This is what's up.
On Tuesday, 1-11-11, while 2000+ missionaries were singing Choose the right, and an apostle walked in.... We all knew one of the twelve was coming because of the change in the MTC Presidency. The spirit was strong and everyone could feel his presence even before he entered the room.
It is like the wave effect you get at football games but everyone joins in. The swish of all the chairs as the spirit sweeps in even more.
I am on the floor with maybe 150 Elders and sisters in front of me, my body is positioned at a 45 degree angle to the stand. I jump up. The five pounds I gained didn't give me the height I needed. I jump again.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland,blows us kisses and we all sit down.
Everyone is a little bit more antsy now.
As President Smith stands up to conduct, he gets emotional because we are his family. The 80,000+ missionaries he has seen are not going to be there for him. He announces the rest of the meeting. After singing Called to Serve, the sound of binders opening, people scooting forward in their seats is heard.
What will Elder Holland say this time?
As in previous talks he tells us how his mission effected the rest of his life. He said "when I started my mission it was just after the ark landed." (The general Authorities seem to throw in some genius line every time and make everyone laugh)
He then went on to say, "this is the era of Preach My gospel". From there he referred back to his mission several times. Mainly about the 6 discussions that were memorized. "I had them memorized from front to back." he said, "they did not help hardly at all. The missionaries would be asked questions, told experiences of death in the family and all thy would do is rattle off the discussions."
Surprising to all of us he told us of an experience when President Hinckley was speaking to new mission presidents and said "This is not working, the missionary discussions are failing."
Missionaries were not becoming really converted to the gospel. So the brethren stated working on PMG.
The main purpose of the MTC/PMG is to convert the missionary. If we are not converted then we can not teach from the heart.
Elder Holland said multiple times in his talk "You have to be the best missionaries ever, better than me.
Wow. Better than an apostle? Pressures on.
To move on in the talk, he pointed out three things missionaries have problems with:
1. Don't study well
2. Don't prepare well
3. Don't commit while teaching.
We all have to come through as missionaries. Everything is on the line. We are the hope of Israel. For the second time in a week we heard the story of Peter. How everything rested on his shoulders after the Saviors death and Resurrection. Again we heard the story of the twelve out at sea fishing through the night.
Not having to much success, headed back to shore.
They heard a voice, "cast your nets to the right."
Elder Holland after telling this part said, "One of the twelve had to complain who is this nut? Telling us what to do, who is this guy? Peter being the wise one probably convinced them to do so. After casting their nets to the right, they could not pull them in because of the weight of the fish. Peter knew then it was his Master. He bailed, swimming to the shore." (this was Elder Hollands exact words.)
The Savior was on the shore cooking them breakfast. (How cool is that!) After a little bit of eating the Savior asked Peter, "Do you love the fish of the sea more than me?" After three times, the Savior said. "Drop your nets and become fishers of men." Elder Holland said that is when the apostle Peter became the Great Apostle Peter.
This is the time to drop our nets of the world and feed His sheep as the Savior also told Peter and the other apostles.
This is the greatest adventure of your life.
After ending his talk, Sister Baird lead the music as we sang "Because I have been given much. The testimony meeting after was amazing. Each one in our district testified of Christ and how we are all leaving our nets behind us as Peter did.
Someone just got their visa and is on their way to Salt Lake now.
Well, I will save more for later.
Love, Elder Chadwick
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