The Countdown to the MTC and My Farewell Talk
April 21, 2013
Blog #4
Well, today is the last blog I will typing up myself. The rest of them will be typed up from letters that I send to my mom for her to put on here. A lot has happened since I was last on here. First of all this is the schedule of what happened this past week.
15 April 2013 (Mon.) - Packed up
16 April 2013 (Tues.) - Took a plane to Denver, Colorado then another plane to Salt Lake City. From there we then drive the rest of the way back to Rexburg, Idaho.
17 April 2013 (Wed.) - @ 6:40 PM, meeting with the bishop for Temple Recommend Interview.
@7:10 PM, meeting with Stake President for Temple Recommend Interview
18 April 2013 (Thur.) - Called to do talk on the 21st. Topic: Leadership in the Church/Leader for Christ.
19 April 2013 (Fri.) - Drive back down to Utah. Left around 9 AM
20 April 2013 (Sat.) - Temple Endowment Session
- arrive at 7 AM
- begin preparing at 7:30 AM
- session begins at 9 AM
-Lunch at Olive Garden
-meet up with family to have lunch together
- Mom, brother, and grandmother gave me presents to help me with my mission.
Lunch ends around 3-4.
Drive back to Idaho and arrive around 10 PM.
Then, from 10 PM to 3 AM - I wrote my talk. I was then woken up at 7 AM by noises from across the hall. Finally I was about to get back to sleep around 8 am only to be woken again. I never managed to get back to sleep. By 11:45, I managed to go over and edit the talk once again. I head upstairs and printed it out - 13 pages total. I stapled it and headed to the shower. Not to much later, I was delivering my talk. In fact here it is!
RETURN
AND REPORT
Examples
of Leadership
Back
when I was in the Young Women's, I spent plenty of time in the
Bishops office. And no, I was not in trouble. I was reporting on a
variety of things dealing with my position(s) that I held throughout
my time in Young Women's. The first memory I have of being the
Beehive president was first the setting apart and then later the same
day reporting to the bishop on what was happening with the beehives.
I wasn't just talking about the activities we were planning but the
girls in the beehive group, active and inactive. The first month I
did not have much to say as I had just been called that day but the
next month, I was prepared.
My
first counselor and I spent a couple of hours putting together little
gifts and notes for each girl. During that month we managed to visit
each girl even if it was to only drop off the gift on the front step.
In addition to the little notes we had attached a short little
getting to know you paper so that not only we could plan activities
that the girls would attend but also so that we had an idea as to
what each girl may need.
Each
president was first to report on the people in their groups and then
how to help them improve or even how to get them to come. I remember
one girl in particular hadn't come in over a year. However, due to
the little getting to know you sheet that was sent back to us – we
discovered that she liked painting and drawing. Later that month, we
had a local artist come in and do a little workshop; the girl began
attending meetings more often.
One
of the things that our bishop, Bishop Andrews, consistently reminded
us was to return and report. Something happened with one of the girls
or someone needed help planning an activity, well – return and
report!
On
one occasion a girl had communicated with one of the leaders saying
that she was unable to come to church as her mom was unable to drive
due to some medications she was having to take. After a few calls we
were able to find another girl in the area to give her a ride. Not
even a month later, the two girls were practically attached at the
hip.
Some
of the biggest challenges with planning activities for the Beehives,
and then later on the Miamaids and Laurels
– was the small amount of girls in each group. More than half of
the time we would end up combining two groups or on an occasion or
two – all three of them. One of the occasions where we had all
three groups combined we were planning a summer activity. Our
original idea was to do this sleepover for the activity. However, due
to the lack of interest from the girls we came up with an alternative
– going to the pool; every girl attended the activity.
Due
to the small amount of girls I was in each of the presidencies more
than I was not. If I was not the president, I was a counselor or
a secretary.
Around the time I was called to be a Laurel president, I was also
called to be a Stake Representative for my ward. In
the very first meeting I had with the stake, we were given
assignments. Our ward was assigned decorations for that months dance.
Keep in mind this was a Halloween dance. I looked at the
representative for the Young Men in our ward and he looked at me and
pointed to his notebook. I read the words “decorations – talk to
ward, get creative; we need help!” I snickered a little but my note
was a little similar without the plea for help.
