Faith, Trials, and Conversion

03/25/13

Last Thursday, March 21^st, two important events were happening.  Here in Queens we were participating in an inspiring missionary conference with about 130 missionaries and in Utah our fifth grandson and fifteenth grandchild was preparing to enter mortality.  Will Stanton Kauffman, son of Taylor and Kate, made his entry into the world at 9:19 PM in American Fork and weighted 9 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches long.  He came complete with hair!   He also came with his first lesson to be learned and his first official lesson to be taught.  It seems his first lesson in mortality was, “Do not do summersaults inside of my mother’s womb to the point that the cord wraps around my neck and snaps during delivery.  Because instead of being held in my loving parents’ anticipating arms I will get whisked away to Utah Valley Regional Hospital for a special ‘cooling treatment’ for 72 hours while my brain and vitals are monitored.”  That was the lesson he learned and the lesson he taught was about faith.  Will, without any advanced notice to his parents, officially moved Taylor and Kate from being new “freshmen” parents to “junior” parents.  Of course they knew they could not raise him without relying on God, but now they know just how true this really is.  Will has masterfully taught that, “As long as we stay within the security and household of God no trial is so large it cannot be overcome together . . . With faith come trails of faith, bringing increased faith””(Elder Anderson, Oct. 2012). "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philppians 4:13).

This morning they brought Will out of the cooling treatment and are in the process of removing wires and tubes so that he can be held, learn to breast feed, and go home. Yeah! 

The second event last Thursday was a special missionary conference with two brethren from the missionary department of the Church.  Stan took the day off to attend and I helped prepare the luncheon and attended the workshops as best I could.   I love how the emphasis, or “Standard of Excellence”, in missionary work here is not on the number of baptisms but on true conversions taking place.  “Conversion is an offering of self, of love, and of loyalty we give to God in gratitude for the gift of testimony” (Elder Bednar, Oct. 2012).  When we are converted we strive to use both the redemptive and enabling power of the Atonement to navigate through mortality. Missionary work is about helping members become converted as well as finding those who are ready to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives. I need to make sure that I am working on my own conversion and I need to make sure that I link everything I teach back to the saving and enabling power of the Atonement and Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness for us all. 

Last week I had the thought that I should read the conference talk assigned for the Relief Society and Priesthood lesson being given yesterday.  (“Trial of Your Faith” by Elder Neil L. Andersen) At first I countered this thought with the thought that I had already read and marked this talk and I should read one I had not read yet.  Then I thought, “But the thought to read it is a good thought, maybe it is a prompting and I should do it,” so I did. On Saturday I was painting my half bath and I had the thought that I should listen to the talk while I was painting, (another good thought) so I put it on and listened while I painted.  Because it was such a good talk, and I thought Stan could use it in his work, I suggested Saturday night that we read part (I was tired and wanted to go to bed.) of the talk as our scripture time together.  We ended up reading the whole talk.  On Sunday, I noticed that Erica, the RS teacher who would be teaching, was not in Sacrament Meeting or Sunday School.  My counselor, Kristen, was conducting RS opening exercises and wanted to know who would be teaching the lesson.  It was at this point that I realized it was probably going to be me. This was confirmed during opening exercises when I pulled out my phone and realized I had a text message from Erica saying that she was ill and asking if I could cover for her.  I felt so blessed for Heavenly Father’s tender mercies with me during the week and my heeding the promptings He gave me.  Because of them, and because I have the marking system I do when I read a conference talk, I was able to stand there bear testimony of God’s tender mercies and strive to lead an inspired discussion about trials, faith, and personal growth (conversion). 

This morning I read the talk by Elder Gay, “What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?” from Oct. 2012 General Conference; another wonderful reminder that I need to give up all my sins. It was really a talk about being converted and not just having a testimony. 

Although stretching and growing is not usually enjoyable, as recently experienced with Taylor, Kate, and Will, I am grateful for the gospel’s invitations, reminders, and encouragements to become better than I currently am.  I am grateful for the eternal perspective of God’s plan of salvation that enables me to trust His hand in the lives of those I love.  Truly, faith comforts and sustains us through the daily conversion choices we all face.