It gives you wings.

     

     Like so many others, my mother has never felt 100% comfortable getting up in sacrament meeting on the first Sunday of the month to share her testimony. I remember when I was little asking her why she didn't. Didn't she have a testimony? Aren't we supposed to share our testimonies? My mothers answer then, and her continuing commitment today is "my testimony is my life." The more I've grown, the more I've come to appreciate those words. 

     Recently I heard a mother telling her newly baptized daughter, "if you want to know if someone has a testimony, look at the way they live their life." This week in her letter my mother said this: "Another way of being a missionary is to LIVE the gospel. As people see our happiness or successful handling of life's trials they will turn to us or possibly ask us how we got that happiness." I couldn't agree with her more. While the literal preaching of the gospel is essential to helping other come to a better understanding of the truth, what will be perhaps more crucial in the end is whether or not we actually practiced what we preached.

     There's a quote in PMG that says "You need to be a Christlike missionary, not just do missionary things." For the member at home, I think we can easily transpose that into, "You need to be a disciple of Christ, not just do churchy things." If you are just doing something without actually being it, are you really living it? No. If you are an active member, but you are miserable because of your calling and all the "gospel to-do's" do you really understand the gospel? Again, no. Why? Because the gospel isn't weight, it's wings. It's was giving to lift and edify. To stretch? -of course. But always with the end goal in mind that it is going to take us higher. My Dad said this in one of his emails a few week back:

     "A scripture that comes to mind is: Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. I think about the Scripture when I’m feeling life is getting too complicated or hard. It reminds me that it is probably me that is complicating my life and making my life hard because if I was closely following the Lord, the feeling would be more “easy” and “light”. That’s not to say that you won’t be challenged or have difficulties if you follow the Lord’s teaching, my sense is that when I have been living the Gospel the most closely, life’s challenges and difficulties felt easier and lighter as I dealt with them."

     As I reflect, I am reminded of the several sweet experiences I have had when someone approached us, the missionaries, and said, "I noticed that you did _____, and I wanted to let you know that I appreciate it." The conversation then leads into why we acted the way we did, and of course that conversation comes back to Christ. On that note, I wanted to end with a scripture, and an invitation.

1 Peter 3:15
"...sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you..."

     Here's my invitation: BE a disciple and LIVE the gospel of Christ. I'll let you know that this is the same scripture and invitation we will be using in many our AML's this week. Our goal is to commit every active family to create a family mission plan, with the idea conveyed in that scripture as their main focus.

     Have a great week!

Zion's Bootcamp

     We live in troubling times, when the war between good and evil is growing ever hotter. I have long since begun to think of missions as a sort of boot camp or basic training for this war in which we all either are, or will be, inevitably involved. 

     Here at "camp Zion" the schedule is grueling, and progress can seem slow. We live as we have never lived before, pushing ourselves to greater heights and further lengths than we ever had dreamed possible. On the days when we feel we have nothing more to give, we hear our sergeant's call to "try a little harder" and "do a little better." No experience in my life has ever been more difficult or more strenuous.

     Yet in a very real sense we are protected from the actual battle zone. We have a little book of rules and regulations that builds a protective barrier between us and the outside world. While some see it as a jail fence, most eventually come to recognize it for what it is- a protection against the enemy as we undergo some of the most important training we will ever have in this life. We also come to realize that soon enough we will be called in to battle to fight on the front lines of the war with sin.

     I know there will come a day, sooner than I would like, when I will be back at the home front. I know that once there, I will time and time again look back on the training I received during my 18-moth stay in Zion's Bootcamp, and thank my God for teaching me what I needed to know to survive.

     To those of you already fighting on the home front, don't you quit! Keep going until you have done all you can, even when you are tired. Focus on the most important things and avoid wasting time. When the days get tough, remember who it is that leads our forces. A favorite scripture comes to mind: 

"Dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

     "Cheerfully do all things that lie in our power." How I love those words. Don't give up, and don't give in. Keep up the battle on the home front.

How to get the missionaries to stop asking me "Who do you know that we could teach?"

     So a key component in this new age of missionary work is member involvement, specifically in finding. But too often when we ask people whom they know we could teach, they pause for a moment, adopt that "dear in the headlights look" and give us the same, familiar answers: "Look, I just don't get out much." or "I really don't know of anyone." and "I can't talk to people about religion at work/school."

     Sometimes I just want to say to "Folks, I love you, you know I do. But here's the thing: The missionaries know even less than you do about who to teach in your area. We are 2000 miles away from home, family, work, and acquaintances for Pete's sakes!"

