No Man Is An Island

Sometimes missionaries have to return home early. It can happen for any number of reasons. One of our missionaries was called home by his country to serve in the military before his mission release date. Others leave with unexpected injuries, illnesses, or other health conditions - either physical and emotional. Some leave to go home because the demands of missionary life are more than they can handle. A few simply do not or cannot abide by missionary standards of conduct. There are probably as many reasons as there are early returning missionaries.

Early releases happen in every mission. And while it is an ending for those of us who must say goodbye, it is just the beginning of a new chapter for the missionary. Every mission served, no matter how short or how long, is a blessing not only to the people they served, but to the missionary. Whether they served for seven days, seven months, or seventeen months, they served, they learned, and they grew. As in all walks of life, God is pleased with our every effort.

Whatever the reason, it is hard on everyone who knows and loves a missionary to watch as they depart - and most missionaries have no idea how many people that involves, or how many people truly care about them! Many hearts are affected throughout a mission as a missionary returns home, regardless of the length of time served.

I am quite certain that no returning missionary ever really knows how many lives he or she touched. Actually, I am quite certain that is true for all humankind as we live our lives day to day.

There are many different kinds of comings and goings in life. During the last month, four dear friends of ours have lost their husbands to death. While reflecting on these good men at the time of their passing, Don and I have recalled many wonderful times spent with them and many life lessons learned from their noble examples. Because we have not been home to attend these men's funerals, we have sent cards with a brief note about their influence in our lives. It hasn't done them justice. Oh, how I wish we had expressed our respect and love in more detail while they were alive!

I have been to more than one funeral where I looked around the chapel and observed that the person who has passed would be quite surprised to see the size of the congregation and the number of people whose lives he or she influenced - which has given me pause to consider the question:  Why do we often wait until someone is gone to express our gratitude for them and recognize how much they mean to us?

It doesn't just happen in the mission field. So often, we don't take the time to tell people how grateful we are for them and how their life has affected ours for good. Maybe we're afraid to express emotion. Maybe the busyness of life distracts us. Maybe pride stops us. Maybe we don't even recognize their influence until it is gone. Who knows?

What a better place the world would be if we took the time to let others know what they mean to us on a more regular basis.

As John Donne so admirably wrote around the year 1600:
"No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as if thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminished me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee."

--Pat--

Sacred Ground

Rome Italy Temple

With the unveiling of photos and videos of the magnificent Rome Temple and Visitor's Center this week, as well as adjustments to temple ordinances this month, my gratitude for the privilege of temple worship has been foremost in my mind lately.

Having had the opportunity to live on the London Temple grounds for two years, with close-up views of the temple from every one of the windows of our flat, as well as our Visitors' Centre, I can easily imagine the joy of those who are now preparing to serve on the grounds of the Rome Temple, but my love for the temple started long before our experience in England.

I remember, as an 8-year-old, climbing onto the concrete foundation of the Los Angeles Temple which was under construction, and gazing up at the massive exposed beams of what would become one of the ordinance rooms. Because my grandfather was building a church meetinghouse in Northern California, and because he and my grandma loved temple work, they had driven down to visit us and to see the progress on the temple. Grandpa invited my mother and me to come along. I remember the reverence I had, even at that young age, as I walked on that sacred ground, dodging 2x4's and construction workers. I felt the Spirit testify to me that day that being able to return to the temple after it was completed was worth any sacrifice I would have to make.

The Los Angeles Temple was the tenth modern temple to be dedicated; the twelfth if you count Kirtland and the original Nauvoo temple. As of last October, the number of temples has now reached 201 - either in operation, under construction, or recently announced.

For me, temple attendance has not generally been a sacrifice; it has been a privilege and a blessing. I don't know how we have been so fortunate, but during nearly 52 years of marriage, we have somehow always managed to live within a half-hour or so of a temple. And more often than not, the temple is one of our destinations when we are on vacation.

I am so grateful that the gospel was restored and that through the authority of the Priesthood we are able to have the great blessing of temples. I love the temple and the saving ordinances and covenants we receive there. I know the power of the temple to bless us and our families. I testify that many profound blessings are activated in our lives through regular temple service.

