Apology

Hey 12th Wardians: I have an apology to make.

Today I presented the Ward Mission Plan during the 3rd hour of church, and I walked out of that class feeling pretty crummy. I said everything I wanted to say, you guys gave some fantastic, honest input, and I felt like we felt the Spirit present. So why this hard feeling? I just couldn't shake it.

I went home and pondered a lot and agonized over trying to figure out what was troubling me, and I think I have an answer. During the class, I made a statement to the effect of, "It is our responsibility to make sure we are there for others during their times of crisis."

It's that word. Responsibility. It's the word that kind of sticks in your craw, sits in your stomach like a giant boulder.

The truth is, this embodies a mistaken mindset that I've been struggling with for years. It's easy to get honed in on the numbers, expect yourself to meet goals and grade yourself on so-called requirements. But the thing is, it is not our responsibility to meet these goals (ie baptisms, built friendships, etc.). It is the Lord's responsibility. This is his work, his task, not ours. We are powerless to accomplish these goals, but the Lord has the power.

So what is our responsibility then? It is to obtain the mind of the Lord. He knows his work well, and he knows what needs to happen. Do we see what he sees? Do we pray to know who we need to reach out to? Do we listen closely to the Spirit to understand where we need to be? When you feel the good feelings the gospel brings, do you ask Heavenly Father to reveal to you who needs those great feelings too?

I apologize. I felt bad about the whole thing because I walked away feeling like it was my responsibility to reconnect and make friends, and if I didn't accomplish that then I would have failed. I was wrong to assert that it was our job to play moral support for our legions of friends on the internet. I was overwhelmed with this Herculean task, and I'll bet that a lot of you felt the same as well.

Ultimately, our only job is to obtain the mind of the Lord. That's it. Forget the numbers. Forget the criteria, the goals, the results. Instead, look upward. Pray for revelation, and let that guide you in your social media use.

Thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm in this great work. I look forward to serving alongside you. I love you all, and pray that you will be sustained throughout all your endeavors this week.

Until next Sunday,
-David Jorgensen
Ward Mission Leader
Provo 12th Ward