Ok, so the thread about Holland having a good old rant at the Scotland Edinburgh Mission got me thinking back the good old days of my mission.Edit : Added the link to SEM threadI served in the England Bristol Mission, it went from a reasonably high baptizing mission, to a struggling mission when we changed Mission President.President Jeffrey Holland (Q70) was sent to berate the missionaries. I was not at the meeting, as I had finished my mission by this point, but I know people who were at the 'infamous' Holland rant in the EBM. Here is one review of the meeting:"Many times over the years and up to the present day I am regularly asked was I present at THAT conference when Pres. Holland (who was the then Area President) gave the EBM what basically amounted to a good telling off.I am not here to state what did or didn't happen, but what I thought may be of interest is my journal entries for that day that I wrote at the time having been there in person. I am NOT claiming that my account is definitive, only the record I wrote at the time as I saw and felt things. Many years as a police officer taking witness statements has shown me that no two witnesses will ever give an identical account of the same event.As a background, there were three conferences scheduled:7th January 1991 9am - Wells Road Chapel for Bristol 1 & 2 Zones & Cheltenham Zone7th January 1991 2pm - Cardiff Chapel for Cardiff & Merthyr Zones8th January 1991 1pm - Exeter Chapel for Plymouth 1 & 2 Zones."Monday 7th January 1991:......we finally left at about 9 and came back to get ready for ZTM tomorrow. We're all going to get a good telling off from the Area Presidency! The prospects look bleak! Read on at your peril.....""Tuesday 8th January 1991:The big day of ZTM. We started promptly and all had to rise when the GA's came in. I thought we were going to salute as well. It did seem rather pompous. The meeting started out with a few testimonies from those going home. The next item on the agenda was a presentation by Elder Johnson (GA). It was quite good except I felt as if he was trying to intimidate us all.Still, never mind. His wife then followed up with a talk.We stood up to sing the bogus EBM song after Sister Johnson as our bums were pretty numb! Elder Melcin and his wife then spoke to us followed by a musical item from Sisters XXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXX. It was really good. I think Sister XXXXX was behind the organisation etc. She's also written a song which was sung at Christmas Conference. I wish I had that kind of musical talent.Sister Holland gave a good talk about missionaries and it seemed as if we'd got away without the scything attack we'd all been anticipating as, although all 5 talks were centred on obedience etc., we weren't exactly being scolded, that is, until Elder Jeffrey R Holland, Quorum of the Seventy stood up as concluding speaker.Then, all hell literally broke loose! He started off by smashing his fist in anger on the stand. We all jumped, especially as he started foaming at the mouth - I jest not! he yelled and ranted for quite a time about how disgusting, embarrassing and shameful this mission is. Last month we baptised less people then were sent home - 6 baptisms, 7 sent home! I've NEVER, EVER seen anyone so angry and annoyed in my whole life, and believe me, mum and dad have been annoyed plenty of times. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I think that the rest of the congregation felt the same. We were all paralysed to our pews with fright. No-one even dared to blink. Apparently, he'd given the same talk to the other zones yesterday and after one meeting, a missionary Elder had been caught arranging to meet a girl in town. Elder Holland yelled about what a "Jackass" this Elder was and how Pres. Jones had to almost physically restrain Elder Holland from kicking the Elder all the way back to the States by force. I didn't disbelieve a word.He finally concluded by saying that if the mission were a horse he'd have it shot! He then calmed down a bit and lowered his tone and the spittle stopped flying as he counselled us on what we should be doing. I think he cracked a joke but no-one dared laugh or smile just in case they incurred the wrath of Holland again! When the meeting was over we were all silent. A lot of people were crying still, not so much from guilt as the strong spirit, which had been in the meeting."Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2015 11:38AM by scotslander.