Knowing Christ-Introduction

Introduction

Knowing Us By Name

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary" (John 20:16).

Of all the people we read of in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene certainly knew and had a special bond with the Savior of the world.  She sensed his goodness and felt of his divinity. She knew that he would someday redeem her soul for he had already saved her life. Luke's first description of her as "Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils" (Luke 8:2). Some have considered her to have been the one to have anointed Jesus in the home of the Pharisee, though that is not certain.  We do know that she was devoted to her Savior. Where others scattered and flew while Jesus was on the cross, she stood by. She and others came to the tomb the next morning.

I find it significant that the very first person that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was this woman who loved him so much.  He had changed her life. She feasted on his words, trusted in him and would do anything for him. Indeed at that moment she had come to finish the task that she had begun while he yet lived, the embalming of his body.  How she must have suffered and sorrowed in those dark days. To add to her grief, when she arrived at the tomb, the stone had been rolled away, the body was gone! Horror stricken, she ran to tell the apostles. They came and saw the empty tomb and then left.  She remained, weeping outside the tomb. As she looked in she saw two angels who asked her why she was so distraught. Replying that her Lord had been taken she turned and saw a man she took to be the gardener "and knew not that it was Jesus" (John 20:14). He asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" (vs 15).  In my mind's eye, I can picture Mary, so full of grief and anxiety that she started just bursting forth, pleading and begging with the man to see if he knew what had happened to the body, telling him that she would care for it. One word changed her entire outlook. One word spoken by the Savior of the whole world ceased her babbling.  One word was enough for her to know him. Jesus simply said, "Mary" (vs. 16). Her tears turned from those of grief to those of joy. Her heart leaped and her soul filled with the hope that was lost. Answering, she simply replied, "master."

I firmly believe that it is possibly to personally know Jesus Christ, the creator of the world, the one who is the author of the salvation for all the human race.  It is possible because he knows us. To a young boy seeking the truth in prayer he appeared with his Father. The first word spoken to him was simply "Joseph." He knows me and he knows you as well.  From the burning bush, God called, “Moses.” After showing him a vision of all the worlds that he created, of all the inhabitants thereof, and of the heavens above, he told Moses, "Behold this is my work and my glory-- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).  He did not say "men" but "man." He atoned individually for all of our sins. Through the ordinance of baptism he has asked us to take upon us his name. We can do so because he has taken upon him ours. That is why our burden is heavy and his is light. He knows us by name because he has experienced and suffered all that we have and will ever go through.  If there were only one soul on the earth, you, he would still descend into the valley of death and go through the atonement just for you. I know he would do so because he already has, for each of us, one soul, one name at a time.

Living the Abrahamic Covenant Today

Sharing the Gospel in the Savior’s Way


One of my hobbies is wood carving.  It is a great way for me to clear my mind of stress and worry and create something beautiful from simple pieces of wood.  Some years back my family was gathering together to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary.  I wanted to create something special for the occasion and spent weeks and months considering what I could do.  One morning while coming out of sleep it came to me, almost like a vision.  The words of the scripture came to my mind from the 15th chapter of John, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (verse 5).

I had a pole from a cedar tree and started to see a pattern form in my mind.  Cedar is one of my favorite types of woods to work with.  Once the bark is removed it has a smooth rim of white wood that surrounds a deep red core.  It came to me that I could carve a vine from that outer rim leaving intact the center core.  I marked my branch and drew out spaces for 27 leaves, each one representing a member of my family.  Those leaves were all connected to each other through vines and each leaf was centered on a knot, tying it to that center core, a representation of the Savior Jesus Christ.

This staff became a symbol of not just our family, but of our eternal family.  It is a reminder that we all depend on each other, but more importantly we are strong as we are centered on the Savior.  Since it was completed, our vine has expanded.  We have added a leaf for our first grandchild, another for a son in law.  Another leaf was added when we “adopted” into our family an exchange student last year, Hiro from Japan and next February a new daughter-in-law as well.  Ultimately my vine connects with your vine and together as a family of God, we all can individually access the atonement of Christ and yet be linked together.

Tonight we will be talking about how the Savior wants us to add to the vine of the family of God.  Our theme in this meeting is “Sharing the Gospel in the Savior’s Way.”

The way that we center our knot on the core of Jesus Christ is through the laws and ordinances of his gospel.  The instructions on how to do this is found in the scriptures in what is called “the doctrine of Christ.”

After the Savior was resurrected he appeared on this continent to a group of faithful followers called Nephites.  To them he taught, “And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock” or as applied to my analogy, “tieth into my core” (3 Nephi 11:38).  Once we are tied to him, he asks us to immediately look outward, like tendrils of a sprouting vine. Just three verses later comes the command, “go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Nephi 11:41).

The doctrine of Christ was not introduced to the family of God beginning when Jesus came to earth but was set from the foundations of the world, before it was even created.  It was put in place and taught to Father Adam and Mother Eve as they left the garden beginning their journey back home.  There have been times when that plan has been lost but when there have been prophets on the earth, the plan has once again been revealed. As I have pondered and prayed as to what I should speak about tonight, I felt impressed that to fully understand our place in the Father’s plan, we need to understand the covenants He made with Father Abraham.

