Dora

And we went forth to the mail box and found a package that contained a rectangular box of curious workmanship; and it was made of fine metal and glass with a rectangular screen which pointed the way that we should go into the wilderness. And we did follow the directions shown on the curious box, which led us in the more passable parts of the wilderness and the shortest route to our destination. And it came to pass that we beheld the pointers which were in the rectangular screen and they did work according to the diligence and heed that we did give to them. There was also writing on the face thereof which was plain to read, which did give us understanding concerning the way that we should go to reach our destination. Even a voice would tell us the way we should go. “Proceed to the highlighted route”. Follow the highlighted route for 25 miles.” “Turn left one mile ahead” etc. etc. etc. That we might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which we gave unto it. That we would know when strict diligence was not being followed as it would announce that it was going to “recalculate”. The results were a new directions and the pointing to a new route that would take us to the desired location. “I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director--or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; “ This modern day Liahona (GPS) has brought us to Pennsylvania and is keeping us from continually being lost in a wilderness of winding roads with buildings so close to the road that you cannot see but a few feet beyond the roadway. The roads go in no particular direction and seem to merge together at the most un-natural places. There is no east west north south in Pennsylvania without a liahona or compass to provide the direction. There were numerous time when traveling from Utah to PA that we would have gotten off the correct roadway and been lost who knows where without this liahona. Because the voice of this liahona is female we have called it “DORA”. Often we here Elder Smith saying, when he is not sure where he is or where he is going, “speak to me Dora.” And she does. The only woman I know that will follow my direction. We know when we are in trouble when Dora says “recalculate” because we have made a wrong turn. There was one time when we went around a block twice because Elder Smith would not believe what Dora was telling him. You see Elder Smith only understands North South East West and not left and right and he keeps turning left when he should be turning right or right when he should be turning left. Maybe in 18 months he will learn left from right. Last Friday we had 8 apartments to inspect in Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, Lemoyne, Harrisburg, and Dover. We had no idea where these apartments were except for the one in Carlisle and Elder Smith was not sure if he could find it again. So Dora was attached to her stand on the front windshield of the Denali, plugged in and the addresses programmed into memory and away we went. “Proceed to the highlighted route” “Follow PA Route 274 for 7 miles” “In one mile turn right on East Ave” Arriving at destination on left”. We never missed an apartment and followed Dora to the letter. The directions to Dover were a little more difficult as we had to travel on 6 different roadways before arriving at the destination. We just happened to have a wrong address and had to call into the mission office to get the right address. We had 29 instead of 20 Stony Road. And so it is that we are very much appreciative of this modern day Liahona and the directions that it provides to us as we become acquainted with Pennsylvania. We have in our office a service missionary who has been called on a service mission to help us in the office. He is mentally slow but does a wonderful job with some of the things that we need done in the office. We took him to Zone Conference a couple of weeks ago and I had Dora leading us to the Stake Center. Elder Rieo was really fascinated with Dora. Last week we took him to the Bank with us to get him out of the office for a few minutes and he began to speak to Dora and repeat everything that she said. When we got back to the office we teased him about having a new girl friend. Elder Rieo is a wonderful young man and took the teasing in stride.
As we look at this modern day miracle (the GPS) and what it can do for us as we follow it explicitly. Following its directions will take us to our destination as quickly and on the shortest route available. If the destination is correctly input it will get us to where we need to go. The scriptures and the Prophets are also a modern day liahona or GPS’s. If we follow the scriptures and the prophets they will tell us what we need to do and if we live worth of the Gift of the Holy Ghost it will show us what we need to do to get back to the presence of our Heavenly Father (II Nephi 32:3-5) much like the modern day GPS will get us to our chosen destination.