October 11, 2022

From Ben - On Becoming Titans

"Hmm, is there a place you could hide it? Like under a table or something?"

"No, not that I can tell, its raining and I can't get in the building" 

"Shoot... hmm... well, if there is nowhere to hide or place it... I guess... it's...yours then?

"Give the company a call, maybe you can get your money back?"

"Well, we can give it a try. Thanks though"

"Yah, for sure. Hope it goes well 

To which we hung up the conversation, and I shed a tear - and so did my empty wallet.

We run into a fun challenge in the Sudbury Zone, that being, the maintainence of motivation from great distances. 

Timmins is far North, North Bay is far East, and if one is not trained, or has developed the skill of being self motivated, it can be challenging when so isolated. 

So, our fight is to 1) learn how to be self motivated ourselves, and 2) help others learn the same. 

On this branch of thought, Elder Surdu and I learned that the hump day of some of our Elders was on Thursday, and we concocted a plan of action. 

A perfect plan. 

One guaranteed to bring excitement and joy to our missionaries. 

To order some long distance pizza for them. 

Thursday rolled along. By some miscommunication, we were on exchanges, so instead of splitting the cost with Elder Surdu, I took the brunt of buying two long distance pizza's. 

Not a problem , I'd die for these missionaries, what was a couple dollars? 

I hop on the computer at the Family History Center in the Sudbury chapel, believing a quick trip to Dominoes Pizza's website would be all it would take. 

It was not 

I unsuspectingly entered the terrible labyrinth of long distance Pizza ordering. 

After a full hour of complications, multiple website visits, canceled orders, incorrect card inputs, and multiple "Come on's!" like dad says when something's not working.

I finally ordered a pizza for 35$ (we miscalculated how expensive it would be) for the first set of Elders. 

When it arrived at dinnertime, 5:00, by another miscommunication, they were actually an hour out of town and it was raining. 

Mega-oof. 

The pizza delivery guy for Skip the Dishes got a full, Meat Mountain Pizza. 

Truly a hero though, because he gave it to a cold family in the rain, so maybe a prayer was answered. 

The other pizza, after it's own fiasco and incorrect address input, actually got to our dear Elders in Timmins. 

A true tender mercy. I was on the fritz. 

Probably going to find other ways of motivating our missionaries from here on out 

(We'll see) 

We met with Pastor Josh again and it was really enlightening. 

One comment he made really opened my eyes. 

It went something along the lines of

"I understand that you are asking me to pray, and by the Spirit I will know of it's truth, but you have to understand where I am coming from. 

I'm a Pentacostal Pastor. And one of the special points in Pentacostal theology is the feeling and gifts of the Spirit. 

How could I reconcile the feeling I'd get if I prayed about it with all the feelings and experiences I've felt by the Spirit as a Pentacostal? How do I reconcile it?"

There are answers to this question, and we did talk about it.

But what I learned again was the principle of 'seeking first to understand before being understood'

I hadn't even considered the fact that having a Pentacostal upbringing would alter or affect the way he viewed the story of the Restoration, or the Book of Mormon. 

I'm grateful for the fresh perspective that came from the conversation.

I have so much respect for this Pastor, he views the world from the lens of curiosity and learning. 

He mentioned a couple times the idea of "if you've found the truth, you should be completely unafraid of asking difficult, challenging questions (taking into account we use accurate sources), if true, it should always stand. You should be excited to discover that you were wrong"

(In the context of discovering truth that is) 

Which is such a brilliant perspective and great way to walk through life I think. 

Now, this might appear to be an obvious statement, but this week it was confirmed again that nearly all of the frustrations, difficulties, unnecessary stresses, and negative feelings I've experienced have nearly always stemmed from an ignorance of, an incorrect understanding of, or lack of internalization of the doctrines and principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The statement, "the truth shall make you free" is not cliché, overstated or exaggerated. 

It's completely true. 

And, when understood and lived, the truths of a Divine parentage and destiny, a living Savior, a Restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a living Prophet and Church on the earth today are truths that can shatter chains of every kind, empower souls, save families, and diefy personalities. 

I love these truths and know them to be so from the countless brushstrokes on my soul from the still hand of the Spirit- even if my character is not yet what it needs to be to fully live up to them. 

Such is the need for and nature of repentance.

Elder Surdu and I had a real cool conversation about the nature of champion heroes. The Titans of History.

