"It is Not Requisite that a Man Should Run Faster than He has Strength"

We live in a culture that often pushes people to do things quickly; "Hurry up and get married," or "Hurry up and have lots of kids."  And now, with the recent change in missionaries ages, there may be some who are saying "Hurry up and go on a mission."  I read last week about a young man who was about to leave on his mission, his farewell was scheduled for this Sunday.  Instead of a farewell, however, his family had to prepare for a funeral.  Apparently the pressure of going on a mission was too great, for this young man took his own life.  A family that was preparing to say goodbye, will never see their son or brother come home.

One of the reasons I started this blog is my belief that too often we do a lousy job of preparing young men and women to serve missions.  Too many missionaries quit and go home early because they were not prepared to handle the rigors of a mission.  Too many missionaries quit but stay in the field, wasting their time and their parents' money.

I had a companion tell me that he wrote to a friend back home that if he didn't like the MTC that he should go home because it wasn't going to get any better.  I wrote to some friends that "It gets better or worse depending completely on your attitude."  While that is true, our attitude may be determined by how adequately prepared we are when we enter the MTC.  As the saying goes, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."  If we fail to prepare adequately, we may only be prepared to fail.

Missionaries should go into a mission with their eyes wide open.  Serving a mission is difficult; it may be one of the hardest things you ever do, but it may also be the best thing you ever do.  The work is often hard, and sometimes seemingly unrewarding.  There will be some missionaries, including some companions, who will be difficult to get along with.  There will be days or weeks when you will feel that you are being stretched to the limit.  If you have the right attitude, it will all be worth it as the rewards for the faithful servant are many.

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18:15-16)

I have called my mission the university of my life.  I learned more about life in those two short years than I have in all the years before or since.  I faced many trials and persevered.  I worked hard and when I was done I felt to say as Paul did that I had kept the faith and finished the race.  I look back now and recall as the best times those when we were working hard, even when we were having appointments cancel on us left and right.

The news about the change in missionary ages was wonderful, but don't feel like you have to hurry up and go.  Don't let anyone, even your parents, put too much pressure on you.  Parents, don't push your kids to leave before they are ready.

If the age for young men had been 18 when I graduated from high school, I could have left that summer, but I was not ready to do so.  I was attending an excellent missionary prep program, and during the month of August I felt that I could do nothing right when teaching mock discussions or role playing objections.  The adversary was working on me hard, trying to discourage me from going on a mission.

As we read in the Book of Mormon, there is opposition in all things; you can expect some opposition as you prepare to serve.  you certainly don't need the people around you, at home or at church, to put even more pressure on you.  In the end, this is between you and your Father in Heaven, and if you can be satisfied that you are working hard as you prepare, at your own pace -- within reason -- then you can tune out the voices that are telling you to hurry.  You can also tell the adversary to "Get thee hence."

It is important to remember that while they changed the ages for missionaries so that some can leave sooner, young men can still leave as late as when they are 25 -- there is no limit for young women.  So, as long as you are not dawdling or otherwise wasting time, you can be assured that you have plenty of time to prepare to serve.  If you're not ready at 18, that's okay, maybe next year, or the one after.  But be careful that you don't wait too long.

There was an elder in my mission who prepared to serve at 19, he put his papers in and received his call -- to the California San Jose Mission.  But he balked; as a small town kid he felt that he could not handle serving in a big city.  He asked to be released from his calling at that time, and this was granted.  Then, at age 25, staring the age limit in the face, he put his papers in again, and was called to . . . the California San Jose Mission.  He might have been a little nervous, still, at the idea of serving in a big city, but he answered the call and served his two years faithfully and well.

As King Benjamin said, we do not need to run faster than we have strength, but we should not take a casual approach either -- we should at least be running. Remember the tortoise and the hare, "Slow and steady wins the race."

 We should always ask if we can do more, and then we should stretch ourselves to do it.  We may not reach the goal, but we will have made the effort and gained from it, and maybe the next time we will reach the goal.  If we continue to fall short we should humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father, and exercise faith in Jesus Christ, then might we be lifted up to do more than we thought we could, because His grace is sufficient to make weak things become strong.

