The Power of Questions

"Members of the Church are entitled to personal revelation as they listen to and study the inspired words spoken at general conference." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Real Stuff

I have been a banker for most of my adult life. Bankers do a lot of interesting but intangible stuff. True, we help others make things – things you can touch, see and use – but our output consists almost completely of intangibles. The closest we come to creating tangible products is making some really cool plastic credit cards: mine has a photograph of the zone leaders and assistants on Las Ramblas. Pretty cool, no? (Did I really say cool twice?)

So I am always impressed when someone creates something tangible. This blog salutes a couple of El Faro missionaries who have actually made something.

I received in the mail today a small package from Park City. It contained this CD:

Sway, if you don’t already know, is Cody McKinnon and his collaborator, Nathan Innes. It is their first studio-recorded CD, with thirteen great tracks featuring the incredible vocals of Cody arranged by Nathan and accompanied by Nathan on the piano, and a host of great musicians on bass, guitar, violin, drums and several other instruments (including banjo). They cover songs by the Gershwin brothers, Rogers and Hart, Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen, Billy Joel, and even Leonard Cohen. Cody has two original songs on the CD as well. You’ll want to listen to “You Are My Lighthouse.”

Cdbaby.com describes the album with these words:

"Here to Stay" is Sway's much-anticipated, full-fledged studio album. During the summer of 2013, Sway ran a kickstarter campaign, successfully raising the funds necessary to produce the album themselves. Thanks to their supporters, Sway was able to hire top jazz talent to collaborate with on the album. In addition to the vocals of Cody McKinnon and the piano of Nathan Innis, "Here to Stay" features renowned jazz soloists such as David Halliday and Jay Lawrence.

This album epitomizes Sway's basic style: contemporary yet classy. "Here to Stay" returns to the great music of the past and offers a new, more honest approach to modern music. The album includes jazz standards, modern covers, and originals. Comprised of these three main groups, "Here to Stay" is bound to offer something meaningful to everyone.

If you like Michael Buble, you’ll love Sway. You can purchase the MP3 version in the iTunes Store (search “Sway Lighthouse”) or Google Play and cdbaby.com (search “Sway Here To Stay”). If you want something more tangible, you’ll have to email Cody and Nathan at swayjazzmusic@gmail.com. Enjoy!

I also recently received in the mail a small package that contained some small pieces of cloth like this one:

This is a simple but ingenious product: cloths designed to look good as an accessory in your suit coat pocket, but made from high quality microfiber that you can use to clean the screen of your phone or tablet. What I love about them is that they really work – they look good and they are better for cleaning displays than anything I have used, including the cloth that came with my very expensive iPad. I carry one with me everywhere and use one to dress up my wardrobe when wearing a sport coat or suit.

This product is another Kickstarter venture, launched by Jason Fullmer, who, while not an El Faro missionary, had the good taste and good judgment to marry Becca Henderson, one of the great hermanas of the mission.

You can get yours, in the design of your choice, at www.getdeclan.com.

Have you done something tangible, or do you know an El Faro missionary who has done something tangible? Share it with the rest of us by writing to clark.hinckley@gmail.com

Five Questions to Ask Before You Click “Post”

I love social media. When Facebook made its initial public stock offering in 2012, it was valued at an incredible $100 billion! And here’s why: it enables us to keep in touch not just with close friends, but with large numbers of acquaintances, some of whom we may not have seen for years. And that’s a great thing.

When I was called as a mission president, new mission presidents were encouraged to set up a Facebook group for their missionaries as a means of staying in touch after missionaries had returned home. I did set up a group, and I love what it does – it enables me to continue to have some regular contact with hundreds of returned missionaries. I see what they are doing, we can exchange messages, we can keep in touch in a way that was simply impossible  just a few years ago. I love reading their posts, seeing their photos, knowing where they are and what they are doing. It just isn’t possible to maintain that level of contract with hundreds of people scattered around the globe without social media.

