MTC Training - Day two 11/9

 

    Many of you who served an LDS mission would remember this big map at the Wilford Woodruff Building.  It's still there.  We are standing by Hong Kong.  Wow, it's been wonderful to experience what our children have gone through at the MTC, or part of it anyway.  

    We arrived at the MTC at 7:30 this morning in light snow.  How we miss St. George already.  Several meetings were scheduled for us to learn how to represent the church as missionaries.  All the leaders conducting and teaching were young returned missionaries.  They have developed great teaching and leadership skills from serving in various missions around the world.  It was incredible to see how much these young people were able to teach us old folks.  They were fun, serious, knowledgeable and all that.  I can't help thinking what roles our children played when they were here.  I talked to Elaine after we came home and she told me she was a Japanese language instructor, plus being a supervisor for the instructors.  Wow, Elaine, great!  I-Shuan was also hired on as a Korean instructor and taught the missionaries.  It was there that she met her future husband, Ryan, who was also teaching Korean at the MTC at that time.  What a stellar group of young people they are!  I know Nelson and I-Kang came shortly after Elaine and I-Shuan and did similar things.  We are so proud of them.

     Every Tuesday is a special day with a 7 PM Devotional.  We were told to be seated by 6:40 as senior missionaries have reserved seating.  When we went to the auditorium at 6:30 there were already long lines formed by the young missionaries.  They were lined up on the outside of the building, in the cold, so they started singing.  We were told to go in from the south side entrance.  It was quite a sight to behold.  We sat right in front of the podium.  My dear friend Hazel would appreciate what I'm about to tell you.  By 6:40 most were seated.  The chorister came on and led us in some singing.  At 6:45, the speakers came in and everyone stood up.  It was Elder David Bednar and his wife Susan.  The feeling of respect was evident.  The opening song was "Called to Serve" (my grandchildren sang this at our farewell).  Wow, can you picture this!  About 100 senior missionaries in the middle front part of the auditorium, with 2500 plus young missionaries sitting on the risers.  All started singing.  It was so powerful, so touching!  I wish I could take a picture.  It was like the 2000 warriors from the Book of Helaman.  I was very moved.  

     Elder Bednar talked about the doctrines, principles, and application.  He told us to understand the doctrines and principles and focus on these, not the application.  The application will come.  It was one of the best talks I've heard.  

     It was past 8:30 when we drove home.  Another wonderful day!