Thursday, May 20, 2010

For Such Decisions, Time Is Inconsequential

A friend I know through the Bloggernacle made the following comment while talking about her situation. I thought it was incredibly profound and wanted to share it with everyone who reads this blog and might have missed her comment:

I have been investigating for over 2 years now, which seems like a long time, but with the weight of such a decision, well, time is inconsequential.

My oldest son is serving a mission right now, and I hope and pray he doesn't get caught up in a focus on numbers and programs (which incorrect focus, by the way, is NOT encouraged in "Preach My Gospel") - that he realizes and embraces the idea that each individual investigator will have a unique timetable - that one of the responsibilities of missionaries is to encourage investigators to remember, read, ponder, pray and attend in an attempt to expedite experiences with the Holy Ghost, but that, in the end, each and every investigator must take whatever time s/he needs to work it out in his/her own mind and heart. Sometimes, that process can be accelerated, but it NEVER should be forced or pressured - even if a Mission President, an AP or a Zone Leader thinks otherwise.

Truly, in the end, time really is inconsequential when it comes to decisions that affect eternity.

2 comments:

Lunicrax said...

I investigated for 5 :) due to various reasons. I love to be able to know that I didn't just join as a "spur of the moment" decision, but can instead always refer back to those 5 years and what I learnt then. It also gives more weight when others ask me about it.

Anonymous said...

Great thinking,and so out of the box.
Had I not plead his cause with the ward mission leader,my DH would not have continued to be taught as he had exceeded the set time limit for investigators at that time.

Interestingly,I was thinking about this only today in relation to activity at church-we can'tknow the reality of other's experience or their process-better I think to back off rather than load them with guilt that may impede their return when the time is right for them.In or out seems pretty self defeating to me.