“How Great Will Be Your Joy”

Posted on by Mitch Peterson

Last updated on December 23rd, 2023 at 11:55 am

General Conference Applied

S2 E10 – Sunday, December 10, 2023 | “How Great Will Be Your Joy” by Elder Ronald A. Rasband; October 2023 General Conference

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Corresponding Talk Outline: “How Great Will Be Your Joy“

Podcast Episode Outline

I will be recording a special General Conference Applied episode for President M. Russell Ballard as well as for Elder Patrick Kearon. Message me on social media, text me, or send me an email with ideas for what these special bonus episodes should include. My initial thought: I will identify the most powerful quote from each of these apostles’ General Conference addresses and BYU speeches and then share overall insights from what I learned in listening to these addresses.

Report on Prior Week’s Action Item

Last week I committed to journaling for 15 minutes on this topic: “How might I more effectively dedicate my talents ‘with which the Lord has blessed [me] to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth’?” I also committed to sharing one insight from this journaling session with my accountability partner.

Report

I completed this action item. Though I identified during this journaling session many actions I could take, I was impressed to share this action with my accountability partner:

  • My podcast is obviously one way in which I am dedicating my talents to build up Jesus Christ’s Church. For many months now, I have been meaning to start a weekly newsletter entitled “What? Eye. Learned.” where I would share the best insights from what I heard (“What?”), saw (“Eye.”) and read (“Learned.”) that week, as well as the best idea I developed. This is one way that I intend to grow my podcast and to share it with more people. Thus, I am committing to sending out my first newsletter on Sunday, December 17, 2023. (To subscribe to my email list, enter your first and last name and your email address at my website: https://mitchellryanpeterson.com/ ).

Introduction

Doctrines, Principles, and Christlike Attributes

As we have discussed in previous episodes of General Conference Applied, it is important to identify the fundamental doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute of each General Conference address. In “How Great Will Be Your Joy,” I identified Dispensation as the fundamental doctrine, Missionary Work as the fundamental principle, and Diligence as the fundamental Christlike attribute. I have included a detailed breakdown of this doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute in the talk outline, but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.

In each episode of General Conference Applied, we are attempting to answer two questions:

  1. What is the speaker inviting me to do?
  2. How might I consider taking action?

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

Connection

4 close encounters with Elder Ronald A. Rasband

  • “I had participated as a Seventy in the process, but now as an Apostle, I felt the full weight of the assignment.”
  • Elder Rasband shared his experience as a Seventy during my friend’s mission farewell in January 2008. He then shared this formally in his 2010 General Conference address.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 15:4,6 – “For many times you have desired of me to know that which would be of the most worth unto you… And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.”

Overview

What If I’m Not A Seasoned Senior?

“Today I am speaking to the many seasoned seniors in the Church who could serve as missionaries. The Lord needs you.”

  • Elder Rasband’s address and invitation are still for you.
  • 10/17/2023 journal entry: “Even though I’m not a ‘seasoned senior,’ the time to start preparing for my mission(s) with Morgan is NOW. And that preparation does not just include spiritual matters. I need to do the proper temporal things now to make sure we are in an excellent position to serve the Lord in our later years. This includes: 1. Building a financial reserve and getting out of debt. 2. Taking care of my body through proper diet and exercise. 3. Preparing my young children now to be responsible, self-reliant adults. All that being said, there is no reason for us to wait until we’re ‘seasoned seniors’ to serve. If we have time to binge watch streaming services, then we have time to serve in the House of the Lord or to share the gospel with others on social media.”
A “Sobering Moment”

“Let me take you back to the year 2015. I was a newly called member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. One of the wonderful responsibilities we carry as Apostles is to assign missionaries to their fields of labor. I had participated as a Seventy in the process, but now as an Apostle, I felt the full weight of the assignment. I began with prayerfully placing a great number of young elders and sisters, one by one, in missions around the world. Then I turned to the senior couples. There were 10 on the list. Not very many. Surprised, I asked my associate from the Missionary Department, ‘How many do we need this week to fill the requests?’ He responded, ‘300.’ That sobering moment has stayed with me: 10 couples to fill 300 requests.”

  • 10/17/2023 journal entry: “There are many ‘seasoned seniors’ who are currently serving in leadership capacities in their wards and stakes. I know that the Spirit will work on these individuals, prompting them to serve missions instead, and thus opening up tremendous leadership opportunities to the younger members of the Church to serve in wards and stakes in their place.”
“One of the Happiest Days of My Life”

“When I met Rebecca and her family at church, we took a photograph of her family with me. I took it home to my elderly mother, and she held it close to her heart. Then she said to me, ‘Ronnie, this is one of the happiest days of my life.’ My mother’s response begs the question for our seniors: ‘What are you doing at this stage of your life?’ There are so many ways senior missionaries can do what no one else can.”