The
next week was our monthly BYC – Bishops Youth Committee and it was
time to not only give the report for the Laurels but from the Stake
meeting. Dennis, the Young Men's representative for the stake, and I
spent a couple of minutes of going over
our
notes for the highlights and anything that needed immediate attention
to those about 6 months in the future. The first thing we talked
about in our reports once we were asked to report was about our
assignment for the month – decorations for the Halloween dance. To
my surprise, it was not just the Young Women that jumped on the
bandwagon for making and putting up the decorations but the Young Men
as well.
To
help put things together in time for the dance, the Young Women
planned an activity for all three of the groups in creating Halloween
decorations and made it a contest; with a bag of candy for the prize
on the most creative. The Young Men had an activity the week after
that using that theme and expanded upon it. Bats, pumpkins, witches,
and all sorts of Halloweens decorations were created. Then,
it was time to get them put up for the dance. A sheet went around in
both Young Men and Women's asking for volunteers. About 10 people
volunteered. On the day of the dance, a couple of hours before, the
volunteers
– along
with Dennis and I
– put
up the decorations and helped set up booths
that other wards had brought in. The
dance was a hit; the games were creative but had a few classics. The
decorations simple yet creative. The music and food kept everyone
until the very end. All
together it was a hit.
On
more than one occasion we had activities that were duds. Simply put
no one showed up or it didn't end up very well. One one occasion we
had a combined activity and it was the deacons turn to plan it.
Unlike the Young Women's groups, the Young Men had plenty in each
group. Because of this the deacons decided to not ask for help in
planning their activity. They decided that they wanted to keep what
they had planned a secret – they wanted to surprise us.
On the
months leading up to the activity the representative for the deacons
was asked multiple times each meeting if they needed any help with
planning the activity or coming up with one. Each time the answer was
no. When the activity finally came we all headed to the gym after we
had prayer and announcements to discover that the deacons had no idea
what they were
doing.
The
deacons looked to their leaders and asked what they were doing. We
were going to be playing glow-in-the-dark volleyball. While fun in
theory, it was a disaster in the making.
Within
ten minutes of the game, there was three bloody noses and a possibly
sprained ankle. Things were not going so well. Instead of attempting
to the save the night, the deacons decided to end the activity a
little early. We spent the rest of the time eating refreshments and
talking. While
the activity was a good idea in theory, it was a failure in
execution. The next time the deacons had a combined activity, they
planned in advance and asked for ideas from the other groups; things
went well that time. In
fact, that activity ended up being one
of
my favorites.
One
of the most memorable times of return and report being used that I
have seen is when it happened to me. My visiting teachers had come to
see me and ask how I was doing; I was not doing well. It had been
determined that my gallbladder was no longer functioning properly; it
would need to be removed. The surgery was simple enough, however, the
recovery was what nearly did me in. Vicodin as a rather strong
medicine took some time to get used to. I had taken the recommended
dosage only to end up throwing up everything that I had eaten twenty
minutes before. After a few more tries we talked to my doctor. He
said to cut the dosage to a third of what was recommended and build
up to the recommended dosage. After that things went a little easier,
however, some thing were still a challenge.
On
a day my mom was out, one of my visiting teachers came to visit me.
She remembered that I had had the surgery recently and would more
than likely being in a lot of pain getting up and down from the
seats. A former roommate of hers had had the surgery as well and she
called her to see what helped during that time. To my surprise the
answer was having something to squeeze when the pain became to much;
so
my visiting teacher simply
handed
me a stuffed frog. Over the next few days, I used the frog a lot more
than I wished to.
Scriptural
Lessons on Leadership
Elder
Spencer J. Condie from the Quorum of the Seventy touches upon a few
scriptural lessons on leadership in his talk in April 1990's General
conference. His talk called “Some Scriptural Lessons on Leadership”
touches on 9
key points concerning leaders in
the
scriptures.
First,
“...in the Pearl of Great Price learn we
that
as Moses was called to become a prophet of God, he was taken to a
mountaintop, where he beheld a panoramic view of all of God's
wondrous creations. Jehovah gave him a vision of his immediate goal,
which was to “deliver
my people from bondage.” (Moses
1:26.)