But here’s the rub: the virtual person I see on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pintrest, and other sites may not resemble very closely the real person I have “friended.” I know I would learn more about my returned missionaries in 30-seconds of face-to-face dialogue by asking a single question, such as “When was the last time you went to the temple?” But because of the impracticality of having even brief private conversations with frequency, we rely on social media. And what we see on social media is a virtual person, and over time that virtual person becomes the person we know. This raises some interesting issues. A young college student I know, and for whom I have a great deal of respect, recently told me, “Sometimes there are people that I never see except on social media. When they put something up that may be questionable, I can’t help but think differently about them.” That’s the harsh reality of social media.

What does your virtual persona look like to others? For returned missionaries this is not a trivial question – many of the people you knew and taught as a missionary still look to you as a role model. They want to be like you. They want to be the kind of Latter-day Saint you are.

Part of the appeal of social media is that it is instantaneous – that’s why it’s called Instagram. But sometimes your immediate reaction is not your best self. Sometimes the post you are forwarding or linking to contains language, photos, and other content that is inappropriate for a disciple of Christ. Taking just a few minutes to think about how your post might be seen by others can make a big difference in how effectively and accurately you are portrayed in the vast world of the Internet.

So here are five questions to ask before you click “post.”

1.     Is your language refined and dignified? "Refined, dignified language will clearly identify you as a servant of the Lord" (Missionary Handbook, p. 8). You may not still wear a missionary name tag, but you do covenant every week to “take His name upon you” (D&C 20:77). Words are powerful, and the words you use in social media form a powerful image of who you are in the minds of those who read your posts. “How you communicate should reflect who you are as a son or daughter of God” (For the Strength of Youth, p. 20). 

2.     Is this post virtuous? “We believe in being…virtuous” (Articles of Faith 1:13). Think twice about what photos you post. While you may want to take pictures of your beach vacation, do you want all the world to see you partially clothed?  Be careful about sharing links or “liking” posts that may contain language or images that are less than virtuous.

3.     Is it kind? “We believe in being…benevolent” (Articles of Faith 1:13). “Avoid speaking in anger” (For the Strength of Youth, p. 20). Unkind or angry posts are almost always the result of an immediate emotional reaction. Delaying ten-seconds before clicking the “Post” button is usually sufficient to avoid an unkind, angry, or demeaning post. Our communications should build and inspire, never degrade, defame or belittle. Discipleship is about loving everyone. A mother’s daily instructions to her children leaving for school every morning is useful for all of us: “Be kind to all people.”

4.     Is it true? "We believe in being honest" (Articles of Faith 1:13). Before you say something or forward a link, ask yourself if it is credible. Just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true. Spreading hoaxes, false information, or untrue statements makes you a party, if even unwittingly, to a form a gossip.

5.     Would you be comfortable with your employer or future employer seeing this post? Because they probably will – many companies now review the social media sites of prospective hires. But more importantly, would you be comfortable with your mother seeing this post? With the prophet seeing this post? Does this post give license to your recent converts or others who so admire you, to be less than they should be? This post becomes part of your virtual persona – and that persona should be as great as you are!

So keep those posts and tweets coming! I “friended” you because I want to hear from you, I want to laugh with you, I want to see who you are with, I want to hear about what you are doing and what you are thinking. I want to see who you are and who you are becoming. And I want to tell you I “like” you!

Comments about the use of social media? Add them in the comments section below!

Have a story, an experience, an insight, or some thoughts to share? Become a guest blogger - send your blog post to clark.hinckley@gmail.com.

The Best Two Years (So Far)

With Thanksgiving approaching, I have been thinking about some of the many blessings I enjoy. One of those blessings has been an unending series of of experiences that, in retrospect, have built upon one another.

During my first week as a new mission president, my secretary brought a stack of letters into my office and asked me the sign them. In response to my query, he explained that they were the “death letters” for missionaries who would be released in three months.

Death letters? I soon learned that there was a rich culture of death surrounding the completion of missionary service: we sang for the “dead,” junior companions “killed” their senior companion. I had only been mission president for a couple of weeks when we had our first transfers and I interviewed a group of missionaries they day before they returned home. It was a somber occasion, not unlike a funeral.  What I began to realize during the course of those interviews was that these missionaries – most of the 21 years old – felt that the best of their life was over. It became clear during the course of the interviews that they had been told over and over again in countless ways that their mission would be the best two years of their life. It also became clear that my job was to convince them that that was a lie!

