Visit from Elder Pieper

Elder Pieper of the Quorum of the 70 stopped by for dinner at the Jerusalem Center tonight. He was here on church business, and wanted to have dinner with the students tonight. Needless to say, we gathered around him like moths to the flame. And the things he said to us around the dinner table were definitely things worth remembering. It started out very casual, about forty-five minutes of just talking. But then he really started teaching us. Sitting around one of the dinner tables in the Oasis, he opened it up for questions. It was amazing, and probably the strongest I've felt the spirit since I've been here. Some things he mentioned were:

• To pray for the Arab nations. He talked a lot about the turmoil facing the Arab world today, and continually urged us to pray for them.
• The need for continually strengthening your testimony. In our Old Testament class today we talked about the need to continually strengthen your testimony on what it is based on. We talked about how a testimony based on miracles cannot last, because it cannot be continually reinforced by miracles. We talked about how you need to build your testimony on faith, because you can strengthen your faith. Miracles cannot produce faith; faith produces miracles.
• Pray for the gospel to be opened in areas of the world where the gospel cannot be taught. This was particularly applicable to us, here in Israel, because we cannot spread the gospel here. He mentioned President Monson's talk from October 2009, where he urged us to pray for areas of the world where the gospel has not yet been opened. He quoted President Monson and said, "I would ask that your faith and prayers continue to be offered in behalf of those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely at this time. Miracles can occur as we do so." He emphasized the "miracles can occur as we do so," which brings me to the next point.

(A picture I took of Elder Pieper as he taught us tonight.)

• It will take a bigger miracle for the gospel to be opened in Arab nations than it took for the gospel to be opened behind the Iron Curtain. Right now, people simply cannot convert from Islam to Christianity. It's near impossible. But he said to continue praying.
• Temples can make us feel like we can become greater than we are. He told us about someone in Ukraine(?) and their experience going through the open house in the temple. The person talked about how he loves Catholic cathedrals, but said that they are dark and made to make people feel small. He continued that as he went through the open house in the temple, with each room he went through he got the stronger feeling that he had so much more potential than he understood.
• Cheerfully do all that is within our power, and then stand back and see the salvation of the Lord. This was a response to someone's question, and it was based on D&C 123:16-17. They asked him for advice as to what we should be doing right now to help the Arab world. I thought it was a good response. :)
• Keep balance in our lives. Someone asked him what his favorite scripture was. He didn't want to respond with a specific scripture, saying it changed depending on the day. But he did say that today he was reading in Jacob about the olive trees because he is in Israel, and he said that it struck him to make sure we have balance in our lives: don't let the branches get ahead of the roots and don't let the roots get in the way of the branches. It was a good concept.  (By the way, my personal favorite scripture is Moroni 7:45-47 for anyone who is wondering). 
• Collect the stories of the people we meet. Such good advice.
• We need the power of the Priesthood to sustain us more than ever. He emphasized power, although the authority is important as well. He told us it is important to have strength in the Priesthood, and that having that strength across the world is what will sustain us in the last days.

I learned so much tonight. I felt the spirit so strongly. I was inspired to be a better person. It was a pretty good dinner conversation, overall, I would say.