Complete Transcript
of the France Toulouse Mission
Zone Conference
November 4, 2003
President Allan Pratt
(Presented in 6 Audio Parts)
of the France Toulouse Mission
Zone Conference
November 4, 2003
President Allan Pratt
(Presented in 6 Audio Parts)
Welcome to Zone Conference! So, this transcript has already been presented in 6 separate parts on WhyMormons.net. But I also wanted to present it as one cohesive transcript for those who have the time to read and listen to the conference in its entirety. While the audio is still presented in 6 parts throughout the transcript, readers can now view the entire transcript of the recording in its entirety on this page. The recordings and transcript on this page covers a real recording of a real mission Zone Conference from the France Toulouse Mission. Our host? Mission President Allan Pratt. (Cont'd)
I hope you brought your pen and paper to take notes. Or you can just copy and paste. I've provided a transcript of each recording of the Zone Conference so that you can reference it at any time.
I've also provided streaming audio of the recordings that's dial-up friendly. My suggestion is that you listen to the recording while you read the transcript.
This is an absolutely fascinating picture of what LDS Mormon Missionary life is like in the mission field. I'd like any potential missionaries to pay careful attention to this set of articles, so that you know absolutely what you're getting into before you go.
Is it worth giving all of your time to have to sit through one of these?
I'll let you be the judge.
For many return missionaries, this will bring back some memories of the mission.
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Mission President Allan Pratt Begins the Zone Conference
(Left: Mission President Allan Pratt)
[Recording starts] [inaudible] …They summoned all the mission presidents Thursday [referring to a metting with the Area Presidency] …report back to….
So, some of you, what I'm going to talk about will apply directly. Some of you it won't have any application whatsoever. And that's okay.
Repetition is good.
Let me just start out by saying;
'Brethren, we are not doing our job.'
I sent in the report to the area presidency yesterday. Two baptisms the month of October. My young friends, that's a sham.
We ought to hang our heads.
We are not doing what the Lord has sent us to do.
And I apologize for starting so rough.
But you need to know that's the exact words that Elder [Harold G.] Hillam stood up and told the whole area. 24 mission presidents.
Now, we're not looking for numbers, brethren, we're looking for converts. But we're not converting very many people. So, we're scratching our heads and we're saying, why?
Why are we not bringing the amount of people that the Church [inaudible]. How can a set of fine young missionaries, like you are, and I mean that, seriously [inaudible].
But I'm absolutely concerned when I look at the numbers that you report to me, and I've got no Book of Mormons placed, I have no discussions. I see some of you working 6, 8, 10, 12, hours. There should be about 60 hours during the week. I think this last average we were in the low 40's. Where are the extra 20 hours? Where are they?
It's impossible for me to understand how some of you can go out and not teach a discussion. Not talk to someone, and I don't know how you're tallying, and that's a whole different ball game, I'm not even going to go there.
I don't know how two missionaries of your calibre can go out and not place a Book of Mormon every day. I don't know. What are you doing? I have no clue.
Neither does the Area Presidency.
Neither does Elder Ballard.
Now we're teaching discussions. Last week, in the mission, we taught 460 some discussions. You had, uh, about 60 people at church. But there was no - the next step is not happening, brethren. We're just not doing it.
Now, the only thing I can say is we need to look inward.
It's us.
This is the Lord's mission.
But we have to put ourselves in the position where He is obligated.
Now if you take down a word, you write that down. OBLIGATED. And that comes from the 82nd section in the 10th verse. 'When you do what I say, I am bound.' Is that not a true principle? 'And when you don't, ye have no promise.'
Now the only thing that I can conclude, brethren, is we are not doing every day, 24 hours a day, what He says. We're not. And it has come to light, unfortunately, over the last several weeks, some activities have come to my knowledge in the mission which are just abhorred. Absolutely abhorred.
And we're going to go through those step by step today. I'm going to be very frank with you, and I apologize. We love you. We're on the same team. Don't think that I'm shooting at any one of you. I'm not. We collectively, and I dug deep, too. Elder Hillam mentioned some things that I can do better, and I will.
So, I want you to know that we're all on the same team here. So, please don't feel that this is a scolding session when you walk out. It's not like that. We're here. What are we doing well... ? [Recording ends]
Mission President Allan Pratt Teaches a Typical Mormon Truth - A Cup of Coffee Will Keep You Out of the Celestial Kingdom (Mormon Heaven) - Via the Parable of the 'Law of the Stick.'
[Recording starts]
I want to talk doctrin to you here for the next hour or so. Some of you, like, I've shown this illustration to, but I want to do it again.
