In ancient times, when a king was coming to visit his people in the villages of his kingdom, he would send heralds before-hand to announce his arrival. This would require necessary preparations --- ruts and obstacles had to be removed from the roads, buildings painted, and citizens readied. This duty belonged to the Forerunner.
Sometimes a Forerunner was sent as a scout into enemy territory to gather vital information for the king's generals. The information gathered was critical in the protection and defense of the kingdom.
Isaiah described “ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” Isaiah 40:3-5
There are many scriptural examples of forerunners. Two of the greatest are: John the Baptist and the Prophet, Joseph Smith.
Members who are called to Church Public Affairs are, in a sense,Forerunners. Their responsibility is to form relationships with influential religious, business and civic leaders within their geographical areas of stewardship.
They look for opportunities to, as the scripture says, "make straight a highway in the desert," among those who are not of our Faith. Making a road "straight" means removing all obstacles that would stop or slow the progress of the "king," or, in our case, our Priesthood Leaders.
We have many excellent Public Affairs Forerunners in our region, busy removing obstacles, building bridges, and, along with the Priesthood brethren, have partnered with Civic and Faith leaders, raising a positive image of the Church.
Becky Davies
No comments:
Post a Comment