Talks
Quotes
We believe in meetings – all that have been scheduled, all that are now scheduled, and we believe that there will yet be scheduled many great and important meetings. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. Indeed we may say that if there is a meeting, or anything that resembles a meeting, or anything that we might possibly turn into a meeting, we seek after these things.” Mary Ellen Edmunds 14th Article of Faith
Someone asked a shepherd, “How many sheep do you have?” He replied, “I don’t know, but I know their names.”
Relationships that are forged in the foxholes of service in the church do not diminish with time or distance.
We, the unwilling, led by the unqualified have been doing the unbelievable for so long with so little, we now attempt the impossible with nothing. Rand
In the beginning of any project there was enthusiasm followed by doubt, then panic, then search for the guilty party, punishing of the innocent and rewarding of the uninvolved.
A leader takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.
Two men working on the side of the road – one would dig a hole, one would fill it back in. Someone asked them why they were doing that. They replied, “There’s usually three of us – but the second guy who plants the tree couldn’t be here today.” Do we stop often and ask ourselves why we do what we do?
In your church calling are you a caretaker or a builder? Caretakers simply maintain the status quo; run the organization, etc. Builders leave the calling better than they found it.
You can’t lead others where you aren’t going.
Magnify your calling. A magnifying glass magnifies things. You are supposed to look through it. It is not a mirror to look at yourself. Don’t focus on yourself.
There is a way to reach every human heart, and it is your business to find the way to the hearts of those to whom you are called.
“The most important part of leadership is to pick good men to lead, and have self-restraint enough not to meddle in what they are doing. – Theodore Roosevelt
We neither seek for nor decline service in the church. There are no vertical moves in the church – only lateral. Patriarchal order has only families.
Once you call someone to a calling – trust him! Let him do things his own way – don’t place restrictions or micro-manage. – Bishop Myron Best
Mary had a little lamb
It grew to be a sheep
And then it joined the Mormon Church
And died from lack of sleep
Leadership principles
1. Don’t wait to be commanded in all things D&C 58:26
2. Have no guile – Don’t expect anything in return. Visit the less-actives without thinking “I’m visiting you so you’ll come to church.”
3. Ask yourself every morning “Who needs me?”
“Think globally, act locally”
Name, number and nurture those you serve.
Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the grand council in heaven before this world was. – Joseph Smith
I expressed concern to my MTC branch President, President Valencia, that I wouldn’t get enough sleep during my mission. He said, “When you’re a bishop and the work only allows you five hours of sleep per night, the Lord will give you all the sleep you need in those five hours.” – Shannon Williams
There are no office hours for leaders.
The ideal committee consists of two, four or six people who haven’t the time, and one person who likes to run things his own way.
Where much is expected – much is given.
If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty.” – Spencer W. Kimball
First Comes Love – Brinley/Ogletree pg 89.
It is noteworthy that these callings-husband and father, wife and mother-are the most important “offices” you will ever hold in mortal life or in eternity. Of all the titles by which our Heavenly Father could be addressed, He prefers the title “Father.” Elder H. Burke Peterson made this point: “In this life a father is never released from his responsibility. We call bishops, and they serve for a time and are released. Stake presidents likewise are called, serve, and are released. But a father’s calling is an eternal calling if he lives worthily” (“The Father’s Duty to Foster the Welfare of His Family,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 87). Of course, the same principle holds true for wives and mothers. These are eternal callings.
Sacrament meeting was about to begin and a mother couldn’t find her son. She searched everywhere and finally located him sitting outside on the curb with his head in his hands. She said, ‘Son, we have to go in now. Sacrament is about to start.” “I can’t,” he answers. Nobody likes me. No one will talk to me.” She says “But son, you have to go back in. You’re the bishop.”
