Elder Kopischke Visit

Overview:

For missionaries, general authorities are even better than celebrities. With this in mind, it is easy to imagine the excitement we had to hear from Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the first quorum of the seventy. He spoke at two half mission conferences on Oct. 27 and 28 and a Mission Leadership Council (MLC) on Oct. 29. As he spoke, we were not only hearing from him but also from the Spirit of God as we received revelation for our own circumstances and areas.

Elder Kopischke is a master at being "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do." (1 Nephi 4:6). He led all meetings with an open question and answer format, teaching to the needs of the missionaries, using at least two scripture references to answer every question. He encouraged all missionaries to try an experiment: write down a question and listen for the spirit to answer throughout the conference. The experiment was a success; much revelation was received!

A Couple Highlights: 

The Faith Cycle 

Elder Kopischke explained that it is not always a lack of faith that leads to unmet goals. Sometimes it is God's will that we reach them; sometimes it is not. This discussion led to what Elder Kopishke calls the faith cycle. "Faith is a principle of action and power," as stated in Preach My Gospel page 116. Elder Kopischke used Alma 32 to expound on both the "power" and "action" parts of faith. Action is the part of faith that we control. We are not responsible for the outcome,but for the action that will lead to the outcome. Heavenly Father can choose to give us a miracle, but regardless, we must fulfill our part of the faith cycle. When we do all we can we should not be discouraged no matter the result. 

Doctrine Principle and Application

Elder Kopiske taught the difference and correlation between doctrines, principles and applications.He advised us to focus more on the Doctrine than on the Application. He mentioned that as we understand the "Why?" we will automatically find the out "How to." It is like that old saying, "Rather than instructing someone how to build a boat, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." The doctrine is contained in the lessons we teach (The Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ)! When we sub-categorize the doctrine, it is called a principle. Those principles lead us to take some form of action, which is the application. Although applications vary from area to area and mission to mission, the doctrine is always the same.

Zone Conference

In this past round of zone conferences we were blessed to hear the inspired words of many of our mission leaders. The addressed topics ranged from how to help investigators come to church, the importance of prayer, teaching by the Spirit, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It was a Spirit-filled zone conference that helped us as missionaries to know how to better fulfill our purpose and how to strengthen our own testimonies.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE

One topic covered in zone conference was helping our investigators come to church. Oftentimes it is difficult for investigators to come to church due to work schedules, lack of transportation, feeling out of place, not knowing anyone, etc. We were taught that if we involve the ward council and explain the "why" behind coming to church, our investigators will have a greater ability and desire to come to church and receive the blessings that come from doing so.

PRAYER

 The importance of prayer was also stressed at zone conference. Because "no one can know spiritual truths without prayer", it is essential for our investigators to understand why we should pray and how to pray. Investigators must come to recognize the relationship they can have with God, in that He is their Father in Heaven and He wants to hear what they have to say. They also need to know how to follow Christ's example by praying in the correct format. The importance of saying kneeling prayers with our investigators was stressed as a way to show even more respect and devotion to our Father in Heaven.

 THE SPIRIT

In Preach my Gospel, there is an entire chapter dedicated to recognizing the Spirit. Sister Riggs helped to remind us of how vital it is gain revelation from the Spirit in our daily work as missionaries. She focused on the word "vital" as a distinct indicator of the importance of the Spirit When someone goes into the emergency room, their vitals are immediately taken. Without regulated vital signs, things can go seriously wrong. In the words of Sister Riggs, "We're dead without them!". The same goes to having the Spirit with us when we teach. We MUST teach by the Spirit if we want to help people become truly converted to the gospel of Christ. Teaching by the Spirit comes as we take the time to prepare and as we are "light on our feet" during lessons, meaning we are willing and ready to go whatever direction the Holy Ghost points us.

 THE ATONEMENT

President Riggs centered some of his words on a promise found in Preach my Gospel. That promise is as follows: "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase" (PMG p. 2). After attending a mission presidents' seminar in which Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, President Riggs felt prompted to share some of his words and thoughts with us. President Riggs taught us that it is crucial that we teach the "why" behind the Atonement. This leads us back to the Fall of Adam and Eve. As missionaries, we need to clearly teach the Fall in order for people to understand the power and necessity of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His dying on the cross, and His resurrection three days later, we would never be able to overcome the consequences of the Fall and return to live with our Father in Heaven again. Those consequences being separation from God and our eventual physical deaths. Without the merciful Atonement of Jesus Christ, justice would overtake any chance we had to live with God again. Without the Atonement, we would become angels to the the devil! What an amazing gift that Jesus Christ has given us.