From my own experience, the five great blessings of the temple have been:

• PEACE - Even though most of our lives are stressful, busy, and challenging, we can find peace in the temple. So many times, I have walked out of the temple a different person than when I went in, because of the peace I found inside. The chaos and confusion may still be waiting for me when I come out, but the peace I bring out of the temple with me gives me new energy and understanding to deal with it in a better way.
• POWER - There is a literal power from Priesthood ordinances and covenants that blesses us with a personal endowment (gift) from God. President Nelson (Oct. 2018) said, "More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in his temple."  In addition, through the sealing covenant, we are bound to God and to our families forever. That power can be found nowhere else on earth but in the temple.
• PERSPECTIVE - We can find answers for our problems and trials when we go to the temple, especially when we go fasting. Many, many times over the years, when I have been confused, heartbroken, overwhelmed, or grieving and I couldn't figure out what to do, I have gone to the temple fasting. The Lord has always given me direction and guidance - either sitting waiting for a session to start, during the session, or even a day or two later, but direction and guidance always come when I go to the temple fasting. One time years ago, the answer I needed came as I was parking the car, before I even entered the temple.
• PROTECTION - for ourselves and our families. Elder Richard G. Scott (Oct. 2012) said, "Do you... want a sure way to eliminated the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them....  I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary."
• PURITY - So much of what we see and hear around us in the world is unworthy of who we really are. When I dress in white in the temple, I am reminded of who I really am, and who I want to be when I return Home. The temple helps me understand purity. We are literal sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, created in His image. In the temple, I recommit myself to getting rid of all that is unworthy in my life.

Just last October, President Nelson made this promise to all who would listen and believe:  "Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord - to be in His holy house - then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the MIRACLES He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples."

It's true!

- Pat -

A Year of Change

President Russell M. Nelson

Today marks one full year since President Russell M. Nelson was ordained President and Prophet of the Church. Yesterday, Pat and I were asked to speak in the Anaheim 4th Ward. Thinking about President Nelson, I chose to summarize a list of 15 changes in the Church that have occurred over the past year under his leadership, with full support of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.  Individually, these changes may not seem very significant, but taken together they are strong evidence that the heavens are open and the Church is guided by continuous revelation.

I began by quoting the 9th Article of Faith:  "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God."

Here are 15 changes that have been announced since President Nelson became the Prophet:
*  In each ward, the high priests and elders have been combined into one elders quorum.
*  Home teaching and visiting teaching have been discontinued, replaced by a new approach to caring for others called "ministering."
*  Beginning December 31,2019, the Church will conclude its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America.
*  Plans to publish new editions of the "Hymns" and "Children's Songbook" were announced.
*  The Church prepared new guidelines for bishop interviews with the youth.
*  President Nelson requested that the Church be called by its full name, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."       
*  The name of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was changed to "The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square."
*  Future missionaries will no longer receive their calls through "snail mail," but will be able to view their call through a secured website and are notified by text or email when assignments are made.
*  A new "home-centered and church-supported" curriculum and Sunday schedule was announced. Sunday meetings now consist of a 60-minute sacrament meeting, followed by a 50-minute class that will alternate each week. With a shortened Sunday schedule, families and individuals are encouraged to study a new "Come Follow Me" curriculum in their homes to deepen their conversion to gospel principles.
*  19 new temples were announced by President Nelson, bringing the total to 201 temples worldwide -- 161 currently operating, 10 under construction, and 30 announced to be built.
*  Major Church pageants were discontinued, with only three remaining -- the Nauvoo Pageant, the Mesa Pageant, and the British Pageant.
*  Young men will be eligible to be ordained to a priesthood office in January of the year they turn 12, 14, and 16, and youth will be eligible to obtain limited-use temple recommends beginning in January of the year they turn 12, based on "individual worthiness, readiness, and personal circumstances."   Children will complete Primary and begin attending Sunday School and Young Men and Young Women as age groups, not as individuals following their 12th birthdays.
*  Sister missionaries can now wear dress pants, according to updated missionary standards.
*  Four new missions were announced, with 12 existing mission boundaries dissolved into neighboring missions.  (The Anaheim Mission will nearly double in size, effective July 1, 2019.)
*  A statement on temple changes was released by the First Presidency on January 2, 2019:  "Over these many centuries, details associated with temple work have been adjusted periodically, including language, methods of construction, communication, and record-keeping. Prophets have taught that there will be no end to such adjustments as directed by the Lord to His servants."

In my talk, I suggested that if we can't accept change, we might just as well be living under the rules of Old Testament prophets, including the Law of Moses. While the Doctrine of Christ has not changed (see the 4th Article of Faith and 2 Nephi 31), many of the policies, practices, programs, and procedures of the Church may be altered to meet new conditions of a changing world.

It's a great day to be a "Mormon!" Or, I should say, it's a great day to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am very thankful to belong to a church that is led by prophets and apostles.

--Don

What If?

With another holiday on Tuesday this past week, it was a short week in the mission office. Even so, we had two days of Zone Conferences, which I feel is the highlight of every six week transfer period. We always look forward to attending one of the two days because we come away inspired and motivated to serve more effectively and be better human beings.

