Chapter 94: Pure Council

"...be agreed by this order in council, as your circumstances will admit and the voice of the council direct. And again, a commandment I give unto you concerning your stewardship which I have appointed unto you."

Doctrine and Covenants 104:53-54

An eventful and reflective week. Me and Elder Draney had the opportunity to conduct the New Missionary Orientation in Dublin on Tuesday where we received five more American missionaries for the South of Ireland. We then had more exchanges in Scotland and finally ended the week with my eleventh and very last Mission Leadership Council on Saturday before heading up to Dundee. It was an incredible experience, probably the best MLC I have been able to participate in, and one that we as the assistants have been preparing for for quite some time. It was a great meeting led by the Spirit, where I was privileged to give my final MLC instruction and introduce, with Elder Draney, the Traveling Assistants into the mission.

As I've been on my mission and have been in different assignments and fulfilled different roles, I have been blessed to see and experience a lot to do with stewardship and council. I've been taught a lot by President McCrudden concerning the organization of God's Kingdom, and am grateful to know that everything contained within is under the direction of an Eternal God who's singular purpose is to bring us as His children a fulness of joy.

As such, in the mission there have been various difficulties with the missionaries and ourselves in our understandings of the various roles of different leadership assignments. Since being assigned to work with President McCrudden, I've spent a lot of time studying this topic in the resources we have been given as missionaries, and this MLC was the culminating council where we as the assistants presented some of these conflicts we have seen both within our own assignment and the assignments of others and proposed different solutions to help the mission more fully align with the will of the Lord.

As the council commenced and continued, it was incredible to see and to feel the incredible unity and humility expressed by the missionaries in a joined effort to understand and apply truth into the assignments we have been given. From my first MLC to this final council, I was filled with fulfillment. I reflected on the many things which have happened since I was assigned to the council over 15 months ago and was just so pleased with the adjustments which have been made.

I know that this work is led by Jesus Christ, and that the stewardships he entrusts us with don't come without explanation or support. He had led this mission, and as I enter into the first of the lasts in my mission experience, I am just so grateful for all I have come to know.

The sun of my mission continues to set. As the light fades, the emerging contrast makes the horizon all the more clearer, a horizon beyond which I am not sure what lays ahead. I feel a great sense of importance in the work I am doing traveling around working with the missionaries, and I feel privileged to represent the Lord in all I do.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

New missionaries in Dublin!

Getting ready with the Dublin Zone Leaders, Elder Larrubia and Elder Roy

Back in Edinburgh waiting for the Office Assistants

Exchanges in Livingston with Elder Tolman!

Elder Draney stole my glasses

The Mission Leadership Council

Me and Elder Draney

Us with Elder Yorgason

Me and my good pacific-northwest friend Elder McKay

Dundee with Ann McHugh! She bought us some yarn for ties she is going to make us.

The 4th of July with Dundee Zone