A dear friend, Richard Thomas, was my district leader in Guayaquil, Ecuador when I was still a "greenie" in the Andes Mission in 1968-70. We reconnected in the late 1990s at a CES Symposium when both of us were serving as volunteer Institute instructors, he in Michigan and me in Oregon. We have maintained a close friendship ever since, to my great benefit. He subsequently served as a mission president in the Dominican Republic and executive secretary to the Area Presidency in Mexico. His remarkable letters of those experiences have given me more insight and inspiration than I can recount. One letter sent in October 2012, right after three milestone announcements (missionary age lowered, new youth curriculum and emphasis on our own family history), I sent this response on November 22, 2012 with some insights as to what was happening in our own lives and stake:
Thank you for the many fascinating insights you gave to the big announcements that came down in and around the last General Conference. I was especially intrigued by your experience—and role!—in helping to support the decision for 18 year olds to serve missions. We had our own little family experience. As we were walking into the Saturday morning of General Conference, our 19-year-old daughter (our youngest, a sophomore at BYU) told her mother if she could serve a mission right then she would. Thirty minutes later she could!! She wept openly as the announcement was made. And by that evening her papers were completed and submitted to her bishop. With some hasty medical and dental visits, her papers were submitted to SLC one week later and she is now bound for Argentina Neuquen Mission on Jan 30. The Church got "turned upside down" and so did our family with the announcement. And, of course, we couldn't be happier.
We are so excited for this change, especially the potential of rescuing our young men who so often stumble in that 18-to-19 year old "crack." What a blessing this will be. Your survey report was most interesting and assuring that the 18-year-olds will not be trouble or at a disadvantage in the field.
Thank you so much for your kindness in sharing these wonderful insights. I also enjoyed your thoughts about welfare assistance and how to change our approach from helping to teaching. I have been surprised how resistant the bishops have been to me as I have questioned them about some of the assistance they are giving. I constantly ask them what are they teaching the families about self-reliance and faith when they give assistance. I don't think it ever occurs to them that welfare assistance is simply one more of the Lord's teaching tools. In one case a family sought assistance but refused to accept home teachers into the home. There was no apparent effort by ward leaders to use the assistance as a way of teaching the family and bringing about a change of their hearts.
We, too, are enjoying the new emphasis on OUR family history and the new approach on teaching youth. Do you think we might see this approach eventually modified for all teaching in the Church?
Finally, congratulations on your upcoming family wedding. We, too, will be attending a wedding near that time for our #8, a daughter who is graduating from BYU-I just before Christmas. She will marry in the Portland Temple on Dec 29. It will be the first time we will have ALL of our children in the temple together. Because of our missionary daughter #9 (received her endowments last Saturday) and now #8 to be endowed shortly before her wedding (her choice), it will be the long-awaited "reunion" in the temple.
You'll appreciate the "rest of the story." Back in 1994 or so when we were still a young family, though large, a member of the stake presidency at that time had one of those families (10 chn) many looked up to. He mentioned once in a talk how they had determined as a family when their youngest could be endowed in preparation for his mission. It was 2004. So they coined a family motto, "Be at the door in 2004." Another priesthood leader, also a large family, picked up on this thought and they created their own motto, "Be at the gate in 2008." Well, I loved the idea, too, so I took it to our family back in 1994 or so and we came up with, "Be worthy and clean in 2013." That would be the year our youngest (a girl) could either go on a mission or may be married. That quickly turned into a discussion of how old would dad be that year? When they calculated that I'd turn 65 in 2013 they reworked the motto to read: "Keep dad alive 'til he's 65." I'm sorry to say we really didn't use the motto much, but it made for a fun discussion and we had a little card with that phrase on it attached to our refrigerator door for all these years. At least the goal was out there. Then, with the events of this year (young women can serve at 19 and a daughter getting married), Vivienne and I suddenly came to the tearful realization that the Lord had created in His own miraculous way our dream just three days before 2013. When we do our part, He always come through…but BETTER…doesn't He?
Because of the historical nature of the missionary age change, I have taken the liberty of posting below his own personal observations and role in the direction the Church is taking along with a letter he prepared for the Mexico Area Presidency to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve prior to the announcement being made:
Dear Family and Friends,
I thought I would put on paper many of the things I can see from where I sit regarding changes in the Church. Some of them are obvious to everybody (like the changes in missionary ages); some, I think, are not. All are demonstrations of the hand of the Lord in accelerating His work. It is exciting stuff!