  • 12/3/2023 journal entry: “This is a powerful question for reflection for all Church members, not just seniors. Additionally, I would have benefited so much from having senior missionaries in Fortaleza. I never served with a senior couple companionship for my entire time in the mission field.”
  • Dan Sullivan’s (founder of Strategic Coach) thoughts on never retiring:
    • “Most people dream of the day they can finally retire. After all, who wouldn’t want a permanent vacation—a whole new life, free from stress, obligation, and work?

      “But retirement by its very definition means to no longer be of use. We retire old machinery, we retire old clothing, and we retire old ideas when they’ve stopped serving a purpose … and we retire ourselves for the same reason.

      “In our current economy, however, purpose and age have very little to do with one another, except that lack of purpose makes you age faster. And that’s why I don’t believe in retirement…

      “Most of us assume it’s the body breaking down that causes this mental decline, but it’s actually the opposite. It’s the mind getting worn out by loneliness, boredom, and lack of purpose that convinces the body it’s wearing out too. In fact, research from the Institute of Economic Affairs shows that retirement increases the chances of suffering from clinical depression by around 40 percent, and of having at least one diagnosed physical illness by 60 percent. So it’s not that sixty-five (or sixty-something, depending on what country you live in) is the universal age at which the human body and mind suddenly start falling apart. It’s that sixty-five is the age at which we’ve all decided we’re no longer useful.

      “Once that happens, we start focusing all our thoughts on a smaller future. And you know what? Our future becomes smaller as a result.

      “Simply put, when you stop learning new things, developing new ideas, and meeting new people, you accelerate the aging process. If you’re no longer growing and no longer useful, you’re sending powerful signals to your mind and body—not to mention the people around you—that it’s time to slow down.

      “So for the sake of my own health and happiness, I don’t believe in retirement, and I don’t think you should either.

      “Don’t talk yourself into being taken out of use, and don’t talk yourself into dying early…

      “The older you get and the more experience you gain, the more conscious you become of your true value to other people. And that means your work really can just keep getting more stimulating and more satisfying as the years go by. Why quit the game when you’re ahead?”
No More Missing Out

“Some of you might be thinking: ‘But what about leaving the grandchildren? We would miss family milestones, birthdays, friends, and even our pets.’ If I had asked my mother why she and Dad went on a mission, I know she would have said this: ‘I have grandchildren. I want them to know that your father and I served in the mission field, we wanted to set an example for our posterity, and we were blessed, so blessed.’

  • 10/17/2023 journal entry: “A powerful spiritual impression came to me when I heard this statement. It is: one reason that technology has been created on this earth is so that ‘seasoned seniors’ will NOT miss out on milestones. Through FaceTime and Zoom, these dedicated members of the Church can virtually participate in all major life events in the lives of their family members.”
Make a Difference

“At their return, they have described growing closer to the Lord and closer to one another, feeling the Spirit of the Lord pour down upon them, and knowing they are making a difference. Who would not want that?”

  • 12/4/2023 journal entry: “In a recent Worldwide Devotional for young adults, Sister Mary Cook, Elder Quentin L. Cook’s wife, made the following powerful statement: ‘Be honest with yourself. Ask: Do my actions show my love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Am I helping others around me to believe? If I were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?’ These are powerful questions for reflection that each of us might consider. Our Savior Jesus Christ is the perfect example of someone who loves all people, but never condones sin. How might we do the same?”
Overwhelming Response to Elder Rasband’s Invitation

“I pray that the next time I sit down to assign senior couples, there will be hundreds of you waiting anxiously for your call.”

  • Church News article: “Elder Rasband echoed Elder Cook’s assessment of the growth catalyst. ‘I am joyful and grateful for President Nelson being bold and inviting our young men and young women and senior couples. I am grateful for the inspiration that came to me at general conference to invite senior couples very specifically in my conference talk by using my own parents’ example. This is just a good time for the Church as it relates to all of them responding to the Prophet’s call.’

    “In his October 2023 general conference address, Elder Rasband spoke of the Church’s need for more senior couples to serve missions. Of the 72,721 full-time missionary count as of November 1, nearly 5,300 are senior elders and sisters serving around the globe.

    “Both Apostles acknowledged the overwhelming response in just weeks since Elder Rasband’s invitation.

    “‘Where we are at right now is people filling out applications. I’m told by our people in the Missionary Department that even in one month, the number of applications that have been started for these missionary couples has exceeded anything else in history. That is in just one month,’ Elder Rasband said.

    “‘So that process will continue — we’ll go from starting their applications to getting their medical approvals done and everything else ready so they can receive a call to serve from the President of the Church to serve as missionaries. And then they are going to be out throughout the world serving the Lord, which makes me personally very, very happy.'”

Invitations

1: “As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to serve as a missionary in the gathering of Israel and perhaps even serve again… I now invite you to take your know-how, coupled with your time-honored testimonies, and go on a mission.”