A mission is a remarkable, memorable, unique and life-changing experience in so many ways it would be almost impossible to describe them all. But the best two years of your life? I hope not! A mission is the best two years of your life so far. One of my jobs as mission president was to remind missionaries that, as incredible as the past two years or eighteen months had been, the best was yet to come. For missionary at the end of his or her mission, it is hard to imagine that any two year period could even match, let alone exceed the past two years. But it can, and it should. No one should reach their apogee at age 21.

Noah's Ark - click to enlarge

The Best Two Years: Between High School and Mission

As evidence, I have been reflecting on my own life. For more than a decade, I lived it in two-year periods, each building on the previous. I was seventeen when I graduated from high school, and the next two years – as a college student – became the best two years of my life (so far). My decision to attend BYU was made after high school graduation, and I didn’t know a single soul who was planning to go to BYU that fall. I unpacked my bags in a stark dorm room without a friend on the campus.  Because of missionary restrictions imposed due to the military draft, I would not be eligible for a mission for another year and half. Those early semesters at BYU were the best two years (actually about eighteen months) of my life to that point. It was a period of personal growth, great new friendships, social development, learning. What could be better than being a college student in the Sixties?!

The Best Two Years: A Mission

What could be – and was – better was being a missionary. I arrived in Cordoba, Argentina in June, two years after I had graduated from high school. The next two years were amazing. I learned a new language, experienced a new culture, met remarkable people, struggled, worked, got rejected, and witnessed miracles. My companions and I were given responsibilities and expectations. We got up early every morning, we worked hard, and we slept well. We did things. By the time I returned home two years later I was a very different person than I had been when I left. I had confidence, I could look people in the eye, I could teach, I knew things, I could do things. It was the best two years of my life.

The Best Two Years: More College

I arrived home from the mission field one week before classes started, and I spent the next two years finishing my college degree. It was as different from being a missionary as being a missionary had been different from being a college freshman. But it was a remarkable two years, filled with learning, growth and fun. I had wonderful roommates. Many of them were friends and companions  from the mission, but we rarely spoke of our mission memories – our life was too full with classes, dating, Church service, and planning for the future to spend much time reminiscing. During those two years, my gospel knowledge increased, my social skills improved (I still had a long ways to go from the geeky high school kid whose primary extracurricular activity was teaching a slide rule class), and my testimony deepened. It was the best two years yet.

The Best Two Years: Graduate School

After college graduation, I spent the next two years in Boston earning an MBA at the Harvard Business School. It was an amazing two years, and changed my life. I have often joked that my experience at the Harvard Business School was the best two years and $10,000 of my life! Everything about it was life-changing for me: living in Boston, traveling around New England, school, Church, new friends. Many of my closest friends today date from those years in Boston. Between years I worked in New York City, and no one can live in New York without having it change their life. And it was near the end of these two years that I met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman from Dallas, Kathleen Hansen.

The Best Two Years: Ad Infinitum

I could continue. The next two years Kathleen and I spent in New York City. We became “city people” – and we still love urban life. I served in a bishopric, we made great friends, we learned, we grew, and we had our first child. It was such a remarkable couple of years that we thought nothing would ever be better and that we would never be that happy again! We then went to Salt Lake City for two years where I dabbled in real estate development, served on a high council, had another child, and had experiences which shaped our lives. 

After that, the two-year cycle changed: we spent a year in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (where we had another child); five years in Grand Rapids, Michigan (three more children); two more years in Bloomfield Hills (a ward that changed our life); ten years in Arizona (where we wondered if we had really been happy anywhere else). There we had our sixth child, I served in a stake presidency, and we had Church, work, family and social experiences that kept us growing and learning.  A career move brought us reluctantly to Salt Lake – could anything ever be better than that magical decade in Arizona? 

