Zone Conference - Macon Stake

Becoming Mighty Missionaries

We travelled with the young Elders and Sisters from our District to Macon for Zone Conference.  Once more we were so impressed at the leadership skills, knowledge and spirit of these young people.  No adults were present initially except for us.  The Zone leaders were finishing their preparations.  They had already set up the tables and chairs in the cultural hall so we could conference as districts and still focus on the central displays.  

Everyone greeted each other and then went into the meeting room.  The young elders that preceded us were already at their tables, quietly reading.  Don't you find that amazing for exuberant 19-21 year olds?  At the appointed time, with all three districts present, the Zone leaders started the meeting.  They seemed like young Stake Presidents by the power of their testimonies and their confidence as they set up the theme of the conference and our Mission.  No one said, "Maybe we should wait for the Mission President, or the assistants," who were scheduled to arrive momentarily.   They consulted a moment and then began as if that was the original plan.

They reminded us of the Three Point Vision or focus for our particular mission:

SWORD - giving your all to the call - heart, might, mind and strength - desire yields power

BOOK OF MORMON - reading daily for our individual battle plan - obeying with exactness

PREACH MY GOSPEL MASTERS - battle strategy or how to do our work

They reviewed the statistics of how we were doing in the mission.  Our district, by the way, had by far the highest numbers whatever that indicates.  We were encouraged to work even harder.

They began a group role-play to help us know how to better implement the new directive to use the power we have been given as representatives of Christ to bless each home we visit, if possible by kneeling with the family in prayer and afterwards discussing their feelings, as the Spirit touches their hearts.  It is an approach that is especially for new contacts or door to door introductions, but which we are using with less actives and members too.  They would stop the role play at intervals to get our input as to what would have worked better etc.

The Mission President and Stake president arrived in the middle, and our Zone leaders cooly stopped midstream to hear from them, and then picked up the role play again after they left.  They closed the conference, inviting us to commit to giving our best every day; then gave each district an actual sword for us to sign and take back to out districts, to remind us of our commitments to go forth each day giving our heart, might, mind and strength to the work we have been called to do.

This is back in our District Meeting in Cochran