On June 9th I gave my farewell address in church as I prepare to head out as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was a story I had to skip for time reasons which I wanted my family to hear, and my grandma suggested I put my whole talk up. So, here it is! The parts I skipped are in orange.
Last October conference,
Elder Hales outlined the basic beliefs of a Christian. He described them as
having faith in Jesus Christ, and his atonement. They are those who are
baptized in his name. They also know that throughout the ages, God has sent prophets
to the earth to share his gospel and fulfill his work. We know that prophet
today to be Thomas S. Monson, who received his authority through a line of
priesthood that began with Christ himself.
But being a Christian isn’t
just about what you know, it’s about what you do and how you live out your
mortal existence. "Good better best, never let it rest, till your good is
better, and your better best." I learned from my mother this simple saying that
has such an important message. This rhyme reminds me that my work is never
finished. It is important to be good, but it is more important to be improving.
And there are many ways that we can work toward being better followers of
Christ.
A good Christian is baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ. A better Christian takes seriously the commitment
they have made through baptism to take upon his name as his representative.
President George Albert Smith
told the story of a dream he had as a young man in which he conversed with his
Grandfather whom he was named after. In his words:
He looked at me earnestly and
said: “I would like to know what you have done with my name.”
Everything I had ever done
passed before me as though it were a flying picture on a screen… I smiled and
looked at my grandfather and said: “I have never done anything with your name
of which you need be ashamed.”
When we enter into the waters
of baptism, we willingly take upon us the name of Christ. From that time
forward our actions not only reflect upon ourselves, but our Savior whom we
represent. And there is no turning back. We are no longer expected to do what
is right, but are obligated to do so. The blessings of baptism are
immeasurable, and where much is given, much is required.
King Benjamin declared, “I
would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts
that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the
voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call
you
As a missionary I will be
privileged to wear his name over my heart. But more importantly, each of us must
etch the name of Christ within our
hearts. Always remembering him, that at the great and last day we can stand
before him and say, as President Smith said to his grandfather, “I have never
done anything with your name of which you need be ashamed.”
After all, as King Benjamin
continues: “how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a
stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”
Let us become better
Christians by taking seriously the promise we’ve made to take upon his name and
always remember him.
A good Christian follows the Disciples
of Christ. A better Christian is a
disciple of Christ.
After the Savior’s death, his
own disciples and closest friends found that without His step-by-step
instructions, they were at a loss for what to do next. They had followed
diligently in the master’s footsteps and had performed their roles well, but
didn’t fully understand their responsibility to continue the Lord’s work.
And so, having been beaten
and scorned, mocked and mistreated, betrayed and crucified, and obviously
misunderstood, the Lord must return to the fishing shores, re-collect his
apostles, and explain to them in simple and direct terms, exactly what it is he
needs from them.
In Elder Holland’s envisioned
description of the scene he describes: with relentless scrutiny He [The Savior]
asks for the third time, “Peter, do you love me?” By now surely Peter is
feeling truly uncomfortable. Perhaps there is in his heart the memory of only a
few days earlier when he had been asked another question three times and he had
answered equally emphatically—but in the negative. Or perhaps he began to
wonder if he misunderstood the Master Teacher’s question. Or perhaps he was
searching his heart, seeking honest confirmation of the answer he had given so
readily, almost automatically. Whatever his feelings, Peter said for the third
time, “Lord, … thou knowest that I love thee.”
To which Jesus responded
perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back
on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t
it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish?
What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to
feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend
my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what
our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message.
It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be
consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is
to change the world.
Brothers and sisters, let us
not wait for the Lord to come and collect us. After he has sacrificed so much,
suffered incomprehensible pain on our behalf, is it really so much to ask that
we go to him?
The Lord declared: “it is not
meet that I should command in all things, for he that is compelled in all
things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant… verily I say men should
be anxiously engaged in a good cause.”