We Learn to Teach "By Study and Also By Faith"

I wrote yesterday that the time to prepare to serve a mission is not the day you enter the Missionary Training Center.  I think this is more significant for those who are not learning a foreign language because their time in the MTC has been shortened from three weeks to two.  But even those learning a language, most of their time in the MTC will be spent on that effort.

I had the opportunity to attend a missionary prep program in my stake during the eight months preceding my mission.  At two meetings a week we were taught by returned missionaries, and once a week we could teach mock discussions.  I had many opportunities to teach the first discussion, and a few other opportunities to teach the second.  As I recall, we covered the first two discussions in the MTC.

During my first two months in the mission field I had to pass off each of the six discussions to my district leader, meaning I taught him in mock discussions each of the six.  Outside of making some visual aids for the plan of salvation portion of the fourth discussion in missionary prep, I learned the third through six discussions primarily during those first two months.

Having mastered the first two discussions before my mission, learning the remaining discussions did not prove to be very difficult.  Having taught mock discussions to members, teaching my district leaders was easy.  Teaching a real investigator for the first time was almost as easy.  The most difficult aspects of my time in the MTC and my first few months in the mission field turned out to be dealing with difficult companions, overcoming a lack of certain social skills, and dealing with an extremely slow area.

The discussions from my era were relatively easy, certainly compared to what missionary are asked to do now.  There was a time when the discussions were tightly scripted, the missionaries had to read the presentation word for word, and they were even directed at certain points to "look up and smile."  New discussions were introduced by the time I was preparing to serve that allowed the missionaries a significant amount of flexibility.  As long as we covered the principles of the discussion we could put them in our own words and even expand on them, within reason.  Of course, we could also just repeat the principles word for word if we chose (a pretty good portrayal of the first discussion in my era can be found in the move The Best Two Years).  It's a whole new ball game for today's missionaries.


Looking through Preach My Gospel one soon realizes that missionaries today are being asked to study certain principles and then make lesson plans to teach them.  The book gives overviews of principles to be taught, and then leaves the missionaries to plan how they will teach them.  However, the missionaries are not completely left on their own as a few example plans are provided.  There does not appear to be an option of just repeating principles word for word.  Another way of putting it is that missionaries today are not so much learning discussions as studying and learning the gospel and figuring out how they will teach it.

Hopefully you have been paying attention and doing the daily scriptural reading during those four years of seminary.  If not, now is the time to get serious and really read, study, pray and ponder.  For scripture study I would start with the Book of Mormon, then add the New Testament as familiarity with those texts will be the most helpful.  Read and study Preach My Gospel and the Missionary Preparation Student Manual, and find someone to teach at least the first two lessons to in mock discussions -- that, of course, would require some attempt at lesson planning.

I've never had to make a lesson plan, but I have prepared several talks for church meetings and there are some similarities to lesson planning and preparing a talk.  About a year ago I was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Easter Sunday, and I only had a week to prepare. I started the week with prayer and scripture study and then later started writing my talk, giving me a couple of days to practice and revise. I thought about what principles I might discuss, some personal experiences, and looked for some quotes I might use.

Lesson planning, like preparing a talk, is a way of organizing our thoughts and information in a clear and brief manner -- brevity is a virtue in public speaking, less often really is more.  Begin with a single idea or topic and finding supporting information.  An organized lesson plan can help us in identifying principles that we may have overlooked.  A lesson plan can be as simple as writing a topic and listing under it a few related items, or it can be more complex as a collection of related information divided into several subcategories.  Another way to develop a lesson plan is to start with some general questions to answer or categories of information to look for whenever we study a doctrine.

Before you can teach God's word, you must first learn His word.  We learn to teach "by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118).

Are You Ready?

Here are a few stats showing how the change in missionary ages has impacted the work:

Before the change the age limit for sisters was 21 and 19 for elders, now the limit is 19 for sisters and 18 for elders (if they have graduated from high school).

Before the change, approximately 15% of missionaries in the field were sisters.  Now approximately 50% of missionaries in the field are sisters.

