This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Afternoon Session of the October 1981 Conference.
And for the last decade or so, I have had the sinking feeling that the most accurate adjective for such a description would be TIRED. Not that that is the descriptor I would want! But it's so consistently true, I'm afraid it will start to define me. So it was with interest that I read the following story from Elder Robert D. Hales:
During the planning and preparation for the Mexico, Central and South America area conferences in February 1977, we were scheduled to hold meetings in La Paz, Bolivia, which is twelve thousand feet above sea level. Dr. Ernest L. Wilkinson and Dr. Russell M. Nelson advised us that President Kimball should have four to six hours’ rest to acclimate his heart and blood pressure to the high altitude…
I talked with President Tanner and President Romney to seek their assistance in getting President Kimball to rest in La Paz before the start of the area conference. They only smiled and said, “You can try.”
Detailed plans were presented to the First Presidency for area conferences in Mexico, Central and South America. I saw President Kimball make two small red check marks next to La Paz, Bolivia, where there were two meetings that he was not scheduled to attend. “What are these meetings? Why am I not attending?” he asked. There was a pause; then I replied, “That’s a rest period, President Kimball.” And he remarked, “Are you tired, Elder Hales?”
We arrived in La Paz, and the first meeting was a cultural event. He would not rest. My head ached; it felt as though it would explode in adjusting to the altitude, and we breathed oxygen to attempt to speed up our being acclimated to the twelve-thousand-foot altitude; but President Kimball took no oxygen. He greeted, embraced, and shook hands with two thousand Saints…
Dr. Wilkinson was concerned with the President’s vigorous activity at twelve thousand feet and approached him. He asked President Kimball if it would be possible for him to stop soon. President Kimball said, “If you knew what I knew, you wouldn’t ask me that question.”…]
President Kimball told the General Authorities, “I am not afraid of death. What I am afraid of is that I will meet the Savior and he will say, ‘You could have done better.’”Now that I've read this, I'm afraid that semi-accusatory "Are you tired, Elder Hales?" is going to be ringing in my ears too! Of course I'm sure President Kimball didn't mean for it to be accusatory. And I know there is supposed to be a balance between work and rest, for all of us. We can't do everything. But honestly, every time I think about President Nelson, it makes me feel the same way! Watching his energy and his enthusiasm, with all he has to do and all he has to worry about, how I can say I'm too tired for my small services in the kingdom of God?
Can you feel the dedication and urgency of a prophet’s voice to move the kingdom forward? “Are you tired, Elder Hales?” has a way of ringing in my ears when I rest for a moment. If we knew what President Kimball knows, then we, too, would work with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.
Yes. I'm tired. Always tired. But I can't be too tired to work! I have to just trust that Heavenly Father will give me enough strength for the things He wants me to do.
Other posts in this series:
- Three of the Great Tests Each One of us Will Face by Nathaniel Givens
- What is Pain When I Want to Be Exalted? by Jan Tolman
Okay, let's not beat ourselves up too much. The prophets work and work and work at preaching the gospel and ministering--their wives and secretaries work and work and work at keeping them going. I'm sure Pres. Nelson doesn't worry about getting the laundry done or the grocery shopping done or the meals on the table and the house clean, and the flights scheduled and the hotels booked, etc. etc. He has others to do all those tasks for him. WE are the ones doing all those daily tasks for our families and it is tiring! I sure could get a lot more done in the service of the kingdom if I had a housekeeper and cook and gardener to take care of those things!
ReplyDeleteYou (and I) are doing the most important things in our little kingdoms--bearing and raising children! And it is physically tiring, but it is still the most important thing at this season. (Well, I'm actually done with that hands on season, but I still worry about and minister to our adult children.) You are doing a great work! It's just hard to see when you're in the midst of it. Keep it up, you'll be less tired in the future, I promise!
Yes, this is all good to remember! (And it would be nice to have a wife and secretary to keep ME going, haha!) And I know we all have our different roles. It probably sounded easier to his wife sometimes to go out and meet with members then to do the ordinary things at home! I know I feel that sometimes when my husband goes off to work--and he probably feels the same about staying home! Ha! And I'm sure there will always be work to do. But anyway. I do look forward to a future day when I'm at least a little less SLEEPY! :)
DeleteI love that it was Pres. Kimball because I’ve been thinking about his feelings of inadequacy that Rasband mentioned in conference — and how he determined that it didn’t matter if he felt able, he simply must do it. Also, I’ve been reading at the end of the parable of the vineyard about God calling his servants to serve “with their might” and how they did in fact serve with their might! When I wake up every morning — and I’ve had far too little sleep and it is far too dark and far too early, and I consider the immediate diving into work ahead of me to get everyone fed, and ready, and lunches made and so forth to have them all out the door on time, I almost always shrink and think I can’t possibly. But I will try to remember this little “Are you tired, Nancy?” And while the answer will undoubtedly be “yes!!”, I hope it will remind me that there is work to be done in his kingdom and this little family of mine is the major portion of it I have been currently given to “work with my might” with.
ReplyDeleteI guess we often have juuuuust enough strength given us to do what we need to do. But none left over! ha!
DeleteI don't see the question as accusatory as much as humorous. The rest periods was intended for President Kimball, but when Elder Hales admitted as much to him, the prophet turned things around to suggest the rest periods were for Elder Hales instead of him.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I definitely think you're right--I can't imagine President Kimball being anything but gently humorous about it! But I bet Elder Hales felt a bit sheepish anyway. :) And then he DID feel like he needed the rest once he got there! Haha!
DeleteI must admit . . . not my favorite of your posts. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa! Are you tired, Andrea! :)
DeleteI can't remember not being tired. I do most of my work with an aching head and shortness of breath--either physical or mental. But just this morning, I was reading in Jacob and the word "rest" caught my attention. Really caught my attention. I clicked on the footnote, and was taken to the Topical Guide that had not only many scriptures containing the word rest, but many links to synonyms and concepts related to rest--enough to keep me busy for over a week studying and journaling.
ReplyDeleteI find that the gospel is full of contradictions, and I think it is because we need different messages at different times of our lives, or different people need different messages because of our personality traits. Some of us need to hear the message, "Take a rest," while others of us need a good swat on the bottom and an encouraging pat on the shoulder to, "Keep up the good work." That's why there's personal revelation . . . so we can know which message is meant for us at which time.
Yes! Well said, as always. My uncle used to always say when he was preparing a lesson, he would find the paradox at the heart of the principle, and start his study there. All I can do with these talks is write about the things that stood out to me, for whatever reason. And hope that I somehow figure out what the messages are supposed to be! :)
DeleteYes, when a messages stands out--for whatever reason--it is worth pondering. :) I enjoy your insights.
ReplyDelete