The Lord then explained his long-term goal: “This is my work and my
glory—to bring to pass the immortality
and
eternal life of man.” (Moses
1:39)”.
In
the Book of Mormon we
read about
the young prophet Nephi who beheld a vision on a mountain. Once he
had envisioned the promise land, he could not be dissuaded from
building a ship to take him there. (See 1
Ne. 11:1.)
(See 1
Ne. 17–18.)
From Moses and Nephi we learn that a
leader must have a vision of the work which lies ahead.
The
children of Israel were governed by judges for a period of more than
three centuries (1429 to 1095 B.C.), following the Great Exodus from
Egypt to the land of promise. These judges were then succeeded by a
series of kings, the first of whom was Saul, anointed by the prophet
Samuel. (See 1 Sam. 8-10.) For decades Saul enjoyed the adulation and
support of the people. But then, lifted up in the pride of his heart,
disregarded the counsel of the Lord's prophet. At that point Samuel
reminded him of the time when he was little in his own sight (see 1
Sam. 15:17) and taught him that immortal lesson: “To obey is better
than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22). From Saul's life we learn that a
leader must be humble and obedient.
Saul
was succeeded by King David, whose forty-year reign is considered by
many to be the golden age of Israelite history. Indeed, Jerusalem
became known as the City of David. But despite
his great leadership abilities, he was tempted to commit a very
grievous sin, which he then compounded with an even greater sin. From
King David’s life we learn that even kings must be careful.
Leadership
positions do not totally protect us from temptation.
After
the death of David, his son Solomon ascended to the throne. In
the beginning of his reign, Solomon prayed in deep humility: “Of
Lord my God, … I am but a little child....Give therefore thy
servant an understanding heart to judge thy people.” And God did
give
him “a wise and an understanding heart.” (1 Kgs. 3:7, 9, 12.)
Armed with Spirit of the Lord, Solomon became God's instrument in
building the holy temple for which Israel had hoped and prayed for
many generations. But with the passage of time Solomon took him wives
outside of Israel “and his wives turned away his heart” and he
“did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (1 Kgs. 11:3,6.) From
Solomon we can learn that knowledge
and wisdom alone do not qualify people to lead. Perhaps
Jacob said it best: “To be learned is good if they hearken unto the
counsels of God.” (2 Ne. 9:29.)
After
Solomon’s forty-year reign, his son Rehoboam went to Shechem to be
made the king. He sought the counsel of the elders regarding how he
should rule. “And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a
servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them,
and
answer them,
and
speak good words to them,
then
they
will
be thy
servants
for ever.” (1
Kgs. 12:7;
italics added.) The Savior gave his disciples similar counsel when he
taught them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last
of all, and servant of all.” (Mark
9:35.)
Within the kingdom of God, to
lead is to serve.
But
Rehoboam rejected the counsel which required him to humble himself
and to serve others. Instead, he chose to reign over Israel with a
very heavy hand, thus causing a great division into the northern
Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. (See 1
Kgs. 12:20.)
For
the next 220 years the people generally set aside their sacred
covenants, thus wandering in the ways of the world. Then a young man
named Hezekiah began to reign in Judah. “And he did that which was
right in the sight of the Lord,” and “He trusted in the Lord God
of Israel.” (2
Kgs. 18:3, 5.)Hezekiah
gathered together the priesthood bearers of the day and said, “Hear
me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of
the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of
the holy place.” (2
Chr. 29:5.)
“Be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which
trespassed against the Lord God … but yield yourselves unto the
Lord, … and serve the Lord your God.” (2
Chr. 30:7–8.)In
response to this assertive leader, who was supported by the prophet
Isaiah, “the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people”
(2
Chr. 30:20),
and “in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness”
(2
Chr. 31:18).
From
King Hezekiah, as from King Benjamin (see Mosiah
2–5),
we can learn a very positive lesson on leadership: circumstances do
not always need to remain the same. Leaders can
make
a difference! Faith
in the Lord and high expectations can bring about a mighty change of
heart among
an entire people.
A
great leader who had
continually sought the will of the Lord was the Prophet Joseph
Smith.
His very life exemplified Paul’s admonition to live the gospel that
we preach. (See 1
Cor. 9:14.)
