Knowing the Master

One of the greatest sermons ever given was by a faithful leader of a nation, King Benjamin.  Knowing his time was short on the earth, he gathered his people around him to impart of that which he considered to be of greatest worth.  He taught and testified of he who was the King of Kings, the only one who could lead them in this life and the next, even Jesus Christ.  In his concluding remarks he said the following:

"I say unto you, 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" (Mosiah 5:12).

Certainly, participating in the holy ordinance of the sacrament blesses us with the promise that if "we will always remember him, we will have his spirit to be with us" (see Doctrine & Covenants 20:77,79).  As important as the sacrament is to maintaining a spiritual nature and knowing God, it does not tell us how to remember him always, it only tells us that we should.  In the next verse, King Benjamin reveals the key to knowing and remembering.  He says:

"For 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? (Mosiah 5:13)."

In a previous post entitled, "That They Might Know Thee," I wrote about my desires as a young man to know the Savior. I studied, I pondered, I prayed. All of my efforts felt good but I still felt that I lacked something else.  During this time I decided to serve a full time mission for my church.  I was asked to teach the people of Guatemala.  As I immersed myself in the language, the culture but most importantly the people that I met, I grew to love them more and more.  There were many challenges and days of discouragement but when we could teach of Jesus Christ and see the change that came into their lives, I felt pure joy.  My own personal desires seemed less important.  In a quiet moment after I had completed my missionary service I felt the loving assurance of my savior.  I was reminded of those whom I had taught and realized that Jesus had been with me each and every time.  By losing myself in his service, I had found what I had been looking for all along.  It was only by serving with him that I grew to know him.