Dear friends and members of the Kingsland Ward and around the world:
When I first became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I was called as Junior Companion to Paul Toner to Home Teach the Regional Representative of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This was a great experience – sort’ve starting at the top. Soon after when I became an Elder and had my first Temple Recommend interview with my Bishop Dallin H. Dallon – he charged me to be a 100% Home Teacher to retain my recommend. As expected I said ‘yes!’
Somehow the Elder’s Quorum President learned of this and I was assigned 19 inactive families some who nobody knew where they lived or who they were. Eventually I learned as much as I could at least their addresses and phone numbers. My companion couldn’t believe we were going to visit each of their homes. So we prayed and had a plan. We wrote letters to each of the families introducing ourselves and that we would be calling for an appointment. Knowing this would give them a reason to refuse our visits we added a short note to each letter. We asked the question “would you steal from our families?” Hoping your answer would be a ‘no’ then I’ve been directed to be a 100% home teacher in order to retain my Temple Recommend. We’d just like to meet you – say ‘hi’ and see if there’s anything you need or we can assist your family. When we called for appointments each agreed (mostly reluctantly) but we set up appointments. By the end of the first month we visited all 19 families. During the second month we found out three of the families moved out of our Ward. However, we saw the remaining 16. The circumstances were dire – smoking, drinking, some profanity (not much) and we started to make friends. Apparently some called the Church and asked for us to be removed as their home teachers! Eventually we were down to 7 or 8 families and by the end of the year most of these had been reassigned. (Note: during this year I lost 2 companions who couldn’t take the situations we encountered.) At this our oldest son was about 3 years old and he started to go with me. And for the next 30 years both of our sons were my companions.
Why tell you this – because we need to be creative in how we minister to our brothers and sisters in the Church. We need to understand the Lord asks nothing of us which we cannot accomplish. (Note: 1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.) However, I’ve learned over our 45 years in the Church that Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching causes a great reluctance and even inactivity for many in the Church. Why is this the case? Over those 45 years as my beginning experience I’ve had a very high number of inactive members assigned to be home taught as my wife with the Sisters to be visited. We’ve had home teachers who wouldn’t call us or come to visit us. We solved this by showing up at their homes to be home taught – smile – it worked. Therefore I believe I can say that between Joyce and I we’ve seen or communicated with every family assigned to be home taught or visited – and in turn we’ve been Home Taught and Visited. Sometimes these visits to us have been under very interesting circumstances. We’ve a record of every one of our Home Teachers and every family assigned to us. When I was recovering from my various heart surgeries – we would have families we home taught show up to our home knowing how important these visits were to them and us (many being inactive families).
Everyone needs someone – in the Church it is even more important especially if you’re inactive. Love is contagious – and can be felt. If you’re one of those who either inactive or have been offended remember we joined the Church because we had a testimony from the Holy Ghost that it was true. To those of my friends who get this and are not members that’s okay – you still let me reach out to you to share a friendship relationship and many have promised to feed the Missionaries if they call at your door. You see eternal life means to have eternal friends and to have eternal friends you’ve to make them in mortality and you are them!
The remainder of this message comes from President Russell M. Nelson – the living Prophet of God on this earth in these latter-days.
President Russell M. Nelson April 2018 General Conference:
Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.
I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs.3 Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do. Let me give you some specific examples.
Not long ago, I attended a sacrament meeting in which a new baby was to be given a name and a father’s blessing. The young father held his precious infant in his arms, gave her a name, and then offered a beautiful prayer. But he did not give that child a blessing. That sweet baby girl got a name but no blessing! That dear elder did not know the difference between a prayer and a priesthood blessing. With his priesthood authority and power, he could have blessed his infant, but he did not. I thought, “What a missed opportunity!”
