ELDER HOLLAND CONFERENCE
The conference with elder Holland was so amazing!! He just strolled right on in and we were all like "woah there he is!" He is also a bit of a jokester. It was so cool to get to shake his hand. He talked to us about how much his mission meant to him and how it changed everything. He is so passionate about it and it is incredible. He talked about how it is supposed to change everything. People always say things like "yeah the mission is just not real. its crazy." or different things but he talked about how the mission is real life. This is forever. It isn't some detour or blip on our paths and we just go back to how it was before. He pleaded with us not to go back. We are meant to be disciples of Jesus Christ for our entire lives. We may not have the schedule or the rules our whole lives but we can have the habits, the ability to follow the spirit, the desire to learn more, the confidence to share the gospel, the spiritual purity. all of it. all of the changes are meant to be forever.
He talked about how apostles and missionaries are the same. They have the same calling. They have the same purpose. He said the only difference is he has to die to get out of his calling ha ha. He talked about the image that we carry. The world looks at missionaries and general authorities as perfect. It is unfair, but we have an image to keep up because it can have big effects when one of those two messes up. He told us it isn't fair but then yelled as he said you. do. not. have. the. RIGHT. to tarnish that image. We are on a stage all the time and we will be when we get home too. That's why it is so important that we let the mission change us forever and stop thinking its over when we go home.
He talked about John 3 when Nicodemus comes to Jesus Christ to ask questions. And about the story of the women at the well. In both instances he speaks in metaphorical or "heavenly terms" and they take it very literally or "earthly" in regards to being born again and needing water. So to effectively teach, he has to change it to help them understand earthly things first. He talked about how we have to do that. We have to start where they are and build up. We cant expect people to be on the same level we are and understand there. That is why we teach like we are teaching primary.
He also talked about how Nicodemus was the wealthiest, most well know Rabbi in town. And then the woman at the well was a prostitute. the two most extremes on the spectrum of people. What does that mean? The gospel is for everyone. We don't have a right to be the determiner of who deserves the gospel and who doesn't. He talked about how every time we decide not to talk to someone, we are decided that they don't need the gospel and we don't have the right to make that judgement. We have to talk to everyone. And if we double the amount of people we talk to, we will double the amount of new investigators and we will double the amount of progressing investigators and the amount of baptisms. That is the key.
His two ways to get more baptisms were double the amount of people you talk to and get people into the Book of Mormon immediately. He said on the doorstep if possible. He had an elder read 1 Nephi 1:12 which says something like "as he read, he was filled with the spirit of God." As soon as he read it, elder Holland said read it again. So he did. And then Elder Holland said read it again. And that third time, he could barely get through it. He was choked up and filled with the spirit and it was really cool.
Mom this was seriously the most incredible experience. After the other people talked and before he spoke he was like "we are gonna take a break so people can go to the bathroom, etc. Lets make the closing hymn the intermediate hymn!" and just had us all stand and sing and when it was over, some people still weren't back so he said "lets keep singing" and just pulled out another hymn and it was so cool. I love music. The spirit was so strong. And i was trying to look up and watch him as i sang and he was just surveying the crowd and it was really cool to feel so watched over.
I am so grateful for that experience!
He talked about how apostles and missionaries are the same. They have the same calling. They have the same purpose. He said the only difference is he has to die to get out of his calling ha ha. He talked about the image that we carry. The world looks at missionaries and general authorities as perfect. It is unfair, but we have an image to keep up because it can have big effects when one of those two messes up. He told us it isn't fair but then yelled as he said you. do. not. have. the. RIGHT. to tarnish that image. We are on a stage all the time and we will be when we get home too. That's why it is so important that we let the mission change us forever and stop thinking its over when we go home.
He talked about John 3 when Nicodemus comes to Jesus Christ to ask questions. And about the story of the women at the well. In both instances he speaks in metaphorical or "heavenly terms" and they take it very literally or "earthly" in regards to being born again and needing water. So to effectively teach, he has to change it to help them understand earthly things first. He talked about how we have to do that. We have to start where they are and build up. We cant expect people to be on the same level we are and understand there. That is why we teach like we are teaching primary.
He also talked about how Nicodemus was the wealthiest, most well know Rabbi in town. And then the woman at the well was a prostitute. the two most extremes on the spectrum of people. What does that mean? The gospel is for everyone. We don't have a right to be the determiner of who deserves the gospel and who doesn't. He talked about how every time we decide not to talk to someone, we are decided that they don't need the gospel and we don't have the right to make that judgement. We have to talk to everyone. And if we double the amount of people we talk to, we will double the amount of new investigators and we will double the amount of progressing investigators and the amount of baptisms. That is the key.
His two ways to get more baptisms were double the amount of people you talk to and get people into the Book of Mormon immediately. He said on the doorstep if possible. He had an elder read 1 Nephi 1:12 which says something like "as he read, he was filled with the spirit of God." As soon as he read it, elder Holland said read it again. So he did. And then Elder Holland said read it again. And that third time, he could barely get through it. He was choked up and filled with the spirit and it was really cool.
Mom this was seriously the most incredible experience. After the other people talked and before he spoke he was like "we are gonna take a break so people can go to the bathroom, etc. Lets make the closing hymn the intermediate hymn!" and just had us all stand and sing and when it was over, some people still weren't back so he said "lets keep singing" and just pulled out another hymn and it was so cool. I love music. The spirit was so strong. And i was trying to look up and watch him as i sang and he was just surveying the crowd and it was really cool to feel so watched over.
I am so grateful for that experience!
Comments
Post a Comment