A great strength of the Prophet was his ability to delegate and
develop leadership skills in those around him. The expedition of
Zion’s Camp is but one example of Joseph’s leadership based upon
the principle “Come Follow Me.” (See Luke
18:22.)
At the conclusion of Zion’s Camp, the Prophet gave the newly
organized high council detailed instructions regarding their callings
and then told them, “If I should now be taken away, I [have]
accomplished the great work the Lord [has] laid before me.”
(History
of the Church,
2:124.)
Long before his martyrdom the Prophet Joseph was diligently training
those who would continue to lead the kingdom after he was gone. Here
is another important lesson of leadership: Leaders
are duty-bound and obligated to prepare others to take their place
at
some future time.
Among
the most righteous and effective leaders to ever walk the earth was
Enoch, who persistently sought to save every single soul.
“And
the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and
one mind, and dwelt in righteousness.
“And
lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up in into heaven.” (Moses
7: 18, 21)
Note
the reference to the “process of time.” A great leader must have
high expectations, tempered with patience. In section 107 of the
Doctrine and Covenants we learn that Enoch was “four hundred and
thirty years old when he was translated.” (Moses 7:49.) Perfection
takes a long, long time.
But still, we are commanded to become perfect, even as our
Father in Heaven is
perfect. (See Matt. 5:48; 3 Ne. 12:48).
From
the most exemplary life of all, that of the Savior Jesus Christ, we
learn perhaps the most important lesson of all. As the Savior was in
the depths of suffering in Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed that the
bitter cup might pass from him, adding in meekness and lowliness of
heart: “Nevertheless not my
will,
but thine,
be done.” (Luke 22:42; italics added.) A
leader in the Lord's kingdom must be meek and lowly of heart. (Alma
37:34.)
Example
in History
Throughout
history there are many examples of great leaders and bad leaders.
However, sometimes they will live long enough to be both.
After
the assassination of Julius Caesar, the world was divided into two
great war camps, one led by the conspirators under Brutus, and the
other led by Octavius Caesar and Mark Antony, a friend of Julius
Caesar. During the long, hard war that followed, Mark Antony
distinguished himself as the greatest soldier in the world. And we
might ask ourselves, “How did he do it?” If we can discover the
secrets of his success, we can make them available to our own success
bloodstream.
Following
are some of the clues that have been given for the accomplishments of
Mark Antony. “Armed with his convincing speech, the power of his
logic, the courage of his leadership, and his own self-discipline, he
swept everything before him. He took upon himself the hardest tasks
with the most wondrous good cheer. He lived for weeks on a diet of
insects and the bark of trees. And he won the unquestioned loyalty of
his men, the acclaim of the people, the support of Octavius, and his
own self-confidence.”
Opposed
by such dedication and skill, the enemy generals one by one soon
began dropping out of the fight. And when the war was won, Mark
Antony stood where the great Julius Caesar had once stood as the
master of the world. But when the need for struggle had passed, Mark
Antony became idle, and idleness accounts for some of life’s most
tragic failure stories.
Mark
Antony went to Egypt where he fell in love with the bewitching queen,
Cleopatra. He became a victim of the soft luxury, perfumed elegance,
and immorality of the Egyptian court. His great mind became clouded
by the fumes of wine, and he became what Plutarch referred to as a
“Fishing-rod general.” As Mark Antony abandoned his better self
he lost the loyalty of his men, the acclaim of the people, the
support of Octavius, and his own self-respect. Finally a guard of
soldiers was sent to take Mark Antony into custody and bring him back
to Rome in chains.
It didn't require an army to overcome Mark Antony now. Just a handful
of the meanest soldiers was all that was necessary. However, Mark
Antony avoided arrest by thrusting a dagger into his own heart, and
as he lay dying he recounted to Cleopatra that there had been no
power in the world sufficient to overthrow him, except his own power.
He said, “Only Antony could conquer Antony.” And then as he
contemplated the arrival of the Roman soldiers and thought of the
awful disgrace that he had brought upon his country and the shame and
humiliation that he had caused his family,
he made his last speech, which William Haines Lytle has translated
into verse, in which Antony says to Cleopatra:
Let
not Caesar’s servile minions
Mock
the lion thus laid low;
‘Twas
no foreman’s arm that fell’d him,
‘Twas
his own that struck the blow,
His
who, pillow’d on thy bosom,
Turn’d
aside from glory’s ray,
His
who, drunk with thy caresses,
Madly
threw a world away.