Who's the strongest? Lets see, who lifts weights here?
Missionary Group: Elder ****. [edited for transcriptual privacy]
President Allan Pratt: Elder ****. He's cooking you lunch.
Missionary Group: Elder ****. [different elder edited for transcriptual privacy]
President Allan Pratt: Elder ****, come on up here, brother.
In case, for those of you who don't know what this is, this is a pedigree stick out of my yard in Florida. I sit, uh, I have a den in Florida. That - it's a lovely den. And I have this tree, that as I sit in my - it's got what we call a bay window. I don't know if you're familiar with that.
My desk is this way, and my chair is this way. So if I turn around, I have a view of my yard [inaudible] my house ::Missionaries Laugh:: and the trees. This tree was given to me many years ago by a patient, and it was a Holly tree. I say 'it was' because it gave up the ghost, bless its heart.
But I decided that I would take a branch from that Holly tree and I carry this with me a lot. So Elder **** is going to show us something.
Elder, I've got this stick on the ground there. [inaudible] I want you to pick that up and hand it to me, but that tip end you can not take off the floor.
The whole stick. You can't. Now, why can't you?
[inaudible response by the missionary]
Unless you violate the law, right? Thank you. Somebody turn to D&C chapter 1 verse 31.
Okay, stand up and read that real loud for us here. You have it? Elder ****, please.
Missionary: 'For I, the Lord, can not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.'
President Allan Pratt: Elder, tell me what that means.
Missionary: That the Lord can't look on sin? Can't look on sinners with, uh, with like uh, accepting them? Basically.
President Allan Pratt: 'I can not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.'
Okay, let me give you a scenario.
Elder ****, you're a bishop, okay? And I suspect the quality of young men that you are, that you'll have different leadership positions. And that's one of the reasons why I'm talking to you. Brother, we're going to send home leaders here, from this mission. We're not going to send home followers. Not gonna happen. If I get home and see that you all are followers, I'm going to kick you. I promise you, I will.
I better not hear that any of you are inactive or that you don't go home teaching. Or that you don't fulfill your responsibility. Let's just say that up front now. I will haunt you, just remember that. Okay, I love you. I will haunt you.
::Missionaries Laugh::
Elder ****'s the bishop, and you're giving a temple recommend, Elder. Who sets the questions to the temple recommend?
Missionary: The First Presidency?
President Allan Pratt: First presidency.
Do you have the right to change those, Elder?
Missionary: No?
President Allan Pratt: No. And what's your obligation as a bishop? As you give a temple recommend? Now you haven't given one yet, but you have one, right? Did your bishop ask you those questions?
Missionary: Yes.
President Allan Pratt: He did, didn't he?
Now brethren, if you're ever a bishop and you don't ask those temple recommend questions, wo is you. Because you're not living up to the requirements that are placed upon you. Now the Stake President or Presidents, the [High] Counsel, and the Stake Presidency is not obligated to ask those questions.
Just a little doctrine for you. You ask what is prompted upon you by the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, when I gave those interviews, I'd ask them, you know, you get a feeling of what you should ask. But the Stake Presidents do not have to ask any of those questions.
But the bishops do. Alright, Elder, I'm [playing the role of] Sister Jones, and we're going to have a temple recommend interview here. And this is a true story, brethren. And I'll just play with this a little bit and we'll get elder **** and **** here now. This good lady, I'm asking the temple recommend questions.
Do you live the word of wisdom? And what did she say?
Missionary: Yes.
President Allan Pratt: Yes, EXCEPT every now and again I drink a cup of coffee.
Elder ****, are you going to sign your name to that recommend?
Missionary: No?
President Allan Pratt: Why?
Missionary: Because...
President Allan Pratt: [It's only] now and again. Are you gonna sign it?
Missionary: No.
President Allan Pratt: Why not?
Missionary: Because you can't allow anything like that [inaudible] take it inside the temple.
President Allan Pratt: [Acting as Sister Jones, now] Now bishop. Bishop, Bishop, Bishop. You know me. I remember you when you were a little boy. The Lord knows my heart. How can you keep me from having that temple recommend, Bishop?
[Asking the missionary, now] What are you going to say?
Missionary: I'm not keeping you from having that temple recommend, you're keeping yourself from having that temple recommend.
President Allan Pratt: You're keeping yourself! Very good! Did you hear that? So, brethren, if you're not getting blessings as a missionary, who's keeping you from getting them? Did you learn that principle?
Elder ****, will a cup of coffee every now and again keep you out of the Celestial Kingdom?
Missionary: I'd say, yes?
