Letter from Curtis September 12, 2001

It was a hectic week. We had our greatest successes in this area so far, but we also had our greatest challenges. We had been working with one less active member about whom I wrote last week. She's a body builder and during our first visit with members she talked about some of the things that she was doing to tone certain parts of her body. One of the members was offended and thought that we, as missionaries, should have stopped her. That was the beginning of problems. She then offered to wash my handkerchief, the which she had used during the lesson. I insisted that I was planning on washing it the next day. The other member thought that word exchange constituted a type of flirting of which I've never heard. Then she lent me a jacket because I just have my waterproof shell and it was cold. My companion has a thicker jacket and so she didn't offer him anything. The member didn't hear her comment about how thin my jacket was and so thought that the flirting continued. Later we commented that, due to how deeply affected she was by what had happened, we should probably visit her, if possible, once a day for a week. The member that thought we were being imprudent and flirtatious, now seriously concerned, called the bishop the next day. Later another member saw this less active member touch my leg as we were climbing the stairs. I think her legs hurt and she reached out to support herself, but of course that is a cross of conduct. I forgot about it, but the member, two days later, commented it to me. We went that same day to explain, as lightly as we could, some of the rules about missionary contact. That same member, however, had also called the bishop. There was a less active family that asked us for a blessing for a child who was going to have a circumcision. We hesitated for a moment thinking who could accompany us and, in that short time, they were offended and asked us not to give the blessing. Later the word got to the bishop that they didn't want missionaries to come by ever again. Turns out they just didn't want the non-member son to feel pressured but that they were willing to have a visit from missionaries whenever they pass by. Another less active family told the bishop that we were "not at all spiritual" when we visited them. Turns out that their version of spiritual was playing and joking around with them, something we didn't feel comfortable doing due to certain environmental factors at the time. By Friday the bishop was highly concerned and had all the members who were going to accompany us cancel until he could talk with us. His cell phone had fallen in water and didn't have our number or know where we live, so he didn't talk with us until Sunday. We were confused and a little angry about the conduct of the members and the bishop because we, oblivious to the many rumors, felt innocent. Our ward mission leader talked with us about them all on Saturday and we cleared up all the stories. He agreed that they were all misunderstandings, having investigated with most of the less-active members to see what they meant when they made certain comments. The bishop called us in for an interview and we explained, with the help of the ward mission leader, everything that had happened. He was somewhat astonished as to the many rumors but saw our sincerity. It was a very complicated week.

We knew Satan was going to work against us, but we never expected this particular attack. The bishop was going to call the mission president to inform him of our "outrageous conduct," when our ward mission leader insisted on checking the situation himself befor that measure was taken. I now understand, to a greater extent, the meaning of the scripture "Pray always, that ye may come off conquerer, yea, that ye may conquer Satan, and escape the hands of the servants of Satan, who do uphold his work." I'm grateful for prayer and the good sense of leaders to check stories and to talk with us.

This week's hymn is Master, the Tempest is Raging

1. Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threat’ning
A grave in the angry deep?

[Chorus]
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

2. Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control!

[Chorus]
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

3. Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.

[Chorus]
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

I know, from personal, recent experience, that in the storms and tempests of life, if we are on the same boat as the "Master of Ocean and Earth and Skies," we will never be moved. I know that He is powerful to protect His servants. I know that Satan is the master of rumors and gossip and that they are two powerful tools to destroy the Servants of God. If Christ and Joseph Smith and Alma all had to suffer that, I know that I can survive it as well. I must, however, live my life to their stature, "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." I know that Christ lives and hears my prayers. I know that God will protect His servants if they look to Him. I know that They are real and can give us real guidance. This is Their work. I know that this is the work of salvation, which is the reason that He who Would Not Be Saved tries so hard to destroy it. I know that God, in the end, always triumphs with His saints, no matter what happens.

All My Love,

Élder Sudbury