“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships”
--- Michael Jordan (Former professional basketball player & businessman; 1963 - Present)
This topic is one of the most personal to me. Of all the qualities a person can have, the one that I despise most is self-grandeur. I despise the kind of people who are in it for themselves who are so self-absorbed that they couldn't care less about anyone else. A missionary who only pushes for baptisms in order to have more than his or her fellow missionaries is like a person who brags about doing charity work to make themselves look better. In a work that is led by Jesus Christ, whose church the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is, the greatest quality that person can have is to lose themselves in the service of others. At the end of the day, the work of God is a single work of which we are all on the same team.
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RECONNECTING
I overheard Elders Depeel and Navarro talking about a family that they'd previously been visiting for a while but weren’t going to revisit. Because I'd only arrived in the Bugambilias Area recently, I didn't know the family but after learning that they'd been meeting with them for a considerable amount of time now, I asked them if Elder De León and I could go by and visit them (mostly so I could see what their concerns were with the Church and if we could resolve them) to which Elder Depeel and Elder Navarro consented. I figured that if they'd already received all the missionary lessons, it was worth seeing what was left between them and a baptismal commitment (See "Baptism by Immersion"). Elders Depeel and Navarro told me a bit about the family, but I figured it best to see things with my own eyes and get a feel for the people myself. After all, Elder De León and I had spare time and the ability to do so as their District Leaders. No one could stop us.
We met with the family of four and they were absolutely wonderful. The situation we discovered was that the parents weren’t married and couldn’t afford a divorce to a previous spouse let alone afford to get married to each other after the fact. They had the desire, and they came to church every week (See "Sabbath Day Observance") but they couldn’t be baptized at that time because they couldn't live the Law of Chastity. It was encouraging nonetheless to hear from them that they had no concerns with the teachings of the Church itself and that the issue was more of a matter outside of their immediate control, nonetheless desire to resolve. After visiting with them and hearing them profess their love of the church, it dawns on us that there’s nothing stopping their two sons from being baptized. As often as possible, we want entire families to join the Church and for no one to be left behind. The Plan of Happiness is only possible through families. But in the case of young ones, it's especially important for parents to join the Church and live the gospel as an example and support to their children to do so likewise. It's far more challenging for little ones to bring themselves up in the gospel alone. Nevertheless, their two boys had the desire to be baptized and the parents completely supported them in it and committed to continue bringing them to church after they were baptized. Suddenly, they were back on the teaching list. It was that easy! And it never would have happened had I not felt prompted to give them a second chance. But something happened. We told the other Elders about their hopeful situation, and from the sound of it, these Elders had only stopped visiting them recently. Not because of any technicality in any rule book, but in my heart, it only felt right that these Elders remain “in charge” of this family. I didn't care if they'd been erased from their teaching list. I wanted them to write them back on! As a District Leader, anything I could do to help the missionaries in my District to be successful was something I wanted to do. That's what leaders do: they support their teammates. The same is true in life: It's not the responsibility of a boss to do his employee's job for him.
Nevertheless, I talked with Elder De León and asked him if he would be okay if Elder Depeel and Elder Navarro picked them back up again instead of us. Without skipping a beat, he agreed. He was always okay with anything I suggested and I'm grateful for his confidence in me. The two boys progressed and I got to interview the youngest one for his baptism (See "The Baptismal Interview"). They were both baptized on Pi Day (March 14, 2016) and the family kept coming to church every week. I got to give a short message about the Holy Ghost at their baptism (See "A Still, Small Voice"). It was one of the most personal and spiritual baptismal services I'd ever attended. Earlier that day, I passed by a street market and felt inspired to buy the best-looking cool grey tie which I gave to the oldest boy as a gift in order to commemorate the special occasion. I could just envision them growing up and eventually receiving the priesthood and passing the sacrament and becoming missionaries themselves (See "Priesthood"). You can’t help but be overjoyed for them. And neither should you feel anything but happiness for this great blessing to their family! But despite this victory for the Lord, we got a lot of ridicule from other missionaries in the mission who wondered why on Earth we would “give up” a family we could have taught and baptized ourselves. I don't know that they ever knew it was me and Elder De León, but the story got around that it was somebody in the mission. They thought us utter fools to put it kindly. Many of these whom I considered my friends thought we made an idiotic and mindless mistake, something to scoff at and laugh at, and that hurt a lot! Each and every one of them thought to himself that he would have taught them himself.
To be honest, I expected the opposite reaction. I thought that they would have been proud to hear somebody put aside their own personal interests for the greater good and that everything worked out. But despite the ridicule, I felt no remorse for our decision. They got baptized! It didn’t matter to me as much who baptized them, so long as it worked (See "Who Baptizes?"). Looking back on it now, I know that Elder Depeel and Elder Navarro were meant to teach them, not us. They were the right missionaries. They loved this family more than we ever could have as strangers, and that love and friendship were only rekindled and deepened because we gave them the opportunity to teach them again and finish what they started.
