It’s Not What You Know, It’s WHO You Know

“It’s not What you know but WHO you know”
March 30, 2008

Have you ever experienced the aged-old saying: “It’s not what you know but who you know?” Recently, Stuart and Brent were telling us about the new cinemas here in town, how nice they are, the plush seats, the VIP rooms, etc. We queried what movie they saw and how much the entrance fee was. They said, “We saw Horton Hears a Who and Joseph works there and he got us passes. This is a classic example of the preceding statement.
Over the past weeks I’ve come to understand this statement and the passage found in John 17:3 through new lenses.
During the ministry of Abinadi, when Alma left the employ of King Noah and ventured out on his own, he hid himself near the Waters of Mormon to avoid the King’s soldiers who desired to return him to corporate headquarters. While in hiding he conducted covert operations on behalf of his new venture, an entrepreneurial enterprise called the Church of Christ (Mosiah 18:17). Sneezers were used to spread his marketing campaign. These converts passed the viral disease called “The Plan of Happiness” by word of mouth to their family and friends under the radar screen of King Noah. The King was not pleased with Alma because Alma was once a VP and sat on the Board of Directors for the King (in Book of Mormon terms, Alma was a High Priest.)
Shortly before the King learned of Alma’s location, the church grew in numbers. Alma received his commission from God (Mosiah 18:18) and baptized hundreds of people (Mosiah 18:16). Eventually the King discovered the Waters of Mormon and the people of Alma and sent his soldiers to crush the upstart movement. Alma was apprised of the hostile takeover and fled to the Land of Helam and eventually to Zarahemla, where he joined the mother church and became their leader.
While working at the Waters of Mormon, Alma taught his small flock some very important concepts that continue in our church to this day. He said:
“…Behold, here are the waters of Mormon…and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all time and in all things…you may be redeemed of God and be numbered with those of the first resurrection and receive eternal life.”
Here Alma taught the doctrine of networking within an organization called “The Church of Christ.” This is the original Facebook but in human form. The main points are: You must be willing to…
1. Bear one another’s burdens,
2. Mourn with those that mourn,
3. Comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and
4. Stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.
This was an oath each convert made, God provided the covenant with the following:
1. Ye may be redeemed with the dead, and be
2. Numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye
3. May have eternal life.
Have you ever taken a vacation and attended church in another city, state, or nation? What was it like? Was it the same format? Same doctrine? Same lessons? Same organization? And most importantly, was it the same Spirit?
The church is organized as a huge World Wide social network that has systems integrating all walks of life. It is God’s organization on earth and His systems are imperative for our success. Most importantly, they all work!
On March 6th and 7th I was in Salt Lake City for a training seminar on “Powerful Presentations” by Marshall Thurber. Marshall is a prodigy of W. Edwards Deming and Buckminster Fuller. Marshall is a very talented and intelligent man who trained Robert Kiyosaki, Doug Andrew, and Lee Brower to name a few.
Our first day went from 8AM to midnight. During the morning hours, Marshall explained we were going to have an agenda change because of an appointment with this wife. I thought that was pretty cool, he was having lunch with his wife; she must be working and can only get off at a later time etc. As the story unfolded, it wasn’t a social meeting with his bride, but a doctor’s consultation because she was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
As he provided more details, he became visibly shaken. After lunch, we were very curious to know the outcome of the meeting. He explained the prognosis wasn’t very positive, and they were being referred to Sloan Kettering in New York City, which is the premier cancer clinic in the nation. It was a minimum 6-week wait before they could get an audience and the feeling was that would be too long.
Marshall asked the class if we knew anyone in the hospital who could facilitate an earlier appointment, a “Law of Attraction” type approach. Each of us tried to think of who we knew. The class ended around midnight and we still had 10 pages of reading before 9AM the following morning. As the class reconvened, Marshall was again struggling with his emotions. He explained how he debated whether he should hold the class or not, but decided to proceed anyway.
He further explained it was important for him to own this challenge and to work through it. Even in his tough emotional state, he was very composed and we all felt a deep sense of sorrow and strong desire to help. I could only think of two people who might be able to help. Mike Fitzgerald, because of his medical connections and Heidi Holmes, whose daughter and son-in-law live in NYC.
As I drove to class on Friday morning, I kept seeing a vision of calling Cheri, who called Heidi, who called Rachel, who spoke to Bryant, who knew someone from the church who worked in a high enough position within Sloan Kettering that could help.
Midway through the morning during one of the early breaks, Marshall put out another plea to find a connection. During the break I called Cheri and explained the situation. She felt my emotions immediately. I turned my phone off and went back into class.
Cheri called Heidi Holmes and got Bryant Blanchard’s phone number. She called Bryant and left a message. He called immediately back and gave her Susie Yamada’s phone number. Cheri called Susie and got a child, waited 30 minutes, called back and spoke with Susie. Her husband is a senior doctor at Sloan Kettering. Cheri said it was like talking to her Relief Society President. A very familiar spirit was present as the Lord’s social organization was unfolding.
As I sat in class wanting to bear Marshall’s burdens, Cheri, Bryant and Susie were arranging a solution. An appointment was set for Marshall and his wife Jan to call the next day and speak with her husband, Dr. Josh Yamada, a former member of Bryant and Rachel’s Stake Presidency and good friends with the Blanchards.
We took a late lunch from our class and I volunteered to pick up some tapes for Sam (Marshall’s assistant) before we reconvened. As I drove away from the hotel, I picked up my voice mail and Cheri had left two messages outlining her efforts and telling me her story. My stomach rolled over and I couldn’t think of anything but getting back to Marshall with the news.
I quickly ate some lunch, found a store for the tapes and returned to the hotel. It was as though the world stood still, every car in front of me drove under the speed limit. Every light was red, I had only one thought on my mind and that was to deliver the good news to Marshall.
When I arrived back at the hotel, the presentation room was empty so I started writing down all the information for Marshall. Before I could finish he walked through the door. I looked up at him, smiled and said: “Marshall, I’ve got a contact for you at Sloan Kettering.” He stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes, clinched both fists, then without saying a word, walked to his chair in the front of the class and sat down full of emotion and gratitude.
I finished filling out the sheet of information and handed it to him. He gave me a big hug and thanked me over and over again. I briefly explained the story and he started calling his wife. He couldn’t find her and so he left messages at the various numbers that Sam could find.
As we all reconvened, Marshall had me come up and explain the story to the class. It was a very emotional moment and the entire class one by one thanked me. But they really didn’t thank me; they were grateful for an organization that in 148 BC was doing this at the Waters of Mormon. They were doing it during the life of Christ and in 1830, this same church was restored and organized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
As I pondered this singular experience it occurred to me that upon arriving at the Judgment Bar of Christ, it may not be so much what we know, but Who we know:
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom Thou has sent.” (John 17:3)
Our charge is to know the only True God and His Son. It is to know that they are separate, glorified beings, who are resurrected and perfected. They were once as we are and we may become as they are. Anything less than this, ergo the doctrine of Trinity, that god is a spirit form without body, parts, and passions does not connote the meaning of ‘yada’ or to know God as outlined in scripture.
May the Lord bless us all as we carry out our Supreme Commander’s Intent of bearing one another’s burdens, standing in comfort with one another, being witnesses of God at all times and in all places, even until death that we may be numbered with those in the morning of the first resurrection clothed with immortality and eternal life.