A Departing Testimony

I considered naming this post "A Final Testimony" but I realized that just because my time as a full time missionary is nearly over, I will never stop sharing my testimony of what I know to be true.

I know through the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true.  That book has the power to change lives.  It has changed mine.  I know that Joseph Smith translated it through the power of God.  And I know that he was truly called of God to be a prophet.  He restored the true Church of Jesus Christ on the earth.  There has been an unbroken chain of prophets since the time of Joseph Smith and I know that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  Our loving Heavenly Father sent Him to be our Savior.  I know that through the Atonement of Christ we can be made clean and whole.  I know that He overcame sin and death.  I know that He lives.

I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to testify of these things for the last 18 months of my life.  My mission has been the greatest experience of my life.  I have drawn closer to my Heavenly Father as I have learned what it really means to pray.  I have learned more about my Savior as I have read and reread the scriptures.  And I have come to love deeply the people of Tennessee and Kentucky.  I have come to realize how special and precious each child of God is.

I have learned that I am and always will be an "unprofitable servant."  King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon said,

"I say unto you, that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants." (Mosiah 2:21; also read verses 22-24)

For the past 18 months I have tried to serve God by serving His children.  But I am still completely indebted to Him because He has blessed me more than I will ever be able to repay Him.  And it will always be that way.  Any time we keep one of God's commandments, He blesses us immediately (see Mosiah 2:24). 

However, I have decided that I want to be the most profitable "unprofitable servant" I can be.  In everything I do, I want to do His will.  I want to "seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion." (see D&C 12:6)  I want to become the most capable servant I can, not so I can be recognized by others, but so that I can better build God's kingdom.

At the close of my mission, the words of the prophet Alma come to mind: "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" (Alma 5:16)

I hope that at the end of my life, and now at the end of my mission, I will have been faithful enough for it to be said of me, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things....enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:21)

Worn Out in the Service of God

About 6 months ago I bought a new pair of shoes.  I was doing everything I could to hold off on buying them because I really liked my old pair.  But they were getting pretty worn out and the members where I was serving would ask me every time they saw me if I had invested in a new pair of shoes yet.  When a big chunk of the sole of my left shoe fell off I decided I should probably buckle down and buy a new pair.

It was exciting to have a new pair of shoes to walk around in.  I no longer had to worry about my feet getting soaked when it was raining outside because for some reason holes in the bottom of your shoes have a way of letting water in.  And I found that the new pair of shoes was much better on my back.

One day my companion and I probably walked 4 or 5 miles.  Usually that isn't that big of a deal but my feet were killing me because my new shoes hadn't been fully broken in yet.  Every step was painful.  Suddenly all I wanted was to wear my old pair of shoes.  I ended up with some pretty good blisters on my feet by the end of that day.

As I was walking around that day I came up with a parable or an analogy of sorts involving my new pair of shoes.  I decided that embracing the gospel and making it a part of your life is kind of like getting a new pair of shoes.  At first you are so excited and you can see some immediate differences in your life because of it.

But you quickly get a reality check.  Living the gospel of Jesus Christ requires a lot of us.  In fact, it requires our all.  We have been taught through the Prophet Joseph Smith that as we "embark in the service of God" we must "serve him with ALL your heart, might, mind strength."  (see D&C 4:2)  Whether my all is as much as your all, it doesn't matter.  There's a great equality in what is asked of every single disciple of Christ, and that is their all.

Giving our all is difficult.  It initially may be a little painful for us, just like blisters from a new pair of shoes is painful.  But over time, as we consistently live the gospel we will find that we are much stronger.  Figuratively we have broken our shoes in and have callouses instead of blisters. 

Even though we have hills to climb, and at times our shoes get muddy, or we trip and fall, we know that it is only through a life of true discipleship that we can return to our Heavenly Father because our Savior is the one helping us up that hill, who cleans our shoes when they get muddy, and who picks us up when we fall.  We continue down the gospel path because we know that Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)

I love this story told by President Thomas S. Monson about President Spencer W. Kimball:

"One day I was sitting in the temple near President Kimball. As I looked down, I noticed that he had a large hole in his shoe. And I mean large! His stocking showed through. After the meeting I said to Arthur Haycock, President Kimball’s secretary, 'Arthur, you can’t let the President wear those shoes.'

"Arthur responded, “Has he got that pair out again? He has many pairs of shoes, and I frequently hide that pair, but he searches and finds that particular pair most of the time.”

"President Kimball was known for his statement showing his humility: 'My life is like my shoes—to be worn out in service.^'"

We learn from the scriptures that when we serve others we are also serving God. (see Mosiah 2:17)  Our shoes can figuratively be "worn out in the service of God" as we live the gospel with complete dedication and devotion.

We Value People (part 6)

The final part of my family motto talks about what our ultimate goal is: eternal life.  Through empathy for others and enduring to the end, despite our struggles, we can receive exaltation and eternal life.

Empathy comes from charity, the pure love of Christ.  When we have empathy for others we feel compassion and understanding for whatever situation or trial they may be going through.  Having empathy for others will come as we strive to develop charity.  The Book of Mormon prophet Mormon taught that we must "pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ." (Moroni 7:48)  Developing charity is so important that the prophet Moroni, Mormon's son, said, "Except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God." (Moroni 10:21)  If our goal is to live with our Father in Heaven again we must be filled with charity. 

Enduring to the end means that we remain firm and steadfast to God's commandments even though we may face temptation, opposition, and adversity.  It is a life of consistent gospel living.  It requires a lifetime of devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Savior said to His apostles, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:22)  Christ also said, "Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."  (3 Nephi 15:9)  

Exaltation or eternal life is to live in God's presence and to continue as families.  The whole purpose of our Heavenly Father's plan for us is to gain a body and have experiences so that we can become like Him.  He wants us to live with Him again and because He knew we would make mistakes He sent His son Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins.  Through His infinite atonement we can be made clean and pure so that we may be worthy to enter God's kingdom.  

Exaltation and eternal life is our goal and through charity and enduring to the end and because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can live with our Father in Heaven and our families for all eternity.