God said it! I believe it! That settles it!

The Helaman Sons Letters Issue No. 11 – September 11, 2000

God said it! I believe it! That settles it!

The following is continued from an issue dated April 15, 1990:

Hey Brother Parker – I want you to know that you and the Guides are always in my prayers!  I hope all is working out in the Program.  Thank you for the letters and update on everybody.

Boy OH Boy, Chicago, what can I say.  It is a very big place!  I thought that Phoenix was big moving from Montana!  Have you ever been to Chicago?  Elder T. is quite a guy.  We walked off the plane March 7 and were immediately greeted with about 15-20 missionaries accompanied by our Mission President and his wife.  It was pretty cool!

Elder T. was my companion for the day.  He is an awesome guy.  We gave a Book of Mormon away on the train from the airport to the Sears Tower.  They call it ‘FEARLESS FINDING’ in this mission.  That would be a good term for placing cards since they don’t like the word “tracting.”  But it was great getting to know Elder T. better.

We went up in the world’s tallest building, the Sears Tower, to get a ‘bird’s-eye view’ of the Windy City.  It was pretty neat.  Then we went to one of the world’s famous pizza parlors-Giordano’s.  It was really good.

After a day and a half of training in the mission home, we were assigned our Trainers and areas.  You’ve probably heard now either by Mom or Laurie where I am serving—Yes, it’s true.  The South Side of Chicago!

I am adjusting pretty well now, but it was pretty hard at first, Bro. Parker.  I’ll tell you one thing, I sure appreciate how blessed I have been through my life after seeing what I’ve seen.

My Trainer’s name is Elder P.  He is from SLC, Utah.  He is a pretty cool guy.  Mission life is going great.  We have some cool people that we are meeting with but only a couple are even slightly committing.  So that will take some work.  We are doing a lot of Fearless Finding on the busses, trains, and subways.

Brother Parker, I would like to share my feeling with you on some thoughts that have been rattling around in my head.  I have come to the realization that spirituality is like a substance and the location, time in your life, people around you, etc., play only a moderate role in one attaining a certain level of spirituality.  I know that you have no idea what I’m talking about because I can’t write what I’m thinking, but anyway I went in to the MTC with a total “built-up attitude” of what kind of experience it was going to be.  I was really expecting to be a “walking goose bump” for the three weeks that I was in the MTC.  But the amount of spirituality that you receive isn’t all where you are, etc.  Don’t get me wrong, some of it does—like in the temple.  But a lot of times it has a lot to do with you.  I realized while going through the MTC that I have had some of the most spiritual experiences in my life in a chapel down in Mesa, Arizona on Broadway and Solomon.  And, in a beautiful garden that surrounds the Arizona Temple.  Not to mention my temple experience itself.  I have witnessed pure miracles in that Program and other experiences in my life aren’t going to overshadow or “overpower” those experiences that I had.  Brother Parker, I hope that you can understand what I’m saying or trying to say because I don’t know if I fully do.

Just tell the Guides to use that Program to the potential it contains.  Through obedience and diligence they can become as close to Heavenly Father in that Program as they probably will most of their life (aside from the temple itself).  Some of the older guys will remember that warm July night.  Some of the older ones will remember our 1,000-card month and the blessings we received.  But don’t use those as your sole driving force like I tried to do a couple of times.  Create your own miracles!

One of my teachers at the MTC related a story to us about an Elder in his mission that had pretty much wasted his mission.  At this time my teacher had been out about a day and was just riding along w/ his companion to go pick up this Elder and take him to the Mission Home.  It was his time to go home.  My teacher explained that he could not believe this Elder.  When they drove up he had cases and cases of cassette tapes, video tapes, golf clubs, etc….And on the ride back to the Mission Home, he continually rode my teacher about being a greenie and keeping all the rules.  Then as they were riding along—he just started crying and expressing how much he regretted the way he had lived his mission.  He told my teacher as they let him out at the Mission Home to always “Stay Green.”  If you are green you are enthusiastic about obeying and serving the Lord.

