His Yoke

Dear Family and Loved Ones, 

     We really enjoyed our first week of summer vacation. Ben and Mari especially liked sleeping in and loved not having any homework but by the end of the week they were feeling a little bored :) They are really looking forward to a visit from two of their cousins this week.

     Monday we took Ted to a Father’s Day movie, The Avengers, which we all enjoyed! 

     Ted was busy all week working with many missionaries, helping them through a variety of issues. With 153 missionaries things can go wrong but they are usually quickly resolved with some inspired correction. These young missionaries are so teachable, they are humble and willing to take direction. Ted also had some time to work on transfers, even though they are still a couple of weeks away, it takes a lot of time so it’s good to plan ahead as much as possible. 

     We also got word this week that my Dad has a new health challenge. He is fighting pneumonia, dehydration and a hip infection. Fortunately they were all caught early and he is responding well to medical care and the many prayers of family and friends. It is a great blessing to have an amazing family who love to serve my Dad, as well as capable, caring medical professionals who do their best to care for him. We feel helpless at times but do all we can to exercise our faith and prayers for both my Dad and everyone who is taking care of him.

     I spent the weekend fighting a stomach virus, nothing serious but definitely bad timing. Because I was sick I missed a special sealing in the Newport Beach Temple and Long Beach Stake Conference this weekend. Two of our returned missionaries, a sister from Vermont and an Elder from Wyoming were married. They chose California since there aren’t temples close to either of their homes. Ted was able to go to the sealing which he thoroughly enjoyed. Several of our other former missionaries were in attendance and he also got to meet the bride and grooms families. They even had a reception at one of the local church buildings where the sister had served during her mission.

     I was also disappointed about missing stake conference today especially since it was in my very favorite stake in the mission, the Long Beach Stake. I love how diverse Long Beach Stake is, they have the best choirs and the members show such great respect by dressing in their nicest Sunday clothes. I heard from several of the missionaries who were in attendance and they said Ted’s talk was AMAZING! I wish I could have been there. Fortunately we’ll be back in six months so I’ll look forward to the next conference. 

     Elder Holland’s talk at Whittier Stake Conference a couple of weeks ago was incredible and I also loved the message given by Elder Bassett, an Area Seventy from Sacramento. Elder Bassett is a very new Seventy and looks so young. Elder Holland said “Isn’t Elder Bassett great, next week he’ll be receiving is Eagle Scout Award.” (He really looks like he’s twenty) The theme of the Stake Conference was overcoming trials through faith in Jesus Christ. Elder Bassett shared the very familiar scripture from Matt 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Elder Bassett said that too often when we read this scripture seeking relief from a difficulty in life we stop with verse twenty-eight but we need to continue reading to understand how we come unto Christ and experience rest. In verse twenty-nine the Savior says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Elder Bassett explained it isn’t enough for us to call upon the Savior and think our problems will be solved, we need to accept all of His invitation to stand and serve alongside Him. A yoke is a work implement, Christ is calling on us to find our rest and peace by doing His work. He will be doing His part but wants us to place the other half of the yoke upon ourselves. The world teaches that when we are down we need to look out for ourselves, enjoy recreation and selfish pursuits. Jesus Christ has shown us through his example that as we forget ourselves and go to work with Him we will find the peace and comfort we are seeking. 

     Elder Maxwell explained what it means to take upon us Christ’s yoke, he said, “He who bore the atoning yoke has asked us to “take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matt. 11:29). So the taking of Jesus’ yoke upon us constitutes serious discipleship. There is no greater calling, no greater challenge, and no greater source of joy—both proximate joy and ultimate joy—than that which is found in the process of discipleship. This process brings its own joys and reassurances. We must not, however, expect the world to understand or to value our discipleship; they will not. In a way, they may admire us from afar, but they will be puzzled about the priorities resulting from our devotion. Shouldering the yoke of discipleship greatly enhances both our adoration and knowledge of Jesus, because then we experience, firsthand, through our parallel but smaller-scaled experiences, a small but instructive portion of what the Savior experienced. In this precious process, the more we do what Jesus did—allow our wills to be “swallowed up in the will of the Father”—the more we will learn of Jesus (Mosiah 15:7). This emulation directly enhances our adoration of Jesus. Simultaneously, in this same process, the more we become like Jesus, the more we come to know Him. There may even be, more than we now know, some literalness in His assertion, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). We lack deep understanding of the implications of that remark of Jesus. As with so many things, He is telling us more than we are now prepared to receive. 
    We are grateful and blessed to be serving the Lord here in Long Beach. 

     We love each of you, 

 The Long Beach Buberts