After the conference there was a special meeting for investigators and new members to meet Elder Condie and also President Wood, the president of the Boston temple. I shook hands with President Wood after he had just finished talking to one of our investigators. Of course he asked if I was related and I said no. Apparently our investigator had been saying good things about us, so President Wood said something to the effect of, “You are bringing honor to that name.” Needless to say, it was a Dear Diary moment. In all seriousness, it was an answer to prayer. I remember feeling so intimidated by the prospect of being called to Dad’s mission and trying to live up to the name. Of course, anyone who knows me can attest that I am a professional worrier. I can find just about anything to worry about and fuss over and the name thing was something I worried about a lot. I think this was another way of God sending me a reminder that I don’t need to fear and worry and fret so much. As long as I do my best everything will work out, and I can say, “I have done nothing with your name of which you need be ashamed.” Which prophet told that story? I can’t remember.
Most of our investigators are doing amazingly well, getting rid of their booze and coffee and sharing the gospel with their friends. We have baptisms planned for May 30th and June 19th. This transfer stretched my capacity so much, I feel like I grew more than in the past three transfers or so.
This morning in my study I was thinking about the word “bar” in the context of Jacob 6:13: “Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen.” I first thought of the word “bar” in terms of law and judgment—standing before the judgment bar of God. But then you can also think of “bar” as a verb, how the judgment of God is when the wicked are barred, or stopped, from progressing because of their own choices. Then I thought of the Tennyson poem “Crossing the Bar,” which talks about a sailor crossing a sandbar to reach the harbor and meet “my Pilot face to face,” which is a metaphor about death and meeting God. So all these things talk about being judged, seeing the face of God, being stopped in your progression if you made bad choices, etc.
Finally, I looked up the word “bar” in the Bible dictionary, and it turns out that it is Aramaic for “son”—hence, “Simon Bar-jona” is “Simon, son of Jona,” etc. “Until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar (Son) of God, which bar (Son) striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear.” The Son judges us, and “strikes” us with dread and fear if we are not prepared for that final judgment. Then he brings us to the presence of Heavenly Father, to see him face to face, through His Atonement. Yay! I am going to have such a hard time conversing about normal, real-life things when this is all over. J
Much love,
Sister Monson
