GENERAL CONFERENCE

Dear Missionary,

There isn't anything much better than being with those you love while listening to the words of the Prophets and Apostles during General Conference.   When we were young, conference probably meant coloring pictures of scripture stories and eating candy until our stomachs hurt.  As teenagers, it most likely meant fighting hopelessly to stay awake and listen to Conference with our eyes closed ;).  But when we come prepared, conference is a time of divine communion and spiritual strengthening.  No doubt we receive strength and guidance personally, but what does conference mean for the missionary inside each one of us??

Following the guidance of the Prophet and Apostles is essential to being an effective missionary.  Imagine yourself in a small boat, in the vast ocean, in the middle of the night.  Without any sense of direction it would be terrifying!  However, with a lighthouse you would at least know in which direction the safety of shore could be found.  But if you tried to just bee-line it to the light house, there is no telling what you would find that stands in between you and the shore...

So to avoid rocks, reefs, and other obstacles,  "lower lights" are placed on the beach.  If you line up any of the lower lights with the lighthouse you will have a straight line to safety, avoiding destruction and shipwreck!! (Hymn 335)

In the same way, if we follow the words of the Prophets and Apostles, which represent the lower lights, and follow our own personal revelation from the Lord, the lighthouse, we will be led through this turbulent sea of life toward the safety of shore!  Both the Lord and his ordained servants are essential for success :)

As Missionaries, we need to realize that we cannot remain on the shore and call from a distance... rather we are in the thick of the stormy sea getting ourselves wet and trying to help all of our brothers and sisters make it to shore.  And it is essential to keep ourselves on the ri Only if we first align ourselves with the Lord and his ordained servants will we be able to help those struggling at sea align themselves as well.

Nephi demonstrates this principle of aligning ourselves with the Lord and his authorized servants beautifully!  Nephi's bow breaks while him and his brothers are hunting.  Everyone is TICKED at Nephi because, besides hunting, they had no other way to get real substantial food to sustain themselves.  Even Nephi's dad Lehi, the Prophet, began to complain.  Showing complete alignment with the Lord and his ordained servants, Nephi made a bow out of wood (haha I bet it wasn't all that great) and asked his father "Whither shall I go to obtain food?" (1 Nephi 16:23).

As a result, Lehi received revelation from the Lord which led Nephi to knowing where to go to hunt with his little weak-sauce bow.  And miraculously, he was able to hunt a bunch of animals and feed his family!  Had Nephi been prideful and decided to go hunt on his own without asking his father, the Prophet, where he should go, he would not have been successful.

In the same way, we can receive guidance from the Prophet and Apostles on how to best carry out missionary work.  I testify that the Prophets and Apostles hold the Priesthood keys and authority to receive direct answers from God to guide us in how we can be better missionaries and help others come to shore.  I know that the Priesthood, and the living revelation that comes with it, has been restored on the earth today! If we prepare ourselves for conference, we will receive answers from God for our personal lives, as well as answers to help us be better missionaries!!!!  LETS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT THIS WEEKEND TO RECEIVE GUIDANCE :)

Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary.

-- Parker

If you do or have received some cool guidance from Conference, please share below! :)

p.s. check out my friend Alex's website for future missionaries!  www.preparetoserve.com