MISSIONARIES
Besides the excitement, besides the huge increases in numbers, besides the changing complexion of our missionary force as it moves to somewhere around 50% sisters, and besides the fact that all these changes will change dating and marriage and families and the actual culture of the Church, let me mention one thing I am learning (again and more profoundly) about how revelation works:
While we were still in the DR, we were aware from our own observations and from the stated concerns of the Missionary Department (MD), that one of the great needs to move the work forward was missionaries who could teach in the manner Preach My Gospel describes. It just wasn't happening. After we left the DR we heard about the attempts to rectify this -- the 12-week training that new missionaries receive after they are actually in their assigned mission. Great move, and it would be easy to think that that was what the Lord was doing. End of change.
But now we can see (some of?) the rest of what was happening. The MTC's cannot accommodate the new numbers of missionaries. The increase will be huge. The numbers are already staggering. What will we do with them all? The MD has announced that the old 3-week stay in the MTC is now reduced to 2 weeks -- a 50% increase in the number of missionaries the MTC's can handle. And now we can see that the increased training in the field was a step in preparation for a decreased training in the MTC's. You could even look at that and conclude that the Lord knows what He is doing.
Now from what I have seen as revelation that has come to the area presidency I work with, those who made the inspired decisions about changes in in-field training for missionaries were not thinking at all of huge increases in missionaries that would require decreased training in the MTC's. They thought their "solution" was the end. But it was only the first step. These revelations come a step at a time -- line upon line. This is example one.
I see other examples over and over here. Some I will mention below, but for now just let me say that every change announced at this latest Conference either supported or accelerated things that this area presidency (and I am sure other area presidencies around the world) had already been inspired to begin.
And maybe I had just a tiny bit to do with this change. In July, while the area presidency was essentially on vacation and I was not as busy, I decided to poll our mission presidents about their experience with 18-year-old missionaries. Mexico probably had has more experience with them than any other country in the world since for years our young men here have been able to serve at age 18 if they have graduated from high school. I asked the presidents to agree or disagree on a 5-point scale with statements like "18-year-olds do more stupid things than older missionaries"; "18-year-olds require more training"; 18-year-olds do not participate as much in zone conferences"; and finally "I see no difference between 18-year-olds and older missionaries". About 75% of our presidents saw little or no difference. When the area presidency returned in August, I presented the results to them, and they suggested I do another poll to find out if those that started their missions as 18-year-olds were at a disadvantage as far as receiving leadership assignments. The results of that were that, though they accounted for 17% of our missionaries, they filled 25% of the leadership positions. We also noted that the most negative comments of all came from our MTC president. We concluded that the 18-year-olds come in young, but they grow up fast. A copy of the letter (I wrote) that went to Elder Bednar is attached.
Robert Swensen was with us in Cancún for the mission presidents seminar (more later). He is listed in the Church Directory as chief of operations of the Missionary Department. Frankly I don't know what he does, but he and I got talking about this change and I mentioned that we had done a survey in Mexico. I did not tell him I had done it. He said, "Oh, we are very aware of that survey. That is what put this decision over the top." So maybe I had just a little to do with this change.
FAMILY HISTORY
We will see more and more emphasis on OUR dead, OUR genealogies, OUR ancestors, and that the hearts of the children will turn to THEIR fathers. This, of course, is as it should be. I think we will see less emphasis on the indexing crutch we have used for years. I suppose that will offend some; it has been a very effective and useful tool. But I think we will be seeing a different emphasis. The letter from the First Presidency that was read in your sacrament meetings is only the beginning.
This emphasis is not new. Why now? Because the technology makes our own ancestors so readily available. I am not sure when the Church will make a change from New FamilySearch to FamilyTree, (maybe they already have in the USA; it has been delayed in Mexico), but it is SO easy to use! If you haven't been on, you can learn about it in the attachment. OK, some of the attachment is in Spanish, but you can learn how to enter the program on the first page.
Elder Bednar promised that involvement in Family History, "for a young person exposed to the wickedness of the world in which we live today, is one of the greatest safeguards against the temptations of the Adversary." I want to get the young people I love (and some older ones as well) involved in Family History. They know the technology better than we older folks do. This work is not just for us old folks. It is tailor-made for the young. And as President Hunter taught, if we go to the temple with family names we get both halves of the blessing. Good stuff!!
