BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

 

Sister Lindsay and I visited two people in hospice care facilities today. One is a short term facility occupying a portion of one floor in a large city hospital while the other is a separate, longer term care center located in the country with beautiful landscaped grounds surrounding the one-story building. 80% of all hospice care, however, is provided in the patient's home and in nursing homes as was the case last year when hospice was called into the home of my high school friend during the final weeks of her terminal illness.

 

Hospice is not a place but a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patent's last days by offering comfort and dignity with a  special emphasis on controlling a patient's pain and discomfort.

 

The word "hospice" stems from the Latin word "hospitium" meaning guesthouse. It was originally used to describe a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages. During the 1960's, Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician, began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London. St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional care giving, and was the first program to use modern pain management techniques to compassionately care for the dying. The first hospice in the United States was established in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974. Today there are more than 4,700 hospice programs in the United States.

 

I had the opportunity to work closely with the hospice nurse for several days when my high school classmate was close to the end of her mortal journey. As a result, I gained a deep respect for the deep personal commitment of hospice caregivers who try to ease the burden and suffering of the patients in their care while addressing the mental and emotional needs of other family members in difficult times of transition.

 

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He told His followers: 

 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

 

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, has taught that when our hearts are filled with the love of God, something good and pure happens to us. We become kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving. Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? It has been my experience that hospice workers and volunteers offer that kind of mercy to those whom they serve.

 

Standing quietly by the beside of someone you love who is dying has a humbling effect upon you. And when you know that this individual has lived a good life, loved the Lord with a sincere heart, and sought in his or her way to serve others, you can actually discern a sense of peace and love present in the room itself whether it is a hospice care facility or in that person's own home.

 

It is comforting to know that we are never truly alone while we are here on earth. Our Heavenly Father has sent us here to fulfill the purpose for which we have been created, but He is always mindful of our desires, needs, and concerns. Much of the time we become the physical hands and hearts that God employs to lift up the weary and down-trodden, to nurse the sick, and to comfort others in times of trial and sorrow.

 

President Monson reminds us of our sacred responsibility to ever watch over one another, assisting in times of need. "Let us not be critical and judgmental," he says, "but let us be tolerant, ever emulating the Savior’s example of loving-kindness. In that vein, may we willingly serve one another. May we pray for the inspiration to know of the needs of those around us, and then may we go forward and provide assistance."

CHURCH LOWERS AGE FOR MISSIONARY SERVICE

Young missionary elders at October transfer meeting

 

At the General Conference of the Church this past weekend, President Thomas S. Monson announced a significant change pertaining to the age when young men and women may begin their full time missionary service. "I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19. I am not suggesting that all young men will—or should—serve at this earlier age. Rather, based on individual circumstances as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available."
 

As members of the Church listened and pondered the impact of his announcement, the prophet continued, "As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

 

We received a message from one of our daughters, which included a note from a young sister missionary who is currently at the Church's Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah:  "I wish everybody could have been in the MTC when that announcement was made . . . I'm not sure I have ever felt like I was part of a divinely historic moment before, but on Saturday, I did. When President Monson announced that young men could serve at 18, the room exploded with the spirit and we all gasped and had giant grins on our faces.

 

"Then, as soon as he said they had thought about the sisters as well, it got absolutely silent. It was amazing. NO ONE expected the age requirement for sisters to drop so drastically. But when they said 19 years old, we all stood and cheered. And I don't mean all of us sisters, I mean all 2500 missionaries in the Missionary Training Center."

Lest everyone get carried away in the excitement of the moment, it is essential to remember  that President Monson said that he was not suggesting that all young men (or women) will—or should—serve at this earlier age. Rather, based on individual circumstances as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available. Having the physical, spiritual, and emotional maturity to handle the rigors of being a full time missionary will most certainly play a major role in determining whether or not individual elders or sisters might begin their missionary service at the younger age.

Our grandson, Jonathan, who is currently serving a full time Spanish-speaking mission in northern Utah was called to serve at age 19 last year shortly before Sister Lindsay and I received our own assignment to serve as senior missionaries in Maryland. His 18-year-old cousin, Spencer, is preparing to serve a mission next year following the completion of his first year of college. We don't expect that his missionary service timetable will be changed by this age modification option.

We also noted that other than asking that more senior couples consider serving full time missions, the Church didn't alter the age when we can serve. SENIOR MISSIONARIES WILL STILL BE JUST AS OLD WHEN THEY ARE CALLED TO SERVE AND OLDER STILL WHEN THEY RETURN HOME FROM THEIR ERRAND FOR THE LORD!

TESTIMONY AND CONVERSION

 

 If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)

 

During the Sunday afternoon session of the weekend General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve provided meaningful spiritual insight regarding the relationship of our personal testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ to our true conversion.

 

According to Elder Bednar, we typically treat the subjects of testimony and conversion independently and separately; however, we gain precious perspective and greater spiritual conviction when we consider these important subjects together. A testimony is spiritual knowledge gained from God and is a gift received through personal revelation. Testimony is a point of change, but it is not a destination. Any honest seeker of truth can gain a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, because this knowledge is available to all of God's children. To obtain a testimony, one must ask with a sincere heart and to seek with faith in Jesus Christ. Gaining a testimony, however, brings increased personal accountability.