Abraham was born in a time when the covenants of the fathers was being lost.  As a young man he learned of them and in his own words said, “And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same...and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. It was conferred upon me from the fathers... even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam...through the fathers unto me” (Abraham 1:2). As he sought righteousness, his own father was offended and sent his own son, Abraham, to be offered up as sacrifice to false gods.

An angel came that day to stay the executor’s hand, miraculously saving his life.  His father repented but only for a short time and the Lord had Abraham leave with his wife Sarah and his brother’s son, Lot to seek another land.  Though he had no offspring, he became a great and righteous leader.  Because of his faithfulness, Jehovah, the premortal Christ, appeared to and covenanted with him, foreshadowing as well the role we would play in the last days.

From the second chapter of Abraham we read, “My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee and in thy seed, for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:8-11).

Many years passed and Abraham and his wife were well beyond what one would consider normal child bearing years.  There was a miraculous conception of Isaac, foreshadowing the one of the Christ child who would come through Abraham’s lineage 2000 years later.  Abraham’s willingness to obey is central to his character. As a supreme test, Jehovah asked the impossible of him, to sacrifice the miracle child, God’s gift from heaven.  An angel once again intervened and the child was spared.  The altar built on Mount Moriah would forever symbolize the sacrifice of the Son of God in our behalf.  Upon that spot the temple in Jerusalem was built, a constant reminder of the covenant made with the seed of Abraham. The animal sacrifices from the law of Moses, pointing to the ultimate great and last sacrifice of the Son of God.

The Book of Mormon prophet, Jacob wrote some 400 years before the coming of Jesus Christ, “for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.”

In Christ’s day the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant had been so ingrained in the people they lost track of the purpose of the law of Moses. Due to their genealogy they assumed all of the blessings of Abraham without fulfilling the responsibilities. They felt that God had chosen them for salvation.  John the Baptist who was crying repentance and baptism to the people, preparing them to receive the Messiah of the world declared, “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).  In other words, he was telling them that to truly be the seed of Abraham, they must live as Abraham lived and do the works that Abraham performed, they must participate in the doctrine of Christ.

To a similar group of Jews, Jesus, the very Jehovah, he who made the covenant with Abraham taught, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56-59).

He in truth taught that he was the promised Messiah.  His message was not that he was there to replace the covenant made to Abraham but to fulfill it and perpetuate it to all those who would live upon the earth.  The family of Abraham was, like my family, a symbol of an eternal family. It was always intended to show how all of God’s children could be grafted together through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord.  It was never meant to be exclusionary.  His last words given to the apostles prior to his ascension into heaven mirrored those given to the Nephite nation, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).

Christ’s early church as led by Peter was intensely missionary minded.  The early apostles took the gospel well beyond the house of Israel.  The doctrine of Christ was taught, his gospel was applied and the church flourished, but just for a time.  Another apostasy settled on the earth. Prophetic power was lost, the ordinances of baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands and the sealing power he had given Peter could no longer be found.  The promises given to Abraham many years ago seemed very far away.

From the darkness of apostasy came the light of the restoration.  In the early 1800’s a young man, Joseph Smith, had similar yearnings as had the young Abraham, and sought to know the Lord’s will.  To him appeared the Father and the Son ushering in the long awaited dispensation of the fullness of times.  To him were restored the covenants of the fathers, the ordinances of the gospel and the blessings of eternity.

John the Baptist, now a resurrected being, returned to give the power to baptize.  Peter, James and John likewise were sent to bestow the authority to establish Christ’s church on the earth once again and reestablish the Lord’s covenant.  Six years after the restoration of the church, the gospel covenants of the fathers were restored when the saints built a temple to the Lord in Kirtland, OH.  As he did to the prophets of old, Jesus himself appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This was followed by the appearance of Moses who conferred the priesthood keys of the gathering of Israel.  As on the mount of transfiguration, Moses’ appearance was followed by Elias who “committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed” (Doctrine & Covenants 110:12).

When we “received the priesthood” by being baptized and through the ordinances of the temple are “sanctified by the Spirit,” we “become the seed of Abraham,” regardless of our genetic makeup.  It is by participating in the doctrine of Christ that the promises made to Abraham become ours as well.  The Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, explained, “that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord;...for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 30:2).

Our days were seen and prophesied by Isaiah saying, “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (2 Nephi 24:1, 2 Nephi 21:12). We are in the last days.  This is the time prophesied by Zenos in the allegory of the Olive tree when the Lord said, “this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come” (Jacob 5:71).

May it be said of us that we “did go and labor with [our] mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with [us]; and [we] did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things” (verse 72).

The Lord is calling, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? May we each respond: “Here am I; send me” (2 Nephi 16:8). As we actively participate in the doctrine of Christ and center our lives on him, we are grafted into him like the branches of a vine to the life giving core.  As his strength becomes ours, we are then able to reach out like the tendrils of a vine and bring in others, taking in their leaves and branches as we are all knit unitedly together.

Speaking of the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, one of our modern day apostles, Elder Stevenson, promised that “As you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you” (April Conf 2016).

We now will learn how to reach out to those around us.  Sister Rose Moss of the Pagedale Branch will talk of the essential role that love plays in receiving and sharing the gospel. President and Sister Slezak of the St. Louis Mission will talk to us of how we live and teach the doctrine of Christ in our day to day lives.  Sister Virginia Bradley of the YSA Ward will teach how to listen and act on the Holy Spirit in our efforts to invite others to come unto Christ and lastly, President Bunderson will show how to invite as the Savior does.