President Allan Pratt: Yes? How many say yes? Anybody say maybe? [But] 'The Lord hath mercy.' Let's just study this 'law of the stick' here for just a little bit. Let me give you some scriptures, and this is my own vernacular, brethren, it's not anybody else's and you don't have to have a Holly stick, either. You can have any kind of stick you want. [Recording ends]
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Mission President Allan Pratt teaches that drinking a cup of coffee or telling a white lie keeps you out of Mormon heaven.
[Recording starts]Okay, somebody look up Alma 12:33. Through 35. Elder ****, will you read those for us?
Missionary: Alma 12 thirty what?
President Allan Pratt: Alma 12:33, 34, and 35.
Missionary reads: 'For God did ca...' Oh, are you guys ready? '33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
35 And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.'
President Allan Pratt: Alright, now let's apply this to the stick, brethren. What - Elder, explain that to us. What did you get out of that? Now, apply it to the stick, here.
Missionary: Um, we're given laws, and, we're - ::thinking:: apply it to the stick, ::laughingly:: let's see one second, um-
President Allan Pratt: Whosoever will harden his heart and will still do iniquity
Missionary: He shall not enter the rest.
President Allan Pratt: He shall not enter the rest
Now, how are we gonna apply that to the stick? Brother, you have agency. Every one of us, okay? And you notice good Elder ****, as strong as he was, he was able to lift up this end of the stick, right? And he could do anything he wanted with this end of the stick, correct? Well, what didn't he have control over?
Missionary: Breaking the law.
President Allan Pratt: The other end.
Now, let me explain to you. This is agency. You all can do whatever you want. You can go out and rob a bank tomorrow. You can drink a can of beer. You can sleep in until 7 o'clock. You can do anything that you want to. Can you not? We call that agency.
I'm gonna take time to, to uh, teach you about agency. Multiple scriptures. You can do anything you want. What don't you have agency for? This end of the stick.
I talked to a young girl many years ago, and she decided one night that she would go out and she would be promiscuous and she had sex. And seven weeks later she was in my office. And guess what? She was pregnant. And she said to me, 'Bishop, I never planned on getting pregnant. And I said, 'Duh! you picked up this end of the stick. One of the consequences is pregnancy along with many other things.'
You see what I'm trying to teach you, brethren? You have no agency over this end. If you obey a law, you will get the blessings. Is that what the Lord says? 'I am bound.'
He lives up to that. That's how he governs this universe. We are given laws. When we obey we get a blessing. When we are given laws and we disobey, we have to pay the consequences. Is that not correct? Whatever they are. You don't choose those consequences, do you? Sometimes they're dictated by our laws. When you kill somebody you might be killed yourself, depending on what state you live in.
When you rob a bank, you'll go to prison. You take that choice every time that you make a decision. Not only do you pick up this end of the stick, but guess what? You pick up this end, too.
Now, the law of justice is that if you violate a commandment, then you have to have the punishment. But there's a law of mercy. Elder, read those versus, 33 and 34, again.
Missionary: '33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;'
President Allan Pratt: Okay, stop right there. So, brethren, because we all sin, we are kept out of the Celestial Kingdom, be it one cup of coffee. Whatever.
I bear testimony to you brethren, I do not think that we understand the seriousness of the law of justice. I ask you one question. How many bites of the apple did it take Adam to get driven from the Garden of Eden? Just one. Brethren, the Lord is serious. He is serious with this law of justice. Now this just doesn't apply to missionary work, it's going to apply when you go home
You tell one little white lie, my young friends, you will not be in the celestial kingdom, because of this law, you won't. Now, you say, well I don't know if they [inaudible] da da da da da da da da da da. How about if we read Alma 12.
And let's.
Missionary: What verse?
President Allan Pratt: Let's see. Verse 14. [inaudible] read verse 14 for us ... how about 13 and 14. Do I want 13?. No, 14 and 15.
Missionary: '14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.
15 But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.'
And brethren, why do I read that scripture to you, because some of you think you can work out your own salvation by not confessing, to those who have the proper priesthood authority, those things that are incorrect. [Leading into the masturbation article which is next.] [Recording stops]
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Mission President Allan Pratt on Masturbation in the France Toulouse Mission
[Recording starts] It doesn't work that way. You have to bring forth fruits meet for repentance.Now, let's just get ugly here if I can. It's not ugly. But I want to talk to you about masturbation, okay?
Let's just be quite frank. That is a problem in the mission. It is.
Some of you have been smart enough and wise enough to come forth and talk to me about that. And we'll do anything in the world to help you overcome that.
Some of you have not. Some of you think that you can overcome that by yourself. And [think that] you don't need to say anything to anyone. And it's okay. And you're okay. Brethren, that is a lie. It's Satanic.