The answer, of course, was yes. We segment the past nineteen years in Salt Lake mostly by Church callings. I served for several years on the high council under the tutelage of the legendary stake president, Theodore M. Jacobsen. When he was released, I was called as stake president. I was pretty certain that serving as president of the Bonneville Stake was the best calling in the Church and that nothing would ever compare to it. Then I served three years as president of the Spain Barcelona Mission. More miracles, more learning, more growth, increased faith, deeper testimony, and the most amazing young men and women I had ever met! Then it was over. Could anything even come close? I never imagined how much I would learn and how much fun I would have after the mission. I have felt the guidance of the Spirit in remarkable ways, seen many miracles in my family, and continued to learn and grow. I thought I understood baptism as a mission president, but working in the temple has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the power of ordinances. Pursuing my goal of writing has been extraordinarily rewarding. And the great friendships and associations from BYU, Harvard, New York City, Michigan, Arizona and Barcelona continue to be a source of satisfaction and learning.

I can hardly wait to see what’s next!

Tell us about your most recent two years. Share your thoughts by commenting below, or submit your own post to the blog (send to clark.hinckley@gmail.com).

The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

Guest Blogger: David Mitchell

Elders Miskin, Black and Mitchell, July 2009

Over a year ago I became acquainted with a recent convert who had immigrated to Utah seeking to distance herself from the persecution she was receiving from her family and friends because of her decision to join the church. Over the course of a few months it became clear that she was not mentally stable and would often act in self-destructive ways. We had become friends and I would often give her my advice and opinions on concerns and trials she was facing, but would always tell her to seek the council of the bishop on many topics because of the priesthood keys he holds. In April, she moved to another city and, following the advice and counsel of my bishop, I ceased all communication with her. However, she continued to send me communications that were hurtful and suggested that her emotional state was very volatile. Concerned, I went to the Provo Temple with a desire to not leave until I had an answer regarding what, if anything, I could or should do to help her. While praying in the Celestial Room, I felt through the medium of the Holy Ghost a scripture that would often come into my mind on the mission when things didn’t go according to plan. The scripture is found in Psalms 46 which states: “Be still, and know that I am God.” I then said within the confines of my mind, “Well yes, but how should I act? What would you have me do, for surely this is outside of my hands.” I then felt a confidence flow through me as if everything was going to be alright. The impression came into my mind that I had done all that the Lord would have me do and I was to not get involved, but rather to stand aside and view the hand of the Lord concerning the affair. That evening I also asked for a blessing and received the same counsel I had received in the temple.

I left the situation in the hands of the Lord, and assumed that would be the end of the whole affair, and for a time it was. In September, as I was getting ready to start my last year at BYU, the issue again presented itself in the form of a Facebook message from one of her friends stating in the midst of a plethora of vulgarity and mean things that this friend knew where I lived and where I went to school. The friend further elaborated that she was going to find me and kill me. I had no idea, nor do I now, who this person is other than she is a friend of the girl I had cut connections with. I had no idea of this person’s potential or intent, so I called the police and had a protective order filed in my behalf.

Final Interview

This was a very stressful time for me. My family prayed, sought counsel, and fasted together as we prepared for the hearing with the judge. The morning of the hearing I had prayed to receive comfort and a blessing. However, due to the earliness of the hour I didn’t want to wake my roommates and ask for one. However, contrary to the norm, one of my roommates was up. He began to ask me about the upcoming hearing and tried to calm my nerves. In the end, he hesitantly asked me if I would like a blessing. I responded that I would love one. He gave me a quick, but wonderful blessing. After finishing, he asked me curiously if I knew of a young girl with long black hair and glasses. I responded that I did, and showed him a picture of my cousin. He responded that that was the girl he was referring to, and even though they had never met before, she had come to him several times in his dreams that evening asking him to give me a blessing. I was amazed at the love I had received. After the hearing, I met with my cousin to get ice cream at the BYU creamery. I mentioned to her about the experience concerning the blessing. She told me that all during the night she had been praying to Heavenly Father asking him to send someone to give me a blessing because she didn’t think that I would ask for one. Her final prayer before she headed off to institute that morning happened to occur at approximately the same time that my roommate had felt inspired to ask me if I wanted a blessing.

