Elder Patrick Kearon, Great Britain
Europe Area Presidency
Europe Area Presidency
The simplified Area Plan was launched in January. We are now over half way through the year. This is a good moment to ask yourself how you are progressing with the three priorities.
Bring a Friend' is intended to sound comfortable. We have an image of friends joining us for a walk or an ice cream, or coming to sacrament meeting with us when we speak. Many will have brought friends to see 'Meet the Mormons'. Our friends will come to understand that they feel different when they have these experiences, and they might wonder why.
Bring a Friend'
'Become Spiritually and Temporally Self-Reliant' recognizes that if we don't stand firmly on our own feet spiritually, we get swept away too easily by the storms of life. Daily prayer and scripture study are at the heart of spiritual self-reliance. The blessings come instantly, as they do when we fast each month, contribute a generous fast offering, and offer an honest tithe. Temporal self-reliance lets us be more confident as we gain education and become more employable.
'Become Spiritually and Temporally Self-Reliant'
'Find an Ancestor' is something which will also bring extraordinary light and blessings as we find those who have gone before us and perform sacred ordinances for them. As we take steps toward binding our families together through the generations, we marvel at what happens in our lives. We see evidence that prophetic promises of protection, guidance, and joy are poured out upon us.
'Find an Ancestor'
If you haven't really tried the three steps above, it isn't too late. You can start now. You will quickly see the impact these three simple invitations will have on you and upon those around you.
Why do we do these things? More than anything, because our Father in Heaven who sent us here wants us back with Him. It is as if we have just gone away to school for a day, in the eternal sense. He wants us to return safely to him, and while we are away he wants us to be happy. These are things which will give us peace and happiness, and at the same time, will allow us to help others get home, too.