Elder Hales said: “As
Christians today, we have the opportunity to act straightway, immediately, and
decisively, just as Peter and Andrew did: “they forsook their nets, and
followed him.” We too are called upon to
leave our nets, to reject worldly habits, customs, and traditions.” Elder Hales goes on to say: “This is the call
of Christ to every Christian today: “Feed my lambs…Feed my sheep””
The first thought that comes
to my mind, and I’m sure many of yours, when I hear the command, “feed my
sheep” is missionary work. This job is not to be left to the full-time
missionaries alone, but is to be shared by every member. In the New Testament
and D&C, the Lord declares that missionary work is the responsibility of
all who follow Him. Elder Holland said “missionary work isn’t the only thing we
need to do in this big, wide, wonderful Church. But almost everything else we
need to do depends on people first hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and coming
into the faith.”
To those of us who live in a
place where most or nearly all of our friends and acquaintances are members of
the church, we may feel that this call is not necessarily for us. We share the
gospel where we can, but the opportunities may not often arise. Elder Hales
explains the ways that even those in our predicament can ‘feed His sheep’.
“We feed His lambs in our
homes by how we live the gospel: keeping the commandments, praying, studying
the scriptures, and emulating His love. We feed His sheep in the Church as we
serve in priesthood quorums and auxiliary organizations. And we feed His sheep
throughout the world by being good Christian neighbors, practicing the pure
religion of visiting and serving the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and all
who are in need.”
So, instead of wishing we had
this or that, why not serve someone else and provide something they lack?
Instead of focusing on our own insecurities, why not ask the Lord to guide us
in lifting up others? Instead of planning our schedules around work, meetings
and parties, why not plan them around family activities, scripture study, and
prayer? Instead of lamenting our lack of gifts or privileges, why not give
thanks for and cultivate the talents we do have in an effort to build the
kingdom?
So, now we know what the Lord
has asked us to do. And a good Christian is a hearer of the word, but a better
Christian is a doer of the word also.
More and more today we hear things like, 'I
want that now, I want to DO that later'. We find it easier to be acted upon than
to act. We ask the Lord for blessings, sometimes not caring to ask ourselves
whether we have earned them.
Laziness is not just a state of doing
nothing. You can be the busiest, hardest working person around and still be
lazy in the work of the gospel.
We may rationalize by telling ourselves
that as one person, there is not much that we can do. I have enough on my plate
as it is. Surely someone else, someone less busy, can pick up the slack. No one
will notice the absence of one person. But the Lord does notice.
A few years ago I was sitting next to my
dad during the sacrament. As the tray of water came to me, I took a little
paper cup from it. I looked down into the cup and saw only the tiniest amount
of water at the bottom. Usually the cup was nearly full and I wasn’t sure if
such a tiny amount would be sufficient. After staring at it for a second I
looked up at my dad and gestured to the cup. As if he had read my mind, he
looked back and said, “One drop is enough.” Reassured, I drank the single drop
and placed the empty cup back into the tray.
For the rest of the meeting I pondered the
meaning of what my dad had said. “One drop is enough” I thought about my savior
and the sacrifice he made to atone for my sins. How powerful that sacrifice
must have been to give a single drop of a symbol of his blood,
the power to cleanse me of sin.
The way the Lord’s power works within us is
often subtle and we may worry that we do not have enough. It is important to
remember that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. At
times it may seem like, that as one person, I can’t have a great effect on the
world I live in. I am just one soldier in God’s army, one drop in the bucket.
But, as my dad so wisely reminded me, one drop is enough.
Elder Richard G. Scott said, "Anywhere you are in the world, with prayer, faith,
determination, diligence, and some sacrifice, you can make a powerful
contribution. Begin now. I promise you that the Lord will help you find a way.
And it will make you feel wonderful."
There is work to be done everywhere and
anywhere. Elder Neal A. Maxwell told the story of a group of marines during
World War II who found themselves trapped and surrounded by Japanese troops on
an island in the Pacific. When word reached the general, one of the most
decorated of the war, his reply was: “At last we have the enemy just where we
want him. We are surrounded and we can fire in every direction and not miss!”
