Lamanite Scouters

Every once in a while something happens that is so unexpected and takes you so completely by surprise that you end up talking about it for weeks, analyzing what happened, and thinking what you should have said or done. Such was the case last week for my wife.

Nancy is the primary president of our ward. That means she is in charge of all of the children in the ward between the ages of 1.5 and 11. Last week was the "Priesthood Preview," which is a meeting for all of the 11 year old boys, their parents, the bishop, and their future scout and priesthood leaders. The meeting can be quite powerful for the young men as they learn more about "priesthood," and about the responsibilities they will soon receive when they are ordained Deacons. There were about 7 boys in attendance.

The meeting was almost over. The Bishop was just saying a few closing remarks. My wife was sitting at the back of the room and the door kept opening with adults in scout uniforms looking in quite upset. My wife and one of her counselors stepped out to see if she could diffuse whatever was happening outside.

Now, my wife is very non-confrontational, but she is a good problem solver. She stepped out in the hall and asked how she could help. "You're not supposed to be in this room. We have it scheduled from 6:30 on so we can set up for an Eagle court of honor that is supposed to start at 7."

"I'm sorry there has been some kind of a mix up. We are almost done and I'm sure there will be time to set up for your court of honor."

"We have the room scheduled. You need to leave. Now."

My wife had scheduled the room nearly a year ago when she turned in her calendar for the year, but somehow that appointment had been lost. But the two leaders in scout uniforms would hear nothing of it. Not knowing what else to do, my wife stepped back in to the room.

The men followed. The interrupted the bishop and announced, "You are all going to need to leave this room. We have the room scheduled. We need to set up for an eagle court of honor. Take your things and go."

The bishop responded, "We would sir, but we only have two minutes before we are done. Can you wait two minutes?"

"Well OK" huffed the man, "But I'm timing you."

The 11 year old's sat stunned. There parents were stunned. The bishop was stunned. Had the man been less belligerent my wife my have been in tears, but because of their brashness she too was simply stunned.

I wanted to record this here for future reference. It has been interesting to analyze the situation a hundred different ways.

Scouts should be courteous and kind. Leaders should be doubly so. Yet in this particular event, the men seem to have become so focused on their task at hand that they became blind to the larger picture. As my wife observed, "They must have just worked themselves up in the hall. Those primary people this... we have the room reserved... stupid primary people... ruin our event..." And in the end they become the antithesis of everything they are supposed to represent.

It reminds me of the scriptures about the Lamanites' frequent justification for being mean. (Mosiah 10:12-18 for example) Perhaps when I start thinking that I am wronged, and start seeing the world as though I need to let people know how wronged I am, I need to step back and be courteous and kind. That usually is the case. I can tell you about the time I ripped my shoe, or the time I was a day late for a test, but those are other stories.

I keep thinking what I would have done if I had been there. And perhaps that is another lesson also. I think I would have gone out and asked the leaders if they could recite the scout law. In the end, I probably would have been upset myself, letting them know they had wronged my wife and my bishop. :)

What would you have done?

Scripture Absorbtion

Recently I read a passage in the “History of Joseph Smith By Lucy Mack Smith His Mother” that has really caused my mental wheels to turn. The setting is the time between Joseph’s first vision and the time when he gets the plates. This is a period of seven years. During the first vision, Joseph was instructed not to join any church. His family, however, continued to attend other churches as a means to learn about Jesus. Joseph made the following observation to his mother.

“Mother, I do not wish to prevent your going to meeting, or any of the rest of the family; or your joining any church you please; but, do not ask me to join them. I can take my Bible, and go into the woods and learn more in two hours than you can learn at meeting in two years, if you should go all the time." (Chapter 21)

I yearn for Joseph’s skill reading scriptures. Could I say the same? How much do I learn when I read the scriptures, and how much is just reading? This has certainly been motivation for me to try to jump in deep and absorb as much as I can.

Fishers of Men

I took a scout and his dad fishing last Saturday. I haven’t been fishing in a long time and it was great to get out. I remember when I started fly fishing that it seemed like I spent all of my time tying knots and getting my fishing line out of the trees. Therefore, I tied all of the knots we used, hoping that would allow them more time to actually fish. That plan worked a little bit, but they still spent a lot of time getting their line out of trees and other snags.