Before the change the maximum number of missionaries per mission was 170, now the maximum number is 250.

Before the change, missionaries not learning a foreign language spent three weeks in the MTC, now they spend two weeks.

Before the change the number of weekly missionary applications was around 700.  That number jumped to 4,000 immediately following the announcement.  There has been a 471% increase in the number applications since the announcement.

There are 347 missions around the world.  58 new missions were created to accommodate the influx of new missionaries resulting from the change.  52 languages are taught at the Prove, Utah MTC.  There are 15 Missionary Training Centers worldwide.  The Provo MTC can accomodate 4,800 missionaries.

The largest mission, with a population of 1 billion, is the India Bangalore Mission.  The smallest mission, of just 10 acres, is the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission.

There are 65,634 full time missionaries, 20,000 more have received their call, and 6,000 more are in the interview process.

"The response of our young people has been remarkable and inspiring," said President Thomas S. Monson.

There is no question that this is exciting.  As a recent U.S. Navy recruiting ad put it, "Let the journey begin."  The great adventure awaits.

But let's pause a moment and ask an important question: Are you ready?

Have you done all that you could to prepare?

Are you familiar with the discussions you will be teaching?  Are you familiar with the scriptures?  Can you make a lesson plan?  Can you teach?

Are you physically prepared for the rigors of missionary works, riding bikes and walking all day long?

Are you spiritually prepared to give the work everything you have, everyday, every moment, all the way?

The time to start preparing to serve is not the day you arrive in the MTC, especially now that missionaries not learning a foreign language will only be in the MTC for two weeks instead of three.

The time to start preparing is not the day you arrive in the mission field, or the morning you first wake up in your first area.

The time to start preparing is now.  How much time do you have before you enter the MTC?  What can you do in that amount of time?  Plan your work and work your plan.

God speed.

"The Lord Looketh Upon the Heart"

Two missionaries approached Al Fox on the street in Rochester, New York, and asked her if she wanted to know more about Jesus Christ. "No," she answered, but there was something about these two young men so she gave them an unusual challenge.  "If you bring me a steak dinner," she said, "I'll listen to your message."  Al Fox, now known as "the Tattooed Mormon," thought religion was a rather silly thing when she ran into those elders, and she thought asking them to bring her a steak dinner would get rid of them.

I can only imagine what those elders thought.  "A steak dinner?! Hey, I'm on a budget."  But I can also imagine the spiritual prompting they received, "Do it!" So they did, that very same day, and as a result Al's life would change in ways she could never have imagined. That doesn't mean, however, that teaching Al Fox would be easy.  On the one hand, Al just loved the way she felt around the elders, on the other hand, "Every day I saw them, I did everything I could to do anything except talk about the Church, and I thought I was doing fairly well."

Then one day the missionaries showed her the video "The Restoration" which depicted Joseph Smith's First Vision.  Al's reaction was to think that there was no way that happened, so she issued another challenge to the elders, "I want to go there," she said.  What she didn't know was that Palmyra was only about a half hour away from Rochester.  In the Sacred Grove, Al Fox learned that Heavenly Father is real and that He does answer prayers, as she herself knelt and prayed for the first time -- She felt so awkward that she repeated after the elders. "But that's how it began," she would say later, "because I started to care, because of that prayer."

But Al Fox was still a "rascal" as an investigator.  While she began to open up, and started reading the scriptures and praying, she was still hoping to prove that the LDS Church was wrong.  Yet even as she fought it, the change in her heart grew.  Then one day she decided to be baptized, "But it came out of nowhere," she said.

The missionaries got a call at 4 a.m. from Al who shouted at them "I want to get baptized!" before just as suddenly hanging up the phone -- her declaration had shocked her.  Fortunately, the elders called her back.  Despite her shock and her fears, Al decided to follow through. "I knew when I said it, I felt it, and that was what I needed to do."

One month after challenging the elders to bring her a steak dinner, Al Fox was baptized. "I was just filled with this excitement and this happiness that I couldn't even put it into words," she would later say, "and I wanted to yell to all of New York that happiness is real, that it exists, and that they can have it.  I was so excited that I told everyone. I made a promise that how I felt that day when I got confirmed and I got baptized, I didn't want it to ever go away, because I recognize that it only came from the gospel, and I am going to do everything I can to keep that with me."