Elder Maxwell then compared that incident
to the Church. He said: “At last The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints has the world just where we want it—we can serve in every direction and
not miss!”
D&C 80:3 “Wherefore, go
ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or
to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.” Where we serve is not nearly as important
as that and how we serve.
But this doesn’t mean that we have to do
this work alone. I’ve heard it said that God does not give anyone a trial that
they cannot overcome. I don’t believe this to be true. If it were, no one would
lose their faith, no one would give up, and no one would fail. I do believe, however,
that God does not give anyone a trial that they cannot overcome with his
help.
I am inspired by David who wrote: Yea
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Because of his
faith, and righteous living, he was able to conquer the giant goliath with the
Lord on his side. Sometimes we face challenges that seem to be over six cubits
high, and we may not even know how to begin to face them. The key is turning to
the Lord and following his instructions.
Which leads me to my next thought, that a
good Christian seeks to do the will of the Lord, but a better Christian seeks
to understand what the Lord’s will is for them individually.
Personal revelation is a tricky thing. I
myself am trying hard but still sometimes struggle to know what the Lord would
have me do. Sister Barbara Thompson said in a general conference address: “The
way to receive personal revelation is really quite clear. We need to desire to
receive revelation, we must not harden our hearts, and then we need to ask in
faith, truly believe that we will receive an answer, and then diligently keep
the commandments of God.
Following this pattern does not mean that
every time we ask a question of God, the answer will immediately appear with
every detail of what to do. However, it does mean that if we diligently keep
the commandments and ask in faith, answers will come in the Lord’s own way and
in His time.”
Though this pattern to receiving personal
revelation is clear, the revelations themselves might not always be. I have
studied, prayed, fasted and inquired of the Lord many times and yet, do not
often receive direct answers. I thought perhaps I was not listening hard
enough, or in the right way, but I am starting to learn that maybe the Lord has
a different method for directing my path. As I have faced difficult life
decisions over the past few years, I often felt as if I was blindly making
choices that I had no idea whether or not were the right ones. Finally I made a
decision that apparently wasn’t the right one. It wasn’t bad in the sense that
it was wicked, I guess it just wasn’t the right one for me. As I set my mind
upon this decision, I began to feel a distinct impression that it was not right.
I tried to ignore it at first, but after having this strong feeling for a few
days I finally decided to act upon it. It was a really hard thing to do, but I
was blessed with the feeling that I had done the right thing, and have never
regretted it.
Since then I have acted more quickly when
receiving the impression that something wasn’t right, and have been able to
recognize this feeling in even not so life-changing decisions. I have deduced
that the reason the Lord has not told me everything I should do is because
there are many paths in this life that could lead to eternal happiness.
Sometimes I would like a roadmap with directions, but it is comforting to know
the Lord will never let me go down a path that is certainly the wrong one.
Not only have I had to learn that
revelation comes in the Lord’s way, but also in the Lord’s time. The most
difficult of these timing issues for me to accept was the missionary age
change. While every under-21-year-old girl was shouting for joy, I was crying
in frustration. I felt it a great injustice that I wasn’t allowed to serve a
mission at 19. By the time this conference had come, I would have been a
returned missionary. I imagined that this course would have fit much better
into the life plan that I had laid out for myself. I feel guilty now thinking
of the complaints I lamented to my heavenly father as my little sister chatted
loudly and excitedly about her mission plans. My brother, seeing my sorrow,
wrote me this note:
After reading his words I realized that
this wonderful announcement was not meant to be about me, or my sister, or any
other missionary affected by it. It is meant to about the Lord’s gospel, and
the best way he sees fit to spread it. I realized later that it was also my
sister’s overwhelming excitement that gave me the last push I needed to
complete my mission papers. So, here I am, at 21 and ½, leaving on a mission
with my little sister to follow in just about 4 months. And I couldn’t be
happier.
As long as we do as sister Thompson said,
keeping a soft heart and obeying the commandments as we pray for revelation, it
will come in the Lord’s time and in his way.
A good Christian knows and
relies on the Lord’s power to bless. A better Christian understands that this
power is within each of us who are worthy and can be used, through us, to bless
others.
