Leaders can help young men prepare
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As president of the Chile Santiago West Mission, John Hadfield would cart his newly arrived missionaries to the top of San Cristobol Hill where he would ask them to gaze over that vast city and tell him what they saw.
Some were impressed with the endless layers of housing. Others noticed the haze. Still others described the busy streets with people scurrying in all directions.
Drawing all these observations together, he'd lead his young missionaries in a discussion of their assignment, concluding with the Lord's counsel to lift their hearts and rejoice, for the hour of their mission had come.
Continuing with thoughts from Doctrine and Covenants 31: 3-7, he'd help them understand the Lord's promise to aid them in declaring the glad tidings of great joy; and to open the hearts of the people.
The purpose of the excursion, he said, was to expand their vision of their assignment and open their eyes to the heavenly help that aids missionary work.
Four years after his release as mission president, President Hadfield was called as president of the Rancho Cucamonga California Stake in June 2005.
Imbued with the spirit of missionary service, he considered President Gordon B. Hinckley's charge to young men, their parents and leaders to raise the quality of their service.
How will preparation for missionary service ever improve, he wondered, if we continue to do as we have always done? "If we are to do things never accomplished, then we must do things never done before," he concluded.
The first week as a new stake president, he interviewed all the priest-age young men, during which time he encouraged them to serve missions and helped them set goals.
"The first visit to the stake president's office should not come when the young man is 19 years old and interviewing for his mission," he decided.
For their efforts, the average number of missionaries from the stake rose from 23 per year to 40.
Their focus as a stake was to "build traditions that would build success."
All activities were reviewed, and sometimes reorganized, to consider how others outside the Church might be blessed.
Stake leaders began with a young men conference. Following the format established in Chile, President Hadfield led the youth to a nearby hillside where they viewed the city before them and considered their obligations to become missionaries of testimony and prepare to be future husbands.
A similar conference was conducted for the young women in which they considered their responsibilities in future families.
During these conferences, President Hadfield helped them deepen their commitment by illustrating how Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 B.C., in northern Italy, and how he attempted to hearten the commitment of his army by burning their boats behind them, leaving them no retreat.
In a symbolic act of making such a commitment to serve, the youth were invited to step across an artificial Rubicon as a show of their determination to prepare and serve.
Committing early in life has proven to steady and fortify the youth in their decisions and activities, President Hadfield said.
Stake and ward leaders have been more mindful of wrapping their arms around their youth. Some need more attention, he said, which comes in more frequent contact by an interview or activity or a letter or phone call.
"Do things that build rapport," he counsels his youth leaders. "It's a simple matter of doing what the Spirit directs," he said. "When we do, the Spirit directs again."
E-mail to: shaun@desnews.com
