What Would You Think If You Were Interviewed by a General Authority?

This week was one of my favorites so far!

In my weekly e-mail to President Anderson last week, I mentioned that we have an investigator on probation, and that we’d have to wait for him to get off before he could get baptized. President immediately called us and let us know that if our investigator would meet all the qualifications for baptism, he would personally write the First Presidency and ask for him to get baptized. He has had about 4 people be approved so far. Well, we ran over to tell this man, and he was SOO excited. It gives him the incentive to really prepare himself for his baptismal date…which is October 16th. He picked the day himself because:
1. It will give him enough time to get ready, and
2. It is his birthday and he thinks it is symbolic of being born again!

We are so happy. He recognized that he has a big opportunity here and has prayed everyday. He is even helping us teach another investigator about the gospel, and he likes to talk about how he came to know the Book of Mormon was true. He said something to the effect of, “I really want to get baptized, I prayed about it, and this is my biggest dream.”

Other exciting things:

• Crystal said she would accept a calling when she gets baptized.
• One of our part member families broke out the Book of Mormon this week.
• We taught a 1st lesson to a woman who said she was super curious about the restoration!

Also! Since President gave us permission to get creative in our work, Sister Boisselle came up with an idea to get the members into missionary work. We found this HUGE rock, and painted it hideous gold and orange. In blue lettering, we wrote “The Book of Mormon Rock.” In the ransom note, it says that “this monstrosity will stay in your yard until you successfully give away a Book of Mormon to a non-member (friend, neighbor, enemy, whatever). When you have completed your mission, place the rock in another member of the Bloomfield 2nd ward’s yard. Be quick and have fun.”

Who do you suppose got the rock stuck in their yard first? Yep. The Squirrel Meat Family. They totally had it coming.

Also, I had investigators and less actives try to set me up at least twice this week. SUPER awkward. Ha ha.

Also. Yeah, I’m leaving the best for last. I was interviewed by a General Authority yesterday. We had our general authority tour yesterday, and President Anderson selected several missionaries to be interviewed, and lucky me, I fell into that lot.

In my interview, Elder C. Scott Grow asked me if I had any thoughts or questions that ran across my mind when I found out he would be interviewing me. I told him: “I was basically terrified to death.” He just laughed and laughed and laughed. He asked why I was terrified (I think being interviewed by a General Authority needs no explanation as to why it invokes fear.)

He told me I reminded him of his daughter in law. (Which always gets me curious…) He asked about my family, and their callings. And he mostly just asked me what I learned from Zone Conference which I will relate below.

He talked about section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Joseph Smith said that the same visions are available to EACH member of the church according to their desire, faith and purity. He asked us to expand our visions.

It became clear to me that there are literal miracles waiting to happen. I need to have the faith to seek them, and work for them. I often get in the mind set of just Do. Just Work. But there is so much more possible, if I but FIRST learn to seek inspiration. Ask to see where to go! This takes time.

My whole mission, there has been an emphasis on NOT dropping investigators. Elder Grow made it clear that there are elect people prepared. We don’t need to waste time with those who aren’t willing to progress. Simply leave them and go back later. Find those who are ready now. Have the faith that they will be prepared. I talked to Elder Grow about this in my interview, and I told him that not having a baptism was very discouraging, but that there are some specific things I can do to increase baptisms. One of them is to leave those who don’t progress. Another is to have more faith in the goals we set.

He told us about when he was a Mission President, there was a new elder who felt like he could have 23 baptisms in the transfer. The elder said he had prayed about it and felt like this was a good number. President Grow was a little bit shocked at this. The missionaries senior companion didn’t see it really being possible, but the young elder had the faith that if the Lord said 23 baptisms were possible, then it would happen and people would be prepared. In his interview with the mission president, he said “we didn’t meet our goal. We only had 20 baptisms this transfer, but three more people are being interviewed this afternoon.”

Elder Grow also told us that the Lord often takes His Prophets to a high place to show them visions of the world and of the Plan of Salvation. Look at Nephi, Moses, etc.. The lord tries to reveal the same vision of the Plan of Salvation available to each of us in the temple. I hadn’t thought about it that way before.

I better run, I’ve only got ten minutes to write a letter to President Anderson, but I love you all dearly. Thank you SO much! Have a wonderful week.