Like many converts to the church, Al found that members of her family, and many of her friends disapproved.  Some friends rejected her, but at the same time, as a newly confirmed Latter-day Saint, Al found that her new life was no longer compatible with the lifestyles of other friends.  One of her sisters, however, would join the church not long after Al, and would go on to be married in the temple (Al is still single, but she does have a boyfriend). At the same time, because of her many tattoos, Al had a hard time fitting in with the LDS community.

Excited about the Restored Gospel, Al considered serving a mission, but when she prayed about it she received an unexpected answer: move to Utah.  It was hard, she tried to fight it, but she moved to Utah. On her first day in the state she was at a restaurant, already feeling self-conscious, holding a copy of a biography of one of the presidents of the church, when a man tapped her on the shoulder and said, "You know, it's pretty ironic you look the way you do, holding that book."  Al would later say "My heart broke.  I just wanted so badly wanted to turn to him and say, 'Do you know what I just went through, and what I gave up, and how hard this is?'"

But Al recognized that she had a choice; she could blast the guy, or she could choose happiness. Instead of going off, Al turned to the man, shook his hand and smiled. "Hey, I'm Al Fox, and I just got baptized and this is like my first day here." Naturally, the man felt a little bit silly, and to try to make up for it, he bought her lunch.  About a year later Al would run into this man again; as it turns out, the man was a stake president, and he had been telling the story of this encounter in stake conferences, which was quite the coincidence because Al had been telling the story at firesides.

Al Fox has found several ways to share her happiness.  She started a blog, making and posting videos online and, of course, sharing her story at firesides -- something she would never have expected as she sluffed her college public speaking class.  Some missionaries have started using her videos and her blog to help their investigators -- in fact, this is how she met her boyfriend, who as a missionary found her on Facebook as he used it as a missionary tool; they met in person after he got home (I mention this because she keeps getting asked out by guys who meet her and hear her story).

"The happiness that I have felt is real," said Fox in a recent interview. "It's real, and I recognize that everyone doesn't have and feel this. And I want everyone to know that they can. Happiness is the gospel - it comes from there and it's real, and I'm grateful for that."


Sources:

Marsden, M. (2013). "Convert endures trial, shares happiness through social media (+video)." Deseret Morning News, February 7, 2013

Worthen, K. (2013). "Finding Joy in the Gospel: Converts Share Their Stories." LDS Living, March/April 2013.

Interview with Al Fox on The Cultural Hall accessed at http://www.youtube.com/user/22AlFox on April 23, 2013.

Al Fox's Blog: {In the Head of Al Fox} at blogspot. http://alfoxshead.blogspot.com/
 

Wings of Gold on Navy Whites

I wrote the following in my journal at the end of my first week in the Missionary Training Center: "You know that little black tag I wear? To me it is like a Naval Aviator’s wings of gold. That tag is [are?] my wings of gold. It’s an honor to me that I can wear it, that I can be a missionary in the service of my Heavenly Father, and I wear it proudly. Just think, I can be instrument in the Lord’s hands. Wow!"

A few years earlier I had found an interest in the history of the Second World War, and perhaps the aspect that interested me the most were the aircraft carriers fighting in the Pacific Theater.  My Walter Mitty fantasies during my high school years involved me flying fighter planes off of the USS Enterprise (CV-6). I gave serious thought to joining the Navy out of high school but eventually decided that going on a mission was what the Lord wanted me to do.  In any case, the modern Navy wasn't really the same as the Navy of World War II -- also, I didn't have the eyesight to become a naval aviator anyway.

At the end of the pilot episode of the television series JAG, one of the characters says something about Wings of Gold on Navy Whites.  For a different reason, probably, I have to agree that there is something impressive about a naval aviator in dress whites.  During the warmer months in some areas missionaries shed their suit coats and put their name tags on the pocket of their white shirts.  Again, there's just something impressive about missionaries in white shirts and ties -- at least when their not wearing helmets and riding bicycles.