You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His father’s spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives…
Your call has eternal consequences for others and for you. In the world to come, thousands may call your name blessed, even more than the people you serve here. They will be the ancestors and the descendants of those who chose eternal life because of something you said or did, or even what you were…
“Rise to Your Call” Ensign, Nov. 2002 Henry B. Eyring
“We had a hilarious ward correlation meeting a few years ago. We were discussing the importance of making sure every activity in the church was planned with the intention of inviting nonmembers, utilizing talents of the less actives, and really thinking about individuals. Our quiet, soft-spoken Elders Quorum president raised his hand to comment on their upcoming activity and efforts to involve those not of our faith. He said, “We have the turkey shoot coming up on the 16th and there are specific people we are going to target.” – Shannon Williams
“The greatest successes I have seen with ward activities are those that are planned to meet the needs of individuals. A very wise sister taught me that activities should help to meet the threefold mission of the Church while we are having fun. She had a great gift for finding out about hidden talents, especially among the less active, newcomers, “less than socialized,” and less visible members of the ward.
“As an activities committee, we would design an activity that would draw these people in. One memorable Pioneer Day Hoedown included a less-active sister (an art major) planning an art show for the children, a less-active and painfully shy brother (a gourmet chef hobbiest) planning and arranging an amazing spread of food, a newly moved in family providing a wonderful and hilarious musical number, a homebound and forgotten sister producing (with the help of newly found ward friends) memorable centerpieces honoring the pioneer ancestors of various ward members, and the youth (who needed help with manners and other social graces) performing several dance numbers.
“The casual observer would have noted a well-organized, well-attended, and wonderful activity. The Lord might have seen some of His children brought closer to the fold. Out of the less-active participants in that activity, all but one were fully active within six weeks after the activity! This type of event planning was repeated throughout the year. There is no way of knowing how many eternities were affected. I believe that if all of our ward, mutual, Relief Society, and Primary activities were based on these principles, we would see very few lost sheep in our flocks.”
Story of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. They needed to feed 5,000 people. Christ said “Give it to me.” Disciples handed them to Christ and asked him to bless them. He made it be enough. When we have limited talents and abilities, and we are asked to do a task or fill a position, we hand whatever we have to the Lord and ask him to “bless it.” It will always be enough.
Alan Batt of the Quorum of the 70 spoke in Stake Conference August 2015. He told a story of a man in Phillipines who was being interviewed to receive the priesthood. Interviewer asked, “Is there any reason why you should not receive the priesthood?” The man sadly said, “As you’ve probably noticed, I only have one tooth. I don’t know if I’m worthy to have the priesthood or not.” The interviewer didn’t know how to respond. He then told the man of all the men in his home ward who weren’t perfect either – they had lost their hair, one only had one arm, one was hard of hearing, etc. The truth is that all of us are flawed; none of us are perfect. But we can all be effective in our callings.
Elder Dale G. Renlund April Conference 2016
My dear brothers and sisters, while living in Africa, I sought advice from Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy about helping Saints who live in poverty. Among the remarkable insights he shared with me was this: “The greater the distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement.”
This principle underlies the Church’s welfare system. When members are not able to meet their own needs, they turn first to their families. Thereafter, if necessary, they can also turn to their local Church leaders for assistance with their temporal needs. Family members and local Church leaders are closest to those in need, frequently have faced similar circumstances, and understand best how to help. Because of their proximity to the givers, recipients who receive help according to this pattern are grateful and less likely to feel entitled.
When serving as Relief Society President, each time an ambulance drove down the street I would pay attention to where it stopped. I would immediately know that someone in the ward was in trouble. Wouldn’t it be great if there were “spiritual ambulances” – maybe each of us could have a red light on our mailbox that would flash when someone in the home was struggling physically, spiritually, emotionally, or mentally. It’s so hard to know who is having a rough time. That’s why we have to rely on the spirit. – Shannon Williams
Brothers and sisters, as the work of quorums and auxiliaries matures institutionally, it follows that we should mature personally as well—individually rising above any mechanical, function-without-feeling routine to the heartfelt discipleship articulated by the Savior at the conclusion of His earthly ministry. As He prepared to leave His still-innocent and somewhat-confused little band of followers, He did not list a dozen administrative steps they had to take or hand them a fistful of reports to be filled out in triplicate. No, He summarized their task in one fundamental commandment: “Love one another; as I have loved you. … By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2018 General Conference
Talk Teach Inspire 