Sisters and Brothers –
Last week, my son turned 10 years old. With the landmark backyard, social-distancing enhanced celebration over, the next day I decided he was ready to learn how to mow the lawn.
We started with some of the appropriate warnings of using the machine — blades, gasoline, etc… — and then moved into how to most efficiently and beautifully mow the lawn. I then went around the outside of the lawn with the mower, leaving him the interior grass with fewer obstacles to navigate.
Then, I walked slightly behind him, trying not to say much. When he did something well, I tried to praise his concentration. When he was going to run over something valuable, I intervened with some urgency. But, otherwise, I let him do his thing.
The lines weren’t perfectly straight. There were missed long blades of grass on occasion. After he inspected his own work, he had to go back and redo some of the lanes to make sure he got everything trimmed down.
I knew the lawn wasn’t going to be mowed perfectly. In fact, I knew it wouldn’t even be completed to match my very imperfect efforts. Yet, watching him battle, think, work and sweat through the back and front yards made me so proud of his effort and his desire to do it the right way.
This experience gave me a small glimpse into what it must be like for our own Father in Heaven. He has given us instructions for how to navigate the challenges of life and then He perfectly sits back — encouraging when needed, warning when we need it — letting us make mistakes, go back and redo and bumble our way through life.
And He loves us for our effort.
As we continue to be devoid of the social interactions we lean on and the traditional worship services we love, remember that Heavenly Father knows us and loves us as the perfect Parent that He is. He appreciates that growth comes through experience. And that all challenges make us better equipped to handle the next challenge, for we have gained insight and confidence that only comes from accomplishment and effort.
President Russell M. Nelson reminded us in the last general conference, “Everything to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult. For example, when God wanted to give the Ten Commandments to Moses, where did He tell Moses to go? Up on top of a mountain, on the top of Mount Sinai. So Moses had to walk all the way up to the top of that mountain to get the Ten Commandments. Now, Heavenly Father could have said, ‘Moses, you start there, and I’ll start here, and I’ll meet you halfway.’ No, the Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.” (“An Especially Noble Calling,” by Joy D. Jones, Primary General President)
As your bishop, I assure you that any efforts to get closer to the Lord are loved, appreciated and accepted by Him. They will draw you nearer to Him while also giving you additional perspective and wisdom to make it through your own specific challenges.
While we rejoice in seeing the first phase of temple reopening occurring, we have still not received any additional instruction as to when we will be able to meet again in any significant way. Please continue to face this trial with faith and optimism for the day we can all sit together in fellowship. I will continue to keep you all informed of significant adjustments and instruction as I receive it.
For another week, I am authorizing administration of the sacrament based on the same principles as past weeks, including allowing sacrament to be taken to those within the ward boundaries who are not in your immediate family. Again, please adhere to all government and health department precautions, including limited duration of contact, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene, including washing hands immediately before preparing and administering the sacrament.
Please let me or another member of the bishopric know if you have any questions or need clarification.
We love you all and appreciate your efforts in drawing close to the Lord and each other.
Bishop Bennett