New Area

Week #70

The only thing I know is that I'm staying in the same zone. With conference and finishing the new house, we didn't have a lot of time to find new stories to tell. In any case, the house is finished, Conference was great, and I'm very tired. 

Elder Barrus and I were talking yesterday about what we're really taught in Seminary and Sunday School. Obviously, it's impossible to teach what to do in every situation and nobody would want to read a book that long any way. We reached the conclusion that the teaching of the Gospel consists of basic principles instead of specific actions. This also applies to our callings.

We rarely are ready to really be a missionary, bishop, or teacher, but the wonderful thing is that God doesn't call us to preach the gospel of Elder Dickson or Thomas Monson. He calls us to teach His Gospel. When we receive a calling to teach and exhort and lead in the Lord's kingdom, we are only to teach and do what He wants done. So, what do we need to do to be effective in His work? We need to know how to communicate with Him.

As we talked about it more, we realized that everything we learn is how to be worthy to receive communication from God and how to recognize His voice. Every principle from obedience to ordinances is to teach us communication with Heaven. 

So, the prophets teach the correct principles and they (and the Lord) expect that we seek daily revelation to know how to apply those principles. That's why Conference almost always talks about obedience, repentance, faith, temple work, and the rest of the Gospel we love so much. Rarely do they reveal some new "deep" doctrine or practice.

When we understand this, our callings for which we are not prepared change from "Why did the Lord choose me? I don't know how to do that." to "I'm just here to do what the Lord tells me day by day is the best way to fulfill this position in His kingdom. I represent Him. I just need to do what He asks." We don't need to worry about not knowing how to lead a ward. The Lord will teach us. We just need to have a strong two-way communication lane with Him.

Now, I have to go pack, and eat, and take some pictures.

 Until the next area.

Elder Dickson