God Loves Shaun White

Missionary Work . . . the work to which every Latter-Day Saint has been called. But more and more, I'm convinced it is not our work.

I work at the Missionary Training Center, the Mormon Mecca of missionary work where tens of thousands on missionaries pilgrimage before beginning their assigned labor. As a teacher there, we receive large amounts of training on the big picture of missionary work, "this is my work at my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39) as well as the finite picture, helping missionaries learn to adapt to stress, improve their teaching skills, etc.

This morning however, I was struck by something affecting both. As an avid Olympic spectator, I also love learning about the athletes and their stories. A story about Shaun White, posted 3 days ago in the Washington Post, was of particular interest to me and should be to all Latter-Day Saints.

The author's primary message was that Shaun White is more than his medals and victories: he is a person with greater purpose. In the article, Shaun's mom Cathy recalls the two open-chest cardiac surgeries Shaun underwent as a child. She stated,

"“I don’t know if I’ve ever told anyone this, but when he was on that hospital bed during the second surgery and I didn’t know what would happen to my child, a family friend came up and said something to me,” Cathy said. “We’re not religious and he was a Mormon, an LDS elder in the church. He said, ‘Don’t worry. Your son is going to make it. He is going to be all right. He is going to grow up and become somebody special.’ ”

To the average reader, this may not be significant but from the LDS reading between the lines this picture might be painted:

While Shaun was in the hospital, an LDS friend of the White family received a spiritual prompting (recognized or not is not important) to offer a blessing to the White's son. He went to the hospital and explained that he is an Elder in our church and is authorized to bless the sick. The offer was accepted and the blessing received. Whether stated in the blessing or as an impression afterwards, this priesthood holder shared his spiritual prompting that the boy would be alright and become somebody special. Kathy might have shrugged it off, but she didn't. She must have felt comfort in this spiritual  moment because some 20 years later it stuck with her and she shared it with this reported. By the spirit, Kathy felt that her son IS someone special.

As I read this article I too felt the spirit, quite overwhelmingly, testify that God loves Shaun White. What an unexpected part of my Olympic experience!

I then headed to a training at the Missionary Training Center where the message was further impressed upon me.  Through a discussion about the "Hastening of the Work" it was determined that God is the hastener and we get to help. As we look at the people around us we cannot ask, "is this person prepared or is this person prepared?" but rather we should ask, "how has God loved and guided this child and how can I help."

I pray that I will better  help the Lord in His hastening. God truly loves ALL His children.

Elder Spencer Lehr: The Prayer of a Missionary (Adapted from the Prayer of a Child)

This Week in the Provo MTC

Elder Lehr is preparing to serve in Madagascar

I received a "poem journal" for Christmas. When I received it, I wrote one down that night, and have been trying to do one every day. Some of these are too sacred to share, until I feel the Holy Ghost prompt me, but here is one I wrote to share. I rewrote the words to "Prayer of the children" I felt inspired to do so, and turned it into this poem:

The Prayer of a Missionary. (As you read, please think of the music of prayer to the children with it since that is how the timing of the rhythm is based on.)

Can you hear,

The Prayer of a Missionary?

Praying to God,

"Please give me Lord, thy love from above."

Can you feel,

The heart of a missionary?

Pleading for peace,

"Please let my faith in thee increase.

Crying Jesus

 "Help me! To feel the joy again,

Of one more day,

For when unknown roads lead away from home,

Only thee I see.

Can you sing,

The song of a missionary?

Inviting to Christ,

Breaks the darkness, and enters the light

Can you feel

the change in a missionary?

Giving all to God,

Holding fast to the iron rod

Crying jesus!

Help me to teach with authority

by thy own mouth

For when doubts are cleared

I know you're near

Giving loving arms

Will you join

with all of the missionaries!?

Giving all!

Now go and do your call

Elders Smith and Howell -Feeling What an Investigator Feels

This week at the Provo, MTC:

In my current district of Elders and Sisters at the MTC, there are two elders who are some of the most intellectually prepared I have met. They know the lessons, teach them eloquently, and have a rich knowledge of the scriptures. However, when it comes to understanding people, they have fallen flat time and time again. In one MTC-arranged practice lesson they were kicked out and told not to come back. In their 3 lessons with me (playing an investigator), their words had gone past me and the spirit had only touched me once, when Elder Howell had shared a personal testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

For class today, I prayed that we might all deepen our understanding of how an investigator feels and desired from missionaries. I felt inspired to play the Bible Video, "The Good Samaritan" and invite the missionaries to put themselves in the shoes of the man who fell among thieves. The spirit was strong as the parable took on this new meeting. We learned by the spirit how desperate people are to be helped, loved, and listened to. It affected how they studied and the practices we did in class.

After class, these same struggling elders came into their 4th lesson with me and the effect of feeling what I was feeling was dramatic. They began by simply explaining to me that they were not perfect teachers but had been motivated to help me from the first time they met me because of some concerns I had brought up between me and my dad. They apologized for not explaining that. The first elder shared that his dad had passed away when he was young and the gospel has enabled him to be the head of the household. The other elder expressed that his father is currently very sick and although he does not know what will happen, the gospel has given him the courage to serve a mission. They then taught me a personal and beautiful lesson about how the restored gospel would help me in my trials as well. They listened and cared about everything that I said. The spirit was the guide and comfort of us all in that short 20 minute lesson.