To those of you here tonight that are not of our faith. Thank you for coming.  We love you and invite you to “come and see” for yourselves.  Partake of the fruit of the Lord’s vine and taste of the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring to your life.  In times of trouble he will give peace.  In the face of turmoil and tribulation, you will find calm.  I testify that he lives.  I testify that his plan for the eternal destiny of his children has been in place whenever prophets have been on the earth.  We are now fulfilling promises given to Abraham thousands of years ago.  What a blessing it is to work side by side with the Lord to prepare the earth for his majestic return once again. May we each rise to the potential that the Lord sees within us I pray, in his holy name, the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Tree of Life

THE TREE OF LIFE

“It will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life” Alma 33:23

Tasting the Fruit of the Tree of Life

As a small boy growing up in California, I remember going with my family to an orchard to pick peaches.  We went at just the perfect time.  The peaches were perfectly ripe, covered in a soft fuzz and were the size of a soft ball.  I can still remember biting into the sweet fruit, juice exploding down my face and covering my shirt.  It may still be the best thing that I have ever tasted.  

The scriptures are full of the symbolism of tasting and eating as we experience the love of the Lord through his gospel.  Said the psalmist, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalms 34:8). The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi had a vision in which he was led to the tree of life.  “And as I partook of the fruit thereof,” he said, “it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit” (1 Nephi 8:12).

It is natural to want our family and loved ones to experience the same joy that we have.  As much as Lehi wanted his family to taste what he had savored, ultimately his aspiration was that they would receive of the whole fruit.  In fact, in the Garden of Eden, God said, “I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life” (Moses 4:31). It was at this point where Adam and Eve were taught of the gospel plan which would enable them to progress to the point where they could fully eat of that promised fruit.  The Lord, in His mercy will allow us to periodically taste of the fruit of the tree of life but what He really wants is for us to take the seed from the fruit and plant it in our heart, nurture it and care for it that it may grow to be our very own tree of life.

Planting the Seed

The prophet Alma taught the allegory of planting the seed of faith in our hearts, which he likened to the word of God, saying,  “Now if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28).

A mere desire to know is sufficient to plant the seed of faith.  It will grow if it is exposed to the light of the sun, watered, nourished, and properly rooted.

The Light of the Son

Our souls yearn for light.  At first these swellings may be so subtle that we may ask, “Is not this real?,” Alma responds, “I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good”  (Alma 32:35). Elder Bednar describes the process by which we discern light as similar to watching a sunrise.  Said he, “Do you recall the slow and almost imperceptible increase in light on the horizon? In contrast to turning on a light in a dark room, the light from the rising sun did not immediately burst forth. Rather, gradually and steadily the intensity of the light increased, and the darkness of night was replaced by the radiance of morning. Eventually, the sun did dawn over the skyline. But the visual evidence of the sun’s impending arrival was apparent hours before the sun actually appeared over the horizon. This experience was characterized by subtle and gradual discernment of light” (April Conference 2011).

In section 50 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord states, “that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Verse 22).

Nourishing the Seedling

Feeling the seed grow is just the beginning, like a lick or taste of the fruit to come.  There is much work yet to be done.  “And behold,” said Alma, “as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us” (Alma 32:37). All plants require a source of water to grow.  When Nephi was shown the interpretation of his father’s dream he was shown that the tree was planted at the source of the fountain of living waters, the water being a representation of His love for us (See 1 Nephi 11:25).

Jeremiah draws from the same imagery when he declared, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

It was faith that allowed us to plant the seed.  Faith led us to seek the light of the Son and his fountain of living waters.  Our seed began to grow, branches sprouting and reaching towards heaven.  Further sustained growth requires pruning from the master Gardener, a process we know as repentance.  Consider Zenos’ Allegory of the Olive Grove where the master’s servants proposed, “Let us prune [the tree that is not bearing fruit], and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee” (Jacob 5: 27).   

Repentance allows us to concentrate our growth around the core principles of the gospel. It is at this point that our small tree is ready to bear fruit for the first time.  “The first fruits of repentance [being] baptism” (Moroni 8:25).

Partaking of the sacrament each week allows us to stay close to the source of living water.  It allows the pruning process to occur when the off shoots are yet young and easily removed. As we witness that we do always remember Him, the master Gardener, we will have his spirit, or his light to be with us.  Little by little our growing seedling takes root, becoming a small tree “by [our] faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof.” (Alma 32:41)

Taking Root

For that tree to produce the desired fruit, our roots must grow strong.  Consider your own roots. Our ancestors play a large role in our ability to participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As much as the atonement is an intimate act of love between the Savior Jesus Christ and ourselves, it was accomplished for the whole human family in a single, infinite act of love.  We were never meant to seek salvation alone.  For this the Lord has repeatedly declared before he comes to the earth a second time, “I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet...And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3). To Joseph Smith it was revealed, “For their,” meaning our ancestor’s, “salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers--that they without us cannot be made perfect--neither can we without our dead be made perfect” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:15).