At one point I asked the scout if I could take a turn with the pole. I knew there was a fish in a particular hole. I casted to the hole but missed it just short. I casted again, and saw a flash of a fish as he struck at the brassy dropper. The third cast the fish struck and I was able to set the hook. It was the only fish we caught that afternoon.

I asked the scout and his father what they thought of fly fishing. “It is harder than I thought,” came the reply.

I asked the scout if his experience that day gave him any added insight into Christ’s injunction to be “fishers of men.” We shared our insights. As we talked the subject became clearer in my mind. Here are a two of the insights.

1. Gospel teaching is like fly fishing. Fly fishermen who not only know their knots well, but have agile hands that are well practiced tying the knots spend more time fishing. Contrast two missionaries – one who has spent his life to that point memorizing and studying scriptures, and is very familiar with the gospel principles. Another missionary shows up at the MTC with excitement for the work, but has to look up the topical guide to find a scripture on faith or repentance. One of the two spends more time fishing.
   


2. Casting is the presentation part of fly fishing. To the scout I ask him if he would eat a hot dog if I sat on it first. “No.” Well the same is true of fishing – the fish are not going to be interested in eating anything that doesn’t look natural to them. It has to be appetizing. Casting is how you present the fly to the fish. If the fly hits the water too hard, if it floats sideways or upstream, it will be unappetizing to the fish. The skilled fisher can present the fly to the fish in a way that the fish wants to eat it. The same is true of a gospel teacher. Missionaries might deliver the same message, teachers may present the same lesson – but the good teacher is the one who will make the material “appetizing.”

With each passing season I spend less time tying knots and more time fishing. I become better able to present the fly in a natural manner. Likewise, line upon line, and precept upon precept, I can become a better fisher of men. I will continue to memorize and be familiar with the scriptures. And I will continue to work on my teaching and presentation skills. In this way I will become a better fisher of men. (And a better data architect, a better dad, a better husband, a better cub master, etc.)

Notes from Kirtland Trip '97

I've been consolidating some of my stuff and have found some things I previously have written. The following is a journal entry I wrote after a church history trip I took with my roommate at the time, Chad Conrad. There are some nice thoughts. I'm including it here so it doesn't spend another 13 years in a box.

June 18, 1997

Chad and I are on a plane right now returning from Kansas City and our 9 day vacation. The trip was a 100% success. We were blessed with safety and good spirits the whole trip. The trip took us to Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri. We stayed one night with Ty Rasmussen – it was nice to see him. We spent a day in Kirtland, three days in Nauvoo, and two days in Kansas City.

My favorite site this go-round was the Whitney store. The spirit was almost as strong as I have ever felt. Our guide spoke with testimony. We did not feel rushed and were able to sit and meditate on the events that occurred there.

We noticed a big difference between the LDS guides and the RLDS guides. Opie, one of our tour guides, mentioned that he (RLDS) was more interested in relating the history of the homes in Nauvoo. He said that history was fact, and easy to convey with authority. But the religious stories were not so easy to be an expert in, since everyone had their interpretations. Whenever religion was discussed, Opie said the discussion would deteriorate to opinions. Thus, he just wanted to convey facts.

As a side note, any stories he did share with us all cast doubt on the character of the Prophet Joseph. Nothing he said was positive. While on Opie’s tour through the RLDS sites in Nauvoo, I was able to feel the spirit – but it was the spirit I bought with me.

Perhaps this is the reason the spirit was so strong in the Whitney store. We had just been through the Kirtland Temple, and the whole time were basically told about the construction and what the building is currently used for. I wanted to bear testimony to the events that happened there. Testimony was borne, but only to me. Following this experience we went to the Whitney Store where testimony was freely borne and received. Certainly we were uplifted and edified and rejoiced one with another.

We talked a lot with people from the reorganized church and also the Church of Christ or Hedrickites. We talked of their doctrines and histories. After learning more of their churches, I reaffirmed my faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The trip has been a boost to my testimony; not to the things I know, but to the allegiance I feel to what I know – my resolution to be “true to the faith.” I want to be an active part of Zion – not only of the past but of the future.