Through this experience I have learned again that the Lord is aware of everything that transpires in our lives. He loves us and cares for our wellbeing and will give us specific counsel when we ask specific questions. I have learned the true power of fasting and that when many are gathered in a common cause miracles are wrought. I know also that the Lord hears and answers every prayer, even those that are not uttered vocally. While I don’t know what the future holds, I know that as long as we stay near the Lord blessings will follow and we will be protected from the evils of this life. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but in so doing, he is able to bless the lives of His children.

David returned home in July 2010. He is a senior in civil engineering at BYU-Provo.

Have a miracle story you would be willing to share? Email your story to chinckley@mba1973.hbs.edu.

¿La vida? Muy buena...

Guest Blogger: Logan Keller

I am currently still in the “adjusting period.”  On September 3^rd, I returned home from a 15-week stint in the largest city in the world, la gran Ciudad de Mexico.  I often find myself feeling the desire to go get tacos around 10:30 at night and realizing that Betos is the closest thing to a taco stand, or responding to a professor’s question with “¿Cómo?” But, life is good—muy buena.

Elder Keller arrives at El Prat, 25 Aug 2009

The first half of my time in Mexico City was spent working for a foundation named the Academy for Creating Enterprises, which teaches returned Mexican missionaries business principles based on church doctrine.  Interacting with and coaching these recently (and not so recently) returned missionaries, really impacted my perspective on life. Many of the students return from two years of consecrated service to few job offers and even fewer opportunities to further their education.  I had a hard time reconciling how these new friends of mine, who had similar mission experiences, interests, and testimonies of the gospel, had such a different pathway to success and prosperity than I did.  It was neat to see how knowledge empowered them and gave them an added measure of hope and faith for the future.  They taught me so much through their humble, ambitious examples.  I am grateful the Lord is giving me opportunities to apply the skills I learned while on a mission in Barcelona along with the business education I am learning at BYU to help make a difference where I can.

At Sants

After the internship, una “amiguita” invited me to spend some time at her house in the hills outside the city. Excited to gain a different insight to the Mexican culture, I accepted the offer.  She also invited me to be a counselor in charge of missionary work at a multi-stake EFY she was directing.  Although it was a little strange being the only gringo at a weeklong conference for 500 Mexican teenagers, I experienced one of the most spiritually uplifting weeks of my life.  My assignment as the missionary work counselor was to give a lesson on Preach My Gospel and discuss how they could prepare now for their missions.  I prepared a short slide show with pictures of Barcelona and a few of the miracles stories I witnessed which they seemed to enjoy. Many of the youth are new converts and the only active members of their family. Their stories are inspiring. By the end of the week, it was neat to hear the youth of Mexico bare testimony about how excited they are to serve missions and to stay strong in the church.  I left this week with upwards of 150 new friend requests on Facebook and a strong confidence in the youth of the church.  The Lord is preparing them to preform wonders. It is clear to me they will be ready.

Last day in the mission: farewell portrait

After EFY, I checked into the newly transformed Centro de Capacitación Misional de Mexico.  Three times the size of the Provo MTC (including the soccer fields across the street), this spacious campus is beautifully maintained and houses more than 800 missionaries.  I joined a group of about 45 Spanish instructors contracted by the church to spend a period of time teaching missionaries and mentoring Latin teachers who would be teaching Spanish language instruction to English speakers.  The majority of the missionaries at the Mexico MTC are North Americans who will be serving in the Western region of the US. They are sent down to the Mexico MTC in order to make space available for visa waiters in Provo.  My time in Mexico was filled with full-time teaching, Mexican food, young single adult dances every Friday, soccer games, occasional weekend getaways with friends, and excursions to the city in the afternoons.

Through these experiences, I have gained a stronger understanding that God is my Heavenly Father.  He is aware of my weaknesses and talents. He places me in very specific situations to learn and to help others grow.  I have the same purpose as I did in Barcelona and when I focus on helping others to come unto Christ, the Lord helps me to do the same. Life is good—muy buena.

Logan is from Salt Lake City and returned home in June 2011. He served exclusively in Cataluña. He currently attends BYU-Provo where he studies finance in the Marriott School.