Mark
Antony had held securely in his hands the control of an entire world,
and there was no one upon the earth with sufficient power to take it
from him except himself. But every one of us has within his reach a
world that is far more significant than the world which belonged to
Mark Antony. There is no power in the universe that can come between
us and the celestial kingdom, except our own power. Only Antony can
conquer Antony.
Leadership: Where
to Start
Leadership
takes place in day-to-day life in addition to Church callings. You’ll
find opportunities to lead in your family,
group of friends, school, community, and ward or branch. So how do
you learn to lead with confidence? A good place to start is with the
teachings in the scriptures.
- Prepare yourself through study, prayer, and faith (see D&C 88:118–19).
- Seek the will of the Lord. When Jesus was on earth, He sought to know what His Father in Heaven wanted, and then He did as He was asked (see John 7:16–18).
- Love those you lead (see John 15:10–12).
- True leadership is about service. Remember the example of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon (see Mosiah 2:11–19).
- Review the traits of leadership found in Doctrine and Covenants 121:39–45.
- Remember Paul’s counsel to Timothy (see 1 Timothy 4:12–16). President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, explains: “Paul gave good counsel for all of us. Don’t worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are, but think about what, with the Lord’s help, you can become” (“Preparation in the Priesthood: ‘I Need Your Help,’” Ensign, Nov. 2011, 58).
How
the Great Leaders Affect Us
In
an article called “One Special Leader”, Sariah De Barros Ferreira
De Silva touches upon how a leader helped her.
“I
will always remember with gratitude
one
special leader who changed my life for the better. When I met her, I
didn’t have many friends. I was not very talkative and would not
smile at people. I didn’t participate in seminary or other
activities. In fact, I went to church only on Sundays. And even then
my thoughts wandered in Young Women class. Some of the girls tried to
include me, but I closed myself off from them. When this leader first
tried to get close to me, she didn’t have much success. At first I
didn’t even know her name. Then she gave me a job to do and began
to depend on me. I accepted the responsibility only because I didn’t
know how to tell her no. Then, before I even realized it, she started
to become my friend. I began trying harder and harder to fulfill my
calling, and I began paying attention in class. I even started
attending seminary and other Church activities. I also made friends
with the young people in my ward. Soon the gospel was the most
important thing in my life.
Who
started all these changes in my life? It was my leader. Today when I
look into her eyes, I feel an immense love and gratitude. I am
grateful to Heavenly Father for the opportunity of having such a
special leader. I am grateful to her for preparing me and being with
me on the day I received my endowment in the São Paulo Brazil
Temple. I am grateful for her example of love, a love I try to apply
in my own life. Now that I am a Young Women leader in my ward, I hope
I can do for my young women at least a part of what she did for me.”
Leadership
is something that is constantly happening. As Brad Smidt said in an
article called “Following the Leader” - “We
need to be careful in what we say or do, because so many people are
watching—sometimes people we don’t even know.” (Sally Johnson
Odekirk, May 2011). I bear my testimony that in a way we are all
leaders, whether through our callings or a leader in example and that
the perfect example of a leader is Jesus Christ himself. As Henry A.
Kissinger said, “The task of the leader is to get his people from
where they are to where they have not been.” I know that leadership
in the church is important and Jesus Christ is the unequaled example
of a leader. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well written for having been written in 5 hours, right? You didn't see the rough draft. I found a couple of rambling sentences about my cat, Abby, this morning. I can tell I was a little tired when I was writing this. Jason said he noticed a few holes but with the amount of time I had to work with it was amazing. For the upcoming week this is the planned schedule, hopefully (fingers crossed, it stays the same).
22 April 2013 (Mon.) - Packing!!
- Any last minute things I need to do
- Setting apart as a missionary by Stake President at Stake Center at 8 PM.
23 April 2013 (Tues.) - Driving back to Utah
24 April 2013 (Wed.) - @ 1 PM, I report to the M.T.C.
That's all for this post! The next one will be from when I am in the M.T.C.!