Internet. Now I want to read you some scriptures about self abuse here. The brethren call that self abuse instead of masturbation. It's a little softer word. It's more dignified.
But brethren if you have got problems with that let's get rid of it because it will keep you from getting the blessings as a missionary.
The minute that happens, my young friends, the Spirit of the Lord is gone ::claps hand:: like that. Period. I don't care who you are or what you do it's gone ::claps hand:: like that. Boom.
And I know that there's at least 30-40% of missionaries in this mission that have that problem because that's the church average. It's amazing. Of missionaries full time. Satan is wise and I'll tell you why he's wise in just a second.
Let me talk to you about the internet. Every now and again I get e-mails from missionaries who have gone home. And we love them. And a lot of them are doing very well.
Some of them are struggling [with masturbation]. But not only do they send me e-mails they send you... e-mails... also. Now what's the instruction for e-mails, brethren? What web site do you use?
::Missionary Group:: My LDS MAIL.
::Mission President:: My LDS MAIL.
Why in the world am I getting missionaries that are 'serving' right now with hotmail dot com an e-mail sent to Elder so and so at hotmail dot com or at yahoo dot com? Why am I getting that? Why? Why do I have missionaries that go to the internet place and click on pornographic sites? Why do I have that? Where's your brain? Where is your love of obedience? Brethren if you can not stay on MY LDS mail dot com, period period period period period then don't use it. Don't use the internet.
A missionary called me two days ago.
'President, problem with self abuse.'
Okay. We had talked about it. Talked and talked and talked.
And Elder? Tell me what happened. How did Satan get to you? What tempted you?
'Well, President, I'm on the internet, and I decided to check an internet site from my old address to see if any of my friends wrote me.'
Now brethren, I can tell you these pop ups are just absolutely incredible. Incredible. They are so gross and so pornographic, and you don't even have to be on any site whatsoever to get them to come. We had one in our house the other day that just absolutely blew me away.
My wife, checking her e-mail. It was just the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Absolutely filthy.
So what happens?
This elder decides to check his other 'OTHER' website and, 'Say, Elder, WHAT other web site do you have as missionaries?'
And guess what happens? He hits a pornographic site and he has to go home and masturbate. Now give me a break, brethren. Give me a break. Why are we having two baptisms a month in the France Toulouse Mission? Look inward. Now, I apologize for being upset, but dog gone it, Scratch is winning, we're not going to let him have it.
I've got plenty of scriptures if those of you want to know if the Lord talks about self abuse. Let me just give them to you and we'll not take time to read them here. You all will study these. Romans 6:12. Romans 8:5-8. Romans 8:13. [Recording stops]
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Mission President Allan Pratt on the 'trickle effect' that leads to masturbation.
[Recording starts] Now, I want to talk to you about a principle that I call the trickle effect. And I want to explain to you why we're so adament about this self abuse problem.
When I was a little boy in Wyoming, it snowed a lot. And there was - the funnest thing that I did in the spring time whenever the snow would melt, I would build a dam.
[inaudible]... okay, are you done yet?
Man, it was fun because it would freeze at night and I would have a whole street icing and people would come by and 'That Pratt kid I'm going to kill him!' ::missionaries laughing:: [inaudible]... nerdy little boy. And it was just incredible. And I could spend hours and hours and we had this tiny little town [inaudible]... 40 minutes or so.
So, what would happen brethren if we built dams?
What would happen if just a little tiny bit of water came through?
[inaudible] ... trickle effect... What would happen? If you didn't watch out what would happen? My whole dam would break through. Elder also turn to Galatians chapter 5 please.
Verses 16 to 17, okay?
Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 and 17.
Missionary reads: Alright, '16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.'
President Allan Pratt: Okay, 16? 17?
Missionary: I just read it.
President Allan Pratt: Okay, thank you.
What does that teach you elder?
Missionary: Well, like it said in 17 you can not do the things that you would [inaudible] things you want to do [inaudible] we obviously want to baptize. And, if you want to do this then you're going to walk in the spirit.
President Allan Pratt: Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Now brethren there's cock-eyed pictures and it's tough. And I don't envy you at all. And I have the same problems with these pictures. There was a picture in front of [inaudible] it was an advertisement for a photo magazine, I guess, and it came to the point where the only way I could figure out, and it was big, it was ::makes sounds with mouth while he draws the large size of the pictures with his hands:: the only way I could figure out to avoid the temptation, to just look for a second, I had to walk in backwards to the cock-eyed store and people thought I was nuts. I parked my car, and the door's there and the sign's here and I get out of my car and I walk like this. Because Scratch is good. You'll get that trickle. Do you understand what I'm trying to teach you? That trickle. That trickle. That trickle. And that's all it takes. And before you know it, you're toast. [Recording ends]
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Mission President Allan Pratt 'not threatening' to send his missionaries home if they can't give 100% all of the time.