In my capacity in the Stake Presidency I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting with many of you as you renew your temple recommends.  I especially enjoy hearing the circumstances which have led you to plant the seed of faith in your life either for the first time or to try again.  On many occasions as we talk of the temple, it becomes clear to me that your ancestors have guided you to the covenant path so that they, with you, can taste of the fullness of the gospel fruit.  

Ultimately, we are all part of the Lord’s family, members of the body of Christ.  Our own roots are strengthened when they intermingle with the roots of those around us.  Sister Pinegar taught in General Conference, “The giant redwood trees that grow in California have a very shallow root system. When they are surrounded by other redwood trees, the strongest, fiercest wind cannot blow them over.  The roots of the giant redwood trees intertwine and strengthen each other.  When a storm comes they actually hold each other up.” (Patricia P. Pinegar “Teach the Children” Oct Conf 1994). This is the power of home and visiting teaching, allowing is to draw strength one from another.

Sharing Our Fruit

As we have taste of the Lord’s love for us in our own lives, plant the seed of faith and nurture it, we will seek to share it with others.  We will feel a closeness to our ancestors and will be actively engaged in finding their information.  As we pray for help, they will be allowed to guide us in our search.  As we fill the temple, we will feel their presence, their love and appreciation.  They will watch over us and the ones we love.

As good as it is to hold the precious fruit of the tree of life in our hands, savor its goodness and allow the sweet juices to spill down your shirt like I did as a small child, may we, like Alma, labor without ceasing, that we might bring souls unto repentance; that we might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which we do taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost (See Alma 36:24). This applies first and foremost to our families but absolutely applies in our covenant duty as shepherds of Israel to those we have been asked to watch over as home and visiting teachers.  President Bunderson has encouraged us as the Lord did to Peter, to feed His sheep.  May I suggest that we feed them a heavy dose of the fruit from the tree of life that we have nourished in our own soul, springing up in us unto everlasting life (See Alma 33:23). May we lead them to the Master of the orchard and to His Holy House is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

He Is The Way

I have felt impressed to share with you today an experience I had this summer with a group of young men from my ward on a backpacking trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch in the mountains of New Mexico.  On our first day we met with an LDS Chaplain who gave one of our boys a small kit so as to administer the sacrament on the Sunday that we were there.  Special permission is granted from the church for this experience and the boys treated the opportunity with great respect.  It happened to be the first time my son was able to perform this ordinance having just been ordained a priest the Sunday prior to the trip.  As he knelt in the dirt in front of a rock altar and clearly and distinctly read the words of the prayer, I had the thought, "these young men truly are ordained to the priesthood of God."  As he spoke the promise that the Lord's spirit be with us always I felt its presence burn in my heart and edify my soul.  Each night we gathered together and reviewed the good, the bad and what we looked forward to doing next.  On one of these nights we discussed in detail what it means to feel, recognize and follow the Holy Spirit.  Each of the boys shared experiences when they had felt the spirit.  It was one of those priceless moments when rejoiced together in love and unity.  

Two days later we found ourselves hiking to the top of a mountain.  The trail was hard, rocky and straight up to the top.  We leaders arrived at the top tired and a bit grumpy for the bad trail.  A short time later, we went down the steep hill, crossed a dirt road and descended into a gully.  After a short while, we lost the trail.  After searching for a while we consulted the map.  Finding a few landmarks on the map, thinking we knew where we were, we pushed through the forest searching for a nearby trail that should have been on the other side of a gully.  It was hard steep hiking and after not finding the trail where we anticipated, we decided to stop and rest.  My son and I went off without packs, looking for the way to go but could not find the trail where we thought it should have been.  Returning to the group, I received the distinct impression, "We need to pray."  

We gathered the boys together and one of them was asked to pray.  Just as he began to say the opening words of the prayer, the spirit descended on us.  We all felt a distinct calmness.  We then sat down again with the maps and decided to go back up the ridge, thinking that if we went further we would find the trail.  I was nearly jubilant as we hiked along, knowing for sure that we been guided in our thoughts and would find the trail in a few minutes, and we did.  We quickly gathered and offered up a prayer of gratitude.  After a quick break, we headed down the trail again.  After a short distance we came to the same dirt road we had crossed before but at a different spot.  There was a sign clearly showing that we should have been going the opposite direction.  Again, we pulled out the map it now became clear that we never had pinpointed our location on the map accurately.  We were on a different ridge than previously thought and had traversed a different gully.  Knowing what we now knew, I realized that we went the only direction that would allow us to find the way again.  Had we gone any other way, we would not have hit a trail for a very long time.  I was humbled and nearly overcome with gratitude for the Lord who showed us the right way.  

Brothers and Sisters, when we are on paths of our own making, we are going the wrong way.  There is only one path to our Heavenly Home, it is the Lord's.  

To Thomas, He declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

There will be voices that will try to take you off of His path.  One may say, "I don't fit in since I don't have pioneer ancestors," or "None of the twelve apostles have the same skin color that I do." The Lord himself was prophesied to come specifically from the house of Israel and be of the royal blood of David.  His lineage was very carefully outlined in the scriptures through both Mary and Joseph. That said, David himself had a great grandmother, Ruth, who was not from the house of Israel, but was adopted in.  Even though Jesus clearly taught, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," it was to the woman at the well, a Samaritan, that he declared himself to be the Christ, the prophesied Messiah.  As risen Lord he appeared to the Nephites and testified that he was not just the God of Israel but the God of the whole world. (3 Nephi 11:14)  There is room for all of us on His path.

