The Importance of Missionary Work

We are in the middle of a string of zone conferences, one for each of the seven zones in the mission.    Zone conferences for Raleigh (which took place in the stake center where the mission office is located) and Apex (which is held in the stake center adjacent to the Raleigh Temple) happened last week.  This Tuesday and Wednesday we have Raleigh South and Wilmington Zone Conferences.  Wilmington is the farthest away -- about a three-hour drive south from here.  The other three zones (Durham, Fayetteville, and Fayetteville West) will have their conferences in the following two weeks.  Then come the three days of transfers, and the cycle begins again.

The office staff goes to all zone conferences to give short training presentations to the missionaries on various topics within our stewardship.  Things like keeping apartments clean (the housing supervisor); the importance of drinking enough water to stay hydrated (mission nurse); safe driving (car czar); ways to reduce utility bills (finance elder); and the proper way to fill out baptismal forms (mission secretary, me).  The vehicle elder also has to check all the missionaries' vehicles to make sure they're being taken care of (oil, fluids, tires, etc.)  Most of us can leave after our part is complete, but on Wednesday I stayed for the entire meeting.

May I just say how impressive these missionaries are!  So focused, so intelligent and eager to learn. The two Assistants to the President, Elder Barlow and Elder Shearer, each gave a 30-minute presentation without notes, and their poise and confidence, mingled with their humble acknowledgement that they are only servants of our Heavenly Father, brought me to tears.  I see the Lord's hand very clearly in this work, and that is evidenced by the stories and examples they share with the missionaries.

In addition to assisting President James, the Assistants also spend their evening tracting and teaching.  Elder Shearer told of knocking on a door and beginning the door approach.  The man who had opened the door immediately started waving them off, saying he wasn't interested, and attempting to close the door.  Elder Shearer just kept smiling and talking, telling him of the restoration of the church.  He had just begun to tell the man about Joseph Smith reading scriptures and going to the grove to pray when the man really began to close the door.  Elder Barlow spoke up, saying "You need to listen to this!  It's important!"  The man held the door open a little bit and listened to the rest of the story, then paused, looking thoughtful.  He said "I've never heard anything like that before.  You'd better come in and meet my family." They are now teaching that family the truths of the gospel.

The moral of the story, of course, is to never give up.  We have the truth, after all.  There will be people who have so hardened their hearts that they no longer are open to anything other than what they have felt is true all their lives.  No amount of testifying will be able to sway someone who has closed off their mind and heart and will not listen.  But others are sincere seekers and open-minded, and can be touched by the right approach.  They are the ones the Spirit can teach.

I haven't yet gone to the temple, but seeing it on Wednesday makes me want to make time to go very soon.  It is a much smaller temple than any in the Salt Lake Valley, but still very beautiful.  It is only open for a couple of sessions on most days, with more sessions scheduled on Saturday, and anyone wishing to go to the temple must call ahead to make a reservation.  That takes more planning than I'm used to doing, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.  It's only about a half hour drive away from my apartment by freeway.

On Friday, May 26, 2017, my luminous oldest granddaughter Jessica married KJ, the man of her dreams, in the Salt Lake Temple.  They met when they were both teaching Spanish-speaking missionaries at the Provo MTC, and will now be making a life together.  I was sad not to be able to be there with them, but Vanessa thoughtfully hooked me up on Facebook Messenger so I could
experience some of the reception festivities and see and be seen by some of my family.  It was a great treat, and I enjoyed it very much.  Family IS what the Church is all about.  Jessica and KJ have formed a bond that is eternal, as each of my children has done with their partner.  I am so thrilled that all six of my children, are married in the temple and active in the Church.  I know that their lives are enriched by the gospel, and I know that because of the Plan of Salvation, and the sacrifice of our elder Brother Jesus Christ, we can and will be together in eternal life.  Graham is there already, waiting for us to join him, and the reunion will be sweet.

This is what missionaries want to provide for the people they teach.  The opportunity to forge those eternal bonds, to learn what they have to do and the covenants they need to make to help them reach that happy state in the eternities and feel the joy that comes with it.  That is the importance of missionary work.