Elder Jörg Klebingat came to the California Riverside Mission for multi-zone conferences!

Multi-zone conferences are always special in any mission, but our multi-zone conferences were extra special in April. Elder Jörg Klebingat, General Authority Seventy joined us. We were completely and spiritually enlightened by his words and by his presence.

 

Elder Jörg Klebingat and President and Sister Hammon

Elder Jörg Klebingat is from Germany and has been a Seventy since 2014. He is a member of the Northwest Area Presidency under which the California Riverside Mission is organized. His wife Julie grew up in Riga, Latvia. They have three children.

Elder Klebingat gave an exceptional talk at the October 2014 General Conference, titled, “Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence” which all the missionaries were asked to read prior to Elder Klebingat’s arrival.  

We split the mission into two. The south zones—Hemet, Lake Elsinore, and Menifee—met on Friday at the Menifee Stake Center. Our Mission Leadership Council (MLC) also met after the conference where Elder Klebingat shared ten leadership principles.

 

South zones--Hemet, Lake Elsinore, and Menifee

The north zones—Corona, Jurupa, Moreno Valley, and Riverside—met on Saturday in the Grand Building and also home to the Mission Office. 

North zones--Corona, Jurupa, Moreno Valley, and Riverside

I cannot begin to write down everything that he taught in this blog, but I will bullet a few concepts that caused me—and, I know the missionaries—to pause, contemplate, and ponder. In fact, that’s one of the invitations that Elder Klebingat extended various times during the two days.

• Law of the Harvest—You only get out what you put in to it.
• There is nothing we do in the mission that doesn’t help you with life skills.
• If you are struggling, welcome to mortality.
• You must latch on to people who love the Lord.
• There is a big difference between being on a mission and serving a mission.
• Missionary purpose: 1) save your own soul; 2) help others to come unto Christ; and 3) teach repentance, and help people be baptized.
• You always leave your companionship and your companion better than when you arrived.
• Anything you do in secret and try to keep quiet is part of a secret combination.
• You can never step off the strait and narrow path without having to overrule several warnings from the Holy Ghost.
• You are always your brother’s keeper, especially your companion’s.
• In the pre-mortal relationships, we knew Heavenly Father and Christ intimately.
• We are here to fulfill our pre-mortal commitment to help gather Israel.
• It’s how you choose that determines your path.
• All of you are fit for missionary duty. Don’t ever limit yourself as to what you can do. 
• He asked us to ask ourselves these questions: 1) “What should I be putting upon the altar to realign myself with the covenants I have already made? 2) Am I fulfilling my pre-mortal purpose here on earth? 3) Am I creating and participating in Celestial environments and pursuits?
• If you really want to change, become better, stronger, you must walk forward toward what you fear the most.
• You will never use the Book of Mormon if you are not excited about it.
• If you want to be precise, quote the scriptures.
• You have to go on record that you are willing to pay the price.
• Teach the gospel and not be ashamed of it.
• Do everything as part of your will to let Heavenly Father know how much you love Him.
• What’s going to make me different: 1) I need to re-invent myself to become more Celestial; 2) I need to learn/apply/ponder the word of God; 3) I need to take note of where I am and where I need to be; 4) I need to focus on Christ and eradicate the distractions; 5) I need to do Celestial things, speak in a Celestial way, and act in a Celestial way.
• If you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly; If you sow bountifully, you will reap bountifully.
• The transforming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ will turn you into a new human being.
• What the Atonement of Jesus Christ has healed, has been healed. Do not short change the impact of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the conference, he extended numerous invitations. Here are just a few:

• Envision an altar and the things you can put on the altar and then do it.
• Don’t walk out of here [your mission] unchanged. If you leave without being changed, you have held your hand over the cup of blessings.
• Please have meaningful prayer and scripture study.
• Elevate our Book of Mormon use.
• Be excited as you teach and testify.
• Make repentance a happy, healthy thing.
• Be loyal and faithful.
• Up your studies now, and after mission, you will have meaningful scripture studies.
• Exercise every day. Sweat every day.

Elder Klebingat also had our missionaries do a variety of role plays. They did extremely well and impressed Elder Klebingat.

 

North zone birthdays

South zone birthdays

Blessings—One of the most incredible things general authorities do is that they extend blessings under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Klebingat left us with a few: 

• I bless you that if you desire—yearn—you will come to know the reality and proximity of Jesus Christ in your lives.
• I bless you that you will have an understanding that the Lord has forgiven you as you repent. .
• I bless you that you will quit listening to Satan and listen to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He means exactly what He says.
• I bless you that you will  not short-change the impact of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If you do what you know you need to do, you will learn the voice of the Lord and have the assurance through the darkest times ahead.

Relief Society Sisters from the Riverside and Corona stakes who prepared and serve lunch

Relief Society Sisters and family from the Riverside Stake

It truly was a blessing to have Elder Klebingat come to our mission and teach us doctrine about our pre-mortal life and what we should be doing here to fulfill our pre-mortal purpose. We truly learned that we made a pre-mortal commitment/covenant to help gather Israel. The overwhelming feelings that the Lord loves us and wants the best for us reverberated through his entire comments on both Friday and Saturday.

 

Golden Plunger Award winners for cleanest apartment: Sisters Foster and Griffith

Golden Plunger Award winners for cleanest apartment: Sisters Preator and Killian with Elder and Sister Troxel

Golden Plunger Award winners for cleanest apartment: Elder Van Orman and Emery
and Elders Wilcock and Jackson with Elder and Sister Dickinson

Golden Plunger Award winners for cleanest apartment: Elders Rollins and Jacobs

Elders Clifford and Roper with Sister Hammon

Golden Plunger Award winners for cleanest apartment: Elders Davis and Tellez with Elder and Sister Powell

Now the challenge will also be is what we will do with all of the information/inspiration we received during the two days? What we must remember, said Elder Klebingat is this: “Each day represents the best day we can do.”

So, we will go out and do the best we can do.