All of us at times have strayed from the path due to sin, which for some has led to captivating addiction. The church has organized an addiction recovery program to help those with addiction find their way back to the path. I have learned of the love that the Savior has for those who have had the courage to face their demons and know that He will be with them every step of their way back to recovery.  If you have struggled with the shackles of addiction, seek out medical assistance, talk to your bishop, attend the recovery meetings.  Go to the Lord in prayer.  Help is available, the Savior will be there for you.

It is easy to look to the path and see others and assume all is well with them and that we don't measure up.  For some it may be the lack of the "complete family unit" that makes one feel that they don't belong.  The Lord through his prophets has defined the ideal family unit to include a father and a mother with children in the home.  That said, the Lord is well aware of those whose family may be incomplete.  It is not a coincidence that he himself was born to a mother out of wedlock, this during a time when such an act was unheard of.  As he hung on the cross, he thought of his family.  He gave charge to care for his mother to his trusted disciple but there is no mention of a spouse or children.  Are we to assume that the Savior of the world could not reach the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom due to not being sealed for all time and eternity while in mortality?  Of course not. There is time in the next life to complete, mend and heal all of our families.

Whether we get off course through sin, distraction, disobedience or simple weakness, we  have all strayed.  It does not matter where we are on the path but what direction we are going.  President Uchtdorf taught us, “God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you.  All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe and trust in the Lord...Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey. As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change. God will help you become something greater than you ever thought possible.” (“It Works Wonderfully” Oct GC 2015)

So if faith leads us to the path, repentance enables us to proceed in the right direction. Consider the Lamanite King who in the Book of Mormon who was being taught of the gospel plan by Aaron.  He inquired, "What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy." In his mind, the greatest thing he could give God was all that he possessed.  After Aaron taught him to pray for forgiveness, the King's plea changed, saying, "I will give away all my sins to know thee." (Alma 22: 16, 18)

We show the Lord our commitment to walk in his way through the gospel ordinances.  This is the doctrine of Christ.  Nephi taught that baptism is the gate that leads to the straight and narrow path.  He also cautioned that there is more to do than merely entering through the gate by saying, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:30)

Pressing forward is not circling through the woods and hoping we find the path.  I can tell you from experience, that does not work.  We must press forward in Christ.  It was after we had bowed our heads in prayer that we then knew what direction to take, even if, as it turns out, we didn’t quite know where we were at the time.  We have all felt at times that we are merely going through the motions, ambling through the woods. At other times we feel we are trapped in briars or are stuck in a ravine and can’t get out.  There will be times in our lives when the burdens we carry are too heavy to bear.  We must turn to the Lord.  Alone we will fail every time.  

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” invites the Lord, “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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

If we are yoked with the Savior through the ordinance of baptism whereby we enter into his path, may I suggest that our needed course corrections occur as we partake of the sacrament each week?  Whether we be on a mountain high or administered to by the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood right in our own chapel, this is the process whereby we learn to submit our will to the Father.  This is how we learn to get off of our own path and on to the master’s.  Consider the experience of Nephi, as I was recently taught by Brother Logan Jardine who will speak to us in a few minutes.   When Nephi was asked to go get the brass plates, he famously declared, "I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7)  Nephi then made two attempts to procure the plates and failed each time.  On his third attempt he submitted his will to the Father, saying, "I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1 Nephi 4:6) Relying wholly on the Lord, he was able to carry out his assignment and return safely to his family.  

His message had a profound influence on me and was a potent reminder that I need to always be on the Lord's path, not my own.  Too often I figure I know best and start thrashing through the underbrush in an unmarked forest. 

In our recent General Conference, Sister Neill F. Marriott of the General Young Women's Presidency declared, "I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.” Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?" ("Yielding Our Hearts to God," Oct GC 2015)

On the trail, one of my favorite scriptures came to my mind in a new light.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When we are on the Lord's path our outlook changes from inward to outward.  Once we have tasted of the Lord's love for us individually, we are filled with a desire to share it with those around us.  The miracle of it all occurs when we help lift the burden of another only to find that our own burdens have lessened even more.

Consider the words from one our stake's returned missionaries, Sister Megan Garner, who was recently serving in Mexico.  "I know that this is where I'm supposed to be and the Lord needs me to be a missionary right now. Every night I come home and take off my shoes and it is the best feeling.  Being exhausted after a day is such a good feeling because you know you worked really hard.  Yes, it can get very discouraging here, but the Lord makes it work and helps me to be happy when I am down.  I know He is there for EVERYONE in the world" (Sister Megan Garner, Mexico City Southeast Mission, July 2015). 

The great Book of Mormon missionary, Ammon, expressed his joy in being led by the Lord saying, "And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work" (Alma 26:3).  

Concluding with the words of Nephi, "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen" (2 Nephi 31:32). 

Inspired Questions

This weekend I was at a training meeting for our Sunday School teachers and leaders.  As part of that training we were to come prepared to discuss the following: "What inspired question posed by Jesus in the scriptures has made a lasting impact on you?"  It was a great meeting to be a part of.  At first, my mind went blank.  I couldn't think of any questions.  As I continued to ponder, more and more questions came to my mind.  Others in the group brought out even more questions.  I wrote down as many as I could.

