I answer the doctor’s phone in the missionary department on
Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon. Last week I received a call from a father
of a young man who was to report to the MTC in Mexico City to learn Spanish
preparatory to serving a mission here in the United States in a Spanish
speaking area.
The father said that he did not believe in immunizations and that his son had not had any immunizations at all. He asked what immunizations he needed to go to Mexico. I read him the list of medications and immunizations he would need to receive to go to Mexico City.
The Father said, ‘Well I don't think he needs to have all of those immunizations.’ I told him that those were the required immunizations to go outside United States. He replied, ‘Well he's going to serve his mission in United States so he really doesn't need those immunizations does he?’ I said yes, he does need to have those immunizations. I also went to his missionary application and looked at his application. The son indicated that he would receive the immunizations. He was ill prepared to serve a mission because he had no immunizations at all and it takes some time to acquire these. I told the father that if he wished, he could call the missionary department and have his assignment changed from the Mexico MTC to the MTC in Provo and that he would not need to have any immunizations by going that route.
There is a tendency among some members of the church to try and make their application fit their desire to serve a foreign mission. They will discontinue the medications that they are taking, because they have heard someone say that one cannot serve outside the country if one is taking those medications. They will not disclose conditions that would preclude them from serving a mission to a foreign country. They are of the opinion that they will go “where you want me to go dear Lord, as long as it is where I want to go.”
There are some that minimize conditions or illnesses and as such the doctor that does the applicants physical exam may not do a thorough exam. Then when the bishop or the stake president reviews the application, every thing seems to be in order.
I call these actions, " Lying to The Lord".
Elder Marvin J. Ashton was taught by a teacher and has said in conference that a lie was any communication with the intent to deceive. We do not only communicate by writing and speaking. We also communicate by gesture and by body language. We communicate by withholding information. Thus, what we say or write may be true, but not contain the entire information necessary for the recipient to know to make a proper assessment.
We need to be honest and not lie. Our article of faith states; “We believe in being honest,true,chaste,benevolent ...”
We go by the maxim; Honesty is the best policy.
One of the Ten Commandments is; “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
In this case the father, probably more than the son is to blame. The son was willing to receive the immunizations, but the father did not prepare his son properly for his mission, because of his prejudice.
I call this "Lying to The Lord" because of the scripture found in The Acts of the Apostles.
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
(Acts 5:1-10)
In our case, we will not physically die when we lie or deceive, but we loose the access to the spirit of The Lord and if we do not repent we will die spiritually.
Thus, my grandchildren, honesty is the best policy. Do not lie and especially do not lie to The Lord.
Love,
Grandpa
The father said that he did not believe in immunizations and that his son had not had any immunizations at all. He asked what immunizations he needed to go to Mexico. I read him the list of medications and immunizations he would need to receive to go to Mexico City.
The Father said, ‘Well I don't think he needs to have all of those immunizations.’ I told him that those were the required immunizations to go outside United States. He replied, ‘Well he's going to serve his mission in United States so he really doesn't need those immunizations does he?’ I said yes, he does need to have those immunizations. I also went to his missionary application and looked at his application. The son indicated that he would receive the immunizations. He was ill prepared to serve a mission because he had no immunizations at all and it takes some time to acquire these. I told the father that if he wished, he could call the missionary department and have his assignment changed from the Mexico MTC to the MTC in Provo and that he would not need to have any immunizations by going that route.
There is a tendency among some members of the church to try and make their application fit their desire to serve a foreign mission. They will discontinue the medications that they are taking, because they have heard someone say that one cannot serve outside the country if one is taking those medications. They will not disclose conditions that would preclude them from serving a mission to a foreign country. They are of the opinion that they will go “where you want me to go dear Lord, as long as it is where I want to go.”
There are some that minimize conditions or illnesses and as such the doctor that does the applicants physical exam may not do a thorough exam. Then when the bishop or the stake president reviews the application, every thing seems to be in order.
I call these actions, " Lying to The Lord".
Elder Marvin J. Ashton was taught by a teacher and has said in conference that a lie was any communication with the intent to deceive. We do not only communicate by writing and speaking. We also communicate by gesture and by body language. We communicate by withholding information. Thus, what we say or write may be true, but not contain the entire information necessary for the recipient to know to make a proper assessment.
We need to be honest and not lie. Our article of faith states; “We believe in being honest,true,chaste,benevolent ...”
We go by the maxim; Honesty is the best policy.
One of the Ten Commandments is; “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
In this case the father, probably more than the son is to blame. The son was willing to receive the immunizations, but the father did not prepare his son properly for his mission, because of his prejudice.
I call this "Lying to The Lord" because of the scripture found in The Acts of the Apostles.
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
(Acts 5:1-10)
In our case, we will not physically die when we lie or deceive, but we loose the access to the spirit of The Lord and if we do not repent we will die spiritually.
Thus, my grandchildren, honesty is the best policy. Do not lie and especially do not lie to The Lord.
Love,
Grandpa
