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Serving as an Area Seventy Was Beautiful and Sacred
Reflections from Brother Rodney Ames
Norma King, Media Director (Rush Creek Ward)
After five years of serving as an Area Seventy, Rodney Ames of the Rush Creek Ward was released this spring.
Serving was beautiful and sacred, he said. “I felt heaven. Maybe more than I ever have.”
The primary responsibility of a Seventy is to be and bear a certain witness of Jesus Christ, at all times, and in all places, said Ames. “The next responsibility would be to build up the Church wherever I am sent.”
Under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve he was given regular assignments, including presiding at stake conferences, helping reorganize stake presidencies, giving stewardship interviews, providing training, presiding over coordinating councils, and working with government leaders and on special projects, such as the Giving Machine.
He was ordained in April of 2021 by Elder Gary E. Stevenson. In his ordination blessing he was promised that he would have the gift of discernment and be able to recognize the individual in the crowd whom the Lord needed him to speak to.
“And many times it would happen,” said Ames. “I felt directed and guided and [received] thoughts and impressions and answers that were definitely heaven-sent on many, many occasions.”
He was also given a charge when meeting with the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency.
“The charge is a beautiful moment where President Nelson asked me to stand up and bring my right arm to the square and promise to do five things: To be and bear a certain witness of Jesus Christ at all times and in all places; to love and provide for my family; to not cheat my employer (because I was still fully employed); to keep the confidences entrusted to me from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve and the Area Presidency; and to strengthen my quorum.”
Listening to the Spirit
His first assignment was to help reorganize a stake in Chicago. The Friday before he left he felt a clear impression to look through the bios of men he’d be interviewing.
“So I stopped, pulled it out of my briefcase, and just started turning the pages, one by one. I got, I don’t know how far, and I turned the page, and I heard, ‘That’s the next stake president.’ And I closed the book and I thought, ‘It can’t be that easy.’ ”
Later that day, he met the presiding authority from Salt Lake City who told him, “You know, they say the longer you do this, the harder it gets,” which puzzled then-Elder Ames.
The next day the two interviewed men in the stake and selected the brother whom Elder Ames’ had been inspired about.
But the statement from the presiding authority still puzzled him.
“I actually got out of bed twice in the middle of the night and prayed about it so I could understand what the Lord was trying to teach me. About 5:30 a.m. in the morning, I woke up and I knew it, just like dictated notes,” said Ames.
“I think that God wants us to learn to think like Him. That He doesn’t want to tell us everything. He wants us to think like Him, to become like Him. He’s eager to take the training wheels off.”
“The charge is a beautiful moment where President Nelson asked me to stand up and bring my right arm to the square and promise to do five things: To be and bear a certain witness of Jesus Christ at all times and in all places; to love and provide for my family; to not cheat my employer (because I was still fully employed); to keep the confidences entrusted to me from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve and the Area Presidency; and to strengthen my quorum.”
On the Lord’s Errand
When you’re on the Lord’s errand there are no accidental interactions along the way, said Ames.
On another occasion he found himself on a plane sitting next to a lone Philadelphia Eagles fan in green, sitting amongst a sea of red Chiefs fans.
“Before the plane took off, we knew a couple of things. He knew that I was a Seventy and was going to bear my testimony of the Savior. And I knew that he was a returned missionary who had left the church.”
The former missionary had left the church because of the plan of salvation. He couldn’t believe that a God would create a plan where so many would fail.
“So I got a piece of paper and I drew out the Doctrine of Christ and how it’s not a pass/fail, that it’s a process of God helping us become better, how he lifts us and repentance is not punishment. That it’s healing and sweet, and if you ever think you’re less than, that that’s not God talking to you,” he told him.
Then Ames had the thought to ask the young man about his education and he answered he was studying to be a pilot.
“And I said, let’s pretend that I’m your instructor and you walk in on the first day of class and I say, ‘Here’s the deal. I guarantee every one of you will pass this class. In fact, here’s the answers to all the questions. I guarantee it.’ I said, would you want to fly in a plane from someone who graduated from my class?
“He said, oh, of course not…because I have to learn how to feel the plane. I have to know what it feels like to take off, to land, and to feel pitch and yaw,” and as he’s saying these things, he’s understanding. Like, this isn’t pass/fail, right? It’s, you have to experience life. It just couldn’t have been a better, a more perfect allegory for him. The Holy Ghost was felt and he then asked, ‘Do you know how I can find my mission president? Do you know how I can find out who my bishop is?’ ”
Family Blessings
During his five years of service there were hundreds of amazing, spiritual experiences, said Ames, and when he returned home from an assignment he would share them with his family, or while on assignment using the Marco Polo app.
In the blessing he received from Elder Stevenson he was promised that as he served in this new calling his children’s testimonies and relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ would increase.
“Was it hard on my family, yes. Was it hard on Kim? Yes, it was an absolute sacrifice. But, never a bitter moment. The burden was heavy, but I asked my children and wife at the end, individually, ‘Was the promise fulfilled?’ And the answer was ‘Absolutely, yes.’ ”
Captions:
1 – Elder Rodney Ames and Elder Gerrit W. Gong at the Far West Temple Site.
2 – Elder Gerrit W. and his wife Susan Gong met with Elder Rodney and his wife Kimberly Ames.
3 – At the Cardston Alberta Temple Elder Rodney Ames holds a Book of Mormon once owned by Heber J. Grant, who dedicated the Cardston Temple in 1923. The book was given to him by a member to take with him when he traveled to Cardston.
4 – Elder Ames and Sister Kimberly Ames with General Relief Society President Camille Johnson and her husband Doug at Haun’s Mill.
05 – Kimberly Ames and Camille Johnson, General President of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
6 – Elder Rodney Ames with Elder Brad Wilcox at the 12 Witnesses monument in Clay County