We began with Elder Holland addressing us. He talked about the importance of giving new missionaries the very best trainers possible. "If a mission has any meaning at all, it must have that same meaning forever." The two single greatest influences on a missionary will be his mission president and his first companion. He used the example of his own first companion when he arrived in England some 50 years ago and his mission president who was Marion D. Hanks (he spoke with great affection and emotion about him--Elder Hanks is presently in a elderly care facility suffering from dementia). His comments were simple but so important. Trainers teach their new companions to be (and they are themselves):
1. obedient missionaries--it begins with arising on time, personal study, companion study, and planning, then carries throughout the day.
2. hard workers--he stated that some of the very best missionaries in the world are from Idaho because they have learned to get up early and work hard. "You mean I get to sleep in until 6:30?!!"
3. every day they are deeply rooted in the scriptures using methods outlined in Preach My Gospel with the power of the Holy Ghost.
These three characteristics can be found in great missionaries and found in great young men who are preparing for missions. I hope that while we are training our missionaries to be like this that our grandsons are also preparing to be like this!
When I think of my first companion, Elder Mark Ponder, with whom I served for only one month in Suwa, and my second companion, Elder Richard Butler, with whom I served for six months in Maebashi, I was truly blessed with hard-working quality missionaries. I rember during my first transfer as I had caught the train in Tokyo to head out to Suwa, I spent the train ride contacting people and telling them in very rudimentary Japanese about the Book of Mormon. It would have been easy to have been anonymous and to have quietly ridden to Maebashi, but my first companion taught me that this is how missionaries in our mission work. I will be forever grateful for them!
The missionary choir sang "This is the Christ"--so beautiful. The lyrics are by President James E. Faust and was first performed at the Jerusalem Center in Israel while he was there with his granddaughter.
Elder Holland reminded us that we as missionaries are the most prayed for group in the Church. "Let not your heart be troubled, you can do it!"
After Elder Holland, Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke briefly and bore his testimony. He is the senior member of the Missionary Executive Committee of the church, so all of the events of this week were under his direction. He then invited all the members of the Quorum of the Twelve who had not previously spoken this week to bear their testimonies: Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder Richard G. Scott, Elder M. Russell Ballard, and Elder L. Tom Perry. Only Elder Robert D. Hales did not come to the seminar. I presume his health is not well, but I don't know that for sure. It has become common place to have the Brethren around us (just this morning I shook the hands of Elders Perry, Nelson, Ballard, Scott, and Bednar), but it was never by any means common. Elder Scott bore a powerful testimony and concluded with "I know He lives because I know Him." Elder Ballard reminded us that the lifeblood of the Church (missionary work) is now in our hands. Wow. After lunch as Elder Ballard was leaving the MTC with his wife, he stopped to talk with a couple of us and said (among other things), "go out there and have fun!" I liked that a lot. We can't be sober all the time, and we certainly need to find joy in the work and help our missionaries do the same.
Sacrament meeting was held with 8 or 10 of the MTC elders officiating the ordinance of the sacrament, then President Eyring was the only speaker. I love to listen to President Eyring who has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve for 26 years. A few of the things he said that resonated with me were:
"Help every missionary succeed! With the help of the Spirit, we will succeed.
"We will come to know the Master as we serve with Him.
"The Lord's measure of success is the strength and power of the Spirit, it is the love that one feels for the people with whom and for whom we serve.
"I promise you that thousands and generations will call your name and the name of your missionaries blessed."
After sacrament meeting we had lunch with the Zinke's (Japan Kobe), the Gilbert's (Korea Pusan), and the Anderson's (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Then we came home and began the process of packing and preparing for tomorrow's departure. We have been able to speak with nearly all our children and grandchildren today as well as Mom. What a wonderful Sabbath it has been! Tomorrow the adventure continues.
Oh, I forgot to mention that as I was waiting today in the hall for Pam, i began speaking to an older sister who seemed to be waiting for her husband. She was not an outgoing mission president's wife--I could tell because of her nametag. As we chatted, I asked her if she had ever served as mission president. She said that she had served in Cordoba, Argentina from 1993-1996. I was overcome with emotion as I told her that our daughter, Angie, had been cared for and trained by her and her husband for the first half of her mission. I even gave her a hug and thanked her for what she did. Then I showed her a picture of Angie and Justin and their family. Attached are a couple of pictures of her and her husband with Pam.
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