Week 55

Lessons from the Spirit and a visit from an Apostle

We had a great week! I promise that this email is special, but you must be willing to act on what you learn!

So yes, as the title says, Elder Bednar from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles came to Japan for a leadership conference. He then had a meeting with us missionaries for three hours on Saturday. And then Sunday we had Stake Conference with him as well, which was awesome because the rest of the mission couldn't come, but since I live in Kyoto right now, I was able to go to Stake Conference!

So just like Christ's 12 Apostles, we have 12 Apostles today that are called to preach the Gospel and be His special witness, for God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever! So Christ's organization is here today on the earth. And truly it was an amazing experience. 

I won't tell you everything I learned, because everything I learned was for my area and for things I've been seeking. Telling you won't help. But I'll give you the pattern on how to receive spiritual revelation and how to truly serve others.

Teaching is not talking. 

Teaching is not asking a question expecting a specific answer. 

Teaching is asking what they learned, listening, observing, and discerning by the Spirit. 

So Elder Bednar didn't come with a lecture or a thing he thought we could work on. 

He asked

He listened

He observed

He discerned

He answered.

Think of the classic parable. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Help someone learn for themselves how to receive personal revelation, instead of telling them about spiritual things. 

It's all about patterns. Do you teach patterns? Or are you just saying things? The world is focused on knowing things. Not becoming things. Christ never taught with an answer he wanted everyone to answer. It was never a guessing game. He always asked questions. Not guessing questions like, "What was the 3rd law of Moses and how does that apply to Aaron?".  He asked questions like:

13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Yes Christ knew all things, but He asked them what they thought, not looking for or seeking the "right" answer. He wanted to hear what they thought. And by listening and observing, and discerning Simon Peter learned for himself that Christ was the Son of the Living God. Christ followed this pattern and because teaching isn't talking, Peter learned for himself that Christ was the Son of the living God. Christ didn't tell that to Peter. The Holy Ghost did. Through the Holy Ghost we can know of all things.

Hopefully that makes sense. The pattern of asking questions then:

Listen

Observe

Discern

This will always help you learn what is truly in someone's heart. Because we are mortals, we don't know what's happening in other people's heads. But the Holy Ghost does. So as we teach by this pattern, not telling, but listening, the people talk, the student talks and then we know how to help. The student learns by the pattern and the teacher learns by the pattern. 

Now this can be confusing, but I hope that the scripture helped. It's not about telling, it's about listening. If you think you know the answer, you don't! I don't know, and even Elder Bednar doesn't know. But the Spirit does, Christ does. 

Again these words are so powerful. Teaching isn't telling. It's by doing and helping others to learn for themselves the pattern. Teach people to fish, don't just give it to them. 

I have learned so many other things, but teaching isn't telling, but I want you all to feel the same things I have felt, so to start the pattern (even through an email), what did you all learn? So apply the pattern and stop telling and start doing, start becoming. That's so much more than words, take this time in your life to apply the pattern! You'll experience a paradigm shift!

Another thing he said that I liked. We don't want temples. It's not the Atonement that saves us. It's not faith that brings power. It's faith in Christ that brings power, we can experience healing through Christ's Atonement, we want covenant relationships with Christ that come from the temple. It's about Christ, nothing else. 

"47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

- Moroni 7:47

Christ's pattern is love. He always focuses on others, never what He wants. That's why the pattern works. For when we have pure love, it endureth forever. We learn so much more when we care about someone else.

Oh, and by the way, we had a good week! Not sure if I mentioned that or not. Be safe, I pray for all of you, I really do. Virginia, Arizona, and some other places too :). Everyone that I've met, I hope each and every one of you realize that.

Love you all!

ロバートソン長老

Elder Hiltscher and I!

The group is all the other missionaries that were in my district, Elder Hiltscher, Bennion, Eddington

My family was at the Peterson's that night so I got to talk to Aunt Kat and Uncle Dave!