I don’t understand why our action was looked upon as inconceivable by everyone else, but as far as I’m concerned, we did our job! Leaders teach by example, and at this moment, these Elders, these two friends whom I cared about and presided over, needed to teach this family just as much as this family needed them. All involved parties were blessed! There can be no remorse for a happy ending, and in the end, it doesn’t matter what the other missionaries thought about us.
ON THE LORD'S SIDE
In the premortal life, a plan was proposed in direct opposition to God's (See "The Return of the King --- Part 1"). Lucifer sought to destroy our ability to choose for ourselves and said to God, "I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). In rebelling against Heavenly Father, Lucifer also sought to take all the glory, even God's glory upon himself. And rebelling against God, Lucifer and a third of heaven waged war, and thereafter and were cast out forever in eternal misery.
It’s not about us. The glory is the Father’s (Alma 26). The sooner we learn to put the needs of others above our own selfish wants and ends, the happier we will be. A missionary who seeks his own honor and increased social status or leadership positions above giving the glory to the Lord, to me, is an indication that they're serving a mission for the wrong reasons. It's called missionary "service" not "missionary self-service".
Missionaries shouldn’t view missionary service as a competition with each other! One of my favorite movies “Forever Strong” is based on a true story of a troubled young man named Rick Penning and his transformation of character when he is recruited by the Highland Rugby team --- a hardworking team with strong morals but a team which Rick previously considered his enemy. At the beginning of the movie, his pride consumes him. His team is dishonorable by all accounts. All Rick wants to do is score and win and be the center of attention. His reckless behavior costs him dearly and he's sent to juvenile detention. While serving time, he's offered a chance to get out early conditional of good behavior. The catch is that he has to play for his rivals, the Highland Rugby team. Despite not liking it at first, he does so in the hopes of getting out and playing rugby. The team is a stark contrast to him and his poor sense of ethics, but the team is overall respectful of him just the same. They're the kind of guys who inspire the best in others and never have a bad thing to say about anyone. At length, their good example and love for Rick rubs off on him and he becomes as good a person as any of them. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE! There are many wonderful quotes in that movie but one of my favorites is short and sweet. Says the coach to this prideful player who's used to being the center of attention:
We are on the Lord’s team. No player is more valuable than another for "All are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33). It doesn't make a difference to him how many people you baptize, only that you do your best with a pure heart and real intent. It shouldn’t matter who teaches and baptizes who. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland poetically explained:
"Envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously, we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment!"
A win for your teammate is a win for the whole team. The goal of a missionary shouldn’t be to teach and baptize more than the others; it should be to bring souls into God’s kingdom, to lift the burden of sin and sorrow from people’s lives, and to do what God asks. Missionaries shouldn't be baptizing anybody only to feel better about themselves. Furthermore, I detest any missionary who only baptizes with the aspiration of obtaining leadership positions. If there is one thing I despise most in the world, it is people who actively seek glory and unrighteous dominion over others and I denounce it and so does Christ. (Matt. 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45)
EQUALITY & UNITY
Remember the classic medieval stories of King Arthur, he who frees the mighty Excalibur sword from the cursed stone (although many stories true and fictitious exist). He who united a broken kingdom. A character who embodies all that is good, especially when it comes to equality. A type of "Captain Moroni" if you will (Alma 48). His right to kingship was not inherited through any bloodline, he having been born and raised a commoner like all the rest. But it was his heart that deemed him worthy to have the power and authority to rule, not as a tyrant, but as a servant and one of the people. King Arthur and his knights sat at the Round Table. Its symbolism— that no man who sits at the table be placed any differently than another, that all may be alike. Such is how a good leader should treat others, as equals who all have something they themselves can bring to the table. Regardless of any title or position the world has to offer, we are all equally important and loved by God.
If you were asked, “Who was the greatest leader?”, you might answer, “Jesus Christ”. If you were asked, “Who was the greatest follower?”, you might again answer, “Jesus Christ”. The greatest leaders are also the greatest followers. Taught the Lord, “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 23:11). Being in a leadership position does not make you a leader. You can be a leader, the one with the vision who sets the example, in any capacity. Leadership traits can be developed at any age and in endless ways that don't require us to be making six figures or running a company. May we always remember that everyone is alike. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Whether we are the feet, the hands, or the head, we are all components of a single body with a single purpose (1 Cor. 12:12-25). In regards to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the one in charge is Jesus Christ and anything we do should only be to glorify Him. May we never esteem ourselves of greater worth than our brother. May we work together, and glory not in our own works but may we remember to “Let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 5:16)
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