8 March

Long Day

Yesterday was a long day.  We started out in the center in the morning then went to Ogden for a mission meeting, and finally a Relief Society birthday dinner back in Providence.

There were a couple reasons for going to Ogden; first and foremost was a special meeting with Elder L. Whitney Clayton who is in the Presidency of the Quorum of the 70s.  Second Sister Bews needed to pick up some prescriptions from the mission doctor.

The meeting with Elder Clayton was wonderful and uplifting, made me want to work harder at being a good missionary.  The first thing he wanted to do when he arrived was to shake every missionary's hand.  He reminded us that in our mission we have missionaries from all over the world.  We were told it matters where you serve and to be grateful we are here with the Hiers because they are a wonderful example.  It matters what we do with our calling because it impacts our families.

He shared a story about a young mission president who urged the missionaries not to be tape measure missionaries.  In other words, don't measure the path to see how wide it is and how close to the edge you can get.  Stay in the center of the path and things will be okay, follow the guidelines and keep the commandments.  This work is hard but not discouraging.  He referenced Alma 23:5-7 regarding converting people to the church and more specifically he focused on verse 7.  He challenged the missionaries to put down their weapons of rebellion:  lack of confidence, disobedience, etc.  He reminded the missionaries that when they were set apart they were also blessed with power and to follow Ammon's example.

The Ward Relief Society dinner was a celebration of the Relief Society's birthday this month.  It was a lovely meal and a nice end to a long day.