[Recording starts]Now let me read you, uh, Elder ****'s dad is a, uh, C.S. Lewis type of a person. I'm not. But I'm smart enough to steal a quote from him when it works with what I want to teach. This is out of one of C.S. Lewis' books, and the devil in his books is called Wormwood.
Okay? He's a devil in training, Wormwood is, the big guy's name is Screwtape, I like to call him Scratch. But Screwtape is talking to Wormwood, this is a personal priesthood interview that he's giving to him, so the devil's talking to one of his apprentices, now listen to what he teaches here.
'Wormwood,' looking at the accomplishments that Wormwood did in terms of tempting the humans. 'You will say that these are small sins and doubtless like all young tempters you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their accumulative effect is to etch the man away from the light and out into the nothing. Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one. The gentle slope. Soft under foot. Without sudden turns. Without milestones. Without sign posts.'
You see what he does, brethren? He does it in very [inaudible] ways. As a missionary, what does he do?
[Illustrating] I'll get up and I'll sit in my bed and I'll turn on a tape and that'll be my companion study or I'll read in bed, yeah, sure, tell you what happens when I read in bed, I'm toast. See? You know this pizza, and we've got these elders, you know, and man it takes time to cook pizza, and so what if we're in for two hours for lunch time, so what? We'll make it up. You know it's 8:30 - Gah, we've got to get up it's cold outside and I've worked hard today and we didn't take a lunch you know we didn't take a lunch. Ah, maybe we did take a little lunch but we didn't take a full hour.
You see what I'm trying to, I'm just pointing illustrations out of the air. You see what he does? Just the little tiny, tiny, tiny things, brother, that will drive the spirit away. We can't have that. We can not have that in this mission.
There's a white handbook. Does anybody have any questions about the white handbook? I hope that you're studying that white handbook together. Brethren, there is no reason, I can not think of one of you, and I know all of you very well, maybe these two new ones I don't know quite as well, but I can feel their spirit. There's not one of you that has the power within themselves to follow that white handbook period, period, period. Is there any one of you that can't follow it, then you come and talk to me, and if you can't do it, then let's be a stake missionary or let's be a ward missionary in Salt Lake City or somewhere else.
Now brethren, I'm not going to make any threats, but my eyes are just incredibly opened to the other missions in this Europe West Area. I guess I'm too soft, I don't know. There are missionaries that are going home that aren't working in other missions.
Now, I'm not going to say anymore. You all read between the lines if that makes sense to you. If you don't want to come and give your 100% every day then please come and tell me and we will call your stake president and make the necessary arrangements that we need to. Gone are the days, brethren, in this mission where there's disobedience. Period. Does that makes sense to everyone, is it clear?
That is the law of justice. Now, we love you. I don't want to send any of you home, period, I don't. And we won't if you do what you're supposed to do. You heard what Elder **** said.
You, not your companion, sometimes it is a little bit. You've got a companion that's not functional? Let us know.
We love you, we'll do everything, we're on the same team, brethren, you want as many converts, you want these stakes and wards and branches to be every bit as strong, at the rate we're going do you know how many years it's going to take to get a ward in Avignon at the rate of baptizing one person a year?
I'll be dead before there's a ward in Avignon. Takes 30 years to baptize 30 people. You know how long it's going to get a stake, a new stake, at the rate that we're baptizing and converting and reactivating these people?
It'll take until the middle of 2000 - it'll be 2150 before we have any more stakes in this area. Now the members aren't helping us either, and that's okay. Elder [Gerald] Lund stood up and he said 'Find a solution.' Now, brethren, we'll find a solution, but we have to start within ourselves here, we have to.
So, each one of you, whatever it takes, brethren, I have full confidence in every one of your's ability. I know you, you're like my young men, I love every, I'd do anything in the world for any one of you, I really would. I really would.
But you've gotta do it for yourself. I can't call everyone at 6:30. I shouldn't have to, there's some that I do.
Missionary called me last night, 'President, I want to go home. I can't seem to get up.' [I] called his stake president, and I don't know if he's going to go home tomorrow night, I'll find out tonight.
Now brethren, I'd much rather that you try to be honest, than take down the rest of the mission. Let me read a quote to you. [Recording ends] Click here to continue to an interview with the missionary responsible for providing these fascinating recordings.
