“The Cheese Has Moved”
Ukraine Kyiv Mission
24 Aug 2015
24 Aug 2015
Quote: "Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question--unto what were ye ordained? To preach my
gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth. And then
received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are
ye justified? Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, I will be merciful
unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong." (D&C 50:13-16
Elders and Sisters,
Wearereallyexcitedforthemiraclesthatwehavebeenseeinginthemissionthisweek! Weareonourwaydownto Odessatoconductafireside,churchbusiness,andmissionaryinterviews.Also,Dallinturns16onTuesday. Ithasbeena hard thing for him to know that he won't even get a learners permit until he is 18 when we return to the U.S. in two
years. It is even harder, as he sees his friends going to school dances and dating. A person could get depressed thinking about all he can't do. I told him that a person is truly miserable who only thinks about the things they can not do and not all of the things that they can do....mostly because this person misses out on all they could be
doing/enjoying. Missionaries can fall into this trap. They can go through their missions and wish away their time, markingthedayslikelinesofchalkonthewallsofaprisoncell. Thealternativeisforamissionarytoletthemissiongo through them. This is a miraculous thing. To let the mission go through you requires a change of perspective. It means the ability to change and look for the opportunities or the things you can do. There is an interesting book about survival in business called "Who Moved My Cheese". The message of this book is simply, change or die. The analogy the author usesisamouseinamaze,whoisusedtofindingablockofcheeseinoneplace. Thismouseisdisappointedifthecheese is moved to a new place. If the mouse does not change where he is looking, he will be disappointed, and even discouraged as he returns again and again to the same place to find no cheese. The mouse must change or die. A business who can't adapt will fail. Missions are a lot like this. Missionaries who look for happiness, relaxation, or validation in the same places as they did before their mission will be discouraged. The cheese has moved! Your happiness, peace, your success comes through becoming an instrument in the Lords hands. It comes from changing who you are. This is often frustrating and difficult. It takes constant effort. It requires sacrifice. It requires giving up your will for God's. It is the test of this life!
Wearereallyexcitedforthemiraclesthatwehavebeenseeinginthemissionthisweek! Weareonourwaydownto Odessatoconductafireside,churchbusiness,andmissionaryinterviews.Also,Dallinturns16onTuesday. Ithasbeena hard thing for him to know that he won't even get a learners permit until he is 18 when we return to the U.S. in two
years. It is even harder, as he sees his friends going to school dances and dating. A person could get depressed thinking about all he can't do. I told him that a person is truly miserable who only thinks about the things they can not do and not all of the things that they can do....mostly because this person misses out on all they could be
doing/enjoying. Missionaries can fall into this trap. They can go through their missions and wish away their time, markingthedayslikelinesofchalkonthewallsofaprisoncell. Thealternativeisforamissionarytoletthemissiongo through them. This is a miraculous thing. To let the mission go through you requires a change of perspective. It means the ability to change and look for the opportunities or the things you can do. There is an interesting book about survival in business called "Who Moved My Cheese". The message of this book is simply, change or die. The analogy the author usesisamouseinamaze,whoisusedtofindingablockofcheeseinoneplace. Thismouseisdisappointedifthecheese is moved to a new place. If the mouse does not change where he is looking, he will be disappointed, and even discouraged as he returns again and again to the same place to find no cheese. The mouse must change or die. A business who can't adapt will fail. Missions are a lot like this. Missionaries who look for happiness, relaxation, or validation in the same places as they did before their mission will be discouraged. The cheese has moved! Your happiness, peace, your success comes through becoming an instrument in the Lords hands. It comes from changing who you are. This is often frustrating and difficult. It takes constant effort. It requires sacrifice. It requires giving up your will for God's. It is the test of this life!
To help you in this process, you have a gift from God given to you on your mission every single day. You will never
again have this gift. You are given one hour to consistently commune with God as you immerse yourself in His words
during Personal Study. You also have an hour of companionship study. It is amazing! You have the opportunity to
discusswithanotherpersonrevelationreceivedfromheavenforsomeoneyouareteaching. Youhaveafrontrowseatto
how the Lord works with His children. You also have an hour a day to seek a spiritual gift, The gift of tongues. You seek
this gift not for yourself but so that you can bless others. What a blessing it is to know how to seek spiritual gifts will be
later on in life! If you add these hours together over the course of a mission you get thousands of hours in your own sacred
grove. This time is an investment in your future. The careful use of this time, diligent work throughout the day, and
inspired planning at the end of the day will qualify you for the Spirit of the Lord. Without the Spirit we cannot do this
work. Consider the scripture that inspired The title of Preach My Gospel. "Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question--
unto what were ye ordained? To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the
truth. And then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are ye
justified? Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto you; he that is weak
among you hereafter shall be made strong." (D&C 50:13-16)
We love you!
President and Sister Packer
President and Sister Packer
No comments:
Post a Comment