The hand of the Lord had already been seen in Mexico as the presidency had already emphasized that the Family History course be taught continuously in every ward. Every YM/YW conference and every single adult conference has classes on Family History. The area presidency had already announced that in 2013 every attendee at such conferences will come with their 4-generation sheet and a story to tell about an ancestor. The emphasis was officially announced at Conference and in the First Presidency letter, but the inspiration had been coming to area presidencies for some time.
PERPETUAL EDUCATION FUND
Most of you don't see the good and the bad effects of this wonderful inspired program. It has blessed the lives of so many, and will continue to bless their future generations. But it is so hard to give people the help they need without instilling or enhancing a feeling of entitlement. If self-sufficiency and personal responsibility are not the clear objectives, any "help" program fails ultimately to help the individual and his future generations. But when it is done right -- when the doctrine of self-sufficiency is taught clearly, without mixed messages and without dilution -- true progress can be made in the lives of worthy poor and in their future generations. It is beautiful when it works, but it is much harder to do it right than it is to hand out a loan. The announced changes both in organization and emphasis will provide more tools to make this work as it should -- to be a blessing not a curse. And it will help many many who do not need or receive loans to be more self-sufficient. The organization change will bring Employment Resource Services and PEF under one umbrella in what will be called Self-sufficiency Centers -- a much better emphasis for both programs. It includes a mentor for every person who receives a PEF loan. Again, our area presidency had just started a mentor program for loan recipients -- the inspiration of the Lord coming to many leaders at nearly the same time.
ADDRESS UNKNOWN FILE
I would guess that a person as sincerely concerned about the welfare of lost sheep as is Thomas S. Monson, must feel a great burden when he looks at the millions of names of members who sit unsheperded in the address unknown file of the Church. It is not surprising that something is being done about it. The approach being taken is to prevent, reclaim, and rescue.
It was very easy to send names to the unknown file. If someone was inactive, some bishops or clerks would just send them to the address unknown file. Made percentages look better. We even know of cases where a bishop got mad at someone and sent his name to the unknown file. It is now harder. A bishop or clerk must go through eight steps of trying to find the family/individual before, in step 9, the bishop give his approval. Prevention.
Reclaiming has been effectively done in the USA and Canada. With effort, 56% of those in the file have been located. The same approaches used in the USA and Canada are being recommended in the rest of the world. Reclaiming.
Finally, in the USA and Canada, of those 56% reclaimed, 12% have now been ordained, 7% have been endowed, and 12% have current temple recommends. This work is the real fruit of the whole effort. Rescue.
This is a major problem in Mexico. The area presidency had already asked that each missionary companionship in the country be given 40-50 names of people to find. They were already on the same path. The increased diligence required to send names to the address unknown file will only help the effort that is already underway. Again, the hand of the Lord is evident.
TEACHING YOUTH
President Hinckley has been quoted many times as saying: “Effective teaching is the very essence of leadership in the Church.” As I watch the effective leaders I have had the privilege to serve with in the Church, I would say it is not the only necessary quality, but would agree that it is the essence of Church leadership. I am not smart enough to determine if it is also the essence of leadership outside the Church. But I would include in the "Church", families. Effective teaching is the essence of leadership in families.
The letter from the First Presidency that introduces this program begins (my emphasis added), "PARENTS, teachers, advisers, and youth leaders". This program is for parents. Grandparents are parents, right? We could all benefit from taking a hard look at the materials available at:
These materials are the best I have seen and are geared to a generation who are in contact (electronically) with their peers (and the world) 24/7. They are used to expressing themselves to each other. They are willing to pay the price of preparation to be able to participate in a meaningful discussion. They will continue to discuss (sometimes electronically) the topics throughout the week, and come again the next week ready for another, maybe more meaningful, discussion. This is good stuff. A young person who is taught in the manner prescribed in these materials will gain a testimony of the basic truths of the gospel, they will have the strength to apply those truths in their lives, and serve others. They will be ready to teach in the Preach My Gospel manner. It is their involvement in these lessons (teaching and discussing and counseling and applying) that will make the difference. These are designed, I think, primarily for the home and secondarily for the Church organizations. The videos and other materials online are excellent.
All of these topics were presented in some fairly intense training and discussion in our area council and in the mission presidents seminar. The feeling in those meetings was indescribable.
