Bishop's Message

In church today we had a combined third hour with the Relief Society and the Priesthood. I felt so blessed to have been there, on the front row listening to the bishop's message of warning.

Having been recently out of town, having sick children, subbing a lot for primary and serving in the primary all last year, I was very fortunate to have been able to attend all three meetings today and hear the wonderful and eye opening messages that were shared. 

The second hour (Sunday school) was all about missionary work and how it is that stone rolling down the mountain. A brother spoke of a mission that currently has 60 missionaries and is expected to triple over the next few months. Another sister mentioned that around 150 or so missions have recently opened up and now women consist of 50% of the mission field where they used to be closer to 14% or somewhere around that number. It's amazing.

Our Sunday school teacher said that today the field is white and ready to harvest more than ever before, and the Lord has already sowed the seeds, we just need to do the harvesting. I was reminded of a conversation I had with my brother last week. He served his mission in Ireland about 14 years ago. He said that it was a tough mission and he only had about two prospects interested in the gospel the entire time. He felt bad that he didn't have the success he had hoped for.

Well, a few months ago he had a dream one night that he was called to go on another mission in which he would bring many souls unto the Savior and there would be many baptisms. When he woke up he figured it was a dream foretelling of a time when maybe his kids were grown and gone and he and his wife could serve a mission together. Then, two weeks later he was called as the ward mission leader. He lives in Spanish Fork. Over the last few months of serving in this calling he has found many people in his neighborhood who he has invited to meet with the missionaries - four of them have been baptized. So, two years in a foreign land with no baptisms and three months in his own neighborhood with four baptisms - amazing! He said that it has been very rewarding and enriching to serve in this calling and he finally recognized that this was the mission his dream had foretold of.

In these last days (or hours as we might call them) gathering everyone to Zion is the ultimate focus and goal of the church. People are ready and the Lord is preparing them to hear His gospel. I feel that the many great trials that are on their way will be what softens the hearts of many and prepares them to hear and accept the gospel.

We have these opportunities all around us every day and if we have the desire to serve, than we have already been called.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 sums it up perfectly;

 1 Now behold, a ^amarvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

 2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the ^aservice of God, see that ye ^bserve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand ^cblameless before God at the last day.

 3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

 4 For behold the ^afield is white already to ^bharvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in ^cstore that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

 5 And ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity and ^dlove, with an ^eeye single to the ^fglory of God, ^gqualify him for the work.

 6 Remember faith, ^avirtue, knowledge, ^btemperance, ^cpatience, ^dbrotherly ^ekindness, ^fgodliness, charity, ^ghumility, ^hdiligence.

 7 ^aAsk, and ye shall receive; ^bknock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

During the third hour the bishop stood and said that he has been recently warned by the Lord that something drastic is about to happen and he has been prompted to prepare our ward temporally and spiritually as quickly as possible like never before. His eyes and expression were intense, and he didn't appear happy to be delivering this message. He didn't say if it was something local, national or global but just that he hoped these warnings were wrong. 

After he spoke, there were three additional speakers who spoke about how to get our ward prepared for what is coming. Our ward is a new ward of only three months. In the past wards I have been in, there were efforts to prepare the members but not as quickly and as intense as this. We quickly were told about a plan to divide the streets into sections of 6 households with a priesthood brother as a block captain and that each unit will be in charge of helping each other when the crisis hits. We are going to have several upcoming meetings to take inventory of everyone's skills and supplies so that we can help take care of each other and know our resources.

The messages continued on the path that all will not be well soon and we need to be ready for things to get worse and worse. This is what it took for my husband to finally be willing to discuss these things with me. He usually despises talking about the last days, warnings and what's coming - but now he is finally on board with me and I'm grateful for the message of warning that our loving bishop shared with us today. I feel blessed to be living in a ward with so many members who are in tune to the spirit and who have a desire to help everyone prepare. My heart yearns to become a more Zion like people and I'm ready serve, love and give all I have for the building up of Zion. 

I love this gospel, I love the Savior and I love trusting in God and seeing His hand in all things in my life. I'm striving to be more like the Savior and extending love and compassion to all. I know what awaits us will be bitter sweet - but I am willing to deal with the bitter in order to enjoy the sweet.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.