Lexington North Zone Conference - January 23rd

Lexington North Zone
Top row: Elder Hicken, Elder Skousen, Elder C. Larson, Elder Henderson, Elder . Johnson, Elder Behling,
Elder Jacobsen, Elder Jacobson, Elder Geary, Elder Aranda, Elder Gallagher, Elder Torrico
Third row Sister Stacey, Sister Briggs, Hermana Carnahan, Hermana Graham, Hermana Bailey, Hermana Arancibia, Hermana McDonald, Sister Heiner, Sister Atkin, Sister Thorne, Sister Logan, Sister LeFevre, Sister Myler,
Sister Airmet, Hermana Wadley, Sister Murphy
Second row: Elder J. Jensen, Elder Inga, Elder Pritchett, Elder Bt Allen, Sister Woodbury, President Woodbury,
Elder Carson, Elder Plumb, Elder Gerard, Elder Green
Front row: Elder Z. Evans, Elder Shelley, Elder Burns, Elder Seymore, Elder J. Allen, Elder Magleby  

        This round of Zone Conferences began Wednesday, January 22nd, with the Lexington Zone, and continued on Thursday, January 23rd in the same city, but now in the Lexington North Stake Center on Sir Barton Way.  

        The Lexington North Zone Conference main session was conducted by Elder Z. Evans, an Assistant to the President. Hermana McDonald was at the piano for the hymns and prelude and Hermana Graham was the chorister. Elder Gallagher gave the Opening Prayer and Recitals were led by Sister Logan. Miracle Conversion or Contacting stories were given by Elder Geary and Elder Jacobsen, Elder Behling and Elder Gerard, and Hermana McDonald and Hermana Wadley. Sister Woodbury did the Cleanliness Survey, the song, and the awards, then President Woodbury talked about Auto Safety, as required by the Missionary Department, this time emphasizing winter driving on ice and snow.  Sister Woodbury gave a talk about a Christlike Attribute as in Preach My Gospel, this time faith. Sister Thorne did a lovely piano piece for the musical number, then President Woodbury did Tune-Ups. The Tune-Ups by President Woodbury began with a sort of State of the Union, rather, a State of the Mission, then a serious talk about missionary in-field misconduct and transgression. He said he felt Jacob in Jacob 2 when he had to come down on the people, and had to talk about things that might offend the innocent. Still, he related how the first two weeks of this year were horrible because he not only had to send home a missionary because of what he had done on his mission, but also his companion, who allowed and in some cases facilitated it. The President  outlined specific behaviors that he will not tolerate, and had everyone stand up to witness that they have been warned.

        Sister Woodbury led everyone in the Missionary Medley then President Woodbury spoke on a topic on which Elder Zwick had likewise instructed the Mission Leadership Council. He talked about sanctification and how important it is if we are to participants instead of just spectators in hastening the Work. 

After splitting into groups, three rotations of classes occurred before and after lunch, the first being with President Woodbury on the topic of expanding our pool of members for Member Present Lessons. The Assistants to the President, Elder  Hicken and Elder Z. Evans did a workshop on helping investigators to repent and access the Atonement, and the Zone Leaders, Elder Carson and Elder Bt Allen, focused on helping investigators seek and find the Spirit.

In President Woodbury's class

The Zone Leaders Session:
This is when the lights were turned on after the "investigator"
had to navigate through the darkness without and later
with a light (the Holy Ghost)

           In their break-out session, the Assistants to the President led an inspiring and in some cases heart-rending demonstration relating to the Atonement. Like in the story of the Seminary class doing the same, in the first session Elder Geary was asked if he would do twenty push-ups for each person in the group in turn, so they could have a donut. As they watched Elder Geary do the push-ups for them, even if they didn't want the donut,  the mood of the room grew more and more somber. Toward the end, Elder Geary was shaking with the effort, having to split and do tens at a time until all the people had their donuts - 360 push-ups.  The relationship to the Atonement was easy to see and facilitated the Assistants talking about helping investigators to access the Atonement through repentance. 

         The first pictures are of Elder Geary and the later ones are of Elder C. Larson. I didn't get pictures of session in between.

The hero of the first rotation - Elder Geary

Elder C. Larson doing push-ups so others can have a donut.

The hero of the third session - Elder C. Larson

        After lunch and singing "Called to Serve" GKLM-style for the Relief Society Sisters who provided lunch, 

Our wonderful Relief Society Sisters who made us lunch

it was back to work, going back into the second and third rotation of break-out sessions.

An afternoon session with President Woodbury

        When the break-out session were finished, everyone gathered back in the chapel for a wrap-up by President Woodbury and the testimonies of those missionaries finishing their missions before the next Zone Conference, namely Elder Gallagher, Elder Green, Elder Allen, Elder  Hicken and Elder Z. Evans.

         With her trusty tripod and camera timer, Sister Woodbury took a Zone picture (see the beginning of this post) and other shots after the conference was officially over. There were copies of the pictures she had taken recently, along with Ensign magazines, the current Trumpet, and two Sister Woodbury cookies each.

Sister Briggs, Elder Pritchett, Elder Bt Allen

Elder Magleby, Elder J. Johnson, Elder J. Jensen

Elder Jacobson, Elder Burns, Elder Aranda, Elder Carson,
Elder Shelley, Elder C. Larson,  Elder J. Johnson

Sister Atkin, Sister Heiner, Sister Airmet

Everyone left with renewed energy and determination to do their part in hastening the Work of Salvation. 

(If you'd  like to think that missionaries are always serious and dignified, stop reading this post at this point. If you know in reality that even missionaries can and need to have a little fun, we have one more picture for you...)

An Egyptian (or whatever) finding method