"Whom say ye that I am?"

"What manner of men ought ye to be?"

"Lovest thou me more than these?"

"What seek ye?"

"Could not thou watch with me one hour?"

As I sat and pondered, it suddenly occurred to me exactly what my question was.  It did not occur long time ago and is not actually found in the Bible.  My story starts several years prior to reading this question but it has changed my life forever.  It starts in the high Sierra Mountains of California on a backpack trip with my father.  The following is from my personal notes:

"What a beautiful day!  The sun shone brightly through the trees.  My steps seemed light and easy.  It sure beat carrying that heavy pack on my back.  I climbed on one boulder and jumped easily to the next.  Over the ridge I could see the tall jagged mountain beckoning to us, inviting us to climb its heights.  Being out in the majesty of nature took my breath away.  Looking across my shoulder, Dad was taking the day pack off by a large fallen tree.  “This looks like a great place to stop for lunch, Mike, come on over.”  I hopped over quickly, grateful to eat our backpacking morsels.  I don’t think that I ever tired of eating dried apricots, sharp cheddar cheese, cashews, tuna fish and snicker bars.  If we climbed high enough we’d even be able to make real snow cones with our lemonade, the best kind of yellow snow.

    Between bites, Dad queried, “What’s your favorite Book of Mormon story, Mike?”  Although I was only nine or ten, I knew right away what my answer would be.  You see, we had done this before.  Dad had a tradition of taking us boys backpacking at least once every year.  We would usually leave on a Friday night and camp at the trailhead.  Saturday would be spent hiking into the lake where we would be staying.  Sunday would be a rest day.  We would enjoy the campsite and take a day hike up to the highest near-by peak.  Up in the tops of the mountains overlooking the majesty of God’s creations Dad would share with us his favorite stories from the Book of Mormon and then we would share ours with him.  

    “My favorite is the story of Ammon.”  I then told my dad about the great faith of the missionary who completely trusted in the Lord and was blessed to do what no other man could do.  He converted thousands of his people’s most bitter enemies and defied the robbers who would steal from the king.  I had not as yet read this in the scriptures, but I knew that it was my favorite.  It was one that I learned from him.  His favorite was “Nephi and the Broken Bow.”  Later, when I did sit down and read the Book of Mormon on my own, those stories were extra special.  I still remember the chills going down my spine as I started reading Alma 17 and realized that I was now going to read the actual scriptural account of my favorite story.  I love the scriptures because I knew that my father did.

    His love of the scriptures, and the Book of Mormon in particular,  really began as a missionary.  He didn’t leave right away when he turned nineteen like most other missionaries.  He wasn’t sure if that was what he wanted to do.  Prior to going on a mission, he was in a BYU singles ward and his bishop was Steven R. Covey.  I don’t know the particulars of their interaction together, but I do know that he had a profound influence on Dad.  He has said before that Bishop Covey was largely responsible for encouraging him to serve a mission.  In fact, my younger brother is Stephen Richard Fuller, named in part after this great man.

    Dad was called to the Central States mission.  He served in parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.  Quite an area really.  Since he decided to go somewhat later than most, he felt like he hadn’t prepared himself as well as he would of liked.  He especially felt behind in the knowledge of the scriptures.  He began setting his old “Baby Ben” alarm clock at 5:00 AM so that he could get in extra study time.  The temptation to roll over, swat at that infernal clanging time-piece and go back to sleep was at times too great, so he hung the clock by a string from the ceiling in the middle of the room.  This forced him to get out of bed to turn it off and made it harder to go back to sleep.  I’m sure that his companions loved him for this.  I used this same clock on my mission.  It was horribly loud, but quite effective.  I had one companion who liked to sleep in, so I just let it ring on for a while.   He got the message.

    It was during these early morning study sessions that Dad grew to love the Book of Mormon.  The spirit touched his soul and he knew that it was true.  He understood, as Joseph Smith and President Benson taught, that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  Dad put it this way, if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith had to be a prophet and as such the church is the Lord’s true and living church here on the earth.  It all falls into place.  Whenever he felt his strength wavering or his testimony faltering, he would “go back to the Book of Mormon,” and he would have his testimony renewed.  As a young boy I knew that he had a testimony and in my mind it never faltered.  In my heart he planted the seeds of a desire to know for myself.  The fact that my little seed of faith was able to grow, I give credit to my parents who helped cultivate the soil of my heart from my infancy.  

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty fold" (Matthew 13: 3-8). 

“I want you to help me teach part of the lesson, Mike.  We are going to talk about recognizing the spirit.  Here, you read this scripture and then we’ll talk about.”  We were preparing to go on a hometeaching visit.  I opened to Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9 and read, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.  But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right you should have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.”  “How does it feel for you bosom to burn, Dad?”  That must have been a hard question to answer because I don’t really remember his response.  I remember thinking, though, that my answers to prayer would come in the form of some kind of spiritual heartburn.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured it would be something quite grand.

