not to punish her.

I could see the matter was getting out of hand so I got up and walked out and said I would be right back. I went immediately and told my wife what happened. Something told me I needed a witness. My wife insisted she would go in with me and we continued the conversation and explain why we were in his class and that he couldn't possibly feel the way I told her. When we went back in F. then reiterated that I didn't sustain him in his calling as a member of the stake presidency. I told him that I certainly did support him in his calling but when he called me in about a non-member he had overstepped his bounds and was not calling me in as a member of the stake presidency but rather as an institute teacher and that he shouldn't use his position in such a way. I told him if he asked me to do anything in the church I would do it.

My wife then explained why she was in his institute class. He said both my wife and I were not sustaining him. I told him he was abusing his power and that as a tithe payer he should treat us as faithful members with more respect since we had paid our fee for institute like any other members and our opinions should hold as much weight as a non-members or any member of the class no more nor no less. My wife assured him that we really respected him as a teacher and she wanted to continue to go to institute since she didn't have much interaction with adults with our having five small children at home. He seemed to calm down a little and said we could stay in his class but to be careful in the future.

The next week when we arrived for seminary we were greeted by the stake president D. W. President W. took my wife and me into a room and said that we had mistreated his friend J. F. and that since your husband didn't sustain J.F. that he was recommending that my bishop take my temple recommend. They didn't want to take my wife's recommend. I told D. W. that I certainly did sustain J. F. in his calling but that the matter in question involved him being an institute teacher not a member of the stake presidency and that there was a difference between his calling in the stake presidency and his job as a CES instructor. My wife and I told him that we had spoken to Brother F. and that we went to his institute class to learn more about the gospel and that we had opinions like anyone else and disagreeing with J.F. didn't constitute not sustaining him. I told D. W. that I had not disrespected J.W. by feeling he should have known about Abraham Gileadi nor by telling the ETB story. My wife tried to give her witness of what had been said but D.W. said he knew his friend and he wouldn't misuse his position. D. W. called us liars and said that his friend wouldn't say what we said he did to us nor would he ever abuse his position over a comment. We were banned from attending institute. I was told I would probably be put on probation and my bishop would contact me for my non-support of a church leader.

It created a great strain on my marriage since the church leaders took my recommend and had it put in my bishop's drawer. My wife viewed me as a source of humiliating her in her new ward. I was subsequently called in by my bishop who told me that I followed Satan. He told me he personally didn't like me and that I was arrogant and deserved what happened. He also said that since I didn't support President F. he was taking my recommend. I actually surprised him, instead of arguing with him I said "If you as my bishop say that I follow Satan then I must. Tell me what I need to do to repent."

I sincerely meant what I said but I think he thought I was being a smart aleck. He placed my recommend in his drawer. My recommend sat in his top drawer for three months in his office where anyone could see it that open his drawer. I saw it in there the two other times I went in to talk with him when he reached in for a pen you could see it. I went to church every week and sat in the front row and smiled at all of them whenever I saw them. I went for three months without my recommend.

D. W. got a new job at the BYU Law School and left Missouri supposedly to take care of his ailing parents in Utah. He must have come back or taught part-time because it claims in his Wikipedia entry he retired in 1997. When the new stake president was called in 1991 he retained the two counselors including J. F.

I was reassigned to another ward this time the Moberly Ward so that the new stake president could watch me better since that was his ward. I had to drive about 50 miles to church. I didn't have any callings including being a home teacher. I received my temple recommend back since D. W. told my bishop to give it back on his last week there as stake president and my wife and I weren't fighting anymore. After a few months J. F. took a job at another institute in Utah. I moved that summer also to take a full-ride doctoral fellowship in Indiana. I was still the same person as the one in Missouri but that next winter I was made a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood and became a high priest group leader.

The lesson I learned from J. F. was don't piss off an egotistical CES teacher who can use his eccesliastical position to destroy your life. Some would say I got what I deserved. I should have kept my mouth shut in Sunday School. I was sustaining and defending the kingdom of God when I shared my Ezra Taft Benson story but J.F. saw it as another form of disrespect. My greatest problem was that I didn't kiss J. F's ring and think he was a man of God in all aspects of his life nor did I realize that some men can't seperate their callings from their jobs.

I have never had a warm fuzzy feeling toward the CES since that experience nor an earlier one with P. W. and feel the Brethren know what they are doing when they downplay them as experts or church authorities. I have become militant in believing that only volunteers should be used not paid teachers in teaching seminary and institute. I think one or two zealous paid employees who happen to hold church callings can do damage to the CES. I also think that a man's pride can sometimes color his judgment.

Because of my experiences in Missouri I am more careful in what I say and do with my current leaders. I leave them alone and they leave me alone for the most part. I try to do my calling and I try to find out what my leaders expect of me.

I even have knowledge about legal matters as my lawyer says tell the truth it is the only defense for slander. I am sure all the Missouri leaders felt justified in what they did to me. I did imply F. needed to get his facts straight and who was I to question a Sunday School teacher who happened to be a member of the stake presidency. I look forward to one day standing before God at the judgment bar so all my Missouri leaders and I can have a discussion about this incident with a totally fair judge who can judge us by our hearts and true intents.

My heart was right in what went down in Missouri. Anyone that knows me knows that I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God. I wasn't trying to take over J. F.'s class nor not sustain him. I wish D.W. would have believed me and my wife. There are always consequences to everything we do and say. I'm just not sure a comment like the one I made should be grounds for discipline. I have always agreed with Howard W. Hunter's philosophy that we should be gentler and kinder. I think leaders should consider both sides. I respect Joseph Smith who didn't take the side of Thomas B. Marsh for a few cheese curds I wish I could respect D.W. for his handling of the matter but I don't. I guess you have to respect people supporting each other unfortunately some times they make mistakes that can affect people's lives negatively.

I am of a mind that leaders should be cautious when they discipline people and do it for the right reasons. Even if I had said what he accused me of, I don't think my purported comment that J.F. needed to dust off his scriptures was ever a good enough reason to take away my recommend. I think President W. and F. had bigger fish to fry than me and my wife and they should have been nicer. I noticed J.F. never became a leader after he left Missouri. My wife and have moved on and are still active in the Church. I think it is an interesting experience with lessons to be learned.