2000 Ancient Warriors Sent to Guide Program!

July 15, 1990 edition of The GUIDElines

2000 Ancient Warriors Sent to Program !!!

Paul Freeman wrote: “Also, could you please tell me about this Warrior thing you keep talking about?  I don’t understand it.”

Well, Paul, I really don’t understand it, either, but let me begin at the beginning and recap it for you, because the story continues.

Once upon a Sunday, when the Program was in trouble…suffice it to say that, although none of the youth knew it, the forces of that Evil One were hard at work on the Directors.  We were doing a Sacrament meeting or a Farewell that day and most of the Guides and Directors had been out and about the city.  UB and Don were disagreeing on several points.  As usual, I was in the middle.

I felt all day long that someone was near to me…I felt like I was being accompanied.  I don’t know whether you were here when we were meeting at the Solomon Ward building, but during the meeting I usually gravitated to the back of the congregation to watch for latecomers and make sure they were greeted and just to watch the proceedings.

Well, I was on the back row and watching as the old Presidency and the new Presidency were standing singing, “Hope of Israel,” I believe, when above their heads the Veil parted enough for me to see two personages of spirit seated in large throne-like chairs, surrounded by a group of others.  I didn’t see facial features, just knew those seated were important people and that they were surrounded by others.

I wept quite openly but said nothing to anyone at the time.  The next morning on the way to work I was suddenly overcome by the Spirit and wept.  The Spirit was bearing witness to me that those whom I had seen were the Ancient Stripling Warriors surrounding Ammon and Helaman!  And, that they had been assigned to the Program during its troubled times to bear up our spirits and expand our thinking about the Work.

As it happened that morning, I had to return home immediately to get something I had forgotten and while driving home the Spirit again washed over me and I wept so much that I almost had to stop the car.  When I finally go to work I called UB, Don, Brother Vega, and David Porter and explained what had happened the night before and that day.

Soon after this I went to the temple to have time to think and reflect and the Spirit again bore witness that what I had seen I had seen and that was all the further witness I needed.

What does all of this mean?  I am not sure exactly, except that it has strengthened my testimony and that of others to know how much the Lord loves the Program.  Shortly after that, I received the definite impression that each of you Latter-day Guide/Missionary/Warriors were assigned, when you got your endowments or right around the time you left on your missions, one of the Ancient Warriors as a companion to your spirits.

While in the temple on many occasions I have felt the presence of the Ancient Warriors, most notably when there were 8 Guides and Don and I in a session together.  I felt that the Ancient Warriors were in awe at the spirits of the Modern Warriors and were honored and excited to be with each of you.

One of the most dramatic of impressions was the night that Shad Driggs gave his final testimony to the Program before leaving on his mission.  He was so alone, having sent out so many of his friends [90], that as I watched the congregation I felt overwhelmed by the impression that each of you had sent your Ancient Warrior home for the balance of the meeting to bear up his spirit.  It wasn’t like a “rush of wings” or anything; it was like you might explain a joyous gathering of friends and the welcoming was wonderful.  As Shad and I hugged I whispered in his ear that the Ancient Warriors were here form all over the world and we each felt real good.

I want all of you to know that the Program goes on, but I feel it is in some deep trouble at the present time.  Trouble kind of like the trouble when Ammon and Helaman came, only at that time it was the leaders and this time it is the youth.  We’ve lost all of you dynamic, “do anything for the Program” kinds and we’ve been left with those who are not willing to turn in reports, come down on their assigned nights, or just take care of the Program.  Oh, they are grrrr8! kids, but there is something missing.

We’ve been kind of forced into setting a goal of 50 referrals for July.  Last year we had that miracle July with 21 referrals on one day.  That put us at 41.  So the Brethren in Salt Lake have asked the Center to increase referrals by 15% and attendance by 10%.  15% added onto 41 gives us very nearly 50 referrals.

I know that if we give out 2,000 cards we can get 40 referrals.  The quantity of referrals has steadily grown over the past year so that we do average a referral a day!  But 50!?!

So, while I was in the chapel at the temple last Saturday I was reading in Alma where it talked about the 2060 Ancient Warriors and suddenly it dawned on me that we needed to give our 2060 cards and we would be blessed with the referrals we needed!  It was so dramatic that I said something like, “Aha!” and everyone in the chapel looked at me.  I hid my head in shame and grinned a lot!

The next morning we had a special leadership meeting in the Center.  I got there early and put a sign on the window in the Temple Room that said, “We did it!” with reference to the 29 referrals we received in June.  That was 8 over our goal!

Then I sat 16 chairs in a semi-circle so that everyone could look out toward the temple and waited for the ZLs and either the DL or a representative of each District to come, along with President Williams and the Directors.

