Many of you have likely never met my mission president or his wife. They are good people. President Strong teaches a Book of Mormon class and is an admissions counselor at BYU. Sister Strong is a great 'Mom'--you'd never even guess she's had nine children (faithful RM's and all married in the temple). You'll also probably not remember the song "I'll build you a rainbow" (featured in 'Seminary's Greatest Hits') but President Strong wrote it. Like I said, good people. So, last night about 30 other former Adelaide missionaries and I went to his house and listened as he discussed the world that we are living in. We all sat in a circle made out of folding chairs in the basement of their Orem home and listened. I had heard many of the thoughts and scriptures he shared--but that didn't matter. I knew that what he was teaching us needed to be heard...really heard. Too often I find myself wandering around inside my head. I know that many people do that too--it's that period of thought when your eyes glaze over and you can only half hear what's actually going on. I wish you could all have felt of the spirit that was there. The spirit that always testifies of the truth.
Friends and Family, I care about you. I want you to know that I love you and want the best for you. As the whole world continues to fall down around us, we need to remember that labeling ourselves or putting ourselves into groups only DIVIDES us. You know what I'm talking about, I've done it before. "Oh, I'm not an American, I'm a New Zealander" "I'm a drama kid, not a sports jock" "I go to UVU, not BYU" We need to stop dividing/labeling/excluding ourselves because someday we need to become Zion (you know "One heart and one mind"). This will never happen if we continue in the pattern that has become so common place in our society--being different. We all want to be different. How about we err on the Lords side of the line to be different? I'm trying hard to have this be my motto in life. Give it a try, you'll feel much better. Remember who we are and follow the prophets.
Heber C. Kimball said:If you have not got the testimony, live right and. . . call upon the Lord and cease not til you obtain it. . . The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself.
[Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967), pp. 449450]
3 comments:
fantastic.
sorry i missed it, next time we will be there
oh Adam...I'm so sad I missed it! The last time we were in his basement was also not that long ago, it seems...I just love you, too! It's so important to remember we all really need to be of one heart and one mind. Take care, Elder.
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