This incendiary chest sensation was on my mind as I completed the Book of Mormon for the first time front to back.  I was about fifteen at the time.  I remember reading Moroni 10: 4-5 and thinking, “OK, this is it.  I’ve have now read the Book of Mormon and I will now be able to ask God if it is true.”  I longed to know for myself, just like my father found out, that it is His word.  Dad suggested that I fast prior to going to the Lord in prayer.  We lived in Connecticut at the time and my room was in the attic.  I knelt down beside my bed and I prayed.  Not much happened.  I continued to pray and I did my best to listen and try to feel an answer.  No fire was forthcoming.  I do remember quite clearly that my mind felt at ease, at peace.  I certainly knew that I didn’t have a stupor of thought.  I went away from the experience feeling a little disappointed.  I felt like I could testify that I knew that the Book of Mormon was not false.  It felt too right, too good.  Because I didn’t feel my “bosom burn” within me, I somehow felt that I couldn’t boldly proclaim that it was true.  At the time, though, it was enough and I continued to walk in the faith that I had at that time and even decided to serve a full-time mission for the church.  While in the MTC, I was reading through the Doctrine and Covenants, our book of modern day revelations.  An early leader of our church, Oliver Cowdery, asked Joseph Smith to go to the Lord to receive a revelation in regards to his early testimony of the church.  Joseph recorded Jesus' response to Oliver, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.  Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?  What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:22-23).  As I read these verses my mind cried out, “yes! This is how I felt.”  The words jumped off the page and spoke directly to my heart.  I knew immediately that I had received my answer; I just didn’t realize it.  The Lord truly spoke peace to my mind.  How excited I was to learn to recognize the spirit in my life and to know with confidence that the Lord answers my prayers."

"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?"  "What greater witness can you have than from God?"  These are the two questions that changed my life.  I read them on a page but I felt the Lord speak them directly to my heart.  Interestingly, the asking of the questions was the answer I had been seeking for many years.  

What questions have made a difference for you?  How has the Lord spoken to you?

Day of Life

As vestiges of a sweet dream at morning dawn

Comes the longing of family and the feeling to belong.

The day begins with darkness, pain and even reeks of death

Dispelled by the radiance from He who gave us breath.

Like a tender hatchling, nourished by loving care,

We turn our backs to the nest and flee into the air.

The spiral ends in a heap, alone upon the ground.

All is lost, the day is done, despair begins to sound.

A loving hand, finds and lifts back to the welcome nest

For it is only after falling we learn to pass the test.

The sun now high with wings spread wide, to soar into the sky.

The falling light of waning day paints a magnificent goodbye.

The day has passed, the night has set, returned now to the tree.

Gathered home to those we love, for all eternity.

"Here Am I"

Adress given at St. Louis Missouri Stake Priesthood Meeting August 30, 2015

I hope you enjoy. 

Last month I received a very distinct impression to study on a certain subject after I had listened to a conference talk and sat pondering its message.  I had just the right opportunity on a 20 hour train ride to the Philmont Scout Ranch a week later.  When President Bunderson articulated the theme of obedience and sacrifice for this meeting tonight it became quite clear to me that this was the purpose for my previous inspiration.  Allow me to introduce my subject by relating the story of one of my pioneer ancestors, Ephraim K. Hanks.  To the youth, I referenced his story recently at the trek fireside.  Ephraim was a mountain man and worked for the pony express.  He traveled back and forth across the plains, making fifty trips in all from our area of the country out to Utah.  He was well aware of the Martin Handcart Company and knew of their delay in crossing the plains.  They were often on his mind.  One night while down in Provo, fishing, he had the following experience:

Ephraim Hanks-"The Tempered Wind"

"Well, I was staying at Gerney Brown's place, and though the bed was comfortable enough, I couldn't sleep.  Finally I did drop off, but no sooner than I'd done it I was waked up again.  Somebody said, "Ephraim," so I said, "Yes?"  But it wasn't Gerney that was speaking.  No one was in that room.  Then my name was spoken again.  My heart was like to pound right out of my body, but I couldn't see anything.  The third time the voice said, "Ephraim," seemed like it was sort of sharp and out of patience.  I said, "Yes, yes. Is there something that I can do for you?"  Then the voice said clear as if I'd been face to face with a neighbor, "Ephraim, that handcart company is in trouble. Will you help them out?"

Ephraim packed a wagon and two horses early the next morning and headed for Salt Lake City.  When he arrived he met with messengers from Brigham Young who had been dispatched to ask him to come.  Being prepared by the Lord and willing to obey, Ephraim left many days before the bulk of the rescue party left.  His experience in the night reminded me of the young boy Samuel in the Old Testament. The account reads:

1 Samuel 3

4 ..the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

"Here am I," repeated the young boy three times.  Before he even knew that it was the Lord who called, he expressed his willingness to obey.  When we show the Lord our willingness to obey, He will entrust us to do His work and receive His blessings.  "Here am I" is a phrase echoed through the scriptures.

The great prophet Isaiah recorded, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)

Moses answered the Lord, who talked to him from the burning bush, saying, "Here am I." (Exodus 3:4).  After this expression of commitment he was then given the directive to free Israel.

Before Moses, the prophet Jacob replied in the same way: "And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I." (Genesis 46: 2)  He was then commanded to go into Egypt at the peril of his family.

Obedience was obviously part of the heritage passed on to these great men of God.  Consider Jacob's grandfather, Abraham.  The Lord called out to him by name and he responded:

"Behold, here I am.

