GUIDElines is Working

The Helaman Sons Letters Issue No. 9 – GUIDElines IS WORKING!

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

Brother Parker – Well, my time here at the MTC is coming to an end.  How I have loved it here.  I have learned so many important things.  I have also gained such a better perspective of the Church and the way it works and how it is moving forward today.

Many times I have wished that I could sit and talk with you, or even more than that, I have wished you could come here for two months.  I believe it would help you so much in the Youth Guide Program.

I WILL TELL YOU THERE IS ONE THING THAT I LEARNED IN THE YOUTH GUIDE PROGRAM THAT HELPED ME MORE THAN EVERYTHING.  That is I believe!  I have seen miracles and know a little about the faith that caused them to happen.  That is something you can’t learn by reading.  You have to experience it.

DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE GUIDES ARE BRINGING ABOUT MIRALCES BY THEIR FAITH.  I am so thankful I learned a little about that.  I know it will really help.  Also, the Missionary Guide stuff is so important here in the field.  (or MTC I guess now)

I am so excited to go to CHILE!  We leave in 48 hours and 14 minutes.  We fly to Atlanta, then Miami.  From Miami we go to Santiago.  Then a 14 hours bus ride to Osorno!  I am so excited to try and teach on the way.

I don’t know if I have told you how great my companion is.  He loves the Book of Mormon and the word of Christ so much!  It is a great example to me.

I know you know what a great Elder Craig is.  It was so awesome to just talk with him.  Ben also, Doug, Marlin, Reed – EVERYONE!  They are all so great.  What an honor to associate with them.  I thought you might like some of these pictures.

May the Lord bless you, your family, and the Program.  I am so thankful for all you have done for me.  This work is true.  Tell all the Youth Guides that I love them and pray for them always!

Love, David

Dear David:

I appreciate so much your letter and the things I have bolded.  I know that you choose your words carefully, and when I read everything, I stopped and looked a little more closely.  If you had said anything it would have been different.  So, if I understand you right, if you add up everything the Program had taught you and stacked it against bringing miracles by your faith, then bringing miracles by your faith was more important than everything else you experienced?  At least it felt real good when I read it, because we were both there that morning in the Presidency meeting when we saw the FAITH that precedes the MIRACLE.  In Craig’s letter a little further down, he talks about how we may not realize that there are times in the Program that will never be surpassed.  I am sure that is one of them.

Bro. P.

Brother Parker – I haven’t found time yet to write a letter for GUIDElines.  Hopefully, I’ll have time next P-day.  The last one sure was great.  I loved it!  I felt the Spirit strong as I read.  You did make me homesick, also.  I sure do appreciate it.  More than you can probably imagine.

I’m really loving live.  Give everyone hugs and kisses for me.  I’ll do that when I get home.  Please use this five dollars for GUIDElines.  I love and appreciate you.

Your friend, Doug

Gee! Thanx! Douggie.  However, after shaking the envelope many times, no five dollars fell out!  Please don’t send money.  If I need any, I’ll hit your parents up for some!

I am not only going to print your letter to the Guides in the GUIDElines, but also I will make it look real nice like the Christmas Poem and post it for the Guides in the Guide Room.  I think I will read it in the Sunday Night Training Meeting this Sunday.  Sometimes they will only believe it if they hear it form a former Guide, even though Bro. Bowden and I will tell them over and over again.  Here is a letter from Doug.

Dear Youth Guides – You’re coming up on one of the most exciting times during the whole year [Easter].  I’m sure you have been told that about 5 million times already.  Are you all individually prepared?  Well, I won’t tell you what to do for two reasons:  1) It’s probably too late and 2) I don’t have any wise things to say.  You know me.

I’m having a great time here at the MTC.  You wouldn’t believe how much further along I am than the other missionaries.  I know it’s awful to compare, but I want you to know that the Missionary Guide is super important.  I’m so glad I studied it and used its principles that it teaches.  It’s so much easier for me to use the skills than the other missionaries.  Those of you who are going on missions will be so glad that you studied it.

The experiences that I had at the temple make me even more excited to get out into the field and do the real stuff again.  I wonder now how it will be compared to what we do as Guides.  I’ll be thrilled if my full time mission has the same caliber of experiences as I have already had.  I’m sure I won’t have companions that are as excited as the Guides always are.

Be happy!  You are all right where our Heavenly Father wants you to be.  I’m sure he wishes that more of his children were involved in such a great work.

Each of you have at least one divine characteristic or gift that will help you bring more of our Father’s children back to him.  Use it!  Be happy and work really hard.  I’m sure Bro. Bowden has told you all that we are judged by our works.  In Alma 3:26 it tells us that according to our works we will either “reap eternal happiness or eternal misery.”  Work hard and I believe you’ll get a good taste of that happiness.  Boy does it taste good.  I love it.  It’s so fun to be a full timer.

I love you all.  It’s all contagious.  I miss you.  My prayers are with you.

Your brother, Doug

P.S. Receiving letters isn’t against my religion!!  Love ya.

Next post we’ll have letters from Craig in Chicago, Derek in Washington, DC, and Ryan in Japan.