Brethren,
In response to the weak participation of our HS graduates in the YSA branch, the stake presidency has been making outreach efforts to the 9-10 graduates who have not made any effort to attend a branch meeting or activity.
I visited with Max Lewis on Sunday. It was a very nice visit, but I sense Max is also a young man who knows how to say the right thing at the right time, but doesn’t always follow through unless his family is all in, too.
I learned Max is already 18 years of age and is about to turn 19. Bishop May did not recommend him for MP ordination simply because he (and his family) attend church so infrequently.
Other outcomes of our visit:
YSA BRANCH: Max said he would like to attend the YSA branch and has transportation. His track record in the family ward says this will be tough for him to do, but Bishop May is excited for him to attend the YSA branch in hopes that it will put him into a new environment and possibly a new level of commitment. TO DO: President Westover, will you please transfer his membership record from the WH Ward to your branch and encourage President House to get him engaged as quickly and as deeply as Max will respond to?
ELDER ORDINATION: Max said he is interested in receiving the MP. He knows he’s been less-active (along with his parents) and claims that he just doesn’t know very much about the gospel. Because he was in jazz band at school (he is a drummer), he took Seminary at home and, as you can imagine, without strong home support didn’t come close to completing the course. He does occasionally read the scriptures, has personal prayers, wants to serve a mission and have a righteous family. While he hasn’t connected the dots between righteous living now and righteous future later, at least he knows what he’d like in his future. He answered favorably to worthiness questions. TO DO: President Westover, will you or Bishop May please reach out to Max’s father, Steve Lewis (a BYU grad and RM to England), and assign him to prepare his son to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. May I suggest you assign someone as a mentor to help guide Steve in why and how to prepare his son to be ordained.
MISSION: I was pleased to hear Max say he’d like to serve a mission. There wasn’t much excitement, but I think he’d like to build on his recent Eagle award and take the “next step”—serve a mission. He said his plans are to attend MHCC for two years in video production (something he’ll use in Mom’s ad agency, Lewis Creative) and then serve a mission. When I asked why wait, he said again he doesn’t feel he knows enough about the gospel to go out and teach others. I assured him that he’s been around the church long enough to know enough…and that delaying a mission heightens the risk that he’ll get enamored by the world (including a paycheck) and never serve. He was open to discussing a mission sooner than later, though I didn’t sense a strong commitment or desire. TO DO: President Westover will you please assign President House to work with Max and help him attend the missionary prep class and/or help the full-time missionaries connect with Max and try to get him to go on exchanges with them.
While it’s a bit discouraging that he’s a great young man and would be “all in” if only his parents led the way, at least we have a young man who has desires for the gospel in his life and future. I hope we can give special attention and help him on this journey at a crucial “crossroads moment” in his life.
Thank you,
President Lewis
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