My Attitude Made the Difference

Many years ago, while living in Europe, I had an unusual experience that brought me some spiritual insight that has influenced my life for good ever since. 

 

As I recall, this took place during my first meeting with our bishop after I was sustained as the new ward Relief Society President. As I came into his office, I was greatly surprised to see that he had written quite a few names of sisters on the blackboard. He explained that their arrangement showed how he thought their visiting teaching assignments should be organized.

Frankly, I was completely taken aback. In Argentina, when I was called to help the R.S. president organize and supervise the visiting teaching program, I remembered spending hours and hours on my hands and knees with a large map of greater Buenos Aires and the list of sisters, praying continually to receive the inspiration to set up the companionships and routes. I had assumed that one of my major new responsibilities as R.S. president in this different ward would involve my going through that long process once again. 

Once I overcame my astonishment, and I realized that the bishop expected me to follow the inspiration he had already received, I recall laughing in my mind, and thinking, “Well, if he wants to take that over, let him!” I had recently given birth to our sixth child, and I realized that I now had one urgent project already well on the way to completion.

 

In retrospect, I believe the Spirit prompted me to accept what he had done as a blessing that lightened my burden, rather than resent it as an intrusion on my stewardship, or take it as manifestation of his lack of confidence in my ability to carry out my new stewardship. Over the years, I have sometimes shared that experience, because to me it is a great example of how our attitudes can either help or harm us spiritually.

 

I may have been wrong, but I saw our very intelligent and compassionate bishop as having the strong kind of personality that impelled him to get personally involved in all aspects of any calling he held. I sustained him wholeheartedly in his role as our ward leader, and we went on to have a very cordial working relationship.

 

My personality is different from that of many leaders; and in many matters, I am happy to let others make the decisions. I can take charge and organize things when that is needful, but I also try to be a sympathetic listener, and to find ways of helping to reconcile and unify people when there is a problem with different factions within a group. In carrying out programs I have tried to seek input from others, especially those who might have a perspective different from mine. I have also been glad to delegate things to others whom I judged had greater competence––or to people with stronger personalities who had great ideas! 

 

Isn’t it wonderful how the Lord teaches us important things about relationships by having us learn to work in harmony with a variety of personalities to carry out his purposes? 

 

Since the Lord’s plan is to have his Church run by imperfect humans who come to learn important truths through sad experience as well as through receiving and following spiritual promptings, I’ve found that a positive attitude has always helped me to cope with the burdens of Church callings and to work openheartedly with my leaders. 

 

After decades of serving in many different callings under the direction of leaders with vastly differing personalities and leadership styles, I’m able to testify that the Lord will provide an abundance of his sustaining comfort and enabling power to all those who choose to look for the good in their leaders while humbly working together to build his Kingdom in these latter days.