Let me cite some other examples. We know of brethren who set sisters apart as Primary, Young Women, or Relief Society leaders and teachers but fail to bless them—to bless them with the power to fulfill their callings. They give only admonitions and instructions. We see a worthy father who fails to give his wife and his children priesthood blessings when that is exactly what they need. Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Brethren, we hold the holy priesthood of God! We have His authority to bless His people. Just think of the remarkable assurance the Lord gave us when He said, “Whomsoever you bless I will bless.”4 It is our privilege to act in the name of Jesus Christ to bless God’s children according to His will for them. Stake presidents and bishops, please ensure that every member of the quorums within your stewardship understands how to give a priesthood blessing—including the personal worthiness and spiritual preparation required to call fully upon the power of God.5
To all brethren holding the priesthood, I invite you to inspire members to keep their covenants, fast and pray, study the scriptures, worship in the temple, and serve with faith as men and women of God. We can help all to see with the eye of faith that obedience and righteousness will draw them closer to Jesus Christ, allow them to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and experience joy in life!
A hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children of God and their families.6 Because it is His Church, we as His servants will minister to the one, just as He did.7 We will minister in His name, with His power and authority, and with His loving-kindness.
An experience I had more than 60 years ago in Boston taught me just how powerful the privilege of ministering one-on-one can be. I was then a resident surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital—on duty every day, every other night, and every other weekend. I had limited time for my wife, our four children, and Church activity. Nonetheless, our branch president assigned me to visit the home of Wilbur and Leonora Cox with the hope that Brother Cox might come back into activity in the Church. He and Leonora had been sealed in the temple.8 Yet Wilbur had not participated for many years.
My companion and I went to their home. As we entered, Sister Cox welcomed us warmly,9 but Brother Cox abruptly walked into another room and closed the door.
I went to the closed door and knocked. After a moment, I heard a muffled “Come in.” I opened the door to find Brother Cox sitting beside an array of amateur radio equipment. In that small room, he lit up a cigar. Clearly, my visit was not all that welcome.
I gazed about the room with wonderment and said, “Brother Cox, I have always wanted to learn more about amateur radio work. Would you be willing to teach me about it? I’m sorry I can’t stay any longer tonight, but could I come back another time?”
He hesitated for a moment and then said yes. That was the beginning of what became a wonderful friendship. I returned and he taught me. I began to love and respect him. Through our subsequent visits, the greatness of this man emerged. We became very good friends, as did our dear eternal companions. Then, with the passage of time, our family moved away. Local leaders continued to nurture the Cox family.10
About eight years after that first visit, the Boston Stake was created.11 Can you guess who its first stake president was? Yes! Brother Cox! During subsequent years, he also served as a mission president and a temple president.
Years later, I, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, was assigned to create a new stake in Sanpete County, Utah. During the usual interviews, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter again my dear friend Brother Cox! I felt impressed to call him as the new stake patriarch. After I ordained him, we embraced each other and wept. People in the room were wondering why these two grown men were crying. But we knew. And Sister Cox knew. Ours were tears of joy! We silently remembered the incredible journey of love and repentance that began more than 30 years ago, one night in their home.
The account doesn’t end there. Brother and Sister Cox’s family grew to include 3 children, 20 grandchildren, and 54 great-grandchildren. Add to that their impact on hundreds of missionaries, on thousands more in the temple, and on hundreds more who received patriarchal blessings at the hands of Wilbur Cox. His and Leonora’s influence will continue to ripple through many generations throughout the world.
Experiences such as this with Wilbur and Leonora Cox occur every week—hopefully, every day—within this Church. Dedicated servants of the Lord Jesus Christ carry out His work, with His power and authority.
Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God. We are the men who have been “called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of [our] exceeding faith,” to do this work.12 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/ministering-with-the-power-and-authority-of-god?lang=eng
The experience which President Nelson shares is one which many of us can share with the families we’ve met over the years. Hopefully if you’re inactive or struggling you’ll reach out – if you don’t know who to reach to – there’s our Bishopric – RS Presidency – or you could reach to Joyce or I.
“Into Darkness’s Light”
cji
9/23/18
Assigned to call on you
warned of darkness
knowing there’s light
you’ve a new infant
needing a blessing
asking someone to do
in turn being asked
‘why not you?’
after time and caring
understanding Priesthood
you accepted responsibility
into darkness’s light view
finding love and friendship
Father’s call to you!
Copyright © 2018 – cji
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