The greatest day(s) for a missionary is when he puts on his baptismal whites and leads an investigator down into the water.  I was five months out and in my second area when I first had the opportunity to do this.  Before the ceremony I stood with my companion and our investigator out in the parking lot and had photos taken.  White represents cleanliness.

While serving his mission in the Hawaiian Islands, Joseph F. Smith had a dream about cleanliness, which President Gordan B. Hinckley talked about during the April 2007 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Hawaii was not a tourist center then," said President Hinckley. "It was populated by the native Hawaiians, who were, for the most part, poor but generous with what they had. He learned to speak their language and to love them."  Then he quoted President Smith as he told about his "remarkable dream":

“I was very much oppressed [when I was] on a mission. I was almost naked and entirely friendless, except [for] the friendship of a poor, benighted … people. I felt as if I was so debased in my condition of poverty, lack of intelligence and knowledge, just a boy, that I hardly dared look a … man in the face.

“While in that condition I dreamed [one night] that I was on a journey, and I was impressed that I ought to hurry—hurry with all my might, for fear I might be too late. I rushed on my way as fast as I possibly could, and I was only conscious of having just a little bundle, a handkerchief with a small bundle wrapped in it. I did not realize … what it was, when I was hurrying as fast as I could; but finally I came to a wonderful mansion. … I thought I knew that was my destination. As I passed towards it, as fast as I could, I saw a notice [which read B-A-T-H], ‘Bath.’ I turned aside quickly and went into the bath and washed myself clean. I opened up this little bundle that I had, and there was [some] white, clean [clothing], a thing I had not seen for a long time, because the people I was with did not think very much of making things exceedingly clean. But my [clothing was] clean, and I put [it] on. Then I rushed to what appeared to be a great opening, or door. I knocked and the door opened, and the man who stood there was the Prophet Joseph Smith. He looked at me a little reprovingly, and the first words he said: ‘Joseph, you are late.’ Yet I took confidence and [replied]:

“‘Yes, but I am clean—I am clean!’

“He clasped my hand and drew me in, then closed the great door. I felt his hand just as tangible as I ever felt the hand of man. I knew him, and when I entered I saw my father, and Brigham [Young] and Heber [C. Kimball], and Willard [Richards], and other good men that I had known, standing in a row. I looked as if it were across this valley, and it seemed to be filled with a vast multitude of people, but on the stage were all the people that I had known. My mother was there, and she sat with a child in her lap; and I could name over as many as I remember of their names, who sat there, who seemed to be among the chosen, among the exalted. …

“[When I had this dream,] I was alone on a mat, away up in the mountains of Hawaii—no one was with me. But in this vision I pressed my hand up against the Prophet, and I saw a smile cross his countenance. …

“When I awoke that morning I was a man, although only [still] a boy. There was not anything in the world that I feared [after that]. I could meet any man or woman or child and look them in the face, feeling in my soul that I was a man every whit. That vision, that manifestation and witness that I enjoyed at that time has made me what I am, if I am anything that is good, or clean, or upright before the Lord, if there is anything good in me. That has helped me out in every trial and through every difficulty”

"The core of that meaningful dream," said President Hinckley, "is found in the reproof given by Joseph Smith to young Joseph F. Said the Prophet, 'Joseph, you are late.'  Replied Joseph F., 'Yes, but I am clean—I am clean!'  The result of that dream was that a boy was changed into a man. His declaration “I am clean” gave him self-assurance and courage in facing anyone or any situation."

Before departing on a mission, elders and sisters must first go through the temple and receive their Endowment.  To enter the temple they must be clean, and in the temple they wear white clothing to represent their being clean.  Elders again wear white when they lead investigators into the waters of baptism.  Missionaries must stay clean as they serve the Lord.  If missionaries stay clean they can have the self-assurance and courage to face anyone or any situation.

Source:

Hinckley, G. B. (2007) "I Am Clean". Conference Report, April 2007.  Accessed at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/i-am-clean?lang=eng on April 16, 2013.

