David Teaches Us

(From the June 15, 1990 issue of GUIDElines)

David Teaches Us

28 May 1990 – Brother Parker, Today I was greatly blessed to receive your letter and the GUIDElines.  I continue to be amazed at the way your efforts in that regard are blessing the lives of so many of us.  I can’t tell you the strength I receive as I read each letter from my brethren.  It is wonderful!  I keep the GUIDElines close to my bed so I can draw strength from them as needed.  Each of my brethren continues to influence my life in ways they cannot imagine.  I love them all.

I mentioned in my last letter that I wanted to write a letter sharing some of the things I have learned as a junior companion.  I have tried to do it again but the Spirit won’t give me utterance, so for now I have stopped trying.  I don’t know if these are things that each missionary should learn for himself, or if I should wait until I have learned more.  I have in no way mastered the situation.  It is a great challenge to work with someone who at times does not desire to work like you do.  I have learned so much of my own weaknesses and things I need to do to improve.  I will write more on these things as the Spirit directs me.

I desire to write to my brethren concerning something I have learned in the past few weeks.  It is based around this quote:

            “What you do depends on how you feel about what you know.”

I really believe that every missionary knows that the Church is true and that Jesus is the Christ.  However, not all missionaries feel the same about this knowledge.  It is possible to know that the Savior lives and not love Him.  Many of the evil spirits He cast out recognized Him as the very Son of God.  Yet they did not have the love for Him in the pre-existence to choose the Father’s Plan that the Savior ratified.  I do not mean to suggest that there are missionaries that do not love the Savior.  However, there are differences in missionaries.  I believe that all my actions are inspired by faith in Jesus Christ and the love I have for Him.  The Savior said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)  The degree to which I will do His will depends entirely on the amount of love I have for Him.

Now, Brethren, we all love the Savior, and at times all missionaries feel these feelings of love very strongly.  However, only those missionaries that truly have the Spirit will remember those feelings when challenge is upon them.  I heard a sensational definition of Character the other day.

            “Character is the ability to carry out a decision, after the emotion of making that decision is over.”

If we truly love the Savior we can have this true character.  Alma knew the importance of this when he said, “If you have experienced this mighty change of heart, I would ask can you feel so now?”  (Alma 5:26)  [Please check me on that Brother Parker.  I don’t have my English scriptures with me.}  {“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”]

The key then, Brethren, is to have the Spirit with us always to bring to our remembrance the true love we feel for the Savior when trials are upon us.  For as we teach in the first discussion, it is the Spirit that will bring all things to our remembrance.  (John 14:26)  We must keep the Spirit to help us remember.

Now, Brethren, if this has sounded like counsel, you are right.  It is counsel I have received of the Spirit that I desire to share with you.  I also expect to receive counsel at the hands of each one of you.  It is a mark of a true disciple of Christ to be willing to receive counsel.  Let us be true disciples of Christ and strengthen each other.  Never forget who we are and the importance of what we are doing.  The Savior is real!  I know that.  My prayers are with you always—

Love, Your Brother, Elder David P.

Brother Parker – I need to go.  Thanks again for all you do for me personally and for youth all over the world.  I pray all is well.  I received the specific impression to pray for you the other day.  I did so.  I knew the Lord would continue to bless you.

Love, Your Eternal Brother, Elder P.

David – There are days when my thoughts are centered on Chile and others when I think a great deal about Chicago, and sometimes they just fly around the world, wherever the Brethren are.  We sit here in America and watch the news from Poland and the Eastern Block, from the Philippines, South Africa, and never really know how blessed we are.  Just today, the Church News had the article about the missionary that was slain at his apartment doorstep by a knife-wielding assailant in Ireland.  My heart…I can’t explain exactly what happened, but it was like a part of my heart immediately was carried to all parts of the globe, wherever you guys are.  Then I read the paper and right here in Tempe a companionship was riding with a sister and they were hit head on and one missionary was killed and the other is in guarded condition at the hospital.  I just want to tell you to be careful all over the world, wherever you are, and stay as close to the Spirit as possible so that you can ALL come back to us.