I can remember my first Guide meeting like it was yesterday.  The Spirit that was there was so powerful!  If the Guides realized the power that they have in the palm of their hand, there would be those miracles happening.  Tell them to “Stay Green.”  I miss you guys more than you’ll ever realize.  I’ll let you go for now.  Take care of yourself, Brother Parker, I love ya—

Craig

God Said It.

I Believe It.

That Settles It!

Hi!  Yesterday “Douggie” received the letter from you and I want a copy of the Newsletter!  It was so great to see Elder Dave P. off.  He was so excited to have a four-hour layover so that he could pass out 10 copies of the Book of Mormon!

Things are just great here.  In fact, things could never be better.  The language is going great.  The program that the Youth Guides did that is helping me the most is the MISSIONARY GUIDE.  If you have time, go over a section every Sunday Night.  Everything is great to know but I learned that:  “People do not care how much you know, until they know how much your care.”

Building Relationships of Trust and asking “Will You?” questions.  Those type of questions represent FAITH.  I love you all and pray that you may have the blessings that will help you to succeed with the great and marvelous work!

Te amo! (I Love You), Love, Derek

Dear Brother Parker – Thanks for the GUIDElines!  It’s a great idea, a neat way to correspond.  Now if you can obtain a Urim and Thummin from somewhere, to decipher my handwriting, we’ll be in good shape.

From the small time I’ve been on a mission, I’ve learned so much about myself, the gospel, mankind, and most of all, Jesus Christ.  I’ve learned so much more in five months on a mission, than I would have learned in five years staying home.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is probably what’s outlined in Mark 8:35-37:  “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

I found out that I don’t change myself on a mission, but as I serve others, and forget my own needs, Heavenly Father blesses me and causes me to grow.  When I concentrate on others, I grow so much faster than if I would concentrate on growing myself.

How can we be Christ like if we concentrate on ourselves?  So many of His attributes concern relations with others, that it’s impossible to grow more Christ like when looking at ourselves.  As Lesson 5 points out, when we are self-centered, we forget God and others.

It’s an ugly sin called Pride, and it’s a tough one to conquer.  But humility is essential to being charitable.  I have yet to see anyone who loves everyone deeply who has pride.  So as I try to concentrate on serving others, submitting what I want to do to what others need me to do, I grow to love others more, and pride dissipates.  It requires sacrifice, but the joy gained outweighs the sacrifice an hundred fold.

The Lord sends success to those who care about others.  People will hear our message of truth as they see we are concerned about them.  People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Well, there’s my two-bits.  Please keep the correspondence coming.  One more, and you’ll be tied with my Dad!

Thanks for all you do.  I’m sure you’ll be blessed for your wondrous efforts.  You’re Awesome!

Love, Ryan (Japan)

I have bolded the part in Ryan’s letter that I was most interested in.  As Directors we often wonder about the Guides we send on missions that need to do some changing while they are out.  I had been concerned about how this was supposed to happen.  None of the Guides are the same … some are more or less mature, prepared or not so prepared, etc.  What Ryan is saying is that as we lose ourselves in service to others, we “GROW.”  Not CHANGE, but growth.  If there was one thing I noticed at a recent Zone Conference for the Tempe Mission was that the full time Elders and Sisters were so much more mature than the Guides.  In fact, that was the only difference I saw.  I don’t think they were any better prepared than the Guides, but they were a little older and seemed a little wiser, for the most part.  Anyway, thanx! Ryan for putting words to an answer I needed to know.

I received some pictures from the Frozen North with midnight suns and dogsled racing.  Thanx! Dave.  I’m glad you guys like the GUIDElines and hope as we go along it will fill a niche that David envisioned of keeping you each in touch with the other, without each of you having to write all over the world!

Bro. P.