Powering Down - to Power Up
Elder Charter and Elder Wilson
Me, being a child from days gone by of folded maps, encyclopedias, phone books, cameras with film and phones with cords, I stand amazed at the technology we have at our fingertips in today’s world. Our missionaries who come from a generation that have swiped and scrolled on phones since they were babies, using technology is just second nature to them.
This is helpful as everything our missionaries need to successfully manage their missionary work is in the palm of their hands. The area maps, their daily schedule, their goals and plans, their calendars - are all a click away. The Gospel Library app which contains the handbook of standards for missionaries, the Preach My Gospel missionary manual, along with all the scriptures and much, much more are all quickly accessible. Our missionaries can teach a lesson showing a church video from their phones. There are missionary zone chats and messaging they can use to communicate with each other. We Zoom together once a week as an entire mission. Missionaries can FaceTime a member into their lessons. They can Zoom into a baptism. Missionaries also enjoy FaceTiming with their families each week. What a wonderful world we live in!
Hermana Richins and Hermana Willard
With the good comes the bad. There is always opposition in life. Phones, as we all know, can present serious problems. Wasting time scrolling, going to inappropriate and damaging websites like pornography, and other bad habits can be developed with phones. Phones can be a big distraction and can take us away from the present moment. They can prevent us from communicating and interacting with the people who are around us. We all have witnessed tragic outcomes from these types of phone usages.
As mission leaders we have been asked to help our missionaries learn to use their phones in appropriate and good ways. The Church has come up with “safeguards” for missionaries to follow to help them develop good habits for phone usage. As missionaries obey the safeguards, they will be able to take these good habits into the next chapters of their lives. What a blessing proper phone usage is! The Church also has an app called “Edify” that contains lessons for missionaries to engage in that teaches them more ways to use technology in uplifting and safe ways.
President and Sister Quinn in Petaluma at zone conference
Elder Bednar has recently invited us as mission leaders to encourage our missionaries to turn their phones off for at least two hours a day. President Quinn, in our last zone conference promised our missionaries that as they “power down their phones, they will be able to power up self discipline and blessings in their lives.” He suggested to our missionaries to power off their phones during personal study so there will be no “pings “to distract them. They can power off their phones at dinner time, to enjoy the present moment and visit with their companions. They can power down their phone when tempted to use them in self defeating ways.
President Quinn shared with them the scripture from 2 Nephi 2:14 “…God…created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.” President Quinn then invited them to ““act”’ in ways that allow them to manage their phones and not to “be acted upon” by their phones managing them.” How wise it is to have power over your phone and not let your phone control you! Learning to have power over your phone should begin the moment you start using a phone. President Quinn and I believe that the ability to use electronic devises in appropriate ways for good will bless our missionaries here in California on their missions and bless them throughout their lives. We have awesome missionaries!!
Elders Bracken, Young, Judd, Hawkins, and Chandler
This past week I was blessed to spend five days in Dallas, Texas. My son Chase and daughter-in-law Maryssa had twins on December 23rd. I was able to go out and help them with these sweet baby boys - Maverick and Booker. They also have my six-year-old granddaughter, Odessa, and my three-year-old grandson, Hank. It was a tender experience to give hugs and kisses to these babies and spend time playing with Odessa and Hank. I enjoyed visiting with Maryssa and Chase. While in Dallas, I also was able to see my daughters Katie and Hannah and their husbands and children. The city Dallas holds 13 of our 20 grandchildren. I feel so much joy!
Wishing all of you a great week! Thank you for following along.
Grammy (Sister Quinn) holding Maverick and Booker
Grammy holding Maverick and settling Booker
Grammy and Maverick playing cards with Hank
Playing tic tac toe with Odessa
Maryssa & Chase Quinn and family
Grammy holding granddaughter Grace
Having dinner at Portillo’s with the Francises