"We Will Stand By You"

The heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) went down in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, in the early morning hours of March 1, 1942, after a desperate fight with Japanese surface ships.  Her fate was not immediately known in the United States and she was listed as "Overdue, presumed lost."

The city of Houston, Texas honored the lost cruiser by raising enough money to build two new ships, a light cruiser and a light aircraft carrier.  On October 12, 1942 the Cleveland class cruiser Vicksburg, then under construction, had her name changed to Houston.  That same month another ship was laid down, the light cruiser Newark (CL-100), but by this point in the war it was clear that the U.S. Navy would need more aircraft carriers, and as quickly as possible.  Newark was designated for conversion as a light carrier and given the name Reprisal (CVL-30), however, to honor the city of Houston the ship's name was changed again to San Jacinto after the battle of that name which was fought during the Texas Revolution.  Future U.S. President George H. W. Bush would serve as a pilot aboard San Jacinto during World War II.

The light cruiser Houston was launched on June 19, 1943 and commissioned on December 20 of that same year.  Houston arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, via the Panama Canal, in May 1944 and subsequently participated in the campaigns to capture Saipan, Tinian and Guam in the Mariana Islands and Peleliu in the Palau Islands.  In October she sailed with the carriers of Task Force 38 in support of air operations against the island of Formosa (Taiwan), in preparation for General MacArthur's return to the Philippines later that month.

The first day of the operation, October 12, saw heavy fighting in the air, and the Japanese suffered devastating losses in airplanes shot down and destroyed on the ground.  That night the Japanese retaliated with air strikes against the American fleet.  Houston shot down four enemy planes, but the heavy cruiser USS Canberra (CA-70) was hit by an aerial torpedo.  Houston took over Canberra's station in the screen and two days later there was another air attack.  This time Houston shot down three planes, but the fourth was able to drop its torpedo, which then hit the light cruiser.

The battle began to save Houston, which joined Canberra in what Third Fleet commander Admiral William F. Halsey called "Cripple Division 1."  Houston was first taken under tow by the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CA-69), and was later relieved by the fleet tug USS Pawnee (ATF-74).  The crew of the light cruiser knew that a heroic fight would be required to save their ship.

Late on the afternoon of October 16, Houston and Canberra were again attacked by Japanese airplanes.  Houston was hit by another torpedo, this time on her stern; the hit flooded her scout plane hanger.

As a relatively small ship, one torpedo hit was often enough to sink a light cruiser, now Houston had taken a second hit which should have been fatal.  Captain William W. Behrens knew that an even greater effort would be required to save his ship and he wondered if it should even be tried.  Even if he could get his ship back to a shipyard in the United States, the ship might not be salvageable.  Any repair effort might take months and the time and money might be better spent on a new ship.

The crew was tired after the fight to save Houston from the first torpedo.  Did they have anything left with which to continue the fight?  The crew also wondered if the ships screening them in these hostile waters would not now leave them.  Was Houston a lost cause?  Doubt and fatigue led to depression.

As captain and crew considered the fate of their ship, they received a message flashed from Pawnee:

WE WILL STAND BY YOU.

It was a simple message, yet it filled the crew of Houston with strength and courage.  It gave them enough hope to continue their heroic fight to save their ship.

Captain Behrens continued to wonder if the effort to save the light cruiser was worth it.  Despite his doubts, however, the crew was able to keep Houston afloat and she arrived in the Pacific Fleet's new forward base at Ulithi, in the Western Caroline Islands, on October 27, seven days after MacArthur's landing on the island of Leyte, in the central Philippines.  After temporary repairs Houston sailed on to Manus in the Admiralty Islands, where she underwent more repairs in a floating dry dock after arriving on December 20.

After a stopover in Hawaii, Houston continued on to the New York Navy Yard, arriving on March 24, 1945.  After extensive work, the light cruiser sailed out of New York Harbor on October 11, 1945, more than a month after the war had ended.  Captain Behrens would continue to doubt whether the efforts to save Houston were worthwhile.  After two years of productive peacetime service, Houston was decommissioned in December 1947.

The message sent by the fleet tug Pawnee has long been remembered by Houston's crew and by the U.S. Navy.

WE WILL STAND BY YOU.