     Do you appreciate that? Do you recognize that the missionaries have less of a social life then you do? Do you appreciate that they have no personal resources to draw on other than pounding the pavement, knocking doors,and talking with strangers? And that's what we do. We go out and knock doors every day. We talk with everyone, we ask them for referrals- in short we use the resources we have. But what was the reason that 3 of the last 4 people/families in this area got baptized and came into the church? Because they had a friend or family member with the courage to open their mouth and share.

     As representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ are going to keep using every resource we have available to bring people into the gospel, it is our duty and our calling after all, but we need you to do the same: use your resources. Why? Because you have more of them! And, if I could be so bold, because you have a responsibility to share the gospel too.

     Now you don't have to do this alone!! President Monson has specifically counseled that we pray to find missionary opportunities in "those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely." and Elder Andersen has promised, "as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind. Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles."

    I add my own witness to Elder Andersen's. Pray for missionary opportunities, and they will come. They will be natural, and they will be Spirit led. I know the Lord will bless you to find someone who is ready to accept the gospel.

     And when you do, CALL THE MISSIONARIES!!

What do you want?

Well Here I stand with 12 months past,

I'll tell you, time- it goes by fast.

To this green state we each were brought,

not just to teach but to be taught.

And as I've filled my NC post,

I've truly learnt what matters most

I caught a plane and traveled far,

and learned "state-side" was just as hard!

I knew the basics; short and sweet.

But after milk must come the meat!

He chastens whom he loves I guess,

Sometimes I wished he'd love me less!

'Cuz by and by (it was quite strange)

the folks I met began to change,

while I remained still quite the same,

I wondered why I even came.

My prayers at night got short and gruff,

"Oh Lord, when will it be enough?

"I've given all that I could give;

The ones I loved, the life I lived.

Yet here I am, not changed one whit,

I'm grumpy, tired, and want to quit.

If those I meet can grow and learn,

when's it enough? When's it my turn?"

And then a whisper crossed the veil,

"You gave me much, but not you will,

Though you may act and look the part,

you're still a gentile in your heart.

Change isn't what you want to do,

does that sound like "enough" to you?"

So here is it, here's what I learned:

As far as changing is concerned,

while we can change, be "born again"

we won't be forced to be like him.

If we would be baptized by fire,

what matters most is our desire.

Remember that they heard Him ask,

"Oh Father, would this cup might pass?"

On that dark night He could have run,

He could have said, "My will be done."

But He Himself gave his will up,

and shrugged and drank the bitter cup.

He gave His heart and now I see,

that's His example, set for me.

Because of Christ we can be cleansed,

freed from death, and from our sins,

But giv'n to man's the pow'r to choose,

and choosing life is up to you.

A midst the time 'tween birth and grave,

there's really just one soul we save,

and that's our own. We set the pace,

that we will run in life's great race.

See, we're the ones who have to say,

"O Lord, I'll walk thy chosen way."

So someday when my life is through,

and I've done "all that I could do,"

I'll meet my God near Lehi's tree,

and there we'll stand, just him and me,

He'll ask me what on earth I've done,

to be a "good and faithful" one.

I hope I'll boldly stand to face,

the one who gave me of his grace,

Because I did what I should do,

and did it 'cuz "I wanted to."

That hope's my humble prayer 'til then,

in Jesus' Sacred name, Amen.

Missionary Work: Inviting Others to Come Unto Christ

    Lately I have been thinking a lot about "member missionary work." I remember when I was growing up, I always looked forward to the day that I would get to finally share the gospel. I knew that day would come when I was 21, and then I would finally get to preach and teach and work like missionaries did. In April of last year I recieved my call to serve as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My opportunity to share the gospel had arrived!
    Since that moment, I have learned a lot about missionary work, and a lot about how and where and when we can share the gospel. Here in NC Our Ward Mission Leader asked each family to create a family mission plan. Now before you go staying up late developing your 10 page, single spaced, detail oriented Family Plan to do missionary work, may I offer a few suggestions for what you could do to help hasten the work of salvation in your kneck of the woods? To do so I'm going to share 3 of my favorite "missionary stories" from the scriptures.
    The first is in Alma 53-57. At this point in Nephite history the people of Nephi are in grave danger of losing their war with the Lamanites. So great is their danger that the people of Ammon, who had buried their weapons of war for peace, were on the verge of breaking that covenant they had made with God. But we read,

    "...behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites. And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites...And they were all young men...men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted...men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him...
    "...Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death...yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them...And they rehearsed unto me [Helaman,] the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

     And so this little band of 2060 Strippling warriors went into battle, and of them and that battle we read,

     "as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted...and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I [Helaman] did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.... [and] there was not one soul of them who did perish...
    "And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe..."