Shackleton's, Washington's, Lincoln's, Chad's, Jen's

and for Elder Surdu and I's conversation, Captain Moroni's. 

Since childhood, the heroic figure of the Book of Mormon shines forth as one of a Titan heart.

We are blessed to have so much information on this man. 

He who at 25 was asked to spearhead the nation's wartime efforts against an innumerable, seemingly impossible to conquer foe. 

His heroic cry for liberty and the hoisting of that same title throughout the land. 

The uniting of the people under the covanent of freedom and rallying them under the principles of Godliness and faith. 

We read, love, and find inspiration from such individual acts of heroism and ability. 

But if you look closer throughout the story, we realize that in-between almost every great act are years of slow, consistent, painstaking routines and efforts. 

Planning, and routine, and habits. 

That is where the Titan of Moroni was made. In, as far as my understanding goes, the small things. The maintanence of faith in Christ. The ability to endure to the end. The consistency of discipline. 

These are the things that constitute the making of Titans. 

Whether it be discipleship, parenthood, missionary work, being students or landscapers, or anything. 

Heroism isn't limited to presidents, sea captains or general's. 

There really are no such things as ordinary people. 

Just champions who don't know it yet. 

I had a little extra time this week, humor the length 

Love you each. You are Titans in this world, but you gotta be consistent in the small things to be so. 

Happy Thanksgiving too!

- Elder Smith

1) Got to help fill the Patriarch of the Sudbury stakes back garden. He is so gentle, humble, and powerful.

2) Got to go an a walk with said Patriarch. He taught some incredible things about the Gathering of Israel and the Patriarchal blessing. 

3) The Knights of the Ice Castle, all together  

4) Elder Surdu got this flattering shot as we had to break into our house because I forgot to grab the keys. 

5) Not sure if using a Vader GIF was the appropriate play in this conversation. 

Seeing as he blocked me, it probably wasn't 

6) The Pizza man's heartwarming text. 

7) Comp picture. I love this Elder.

8) Tried to look epic on a rock. Almost there, still need more practice. 

From Mom - Cuts to the Bone

Dear Ben,

We arrived home tonight after a Thanksgiving weekend with both sides of the family. We definitely “thanksgivinged” ourselves with lots of food and lots of love. It was the first holiday since Grandpa’s death and we felt the need to go down and spend it with Grandma. As always, whenever we go down it catalyzes a big effort to get everyone together and it was largely successful! Carol and Joe, Angie and Mike and a variety of their children were there along with the regulars. Grandma was not alone, was surrounded by lots of love and the best part of all … no drama! For some, it was the first time they saw her new condo and felt like a big step forward moving onward. Strange but good. This was a pano I tried to get while we were all sitting around the condo’s deck. It didn’t reach all the way around but “oh, well.”

Dad and Sam did a bunch of things around the place that are difficult for Grandma to do on her own and it was a good visit.

The Bruce’s are all about the wiener roasts and quadding and this holiday was no exception. The weather was remarkably warm and beautiful for this time of year. 

Both sides of the family had a moment of gratefulness where we went around and said our Thankfuls. As always, something happens to the electricity in the room when gratitude is verbalized. It bonds the group and Love becomes tangible. My mom could hardly say anything from being overcome with emotion. It’s a little weird for me because she wasn’t a big cryer when I was younger but she is now. Maybe that will be me in twenty years. Haha. My mom told me after that when she thinks of her grandchildren she knows she did something right in raising her own kids because they are amazing parents. And it makes her cry. 

Not a bad thing.

Also, another gratitude … the new For Strength of Youth. I am in love with it… which means the girls get to hear about it non-stop until I stop being obsessed . I wish I had it when I was a youth. 

We were talking about the problem of gossiping today so I looked it up and this is what it says in FtSoY … 

“Your words can be powerful. Let them be powerful for good.”

Simple. True. Cuts to the bone. 

And that’s what living by true principles does … gets right to the heart of the matter. And I love that. 

Some more pictures of the week …

(Girls at the corn maze… it rained)

(Josh and Madison’s text to me to thank Bobby for the chili she made at our house. Made Bobby’s day when I sent it to her.)

And my Thanksgiving Gratitude?

I’m grateful for my knowledge that God answers prayers especially when one asks thoughtful, specific questions. 

We can talk more about that on our call.

Love you forever and ever,

Mom