The training is directed toward the elders and sisters, and is designed to not only help them become more effective missionaries, but to become more effective young men and young women. All the elders look sharp in their suits (they can wear white shirts and ties on other days) and the sisters look equally sharp in their nice skirts/dresses (they now have the choice to wear pants on other days). They are seated at long tables facing the front of the stage where the Mission presidency is seated. There is always great anticipation and respect from the missionaries toward President and Sister Golden and the mission counselors. They are well-revered, and rightly so. They are well prepared. They truly love the missionaries. You can feel the Spirit as they teach and conduct the business of the mission. It is a privilege to be able to attend.

Two zones, or about half the mission, attend each day. On the day that we don't attend, we man the mission office alone while the other two couples are at Zone Conference. That makes for an unusually quiet mission office - especially after the busy weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's. That's actually a good thing. We were able to get some things accomplished that had been postponed during the holidays.

With the Zone Conference came the announcement from Church headquarters that two of the missions bordering ours, Long Beach and Irvine, will be consolidated and absorbed into other missions in July. This means that our mission borders will be expanding as we incorporate part of the Long Beach mission. The boundaries have been announced and we will gain six new stakes - which will double our current number of stakes to twelve. Vietnamese and Cambodian units will add two more languages to the six we already have in our mission.

Green lines indicate new boundaries of the California Anaheim Mission 

2019 is only a few days old and two big announcements have already been released from the Church (mission boundary changes and changes in the temple endowment ceremony). The consolidated Sunday meeting begins this weekend. It sounds like we're in for quite a year!

2019 also began with a little "what if " experience on New Year's Day for me. As senior missionaries, we are allowed to leave the mission boundaries. We've been to both the Newport Beach and Los Angeles temples as well as the beach on our P-Day (day off ) since we've been here. Then, a month or so ago, Don and I got the bright idea to give each other a great Christmas gift:  tickets to the Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena this year.

I'll be honest, it was my idea. When I was a young child, I loved going to see the floats after the parade one year with my family and Grandpa & Grandma Dana. (Part of my memory from that day includes Grandpa talking a police officer out of a speeding ticket.) During high school and when I was home from BYU for Christmas, my friends and I used to spend New Year's Eve sleeping on the sidewalk with hundreds (thousands?) of others, just to have the chance to view the parade from the best vantage point the next morning.

Don and I have taken our family to the parade a time or two over the years, but the last time we went was about 1983 (yup, over 35 years ago). It's a bit of a trek from Utah unless you have other reasons to be in Southern California that week (and don't even think about going to Disneyland between Christmas and New Year's anymore...).

This year seemed to be the perfect opportunity:  only a 45 minute drive from our apartment in Anaheim with tickets to sit in the bleachers instead of on the street. Perfect, that is, until we woke up at 6:30 on New Year's morning. It was still dark, the wind was howling and it was cold outside. All of a sudden, it didn't seem like such a good idea to me anymore. We hadn't even considered bringing winter coats or hats or gloves with us from Utah. What if we spent the morning freezing cold? What if the roads were so crowded with all that extra traffic that we missed half the parade trying to get there? What if we had to walk forever from where we parked to where our seats were? What if the huge crowd was rougher and more unruly than it was 35 years ago? What if there was a terrorist incident?

Thankfully, common sense got a hold of me before I said anything to Don. We got dressed, grabbed a couple of blankets, jumped in the car, stopped at the drive-through for some breakfast at McDonald's, and headed for Pasadena.

My fears were all ungrounded. Traffic was light. We had been given great directions and had no trouble finding our parking, even with all the streets that had been blocked off. Our seats were just around the corner from our parking. The crowd was just as excited as I was, and we sat between two really nice families who had come a much farther distance than we had - one there to cheer on the Washington Huskies and the other to cheer on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

It was a perfect morning. The sun was out and there was no wind at all in Pasadena. The skies were a clear blue as we watched both the Goodyear blimp and the incredible "Spirit 11" Stealth Bomber fly over our heads. The weather was so nice that we never even used our blankets. The floats and bands were amazing. It was such a grand parade!

The "Spirit 11" Stealth bomber over Colorado Blvd.

The Rose Parade 2019

What if I had let my unfounded fears get the best of me? I guess I really wouldn't have known what I missed out on, but I'm so glad for the wonderful memories I have now! Worrying about what might happen if we make this or that decision - our ungrounded fears - can rob us of so many opportunities. I'm happy that wasn't my experience on New Year's Day.

I remember when we brought our first daughter, Janet, home from the hospital, I wondered if we were being responsible bringing a child into such a chaotic world. It was during the height of  the Vietnam War and civil rights rioting in the U.S.; the year that both Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. What kind of life would we be able to provide for our daughter? Well, that was over 50 years ago, and it's been a great life.

We live in a time of many challenges and a lot of uncertainty, but that won't stop me from looking forward to the coming year. I hope it will be a good one, but either way, I will be grateful for the ride.

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Here's to 2019!