At the Waters of Mormon, Alma the elder spoke to those who had come to be baptized, saying, "As ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yeah, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8-9).

It is often the little things we do that can give comfort to those that stand in need of comfort.  Sometimes it can be as simple as letting them know that they are not alone and that

WE WILL STAND BY YOU.


Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Houston_%28CL-81%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...San_Jacinto_%28CVL-30%29

Hyams, J. (1991). Flight of the Avenger: George Bush at War.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.

Miller, J. G. (1985). The Battle to Save the Houston, October 1944 to March 1945.  Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

Principle Before Passion

An article in a recent issue of the U.S. Naval Institute's periodical Proceedings, referenced the move The Karate Kid (the 1984 original), in which a reluctant martial arts sensei, played by the late Pat Morita, teaches an eager student, played by Ralph Macchio.  Mister Miyagi uses some unconventional methods to teach Daniel LaRusso, including the repetitive polishing motion "wax on, wax off."  Though Daniel thought he was performing menial tasks, Miyagi was teaching him a valuable combat skill, which Daniel comes to understand only after expressing his frustration at having spent several days waxing a car, sanding a deck and staining a fence.

The author of the Proceedings article makes the point that "Many military situations require such immediate and refined responses, and repetition builds those skills."  Repetition has been called the soul of all learning.  Zig Ziglar said that a person needs to hear something seven times before they really understand it.  There is certainly some repetition involved in missionary work such as daily scripture study, knocking on doors and praying multiple times a day.

"Yet we need critical thinkers, sailors, Marines, and guardians who aren't always robotic," writes the author.  Neither are missionaries to be automatons.  Daily scripture study is important because one must learn God's word before they can teach His word.  Though there may be some common answers to common concerns, there are also situations where a missionary must rely on the Spirit to bring to their rembrance something they have previously learned.  Missionary work is not a paint by numbers project, often the unexpected can happen.

Miyagi told Daniel on multiple occasions in The Karate Kid that "Not everything is as seem."  He was encouraging his student to search for the purpose behind the task, to think critically by suggesting there might be a hidden meaning in each seemingly pointless experience.

Miyagi had some more lessons to impart to Daniel in the sequel The Karate Kid Part II (1986), when the pair visited the island of Okinawa.  The teacher explained to the student that he left Okinawa to avoid a fight with a rival whose parents had arranged a marriage to the woman Miyagi loved.  Daniel could not understand why Miyagi, who was the better fighter, allowed himself to be viewed as a coward.  "Never put passion before principle," answered Miyagi.  Facing the challenge of his rival would have forced him to violate his principles, and for Miyagi this would be worse than being considered a coward.

As Miyagi put it, "Even if win, you lose," when you violate your own principles.

The author of the Proceeding's article noted that these lessons are relevant in the Sea Services, and "we have countless examples of when they are ignored.  Too many leaders have been relieved for cause after putting passion before principle.  Whether that passion is power, greed, status, sex, or money, placing them before principles causes the loss of honor -- even when you get away with it.  Rewards won through passion are temporary, but principles are everlasting."

Which is what Miyagi taught Daniel when he said, "In Okinawa, honor have no time limit."

Missionaries may be tempted to think that some of the rules are pointless, or perhaps their passion will lead them to break the rules.  Missionaries may break the rules and get away with it, or they may not, either way they lose.  Though repentance is possible, regaining lost honor and integrity is not easy.  

Personal development, for a missionary or a sailor, includes lessons about core values, "and examples exist in unexpected places," writes the author.  "These movies showed how honor results from having the courage to maintain commitment to one's values, never putting passion before principle."

Make the commitment now to live the mission rules, to keep the commandments, and to work hard -- to give it everything you've got "every hour, every day, every minute, all the way" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland address at MTC, August 24, 2010).  Exercise courage when that commitment is challenged, as challenged it will be, so that you may return home with honor.  Think critically and look for hidden meanings or purposes behind each seemingly pointless rule or experience.  When the day of trial comes, put principle before passion.


Source:

Murphy. J. (2013). "From the Deckplates: Principle Before Passion." Proceedings, Vol. 139/2.