Leadership for Saints: Part 70

Following the Prophet

by Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar

Challenge:

I’ve held high profile leadership positions in the past, but now I’m only a teacher in my ward. Have I been retired from duty?

Opportunity:

Service in the kingdom of God is a sacred privilege, not a right. Throughout the ages, prophets have told us that what really matters is how we serve, not where. Unlike work assignments in the secular world, there are no “promotions” or “demotions” in the Church. A man can be a stake president one day and an assistant scoutmaster the next.

I love the counsel from President Hinckley—whom we sustain as prophet, seer and revelator: “Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this Church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: ‘Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees’ (D&C 81:5).”

No matter where we serve, we have the chance—the obligation, really—to be instruments for good in the lives of others.

Many years ago I had a visit with Marion G. Romney, who at the time was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Romney commented that he very much missed working with Church members on the “local” level. I particularly recall his saying, only half jokingly, that “everything above the office of bishop is mostly talk.” He was underscoring the privilege that most Church members have to minister closely with the people they serve. Think about that. In reality, a Primary teacher can have a greater impact with a small child—“up close and personal”—than the prophet himself. Most Primary children will never meet the president of the Church. But every Primary child can be personally blessed by a faithful teacher who cares.

No matter where we serve, each of us can provide soul-building leadership. Sometimes the fruit of our labor is not evident until years after our release. It matters not. You can count the number of seeds in a single apple, but you can’t count the number of apples in a single seed. The law of the harvest requires us to do our duty no matter where we’re assigned in the orchard.

         – Rodger Dean Duncan

Challenge:

My children don’t feel the same way I do about the counsel from the prophet. How can I help them understand and appreciate the values and standards of the Church?

Opportunity:

Value collisions happen more at home than in regular Church settings. We must continually remember that our greatest leadership roles are in the home. Some of the values that we as parents and children have in the gospel not only must be understood, appreciated and shared, but above all they must be agreed upon. Agreed upon values bring unity to the home and family.

When our children were young we talked about dating. We discussed that sixteen years of age was the time they could begin dating—in groups.  I thought we had covered the principle pretty well, but apparently it had not been internalized.

 The time came. Our daughter was fifteen-and-a-half and a Christmas dance was coming up. She inadvertently let out that it wasn’t a group going, the kids were kind of pairing off. When I heard that I said, “Well, Sweetheart, President Kimball counsels us not to date until we’re sixteen. We need to sustain our Prophet and to be obedient.” At first it was, “Why can’t I go?” ¼ and pretty soon feelings were hurt, “You don’t trust me!” ¼ and then anger, “I’m mad at you!” . . . and then rebellion, “Don’t talk to me.” It seems to go that way.  First we’re hurt, then we’re angered, and then we rebel.

As the week passed and our conversation was little or none, I became distraught and I went to my daughter and said, “Sweetheart, we’ve got to talk.” So my lovely, gorgeous daughter sat down and I knelt down in front of her and said, “Sweetheart, Daddy’s just trying to be a good daddy. He’s just trying to help. You’ve got to help me so we can follow the prophet and be blessed. There are blessings associated with all of the things we’re asked to do.” I began to cry. As I began to cry, she began to cry. We stood up and hugged and expressed our love for each other. To this day I don’t know if it was the doctrine of obedience to the prophet or the doctrine of a pleading, caring parent. In any event, my daughter said, “I’m not going to that dance. I don’t want to go to that dance anymore.”

Of course parenting doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes our children reject good counsel and do things they shouldn’t. But following the model of our Father in Heaven, we must love them unconditionally. When children feel the love and concern of their parents, the chance of their accepting counsel is improved. When they feel ordered around and “bossed,” a natural inclination is to resist. Unity can prevail if we take the time to agree on values. And it’s a good idea to “check up” on that agreement from time to time.

– Ed J. Pinegar

Note: The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click here.

 

© by Rodger Dean Duncan & Ed J. Pinegar, All Rights Reserved