I’m glad to see the GUIDElines is beginning to elicit some participation from each of you.  We are back to 3 ZLs and a President and Secretary for the Presidency.  Troy W., Pres., Todd H., Richard W., and Robin R. are ZLs and Catherine P. remains as Secretary.  DLs are Randy M., Jason H., [same zone – Monday/Friday], Doug P., Bryan L., Keith B., and Curtis N.  We finally had to make Heber A. a Guide and he is also a RS, along with Katie P., Laurie W., Michelle B., Leslie B., and a vacancy on Saturday.  TS’s are Katina J. [she’s awesome – so spiritual], Shaleigh K., Debbie M. [The Awesome Debbie M – I believe she is a Guide Miracle just in herself.  She brought down a friend and received the two referrals that made the monthly goal for the Visitors’ Center – she continually comes through – can you all tell how much I love her?], Derek M, Tim P., and Emily G.  It was an interesting night.  We had given the GTs six weeks to learn the Star Test and Tour and nine of them hadn’t, so I just created a new category called Perspective Guides and moved them there.  That gave me room to call 12 more GTs!  Trevor B., Steven J, and BARZ are new Guides.  Trevor has remained faithful, even though each trip to the Center is 80 miles R/T!  Now GTs are Ben N., Glade S., Jeff D. [Mtn View Student Body Pres. last year], Mike H., Julie P., Eric R. [the Awesome brother of the Awesome Jeff], Billy M, Darren S., Elijah W., LaRoux L., Brian B., and Steve B.  Remember the names because they are our future leaders…sooner than soon.

LaRoux’s mother was at the meeting and afterward stopped UB and said she wanted to talk to him privately.  She said, “I see things others don’t, and when your son, Brent, was bearing his testimony after he was released as President tonight, I saw standing next to him a huge WARRIOR.”  [I told you so.]  It was interesting, because with all my dealings with UB I had a hard time while Brent was President.  UB specifically told me to leave them alone and I wanted so much to sit and talk with Brent and just share a bit of my vision with him.  I had not had an impression that his Warrior had arrived or anything about him.  I guess the Lord provides in all cases!

Karl Huish spoke on commitment to the troops on Sunday.  He is awesome!

Well, we lost six more from Wednesday to Wednesday and although it wasn’t as bad as when 14 of you went, it has been pretty bad.  The girls have it hard when their friends leave, wave after wave.  It isn’t that they love all of them the same but just the same they love all of them.  Be sure and be as kind as you can to each of them and do what you can to buoy up their spirits when you write.  I took Leslie and Laurie out to dinner last evening and talked with them about special missionary work to be done by sisters.  If there is one impression that keeps sweeping over me again and again it is that the sisters are probably the most important part of the Program and we just haven’t recognized that fact yet.  Where better place in the entire world to do missionary work before you are 21?  They have the right, authority, and facility to do wondrous things.  My job is to continue to try to give them the vision.

I stopped at Taco Bell today and picked up 10 tacos for the Director’s meeting.  I ate two, UB ate two and guess who downed the rest of them…boy, taking Vega to lunch is almost sheer bankruptcy!  We are messing with the Tour again!  I know some of you are saying, “Why?”  Well, because UB wants to.  We are cutting out the part around to the front of the temple and keeping it all in the area of the reflection pool, sour orange tree, friezes and ROCK.  We’ve had to quit giving out BOMs – new Church policy.  So, we have expanded the effort at the ROCK and cut out going around front.  UB also wants the Tour in ‘outline form’ and does not want any memorization.  He also is instituting another Training Meeting during the week or on Saturday for GTs.  I think that is a good idea.

Troy got his call and leaves around August 1^st for BOISE IDAHO!  Can you imagine two missionaries from the same ward to the same mission?  Todd H. will be leaving later in August to the MEXICO TAMPICO Mission.

Geoff W. received his endowments on Tuesday evening.  Craig, Russell, David, Brent P., Jeff, Shad, Duffer, Aaron, Eric, all of you guys, remember how SWEET it was in the Celestial Room?  Well, Paul and Geoff and BARZ and I sat and chatted and chatted for over an hour.  Geoff, sometimes the stinker, has been absolutely SWEET in the temple.  I have been impressed.  Anyway, I’ve had a glow on all week.  I love the temple and I love each of you.  It’s kind of hard when it is dark.  I just sit and weep.  I know BARZ, Jeff, Paul, and Shad and others knew I was weeping, but they were kind enough not to make notice.  You see, I can remember each of you and where you sat on various occasions in the sessions.  Won’t it be fun when we can fill an endowment room with returned Guide/Missionaries in a few years!!!  Oh, my heart bursts with pride in your righteousness.  May you each be blessed with growth and wisdom and success this month and throughout your mission as you work for our Lord.  May I add my love to His for each of you.