The Rescue for Real Growth - April 2012
Brother Richard C. Edgley was released this last conference as the First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. This then was somewhat of a parting final-thoughts-style address, filled with a palpable sincerity. I'll see you in 11 1/2 minutes.
It was not surprising to me that reactivation and rescue was chosen as the topic of Brother Edgley's final address. He has spoken on similar topics before, giving us all a personal phone call to go to work in our priesthood duty of serving others.
"Reactivation has always been an important part of the work of the Lord. While the rescue is a responsibility of every member, holders of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood have the responsibility to lead out in this work. After all, that is what priesthood service is all about—bringing all people to the exalting covenants; bringing peace, happiness, and self-worth."
A cursory reading of this paragraph may incite some priesthood quorums to quickly go to the rescue and bring people back to church. But in light of Elder Hallstrom's discourse on the difference between the Church and the Gospel, I believe the emphasis needs to shift. It seems to me that it is far more important as home teachers to assure that those we teach are converted to and living the Gospel than it is that they are active in the church. When one is only active in the church, one can easily become in-active. But when one is converted to the Gospel, activity in the church is not far behind.
Brother Edgley shared an experience of reactivating a young woman by extending a calling to her. I believe it is important to note the circumstances of this call. There was prayer, meditation, and action. There was confidence in the invitation and faith it would be accepted.
A few important points come out of this story which are worth discussing.
First, "...It is not all that easy or comfortable for a less-active member to just walk back into the Church. They need help. They need support. They need fellowship."
There are so many reasons for this. There is negative social pressure. There is Satan trying to convince the person they don't fit in. There is their own pride telling them they would have to admit they were wrong to leave. There is their fear of not fitting in, of not being needed, of being seen as an outsider. There is fear of judgement, that others will never see them as good enough because they spent time away.
Everybody's hesitations will be different, and striving to give that help, support and fellowship is our duty as baptized members of his church who are "called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are awilling to mourn with those that bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Alma speaking of Baptism, Mosiah 18:8-9).
My experience has also been that there are often more serious problems which less active members may be hesitant to share with visitors either because they are ashamed of the gravity of the sin or they are not ready to relinquish it. In these cases, trying to reactivate somebody to the church only will often only result in temporary reactivation. Thinking again of Elder Hallstrom's talk, it is more important to help these individuals make a connection with the Gospel than the church. Only then will they be able to learn to rely upon the Atonement and overcome their obstacles. After all, isn't the point to help others to come back to Christ?
"...We have less-active members who are trying and willing to find the path back to activity."
I take courage in this statement. I admit that I am often guilty of assuming that if somebody is inactive, they want to stay that way. While many may be, some are truly prepared for an invitation.
"...A less-active member deserves to be treated as an equal and be viewed as a son or daughter of a loving God."
There was another quote by Elder Nelson in 1988 which has stuck with me on this point. "Imagine, if you will, a pair of powerful binoculars. Two separate optical systems are joined together with a gear to focus two independent images into one three-dimensional view. To apply this analogy, let the scene on the left side of your binoculars represent your perception of your task. Let the picture on the right side represent the Lord’s perspective of your task—the portion of His plan He has entrusted to you. Now, connect your system to His. By mental adjustment, fuse your focus. Something wonderful happens. Your vision and His are now the same. You have developed an “eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 4:5; see also Morm. 8:15). ("With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible", 1988)"
While Elder Nelson applied this principle to our trials, I have always tried to apply it to how I see others. It is a simple mistake to view somebody you are approaching to help with your own eyes only. You may only see their problems, their shortcomings, their pride, their unwillingness to listen or participate, etc.; in short, you may only see the what Satan has managed to accomplish in their regard. But God sees their struggles, their heart, their desires and their potential. He knows who they were before coming to this earth an who and what they can be in the eternities. I have found my faith enormously increased when I try to fuse my vision of a person with the Lord's vision.
"...When I help bring one back to Church activity, I don’t visualize a single soul; I see six, seven, or more generations—thousands of souls. And then I think of the scripture: “Bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy” (D&C 18:15)."
Brother Edgley spends considerable time on this point of generations, making me ponder its significance. We often look back as we do family history work, but how often do we look forward?
We just had our third child, and I called my grandfather to give him the good news. He informed me that she was his 69th grandchild. Sixty-Nine! I don't know the official count, but my best estimate of his children, grandchildren, spouses and great-grandchildren comes to 142. Now, we're not all active in the Church (or the Gospel), but a good percentage of us are. That group has served around 17 missions and served as Bishops, Stake Presidents, and probably every other calling you can imagine. They have touched the lives of thousands.
The numbers are even more staggering going back two more generations to my Grandfather's Grandmother Alma (among many other ancestors) who first accepted the gospel in Sweden. Her faith has impacted millions of lives in dozens of countries. I wonder if the missionaries who helped their family struggle through social ostricization, financial difficulty, and finally staggered immigration had any idea of how far-reaching their efforts would be.
So along with combining our vision of individuals with God's vision of them, can we also add a dimension of futurity?
11 And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart—
12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are ablinded by the subtle bcraftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to cdeceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they dknow not where to find it—
13 Therefore, that we should waste and awear out our lives in bringing to light all the bhidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—
14 These should then be attended to with great aearnestness.
15 Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things. (Doctrine & Covenants 123:11-15)
These things are not small things. Our duty to bring others to light is not trivial or transitory.
“This evening you men meet with your religious leaders, you kneel down, and you swear to God that as long as you have a single breath of life, you will not let one of these men suffer one more moment.” (See Hampton Sides, Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II’s Most Dramatic Mission [2001], 28–29.) This successful rescue was a rescue from physical and temporal suffering. Should we be less valiant in our efforts to rescue those who could suffer spiritual and eternal consequences? Should we make less of a commitment to the Lord?"
This moving story underscores the same point: let us rise to the rescue and do the works the Lord would have us do.
"I believe we can succeed because this is the Lord’s Church, and by virtue of our priesthood and our membership, we are called to succeed."
We are called to succeed. Wow, what can I add to that? Let us go forward with faith and accomplish His work!
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