During that meeting we reviewed and set a goal for 50 referrals and 2060 cards.  I would have loved for it to be as dramatic as when we bore testimony of faith last July, but for us this was a good start.

Later that day while I was driving to help a friend bless his daughter I was suddenly overcome by the Spirit again and had an impression that in order for our Guides and Ammonites to hand out their cards they would be accompanied by all 2,000 Ancient Warriors this month and that they were arriving from all over the Spirit World.  In my mind’s eye I could see them in a congregation around the Reflection Pool in a service of some type, singing hymns and praying for our success.

I want you to imagine what a picture the Ancient Warriors make.  Each was wounded, meaning that they all probably have terrible scars form being hacked at by swords, knives, stabbed with javelins, and hit with battle axes.  Two hundred were so wounded that they fainted from loss of blood.  (I assigned Heber Allen to talk to Dr. Kent Layton about what kind of wounds it would take to make a man faint from loss of blood and what the experience would be like.  He is an Emergency Room doctor and should be able to give a graphic description.  Heber is doubtful we can make the goal and has been having some trouble.  I just wanted him to know that we have all of the help we need, even with just the Holy Spirit, but to have 2,000 Ancient Warriors to help, we can just overwhelm the Devil!).

Imagine going to the Mall with a phalanx of Warriors surrounding you in the Spirit World to ward of any advances by the forces of that Evil One!  I mean they must be not only some stately, wise looking ones, but there must also be some of the ugliest, scarred-up individuals you’ll ever meet!  And I picture them at times in full battle gear!  (I can see Douggie down in Brazil doing his “muscle body” stance!  And all the Ancient Warriors going, “Whooooooo!”)

I had one other experience in the temple recently that I want to share.  While I was thinking about what the Spirit World looked like around the temple, I again had my mind’s eye opened to a view of this marvelous, totally white city stretching out from the temple clear to the mountains.  A huge city bustling with activity concerning the temple, with the temple as the hub, kind of like Washington, D.C., with the streets radiating out from the Capitol.

You’ve heard the saying, “The best of times, the worst of times,” from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities?  Well, the Guide Program has been that for me.  I have rarely felt so discouraged and have rarely felt so buoyed up with the things we go through in the Program.  I share both with you for your edification and so that perhaps through what I have experienced you may gain a little more wisdom.

We are at a time when we have to decide who the next group of leaders is going to be.  Richard Wright is going off to school.  Todd Hatch has fallen in love and is about to leave in August and Robin Roberts has developed ulcers!  Troy has had it…he’s ready to go.  So, where do we turn?

I am impressed with Trevor Barrett.  He goes in November and if he were chosen we would have time to let Robin rest.  But, can we do that to a guy who has to drive 80 miles roundtrip to the Visitors’ Center from his home near Metro Center in the Deer Valley Stake?

BARZ leaves soon but has too many convert problems to be really effectual right now.  He is still in the taking stage with not a lot left to give after the fight.

Randy Morris, Doug Pospisil, Jason Haws…they seem to have hit a lull in the Program.

Bryan Lane is not quite seasoned enough yet.

Keith Bacon is a possibility.

Trent Allen and Tim Penrod, also.

And out of this group, who would be the ZLs?

I forgot to tell you about this young man, Paul Whetten, grandson of the DeWitts, the first couple I called as Adult Guides, who is here from the Colonies!!!  He now has ½ of the referrals for the past two weeks, and they are almost all Mexicans!  He got 5 in two nights before he was even passed off as a Guide!  Also, he has been working for 3 years with the missionaries and knows the Commitment Pattern and how to Build Relationships of Trust, and in addition to all of that he is filled with humility…and we have him until almost September!  He has been involved in 11 baptisms and performed 5.  And he is only 17 and thinks he will be available for summer 1991 and Christmas 1991, also.  It’s almost as if David Porter spoke Spanish before he left and still had two years in the Program!  Can you tell we’ve waited awhile for this?  In fact, he stole a referral out of the hands of the Sisters from inside the Visitors’ Center the other night.  That made UB laugh out loud and slap his thighs with delight!

Well, I just found a hard copy and re-inputted this page.  It is funny how quickly things move in the Program.  It is now July 30^th, we have achieved our 50 referral goal, the Mexican boy does have about 21 of those, we have our new Presidency and they are getting old in office already, the New Era has come and gone, along with the Mission President, and what is left is a couple of exhausted Directors.  On top of that the temple is closed for two weeks.

What a life!

I decided I am going though some of the same trials you guys are having on your missions.  It didn’t dawn on me until I re-typed the first half of this page.  Wish us luck!

Bro. P.