Face to Face...again

Monday was a pretty amazing day.  First off, we were still in awe over the Face to Face for the young adults the night before with Elder Quentin L Cook that was broadcast from here in Nauvoo.  I loved the clarity of the answers that were given about some touchy church history subjects, not only by Elder Cook, but by Kate Holbrook and Matt Grow, who were the historians who worked on the book “Saints” that was just released. There were some pretty rough questions about polygamy, as well as transparency in church history.  I thought they handled the questions very well and gave useful, heartfelt, clear and relatable answers. If you missed it last week, take a bit of time to watch it.  It's well worth your time.

On Monday morning we had the chance to have Elder Cook to our Mission Training...Face to Face again...It was a memorable meeting for me.  First of all, he and his wife had each of us come up to shake our hands and to each of us he said, “Thank you for your service.”  It was a great way to start off.

Elder Cook spoke for a bit, then had his wife talk to us and lead us in a song, and then he spoke again. I took plenty of notes. In the end I just felt an overwhelming spirit of love and of concern from Elder Cook. It was a great morning.  Here are just a few key ideas:

• The only thing stronger than truth is truth in a musical setting - Sister Cook
• Elder Cook can't wait for General Conference to see what President Nelson will say and do!
• The gift of agency allows unfairness in the world, but the Atonement of Christ overcomes all unfairness.
• Our service as missonaries will bless everybody that we love and are concerned about.

Then on Saturday morning we had the opportunity to have Bishop Causee here and he shared his thoughts and testimony.  Again, what I felt most of all, was his genuine love for each of us.  It seemed tangible. Bishop Causee said that every event of the Restoration impacts our lives every day; from the way we pray, to our consecrated efforts to follow the prophet.  We are the recipients of the blessings of continued revelation and this generation will need more revelation than any other generation in the past.  It will be critical to have a prophet and a seer on the earth.  Bishop Causee testified of President Nelson's prophetic calling and said the prophet is so interested in the future and looks to the next fifty years.  After sharing his testimony, Bishop Causee played an absolutely gorgeous rendition of Come Come Ye Saints on the piano. We have been so blessed to have felt the testimonies of Elder Cook and Bishop Causee this week.

The other thing of note this week was the two new assignments that Scott and I received on Sunday.  Scott is now the new Nauvoo Mission Historian, which certainly plays to his strengths and passion.  He will take pictures of the main events in the mission, as well as all of the visitors we have.  Then he will write up a short synopsis of those events to send to Salt Lake for their archives.  He's happy to serve using his talents and love of history.  I was asked to be the mission technology specialist (I think that's what it's called.)  I will replace Sister Williams who will become our new site scheduler when Sister Wayment leaves soon.  (We have way too many senior missionaries leaving and it rips at my heart.)  Anyway, I will have responsibility for the mission blog, the historicnauvoo.net website, all PowerPoints for our meetings, calendaring, publicity, and the list goes on.  It's a bit overwhelming but I take a measure of comfort in something that George Durrant said to us the other night ( he was a guest speaker on Friday).  He said that we can have, what he called, "Christ Confidence" because we can do anything with His help. I think that will have to be my motto for this assignment.

Here are just a few pictures of beautiful Nauvoo mornings...

Scott and I had to make a trip to Iowa City, so we stopped on the campus of the University of Iowa and went to the Mormon Handcart Park.  It's a small park that's dedicated to the handcart pioneers who came to Iowa City and prepared to head for the Salt Lake Valley using handcarts.  This was the staging area for those pioneers.  It was humbling to stand there. So many had been before with hearts filled with hope of a new life with the saints in Zion.  There is a small pioneer burial ground that has no marked graves but is a reminder that there were many who never had the opportunity to embark on the trek west.