Now just a quick note on our trip to Cancún. It was amazing! There are reasons why Cancún has been such an attraction over the years. The Yucatan is beautiful. The vegetation is thick and green -- very much like much of the DR. The so-called Mayan Riviera is every bit as beautiful as other parts of the Caribbean. We stayed at a resort that had pools and great food. We took a tour of the canals and saw birds and fish and turtles and even an alligator. We went to Tulúm and toured what are probably the best ruins of a coastal Mayan town. But I think the highlight was a show we attended in Xcaret (prounounced esh-car-ET) that was an historical and geographical overview of Mexico. It started with the Mayans, including a demonstration of the Ball Game where a 20" rubber ball is bounced back and forth between two teams but can only be hit with the hip. If the ball is rolling low on the ground, the player slides down on his side to hit it with his hip. The eventual objective is to put it through the rings hung high on the court. At least in the demonstration we saw, this was made possible because the sides of the arena slope up to the ring so a hip shot through the ring was much more do-able. Another game was demonstrated, similar to field hockey, but the rubber ball was on fire.
They took us through the Conquest by the Spaniards. This birth of the Mestizo population was effectively symbolized by a duet of a "Spaniard" actor playing a lute and "Mayan" actor playing an Indian flute. The music was a beautiful symbol of the strength of the combination that has become the Mexico of today.
Then each of the geographical areas of Mexico was represented by some dance/musical presentation -- all professionally done, including all of the music, none of which was recorded. I think my favorite was the Baile de los Viejos where masked dancers come out with canes and dance so well that the spectators conclude that underneath the masks must not be the old people that their masks and canes portray them to be. The funnest part is when they take off their masks and behold, they are old men. Lots of fun.
We left half wishing we were Mexican.
We are well and anxiously awaiting our trip to Washington D.C. end of December to witness the marriage of our Nathan to Nicole Marie Fellows. It is scheduled for the 28th. They will live in Boise, probably in our home at least until we return. They met in the mission field, both serving in the San Fernando Mission. Another of our children marrying a returned missionary who served in California and another Nicole (Curtis's wife is Nicole). We hope she is as good as the first Nicole to join this clan. It will be great to be again in the Washington DC Temple. We were in that district when we first moved to Michigan, and I was able to attend there fairly frequently when I made business trips to Washington. I learned that the Metro and one bus would get you to the temple gate. It will be particularly fun because my brother Michael and all his children will be visiting his daughter Rochelle (new twins) during the Holidays. We will then return to Mexico for the last 3 months of our mission. Life is a series of beginnings and endings. WELCOME, Nicole!!! We look forward to meeting you and having you in our crazy family.
Here is the letter sent to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve from the Mexico Area Presidency in August 2012:
In an attempt to get firm answers to the many
questions we have been asked about our experience in Mexico with 18-year-old
missionaries, our mission presidents were asked to answer questions and provide
comments about their experience. Their responses are summarized below.
CONCLUSIONS:
- When asked questions about
differences between 18-year-old and older missionaries in such things as
ability, need for attention/training, participation in zone conferences,
homesickness or a tendency to do stupid things, about 75% responded that they
see no difference. They attribute any such differences more to
upbringing, testimony, and time and experience in the Church than to age.
Those who begin their
missions at age 18 appear to have leadership opportunities at least as much as
older missionaries. Though they
account for about 17% of the total missionaries, they are filling about 25% of
the leadership positions (assistants, zone leaders, district leaders).Positive comments were that
18-year-olds are more energetic, excited, teachable, humble, fearless, and like
a challenge. They like to do things right.Negative comments were that
they have little priesthood and Church administration experience, they tend to
criticize members more readily and they lack confidence.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
- The most negative
evaluations were from the MTC president, which might indicate that the 18-year-olds
grow up fast. This conclusion is substantiated by several comments from
the other mission presidents that what differences exist, soon disappear.It should be noted that
those who begin their mission at age 18 in Mexico are a select group.
They have all graduated from high school; they are often those from good
families with several years in the Church; they generally are not those who
have to wait to get their lives in order before leaving; they are those who are
on track. This likely explains why
they fill proportionately more of the leadership positions than do older
missionaries.Were we to raise the age
limit, many of those who would serve at 18 would be lost to continuing their
schooling, to unworthiness, and to other draws of the world. The number who serve missions would
decrease.
The responses and comments from the individual presidents
are available on request.
As a presidency, our own observations are
consistent with the conclusions above.
We believe that these observations correctly describe the experience in
Mexico with missionaries who begin their missions at age 18.
