Senior Couple journal — New Zealand Hamilton Mission
July 26, 2015 to August 1, 2015
Dear family and friends,
Greetings again from wintry Hawera, New Zealand. We continue to love our service and are so grateful to be serving here in this choice area.
1/ Humorous quote for the week: “The secret to a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and to have those two parts as close together as possible.” — George Burns
2/ Church history quiz for the week: The position of “Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve” existed from April 1941 to October 1976. How many brethren served in this position during those 35 years? Who was the first brother called to this position? Who was the last? How many of our 15 current apostles served as Assistants to the Twelve?
3/ Update for the week: On March 23, 2015, we were privileged to be in the mission home of the New Zealand Hamilton Mission, at the invitation of President and Sister Rudd. We were blessed to participate in a very sacred event that happens every 6 weeks here in the mission field — the final testimony meeting of a group of faithful full-time missionaries that are about to complete their missions and return home. We were in Hamilton to participate in our district temple week, and President and Sister Rudd invited us to come and witness this unique and wonderful event. That evening, 3 elders and 10 sisters were completing their missions and returning home. As can be imagined, the final meeting of missionaries that have just spent 18 months or 2 years of their lives serving as full-time representatives of the Church and our Lord is an emotional, moving experience. All of the testimonies were moving, with many tears being shed, by the young men as well as the young women. One testimony was very memorable for me. A sweet young sister named Sister Kiraren shed no tears and had a smile on her face throughout her testimony. She expressed that she was feeling no sadness at that time because she viewed this time not as the end of her mission, but simply as a transfer to her next area and next assignment. Yes, she would have to remove the name badge that she loved, but her new area would be filled with wonderful opportunities, challenges, and blessings. She said she would still have “companions” but of a different nature than the companions she had had during her mission. She knew that she would have many more wonderful opportunities to share the truths of the Gospel, at work, at school, among family members. She said that any sadness she was feeling at leaving full-time missionary service was overridden by excitement and anticipation of wonderful future adventures in the Gospel. I was struck by her wonderful attitude, and forward-looking approach to a major transition in her life. I only hope my attitude will be the same as Sister Taylor and I complete our mission.
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4/ Answer to the Church history quiz: In total, 38 brethren served as Assistants to the Twelve. The first brother called to this position was Elder Marion G. Romney, on April 6, 1941. The last brother to receive a call to this position was Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, on April 4, 1975. Of our current apostles, only 1 served as an Assistant to the Twelve, that being Elder Robert D. Hales. (Elder Boyd K. Packer and Elder L. Tom Perry, both of whom recently passed away, also served as Assistants to the Twelve).
Much love and have a wonderful week,
Elder and Sister Taylor
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