September 13, 2016

Sizzling Cement Adventures

If you're a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, chances are your life will involve an unusual amount of interviews and meetings for the rest of mortality. There's much to be said in the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and much help to be given among our varied and intricate lives. As a missionary we have even more frequent meetings and interviews, though you get used to it after a couple months. From a secular perspective these meetings may seem excessive or over-whelming, and often times in the Church they are perceived that way too, but I have found some of the most powerful spiritual experiences for me have occurred wearing a suit and sitting in a pew, or face to face in an interview with a leader.

This week a man named Elder Robert C. Gay of the Quorum of the Seventy (a group of disciples that travel and counsel with the 12 Apostles across the globe) visited our mission. This is why this email is Tuesday rather than Monday. Anyways, the entire east side of the mission met together in Columbia, Maryland for an interactive discussion with him about missionary work. We all were seated, scriptures out and studying with prelude hymns playing ahead when my spiritual bubble was popped by an Elder at the end of the row sharply whispering, "Elder Burgess! Elder Burgess! President Christiansen (my mission president) wants you to be interviewed by Elder Gay." I set the scriptures on the pew and awkwardly squeezed through the tightly fit missionaries and followed the Elder into the hall. A couple chairs were set outside the room, filled by missionaries varied in size and gender, myself seated as the last interview. Now, I've been in a lot of interviews with people. Mostly they consist of the person interviewing discussing with you how you're doing physically, spiritually, and mentally, and if you have any questions you could use help with. Every time I feel good afterwards and walk out with renewed tips to embark with.

So sitting down in the chair I was confident and relaxed for whatever lay ahead, not a care in the world dwelling on my mind. In fact I took out some fruit snacks I had in my pocket and casually ate like an elementary schooler enjoying his snack time. After just one gummy out came the first Sister missionary that was being interviewed, tears streaming down her face in borderline hysteria, clearly trying to end her sobbing with constant eye rubbing. 

Now I was a little worried.

What happened in there? What lay ahead for me? Oh boy...

Each of the following interviewers entered and left, each with clearly crying eyes or deep looks of thought staring at the ground as they went back into the chapel. Like the last kid to the plate I was on the edge of my seat with anxiety for what awaited me with this prestigious man. Elder Gay is 60/70 year old man who has a PHD in economics from Harvard University, has been the head of flipping companies like Outback Steak House, Staples, Burger King, and Toy R Us, was a mission president in Ghana and the Ivory Coast in Africa, and has served alongside the Prophet and Apostles for the past decade. 

In I walked into the Church classroom not exactly sure what to expect. There he sat on a normal, uncomfortable, metal folding chair looking at some scriptures as I entered the room. His eyes looked up to me and I saw the kindest looking old man chilling reading the Bible. Hm, I thought. All seems ok....surely he's finding scriptures to chastise me with or something. But as we began talking together we discussed school plans, where I'm from, how he just reorganized some church boundaries in Gilbert, Arizona, and how my mission has gone so far. Abruptly he asked, "what is the number one lesson you have learned from your mission?" I thought for a moment, then replied by sharing how I have drawn to a close and intimate relationship with the Grand Creator of the universe, my Father in Heaven who cares for puny me among the incomprehensible enormities of creation unfolded by His hands. I also gave a few other life lessons I've learned on the side, and then all he said in response immediately following my answer was,

"Remember that the Lord will never forsake you. Never forget that." 

Oh. Gee, thanks. A little unexpected, but oh, well, all good, moving on with the interview. Thanks for the tip, I thought. We talked for a little bit longer, then he said, "Alright, our meeting is just about to begin in the other room. Ask me any question about anything," like a genie in a bottle. I thought for a bit, then asked the question that has constantly been on my mind the past two months. I told him how many of my friends have returned home from their missions with zeal and perseverance, then end up forsaking not only the Church, but God Himself. I have thought about why that could be over and over, and the simple conclusion I have come to is that they lack one essential skill. Remembrance. I have had undeniable spiritual experiences with each of these missionaries and friends that a book of scripture could easily be written about, and yet they fall back into their old habits and sins, not only sitting stagnant, but even digressing in virtue, faith, hope, and love. I asked Elder Gay, how can I make sure to remember my life and these experiences that have brought me this far?

He paused, gently smiled, looked down, then deeply stared into my eyes and told me, "If you record your spiritual experiences in ink or in a tangible memory, your mental memory will expand and you will never forsake the Lord. This is how you will know that the Lord will never forsake you." 

The beginning of the interview tied into the conclusion and my heart sputtered with the mental realization of what had just taken place. A true servant of the Lord had answered my prayers and what had dwelt on my mind for months. Sure enough, I made a point to be even more diligent in recording spiritual experiences not only in my journal, but in planners with little notes, even on napkins and candy wrappers to record later. I read through my 1 and 3/4 finished journals from the mission and I was hit with how far I've come with the Savior walking beside me. What an experience. I still don't know what was said for those missionaries to break down in streaming tears, but I do know what was said for me. A life memory recorded as a witness that God will always answer my prayers.

xoxo

Elder Burgess