Once we know the influence we
can have, the thought of sharing the gospel can be a scary thing. I personally
have a lot of fears as I prepare to do this full time. What if people scoff or
laugh at me when I stand up for what I believe? What if someone gets offended?
What if I lose a friend because they think all I want to do is convert them?
What if I say the wrong thing? What if my beliefs are challenged, and I don’t
have solid answers to defend them? I am afraid of the sorrow I will feel when,
after trying my hardest, the people I learn to love ultimately fail to accept
this glad message that is so sacred and special to me. In summary, I am afraid
that I am simply inadequate. This fear is one the adversary has been playing
against me especially frequently in the last few months.
My mind has wandered often to
a quote by Marianne Williamson in which she says, “You are a child of God. Your
playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant
to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that
is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.”
In the book of Matthew we
read a similar message: “Ye
are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither
do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.
As children of God we have the opportunity
to let the light that he has given us grow within. This light of Christ is
meant to be a guide and protection to us throughout our lives. As we act in
faith and diligently seek to do God’s will, this light will grow. In D&C 50
we read: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and
continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and
brighter until the perfect day.” The more we gain, the more we have to share,
thus enabling us to use our light to help others discover this light within
themselves. This light is what sets us apart from those who are lost and as my
New Testament teacher said: if we are just like everyone else in the world, we
won’t be able to make any difference in the world.
A wise wizard once said, “Dark times lie ahead of us
and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is
right”. May I suggest that these dark times do not lie ahead of us, but behind,
right before, and all around us. The only way to find our way though this
darkness is to use this light that God has given us. And we must help others
cultivate their own light because, as the parable of the ten virgins teaches,
each of us must prepare our own lamps to lead us to the kingdom.
But why must we take it upon
ourselves to help others gain this light? I asked myself a similar question
last week as I had the opportunity to babysit my niece and nephew We did all
sorts of fun things and when the dreaded bedtime rolled around the second
night, the kids and I were exhausted. And not the fall right to sleep kind of
exhausted, but the screaming, crying, resistant kind. It was an intense battle
of wills to get those kids ready for, and into their beds. When I finally got
them down and turned on their CD of primary songs, I just laid on the floor and
listened. I wondered why we love children so much. They’re good for a laugh and are stinkin cute, but
for the most part, they are worry, work, and stress. As my thoughts wandered I
looked up to see a picture of the Savior on the wall. Instantly I felt his love
for those kids. Just then my nephew turned and saw me on the floor. He crawled
up next to me, put his head on one arm and pulled my other arm around him. I
felt then what the Lord must feel for all of us. So much love that, probably
with the mixture of exhaustion, brought me to tears, one of which my cute nephew wiped from my face. We are all connected to
each other by our common heavenly heritage. We love children because of the
bond created by the eternal nature of families. It is in our nature to want to
see those close to us be safe, taken care of and successful in every aspect of
life. But we cannot help them get there unless we have prepared ourselves to
give them the direction these worthy goals require.
That’s what being a follower
of Christ is about. It is about caring enough to be our best, so that we can
help others be their best.
We should think as the sons
of Mosiah who were “desirous that salvation should be declared to every
creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even
the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to
quake and tremble.” Without our spirit brothers and sisters, without our
posterity, without each other, this life, our very existence is meaningless.
The Father’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal
life of man. Let us take up this cause as our work, and recognize that the
salvation of man, of every man, is our glory
as well.
The love I have for my family
is incomparable to anything else in the world. I try every day to feel this
love for all of God’s children so that I may be a positive influence in the
world
I know that as we remember
our baptismal covenants, become disciples of Christ, be doers of the word, seek
personal revelation, and use our divine power for good, the Lord will be
pleased with our work, and will recognize us in the next life as his own. Let
us continually strive to make our good better, and our better best. Let us do
as Nephi did when he said “we talk of Christ we rejoice in Christ, we preach of
Christ, we prophesy of Christ” not only with our words, but with our actions,
and examples.