And [The Lord] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:1-2)  Part of the reason why Abraham was able to follow through with the Lord's commandment to sacrifice his son was that he had already made up his mind that he would be obedient, regardless of what was asked of him.  

The phrase "here I am" is not just a simple recitation of a willingness to obey, it is a manifestation and recognition of deity.  President Russell M. Nelson taught: "Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word hayah, which means "to be" or "to exist" A form of the word hayah in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament was translated into English as I AM." (Jesus the Christ: Our Master and More" Elder Russell M. Nelson, CR April 2000). The declaration of "here I am," therefore is also a witness that God lives, that he is our savior and that we have consecrated our lives to Him and stand ready to obey.  

"Obedience," Elder L. Tom Perry taught, "is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority...Obedience is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence." (Elder L. Tom Perry, April Conf 2014)

In fact, the phrase, "Here I am" echoes back to our premortal existence when our Heavenly Father's plan was presented.  We read in Abraham, chapter 3:

27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first."  Not only was Jesus willing to obey and to sacrifice, he was also the first born of the Father and capable of being our savior.  Satan's answer was the same as the Lord's on paper but with a different emphasis, "here I am," wanting the glory for himself.  Jesus' response was in essence, "here Father I stand willing to do thy bidding."

"Whom shall I send?"  Has the call from the Lord ceased?  Does he speak to us today?  To you young men of the priesthood and to those not so young as well, listen to the words of a modern day witness:

"The Savior’s call is to you of the rising generation. He is asking for worthy, prepared, faithful young men and young women who will heed the prophet’s voice, who will step up and say, as the Savior Himself said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27). The need has never been greater. The field has never been whiter. You are called to go “this last time” (Jacob 5:62). There is no greater work; there is no greater call than teaching “all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)." ("A Call to the Rising Generation" Elder Brent H. Nielsen Oct CR 2009).

When President Monson stood to announce the age changes for missionary service in October of 2012, my family was changed forever.  My daughter, Rachael, who was 19 at that time had come to my wife and I three months before, sat us down and told us that after a lot of fasting and prayer, Heavenly Father had let her know that she needed to serve a mission and that she should prepare right now.  At the time we were happy for her but didn't think too much of it since she had two years to prepare.  When we heard the prophet's voice we knew that like Ephraim, the Lord had prepared Rachael to answer the prophet's call, "Here I am, send me."  My son, Devin, was 16 at the time.  His initial response was, "I still want to go to college for a year before my mission."  A few weeks later he came back, letting us know that through his prayers, he received the strong impression that though it would be fine if he waited till he was 19 to serve, for him, Heavenly Father wanted him to prepare right now and go when he was 18.  That moment inspired a mighty change in his heart.  He grew from being a good young boy to a powerful servant of God over the next two years.  Obedience and preparation were his mantra.  He had received his call to serve a mission, long before the letter arrived in the mail.  When the Lord through his prophet asked, "whom shall I send," Devin through his obedience answered, "Here I am."

We have many, many such faithful, willing and obedient young men and women from our very own stake.  Listen to some of their testimony and willingness to participate in the work of the Lord.  

Elder Karl Appelgarth, "I know with all my heart that if we develop a powerful and unbreakable faith, we will always be led by the hand of the Lord and we will always be able to do his will."

Sister Alexis Kendall, "I love my mission and the people here!  I love sharing the gospel to everyone I meet!  I'm so thankful that I can be part of this great work!"

Sister Selah Mahaffey, "I love the members.  I love this area.  I love the scriptures.  My testimony is growing so strong.  I am grateful I chose to go on a mission.  I would be a different person.  I am so grateful for the change that is happening within me.  I thank the atonement for that-well for everything.  I love being a missionary!  What a unique and incredibly opportunity to be able to serve a mission."

Elder Ross Rosenloff, "Every missionary activity is (or should be!) to the ends of helping people come unto Christ and to receive the fulness of His gospel in their lives.  I am grateful for the chance that I have to do this every day.  Missionary work is great!"

Sister Savannah Betzold, "I love the Savior and his gospel and being a missionary so much.  My heart swells with love and gratitude.  God is soo good, and kind and merciful!  Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

These young men and women stand as witnesses to you and to me.  As the hymn states, they declare:

It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front

My Lord will have need of me.

But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,

I'll answer dear Lord with mine hand in thine:

I'll go where you want me to go.

Perhaps today there are loving words

Which Jesus would have me speak;

There may be now in the paths of sin

Some wand'rer whom I should seek.

O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,

Tho dark and rugged the way,

My voice shall echo the message sweet:

I'll say what you want me to say.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth's harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life's short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.

So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,

I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:

I'll be what you want me to be.

"I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" Hymns #270

If our youth are so valiant, full of testimony and obedient, what about the rest of us?  We may not be called to the Philippines or to Brazil, but we are called to feed the flock right here where we live as home teachers.  We may not be called on to leave our families and cross the plains but as Elder Ballard has put it, we may be called upon to walk across the street and talk to our neighbors.  

"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!" (Doctrine & Covenants 128:22). 

May our cry always be, "Here am I!"  As we show the Lord that we are willing to give all that we have to him, He will be there for us.  With arms open wide He stands waiting.  Then shall the words of Isaiah be fulfilled when he promised,

"Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, 'Here I am." (Isaiah 58:9)