What This Means: Utilizing both the temporal and spiritual talents that you have developed throughout your life, serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to serve as a missionary in the gathering of Israel and perhaps even serve again… I now invite you to take your know-how, coupled with your time-honored testimonies, and go on a mission.”

Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)
  1. “President Russell M. Nelson has encouraged couples to ‘get on their knees and ask Heavenly Father if the time is right for them to serve a mission.’ (Senior Missionary Moments, April 2016 Liahona)”
    • Elder Rasband stated: “The gathering is the ultimate recognition that ‘the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.’ It is as simple as that.”
  2. “For some, and we hope thousands of you, full-time missionary service in another corner of the world will be just the right place. For others, serving a Church-service mission at home might be preferable. Because of health issues and other circumstances, there are those who are unable to serve. We understand those situations, and it would be my hope you might find ways to support those who are serving. Follow the prophet’s counsel and pray to know what the Lord would have you do.”
    • Scripture Listening Schedule (this will be available for email subscribers in the near future) – remain proficient in your mission language to facilitate future missionary opportunities.
    • “Find ways to support those who are serving”
  3. “The particulars of ways to serve, what best suits you, where you are needed, and how you can get ready to go are addressed on the website ‘Senior Missionary.’ You can also talk with your bishop or branch president.”
    • Visit the ‘Senior Missionary’ website and review the service opportunities that are available.
    • No matter your age, speak with your bishop or branch president (i.e., opportunities to serve as a temple worker are no longer reserved for those individuals who no longer have young children in the home).
Other Ideas
  1. Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “Become a millionaire not for the million dollars, but for what it will make of you to achieve it.”
    • For those who are not “seasoned seniors,” sit down on your own or with your spouse and determine what needs to happen today (with your health, with your finances, and with your testimony) for you to serve as a senior missionary.
  2. Keep a time log for one week
    • Writer, author, and speaker Laura Vanderkam: “If you want to spend your time better, the first step is figuring out exactly how you spend it now. While recording a day or two is helpful, I recommend keeping track of your time for a week to get the best picture of life. A week is the cycle of life as people actually live it…

      “There are a number of tools you can use. I use a spreadsheet (sign up to be sent one here). You can use one of many time-tracking apps, or even just a little notebook. The tool is not important. What is important is that you do it, and that is easier said than done. When I suggest people try tracking their time, I sometimes encounter resistance. I suspect it’s the same concept with diets. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that nutritionists will tell you to keep a food journal, because it works. There is reasonable evidence that people who write down what they’re eating lose more weight than people who don’t. And yet many of us don’t want to do it, because we don’t want to know that we grabbed 4 cookies from the kitchen next to our office over the course of the day (guilty!)

      “It’s the same with time. We don’t want to know how much time we’re wasting. So let’s get this out of the way: everyone wastes time. I know I do! Keeping a time log is not about figuring out how much time we waste. It is about making sure we are not telling ourselves stories about our lives that are not actually true. When it comes to time, we have all sorts of these stories, and some of them do not serve us well. ‘I have no time for anything but work’ — so when leisure time appears, we are not prepared to seize it. Or, ‘I’m a working parent so I never see my kids.’ A time log will show that this may not be the case — and offer a chance to let go of guilt.

      “So that’s the reason to keep a time log. The logistics for the paper or spreadsheet versions: write down what you’re doing, as often as you remember, in as much detail as you think will be helpful to you… After a week, look at your log and add up some of the major categories (e.g. work, sleep, time in the car, housework/errands, reading, TV, exercise, etc.). Then ask yourself a few questions about your schedule:

      1. “What do I like most about my schedule? Hopefully something — and that’s worth celebrating.
      2. “What do I want to do more of with my time?
      3. “What do I want to get off my plate?

      “The answers are different for everyone, but having a clear sense of where the time goes, and how you feel about it, can help you make choices that get you closer to the life you want.”
    • Diligence (Christlike attribute): “Diligence includes doing many good things of your own free will instead of waiting for leaders to tell you what to do (see Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–29)… Center your heart and interests on the Lord and His work. Avoid things that distract you from your priorities. Focus your time and efforts on the activities that will be most effective in your area.”
  3. Study the following resources:

REMEMBER THIS

If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:

  • Elder Rasband is inviting senior members of the Church of Jesus Christ to utilize the temporal and spiritual talents they have developed throughout life and to serve as missionaries.

This Week’s Action Item

“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”

Karl Pearson, an early 20th-century British mathematician

“Those who measure their progress improve. Those who measure and report their progress improve exponentially.”

Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.

“Do something, do anything! But to start, just do ONE thing.”

Mitch Peterson

I will make my Scripture Listening Schedule available on my website in exchange for an email address.

Let Me Know

How will you take action on this General Conference address? Let me know on social media or email me.

Tags

Gathering | Joy | Missionary Work | Senior Missionaries | Service

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