 

True conversion, on the other hand, brings about a real change in a person's life. Heavenly Father desires that all who obtain a testimony of Jesus Christ as the Son of God become converted to Him and His gospel. When we are converted, we become new creatures. Conversion is an offering of self, love, and loyalty. Conversion requires all of our heart and might. For most of us, conversion is an ongoing process. Conversion unto the Lord requires persistence and patience.

When the Savior was with His disciples at the last supper, He told Peter,

. . . Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)

As full time missionaries, we testify that every one who professes to be a disciple of Christ must act upon his testimony by living the truth that he knows. To be converted, we must desire to become more like the Savior by forsaking our sins and following His teachings and example. A true Christian seeks to live out the days of his mortal life by humbly seeking to emulate the Lord by keeping the commandments and serving his fellowman with simple acts of love and kindness.

 

The essence of a testimony is to know that the gospel is true, while the essence of one's conversion is for us to remain true to the gospel.

COME LISTEN TO A PROPHET'S VOICE

Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

 

The 182nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will convene in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, 2012. The Conference Center, located across the street to the north of the Salt Lake Temple, was completed in April of 2000. This massive building seats approximately 21,000 in the main auditorium. It is constructed of stone from the same quarry which provided the granite for the Salt Lake Temple.

 

The General Conference of the Church, which is held twice each year in April and October, not only attracts members from around the world to Salt Lake City, but among the 14,441,346 latter-day saints, millions will also participate through satellite broadcast to Church buildings internationally or at home via satellite, television, or Internet.

 

Sister Lindsay and I have had the privilege of attending General Conference several times in Utah; but while we are serving our mission here in Baltimore, Maryland, we will watch the conference sessions in a local Church facility.

 

What does it mean to come listen to a prophet's voice? Among the thirteen Articles of Faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are four (Articles 6 through 9) that reference prophets, the written Word of God, as well as the need and reality of continuous revelation from God to man through living prophets. Ponder this verse of scripture from the Old Testament of the Bible:

 

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7)

 

If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, which He must be or He would cease to be God, then He must continue to speak to the sons and daughters of men today through prophets and apostles as has been the case in earlier dispensations of time. God is no respecter of persons, and surely He loves those of His children who live on the earth today as much as those who have lived in times past.

 

Referencing the Articles of Faith mentioned previously . . .

 

Article 6:  We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

 

Article 7: We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

 

Article 8: We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

 

Article 9: We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

 

Listening to the inspired words of living prophets and apostles during the General Conference of the Church provides all of us with the direction and counsel that Heavenly Father wants us to hear for the next six months, so we can keep our lives in harmony with the Holy Spirit as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord.

FOUR SONS VISIT SENIOR MISSIONARY PARENTS

Elder Lindsay at Camden Yards with four of his sons:
Andy, Peter, Gordon, and Adam (Nathan was unable to attend)

 

For many years in our family, there has been a long-standing tradition to have as many of our five sons as possible join their father in Maryland for an annual father and sons weekend activity, which includes a field trip during the day on s Friday to some local historical site in the area as well as a Baltimore Orioles baseball game that same night. I never imagined that this activity could happen this year while Sister Lindsay and I are serving a full time mission for the Church. When the mission call issued by President Thomas S. Monson was to the Maryland Baltimore Mission, however, the opportunity presented itself very naturally for our sons to come see us for a couple of days because senior missionary couples can have their children visit them briefly while they are in the mission field.

 

The boys who arrived on Thursday night took us out to dinner at a nice restaurant; and then, we sat around talking in our apartment for a couple of hours before bedtime. I traveled with our sons to Washington, DC on Friday morning where we visited Ford's Theater (where President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth in 1865), the Peterson Boarding House across the street where the President died the next morning,  the Old Post Office Building with its wonderful views of the Washington skyline, and the National Archives with the original Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights enshrined there on public display with lots of security personnel nearby watching over these priceless documents.

 

On Friday evening, a large and appreciative audience thoroughly enjoyed the high-scoring baseball game played against the Boston Red Sox, which the Orioles won handily, 9 to 1. Afterwards, we returned to east Baltimore to our missionary apartment. Everyone was tired, especially me, because I had to work hard to keep up with my sons during this busy day. The boys were very considerate of my somewhat delicate health (following heart surgery on August 6th) and kept a watchful eye on me all day.

 



Sister Lindsay is surrounded by her sons at our missionary apartment

 

We enjoyed a nice family breakfast together this morning, which was prepared by our eldest son, Andy. Before departing for their long drive back home to Carolina, the boys thoughtfully helped us by cleaning up . . . a nice touch! We had a telephone call tonight to let us know that everyone was safely back home with his respective family.

THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE

 

U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC

 

The senior missionaries in the Maryland Baltimore Mission participated in a field trip to the U.S. Capitol on September 26, 2012. The original cornerstone for the Capitol building housing the Legislative Branch of our government was laid by President George Washington in 1793, and the Congress moved into the unfinished structure in 1800. The secular history of the Capitol, which is the most widly recognized symbol of democratic government in the world, is well-known and retold every day when govenment tour guides walk visitors around the Rotunda and other selected areas of this impressive facility.

 

The spiritual history of the Capitol building and the strong Christian beliefs of our early elected government leaders, however, has been deliberately lost in the "political correctness" of our current politicians and government bureaucrats. The separation of Church & State as envisioned by the Founding Fathers of The United States of America when the Constitution was ratified in 1789 together with the Bill of Rights (ratified in 1791) is not accurately reflected by this conscious effort by certain members of our society to eliminate any and all references to God.

 

So what are some of the spiritual things that the public doesn't know about the Capitol building and our early leaders?

• In December, 1800 Congress decided to hold Church services in the Capitol building. Six weeks later, Thomas Jefferson became president and attended services here for the next 8 years. As Commander-In-Chief, he ordered the Marine Corp band to play at the worship services.
• Not only did these services continue for the better part of a century, but by 1857, more than 2,000 people were attending Church here weekly.
• At various times, four other Churches also met in the Capitol building, a practice which continued until the last 30 to 40 years.
• About one-fourth of the statues found in the Rotunda of the Capitol are men who were ministers. Unlike many of today's elected leaders in Congress who are lawyers by profession, 29 of the 56 signers of The Declaration of Independence had either Seminary or Bible School degrees.
• James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States, was an ordained minister who in 1858 participated in the 2nd Revival Period in U.S. history. He spoke 19 times during the revival baptizing 31 of 34 people who accepted Christ at that time.
• 1st Bible printed in English in America was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1782. It was printed "for the use of our schools." Inside the front cover it says that this edition of the Bible is recommended for the inhabitants of the United States.
• Oh, and one additional fact about Thomas Jefferson who was considered by many in his lifetime to have been among the least religious of the founding fathers . . . in 1803 he negotiated a treaty with Indian tribes, which included the use of Federal funds to send missionaries to teach them about the gospel and also to build a Church after they were converted.

MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS

 



 Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys

 

Life seemed pretty innocent growing up in a rural farming community in western Maryland during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Whatever else was going on in the bigger world outside of Middletown Valley when I was a young boy was just that . . . outside and pretty much not a part of my day to day concerns or thinking.

 

It was a time of imagination and make-believe, and right in the middle of my fascination with bigger than life heroes were the cowboys of the silver screen movies and early television a few years later. There were a number of cowboy legends whom I  admired . . . Randolph Scott, Hoot Gibson, Tim Holt, John Wayne, Lash LaRue, Tex Ritter, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, and my personal favorite Roy Rogers.

 

What wasn't there to like about these cowboys? Cowboy heroes didn't smoke, drink, or use bad words. They always did their best to protect old folks, children, and women from the bad guys. Good cowboys never shot to kill; but they could jump from their faithful steed at a full gallop knocking the outlaws out of the saddle and beat them into submission without even losing their ten gallon hat or messing up their clothes during the fight!

 

Like most other little boys my age, I didn't like seeing big people doing that mushy stuff like hugging and kissing; but I never had to worry about that sort of a thing with my cowboy heroes. The only thing affectionate that I ever saw them do was to hug their horse somewhere near the end of the movie, because the well-trained animal had done a good job in helping the cowboy bring someone to justice.

 

Of course, these cowboys and the things they did were real. After all, Gene Autry had once held a live rodeo at the farm of a school friend who lived just a few miles away from my boyhood home. With my own eyes I had seen a sign in the barn advertising that rodeo, so it had to be true! And yes, I saw Roy Rogers in black and white on the big screen in the movie theater catching the bad guys every time; and then, just moments later he would sing Happy Trails To You with his wife, Dale Evans, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

 

Roy Rogers Prayer

 

Lord, I reckon I'm not much just by myself,
I fail to do a lot of things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are steep and passes high,
Help me ride it straight the whole way through.

And when in the falling dusk I get that final call,
I do not care how many flowers they send,
Above all else, the happiest trail would be
For YOU to say to me, "Let's ride, My Friend"
AMEN

 

Working as a full time missionary in Baltimore with my wife, I am sadly reminded that in today's fast moving, technology-driven society, with so much emphasis on having money and "stuff" in neighborhoods filled with illicit drugs and violence, most of the children we see have been robbed of their innocent childhood years. When you look at the thousands of vacant, burned out and boarded up row houses in this city with perhaps one or two occupied dwellings in an entire block, it is easy to understand why little boys and girls have difficulty just finding a way to use their imaginations to make-believe that they might like to grow up to be cowboys.

A person speaking during a baptismal program last week illustrated how the Holy Ghost can help us pull the good things away from the bad influences in this world by using a magnet to lift small metal objects from a box of sand. The two little girls, ages 8 and 10, who were born and raised in the city were fascinated by what they were shown, because they had never previously seen or touched sand. They didn't even know that there was such a thing as a sandbox. There are so many wonderful things that little boys and girls in the city might experience if only there was some way to teach them.