    Did you catch the missionary reference?
    Let's look at another missionary story, this time in Acts 8. Here we read of Philips ministry in Samaria

    "And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God
    "...But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John
    "...And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
    "...Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me."

    Ok what about that time? What can we learn about missionary work from Phillip, Peter and John?
    The final missionary reference I want to share with you is found in Matthew 11. Here Christ says,

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

    With that last scripture, I want to share with you what I have learned in the last 10 months while serving among the people of North Carolina. I have learned that missionary work is not the miles we rids on our bikes. It is not the number of doors we knock on, or a badge we wear or a lesson we teach. Missionary work at its core, is inviting others to come unto Christ, and I know now, that you don't have to set apart to do that.
    My name-tag is important. It easily identifies me as a representative of Jesus Christ and his church, but as I said before, this is not what makes me a missionary. I am acting as a missionary only when I am inviting others to come unto Christ, and I didn't have to come 2000 miles across the country to start doing that. Because behind this badge, I am still first and foremost a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Just like you.
    I want to emphasize this: You don't do missionary work when you walk around wearing a black plastic badge. You do missionary work when you invite others to come unto Christ.
    So! Going back to family mission plans, let's talk real quick about what your family can do to invite others to come unto Christ.
    From the story in Alma we learn that we invite others to come unto Christ when we follow the example of the Ammonite women, and teach our "strippling warriors" correct gospel principles. Your family mission plan might read, "We are going to read our scriptures for 30 minutes as a family every day." or "We are going to pray every morning together before we all to go off to school and work." or even simply "We are going to try a little harder to be more like Jesus"
    From the Story in Acts we learn that we invite others to come unto Christ when we 1) fulfill our church callings and 2) help strengthen new and less active members. Your family mission plan might read, "We are going to go and do our Home and Visiting teaching this month." or "We are going to reach out to the Smith family" or "We are going to attend all of our necessary meetings with a smile on our face and in our hearts."
    And finally from the story in Matthew we learn that we invite others to come unto Christ when we reach out to those around us who labor and are heavy laden. Your family mission plan might read, "We are going to visit 3 home-bound members this month as a family." or "We are going to help Sister H. with her new twins" or even the simple but important "We are going to more fully support and sustain our chosen church leaders."
    Brothers and Sisters, I testify to you that Missionary Work is not a separate auxilary organization of this great Church of which we are a part. Missionary work IS the church, it IS the gospel, beause the purpose of the gospel, the purpose of the church, the purpose of missionary work, is one and the same- to bring every son and daughter of God closer to their savior Jesus Christ.
    Perhaps this is what we really mean when we say, "every member a missionary."

Applying the Gospel to Missionary Work: Repentance

     Since being on my mission I have gained a deep appreciation for daily repentance.

     As some of you may be aware, once a week missionary companionships conduct a 3-4 hour “Weekly Planning Session” during which we set goals and makes plans as to how we can best forward the work in our area. There are thirteen guidelines which we use to direct our weekly planning session, the final of which is “Conduct companionship inventory.”

     “At the end of your weekly planning session, share with your companion appropriate goals, and ask for his or her help to accomplish them. Discuss the strength of your relationship with your companion. Discuss any challenges that may be keeping your companionship from working in unity or from being obedient. Resolve conflicts. Share with your companion what you think his or her strengths are. Ask for suggestions on how you can improve. If needed, set goals that will improve your relationship. Conclude with prayer.” (Preach my Gospel)

     There are a lot of situation-specific conversations that come as a result of living with another human being 24/7. You no longer have the luxury of keeping ANYTHING to yourself. Any bad habit or silly quirk or annoying tendency you may have quickly becomes apparent within the first week. No one is exempt; we all do at least one thing that will drive our companion nuts. I imagine that spending so much time together in such a manner gives us a taste of what an omnipotent being gets to experience. Unfortunately, human beings tend to be a lot less forgiving than said omnipotent being when for the 489^th time they have to say, “Sister Ashworth, will you PLEASE stop leaving all the cupboards open whenever you get something from the kitchen??” (I have a problem.) Companionship inventory gives you the wonderful opportunity to acknowledge a need for improvement, and the to “share with your companion appropriate goals” and “ask for suggestions on how you can improve.”

