Address To Ward Preparedness Leaders - 4/24/22
Resiliency is the ability to take an adverse situation, learn quickly, take command, handle it, and solve it, I would add to the benefit of others beyond yourself. Resiliency is founded on our faith, testimony and ability to take courage in that the Lord will guide us on what we need to do in the situation we are handed.
In Mosiah 2:17 “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.’
We serve God, when we serve others. That means being both prepared and resilient.
Preparedness is a daily path, even to be used, executed today, tomorrow or many tomorrows from now 5 years, 10 years to 100 years…it does not matter. The path is what matters. Building not just in temporal ways, but in our mental, psychological, emotional, and spiritual strength that resiliency requires.
Building on our Prophet’s insight on spiritual momentum, I invite you to build resiliency momentum. Work first to build your spiritual strength in service, prayer, fasting, scripture reading, and family.
Second, review examples stories of resiliency in the scriptures. They will provide you with a spiritual insight that leaders of the past facing circumstances they did not know how to handle or take initiative in to move forward. They had resiliency momentum. We can learn the resiliency pattern. The ability to see things with our temporal but spiritual eyes. To see the truth of things – basing our action plan on true facts. Then, taking action in faith, with the Holy Ghost guiding us with personal revelation and our calling in preparing and acting in service to others always and in a crisis.
Momentum is much like a sailing a boat. The boat only steers and moves ahead when it is moving otherwise it is ‘caught in irons’. Our lives and our spiritual being are like that boat. It takes great effort to get it started, but once the boat is moving it takes less effort to keep it going. But, always remember to keep it going.
Find ways to build resiliency in your life, then the obstacles that come are more for your edification and strength building then – a disaster.
Where do we get this resiliency momentum from? The Holy Ghost:
2 Nephi 32: 5: “For behold, I say unto you that if ye enter in by the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.” Did he say 70%, or 90% no 100% all things including what you need to do in your calling, yourself and your family.
The Holy Ghost will show you what you should do to prepared and become more agile, strong and take initiative in disasters, crises or events that are unprecedented.
The events, disasters, conflict are times for us to find out who we are, what side we are on – God’s side, or the Adversary, and be what the Lord wants us to be, follower of Christ, seeking all that is virtuous and just. We stand with the weak, the vulnerable and the powerless they are the ones most impacted by a conflict, disaster, or challenge.
We are called to be there for them, with all our infirmities, weaknesses and lack of ability. Yet, we can do anything that God has the power overcome, so lets’ get on with it.
“Seek a vibrant relationship with the unknown”. Says, Linda Kavelin Popov – noted hospice therapist and leader at the Values Project worldwide to families.
Rather than run from the unknown we need to lean into it, embrace the rhythm, stay light in the saddle. Let us continuously prepare our ability to be resilient in the face of overlapping crises. We need to expect the unexpected. The COVID pandemic was a once in one hundred year event that affected every person on Earth. Expect the next challenge will be new as well, with possibility cascading events presenting unique challenges.
May you be blessed in all that you do,
Thomas HIll
Director, Los Altos Stake Preparedness & Resiliency