The MTC Experience

The MTC is a wonderful experience. How blessed we are to have this facility where we can learn about becoming missionaries. It's so great to be around all these young Elders and Sisters. They are truly the elect of God. There are 75 senior couples training with us this week. They are all kind, devoted Saints, willing to serve their Lord and King. It's inspiring to be associated with them. This week has been a Celestial week in our lives.

Our two returned-missionary grandsons and us

Elder Monson and I have given the first lesson, The Restoration, and the second lesson, The Plan of Salvation, from Preach My Gospel to nonmember "volunteers" from the community. These people are also faithful Saints, devoting one morning a week to help us become better missionaries. It was scary to teach, but enlightening. It feels good to know we can still learn and grow at our age! We are tired!

We heard the following experience from an MTC fireside by Elder David Bednar. 

When he was a Stake President in the south, President Boyd K. Packer spoke at their stake conference. As they were having lunch, Elder Bednar reminded President Packer that they had met before when Elder Bednar was a young missionary in Germany. Elder Bednar was supposed to take President and Sister Packer to the airport to fly from southern Germany to the free section of Berlin during the time when part of Germany was controlled by communism.

The planes were grounded because of bad weather. So Elder Bednar put President and Sister Packer on a train to go to Berlin. He worried the travelers might get hungry on the way and slipped Elder Packer a 20 mark note, which was quite a lot of money.

As Elder Bednar told this story, he hadn't remembered giving Elder Packer the money. Elder Packer told Elder Bednar the rest of the story at lunch. President Packer repeated the story in a talk he gave at BYU Idaho when Elder Bednar was President there.

When the train got to the border of communist-controlled Germany, the police came through to check the passports. President Packer's was approved, but Sister Packer's was not because she had a three-year passport with an extension. The communist government didn't recognize it as valid. They returned it to President Packer and were going to put Sister Packer off the train.

President Packer slipped the 20 mark note into the passport and gave it back to the police. It was approved several hours later. He breathed a sigh of relief and offered a prayer of gratitude.

Elder Bednar couldn't have known that the money was necessary to get the Packers safely to Berlin, but the Lord knew. 

Elder Bednar went on to say that there are times when we unaware that we are an instrument in the hands of the Lord. The Lord can use us to bless others even if we don't know it.

That can be a testimony to all of us, whether full time missionaries or member missionaries. Let's remember that

The Lord may be using us to bless the lives of others whether we know it or not.

Here is a link to the entire talk President Packer gave at BYU Idaho

http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2002_03_12_Packer.htm