Turning Back

One day when I was serving in Mayfield, KY my companion and I had a day that was a complete bust.  Either no one was home, didn't have time for the missionaries, or straight up ignored our knocking.  Needless to say we were feeling a little discouraged, but we had decided to try to meet some people who had formerly been taught by missionaries.

I knew the streets of the city of Mayfield pretty darn good and so I made my way over to where the house of a former investigator was.  We were going down a street and then at the end of that street we would turn right and the house would be just up to the right. 

Well evidently I didn't know the streets of Mayfield like I thought because when we came to the intersection I found out the road I needed to turn onto was a one way street and I could only turn left.  This was the sign we saw at that intersection:





It seemed to mock all of our efforts of the day.  (It summed up our day so perfectly that we had to take a picture of it!)  By that point I wanted to just give up and go home and take a nap.  But we didn't and instead we found a different route to get the house, and of course, to follow the pattern of the rest of the day, no one was home.

I've had times on my mission when I've felt like I did that day.  All I wanted to do was give up and go home.  At a time when I was feeling discouraged and thought it would be easier to just give up, I started to notice a couple of people in the Book of Mormon who I think at one point could relate with me:

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back..." (Alma 26:27)

"And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land..." (Helaman 13:2) 

(Some other good scriptures on turning back are Alma 8:13-18, Helaman 10:1-12, D&C 67:14)

Turning back.  Easily one of the greatest temptations we face in life.  It's so much easier and more comfortable to return to our old ways and our old life. 

But we can't turn our backs on the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  We can't turn our backs on the mission the Lord has given us or on the covenants we have made with Him.  We can't turn back and not suffer.  We will suffer because we are turning away from the source of peace and happiness, even if the road before us may be difficult.

The Savior Himself taught us that, "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

So I guess what I'm trying to get across is that even when the road is hard and you face rejection on all sides and it seems so much easier to give up and turn back, the Lord will comfort, sustain, and support you.  He will bless you in your efforts to follow Him.  He's promised us that:

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)