A lot has happened since our last post. Probably, most importantly, we have received a call from the Area Presidency to serve as “Church History Specialists.” Our job will be to identify significant church history events in England and write a proposal to conduct oral interviews with those close to the event, index and categorize the recordings, and send them to Church headquarters for future reference. We will be working under Brother and Sister Jones in So. Wales who are over the larger Europe Area. We are still trying to get the focus, but it sounds like something we will enjoy doing. We will, of course continue working in our current callings.
A couple of weeks ago, we went into London and spent a couple of days with Frank, Sheree and John Gaughan. Frank and Sheree had just been released from their mission two weeks earlier and John had been home about two days. Our visit included attending church in the Hyde Park Ward. It was a fairly large ward with a lot of diversity in membership. These English saints have great faith and express it very openly. They are very honest about their struggles. They come right out with health, employment, even marital problems to make a point in a class or talk. And I must say, it plays well. There seem to be many fewer who leave a sacrament meeting thinking they are the only ones carrying a burden or having a less than perfect life.
This last weekend, was a holiday weekend. We drove with the Backmans to Nottingham (home of Robin Hood). We had very little time there, so we visited Isaac Newton’s home–standing next to the very apple tree which set him thinking about gravity. The actual tree is behind us.
I have been impressed before and was again that I could not keep Newton interested in a conversation for more than 10 minutes. He was so ahead of his time, came from very modest beginnings and had an unbelievable mind. He was deeply religious and wrote more about religion than anything else. I don’t believe I have read his religious works and hope to do so.
The Backmans left Saturday night and headed to Scotland to do some family history work and Kathy and I, after attending church in Nottingham, headed north to York. I shouldn’t let our church experience go without a comment. Again, very humble and faithful members; but a very relaxed atmosphere. One speaker called a member out of the congregation and had him come up to receive a birthday card and hug. There were a couple of shout-outs from the congregation–without alarm or offense of others. I wouldn’t say anything was irreverent–just loose.
York is a city we will visit again. A wonderful Minster, a very old past (BC), and significant efforts to preserve. We stayed at a beautiful B&B about 20 minutes out of town. Enjoyed our visit with Louise–the proprietor.
Heater not working and–mom froze. But the next day, mom and I climbed 275 stairs to the top of the tower of York Minster. We were both exhausted, but pretty happy to have made it. Before attempting the climb we had to go through two interviews inquiring whether we were up for it because there is no way down. The stairs are barely wide enough for one–there is no way anyone could get past you and there is a line of people ahead and behind you.
Under the Minster they excavated to add support to the columns. They found a Roman city underground and have done a very good job of restoring and preserving it. It was there that I succumbed to the curiosity of seeing what I would have looked like as a Catholic bishop. Thoughts?
This weekend (May 30 – June 2), we traveled to Frankfurt for meetings with the rest of the OGC staff and some of the Temporal Affairs people. It was very helpful and enjoyable to meet the Castletons and the Riggs (the other two senior couples in the OGC – Europe office) as well as to meet Mike Jensen’s (my boss) wife, Jean. We have a very entertaining evening at the Jensen’s house on Monday night with all 5 couples.
I was very impressed with the Temporal Affairs committee meeting I attended on Monday morning. Extremely professionally conducted with scriptures occasionally used to support an expressed idea. For example, at one point there was objection to a certain course of action on the basis that a different decision had already been made a couple of weeks earlier. Whereupon, the Ass’t Director of Temp. Affairs whips out D&C 102:20-21 which says that if there is an error in a decision, “the case shall have a re-hearing” and if additional light is shed on the matter, “the decision shall be altered accordingly.” Some might observe that if the first decision was “directed by the Spirit” there really can be no error or additional light-so what’s going on here. Well, I think what it means is that not every decision is directed by the Spirit. In many matters, especially temporal matters, I believe the Lord expects and allows us to use our best information and judgment. We will make mistakes and He expects us to turn around and correct the error–not punish ourselves by sticking to the bad choice because we felt good about it at the time. And, if you are among those who want to see God’s hand in the details of the work, perhaps you can find that influence in the correction and allow the first attempt to be more inspired by man’s good faith effort. God will not let us go far astray, but as we do with our children, He will allow us to walk on our own legs when we are able.
In church on Sunday (in Frankfurt) we attended the English service which consists almost entirely of Church employees (and we probably had about 200 in attendance). It is odd how, you are dealing with “John” during the week while addressing one problem or another, and you show up at Church and find he is “Elder Jones” an Area Seventy. The only ones that are “Elder” and “Sister” during the week are the senior missionaries.
For some reason, I have been dealing of late with a number of bizarre situations involving people who are probably suffering from mental illness. Sometimes doing the right and Christian thing is not always easy.
I better sign off now, or I will never finish. Cheerio.