     As missionaries we have been called by a prophet of God to preach the restored truths of the plan of salvation and of the gospel, but we are not perfect. As Paul taught, we “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 5:23) Each of us has broken a commandment or failed to act righteously despite our knowledge of the truth. We learn from the Book of Mormon that “for all [our] doings [we shall] be brought into judgment. Wherefore if [we] have sought to do wickedly in the days or [pour[ probation, then [we] are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God, wherefore, [we] must be cast off forever. (1 Nephi 10:20-21) How fortunate it is then that we have access to Christ's mercy through conditions of repentance. “If we confess our sins, [Christ] is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

     Laying aside for a moment the eternal ramifications of sin. Ere and now there is another real consequence to defiling our lives with disobedience. After we are baptized we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. This gift of the Spirit is essential in missionary work. As missionaries we are called to “preach [Christ's] gospel by the Spirit (D&C 42:14) we are admonished that “if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.” Disobedience drives away the Spirit, and therefore even the smallest acts of rebellion or neglect inhibit our ability to fulfill our purpose. If we are to be effective disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we are fulfill our missionary purpose, which includes calling others to repent, we must learn to repent properly and completely ourselves.

     Elder David A. Bednar taught 

     “Repentance is a principle of hope and healing- not of discouragement and despair. Repentance indeed is humbling- but not frightening. Repentance is simultaneously demanding and comforting, rigorous and soothing.” What a gift it is to repent! Indeed it “is a priceless gift made possible through the atonement of him whom we love, serve, and follow.” (Becoming a Preach My Gospel Missionary, Seminar for new Mission Presidents 2011)

     In Isaiah we read, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:16-18)

     When our spirits become dirty or disfigured, we are not told to wallow in our fallen state, but rather to “Awake! And arise form the dust... put on the Armour of righteousness. Shake of the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity.” (2 Nephi 1:14,23) The Lord is calling us to action; to free ourselves from the bonds of sin by coming unto Jesus Christ and being made clean through his priceless gift of the atonement. And when we answer that call, when we repent, it is then that we are made effective servants of the Lord. It is then that we are able to “thrust in [our] sickle with all [our] soul, and be laden with sheaves upon [our] backs.” (D&C 31:5) 

     Of this I testify in Jesus' name, amen.

Applying the Gospel to Missionary Work: Faith

 

("The Annunciation" by Rose Datoc Dall via her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rosedatocdallstudio)

     I have decided to start a series of posts that will hopefully help those of you not currently serving full time missions to feel more comfortable with sharing the gospel, by illustrating how the different principles and ordinances of the Gospel help ME to tackle such a task. Over the next few weeks I'll cover five different topics: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. Today's topic: Faith.

     As I'm sure you may have guessed, missionary work is work. It is hard, hard work. In a talk given at the Provo MTC in June of 2000, Elder Holland said, 

     "Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?...I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?"

     I have had occasion to ponder on the power of Christ this past week. I am not sure what enabled Christ to be so submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love, that without ever faltering from the path, he could willingly submit to all things which God the Father saw fit to inflict upon him. I do not yet understand how it was possible for a being to rely upon his own self when suffering under the greatest trial and affliction known to man, and to come out victorious. What I do know, is that because he did, we now have in our lesser moments of trial what he in that climactic hour did not: someone to rely on.

     Elder Holland went on to Sate, 

     "When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions...I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel, He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world." ( "Missionary Work and the Atonement,” 20 June 2000,  emphasis added)

     What allows us as missionaries to unlock the enabling power if the atonement? That same thing which has ever inspired to men to act: our Faith i.e. our Trust in our savior. As spoken by the Prophet Moroni, "O Lord, Thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith."

     I know that whatever trials we may face, whatever struggles we may have to endure as the work goes forward, we will be given the strength and the courage to overcome them as we look unto the Savior faith. Remember the prayer of Alma as he headed out the mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites:

     “O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people… O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me…Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ. Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.” 

     And then we read, 

     “...it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit…And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.” (Alma 31:31-38)

     I know that as we look to Christ to support us in our missionary efforts, we will experience the same blessings as did Alma. To be sure, trials and tribulations will come, but we will not experience those trials and tribulations, save our sorrows shall be swallowed up in the joy of Christ- a joy comes as a natural result of our Faith and Trust in our Lord and Savior. 
     Of this I testify, in his name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.