I will go where you want me to go
Since
President Biddulph and Bishop Steadman asked sister Ferney and I this question.---How
did you decide to serve a mission?----
I have decided to talk some what about
this. As I have thought back, and I can
honestly say that Sister Ferney and I have not spent a lot of time discussing
whether we wanted to serve a mission; it has always been something that we both
have had the desire to do. We have
talked about when we thought would be the best time to go and have always
thought it would be better to go when we are in good health and having the
strength to be able to perform whatever assignment the Lord would give us. We always wondered when would be the best
time financially, when would be best time with regards to family needs? But it has never been a matter as to if we
would go on a mission. Neither I nor
sister Ferney served a mission when we were younger, but have always wanted
that experience. I can tell you that
when you make the decision that now is the time go, the Lord will help you put
thinks in order in ways that will surprise you, and let you know that now is
the right time.
There are many
reasons why we are going on this mission and they seem a bit selfish, for that
I am sorry. Hopefully you will understand what I am
talking about when I am through speaking.
You see I want my family to experience what I
have felt, and seen when someone has family members serving in the mission
field. I think most of you know what I
am speaking of, those of you that have missionaries out right now, and those
who have had them out previous. I
remember when we had our sons out on missions. The blessing that came into our
home was amazing, the love of Jesus Christ was amazing, the spirit was stronger
in our home, the love for each other was stronger, and we had a greater desire
to learn more of our Savior and the things of God, and we were better disciples
of Jesus Christ. This is what I want for
our family while we are serving our mission. Selfish-maybe?
In D & C 118 it states “Let the residue
continue to preach from that hour, and if they will do this in all lowliness of
heart, in meekness and humility, and long-suffering, I the Lord give unto them
a promise that I will provide for their families,---- and an effectual door
shall be opened for them, hence forth.
This is the promise given to Joseph Smith while they were praying about
the building up of Zion. This promise
applies to all who go forth to help warn their neighbors.
I also reflect on the Abrahamic covenant, D
& C 84 were it states “the saints
must testify of the things they have received, they are to preach the gospel,
elders are to go forth without purse or script”. Then follows the promises that come from
doing this work, “that is the gift of
Eternal life and Exaltation, retuning to live with our Father in Heaven and his
son Jesus Christ, not just living with them, but to have all they have and to be all they are, to be there with
our eternal family”.
In our mission call letter signed by President
Monson, there are several promised blessing given. He states, as you devote your time and
attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all your personal affairs, the
Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the restoration
and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Also blessings of goodness of life, more
happiness than you have yet experienced. Selfishness
While
spending some time with some good friends of ours, that served in Australia and
have since returned. They told of what Elder Bednar said to them
while speaking in a meeting with all the missionaries. While he was speaking he
stopped and said to the senior missionaries, “I want you to know the Lord will
do more for your families while you are away, than you could do if you were
there”.
Don’t get me wrong, we understand this will
not be easy to leave family and friends, and there will be struggles. We understand there will be a lot of work, but
the promised blessing for our family and us are amazing.
Luke 12: 47
“For unto Whom much is given much in required”
Well sister
Ferney and I have been blessed with so much, including our wonderful family. I have always said that my children have raised
me well. My persistent and determined
daughter when of the age of baptism, and her wanting me, her father who was
inactive to be the one that baptize her, her example today of Christ like, unconditional
love for all those around her. For my
two sons and their example of going on missions, for their Christ like
attitudes, their knowledge of the gospel, their willingness to serve and accept
whatever calling they are given, and now I have their spouses who teach me by
their example. In addition we now have
14 grandchildren that are all individually unique and whom I love dearly, with
their own special talents, they teach me and inspire me to be a better parent
and grandparent. Then comes one of Gods
grandest gifts to me, the love of my life, the mother of my children, and an
unbelievable grandmother, a daughter of God, and the women with greatest amount
of patients, love, and understanding,
and longsuffering, (from having to live with me) did I say patients!! My Wife..
for her helping me come unto Christ
“Where
much is given much is required.”
I am
not sure I will ever be able repay my Father in Heaven!!!
So how can I
not go where you want me to go dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea: I’ll
say what you want me to say, dear Lord, I’ll be what you want me to be”.
I remember
when my sons return home from their missions.
There was something different about them, yes they had a better
understanding of the scriptures, and they knew where to find references in the
scriptures. But they were more
confident, more sure of their divine nature, who they were and what this mortal
life was for. You could actually see something different in their countenance. When
they bore their testimonies, there was more conviction, and a stronger feeling
of conversion. They had something I wanted. It was a greater relationship and
LOVE for the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I was
serving on the High Council in the stake and when missionaries would return,
they would come and report their mission during a high council meeting. We as High councilmen would have the opportunity
to ask them questions about their mission.
Every time during their report the question would be asked of them, or
the missionary would explain to us how their relationship with their Savior had
changed. It was an unbelievable
experience for me to see the love and the knowledge, and the relationship that
these missionaries had developed with their savior Jesus Christ.
As we listen
to and watch all missionaries report in our wards we feel and see this same
love and understanding of the Savor.
As we were
being taught in our Sunday school class few weeks ago, lesson 34, “Faith in
every Footstep” we marvel at the courage and strength of those pioneers that
came across the plains. We have all herd
the many stories of the unbelievable sacrifices those saints went through.
Gay and I
were in Cedar City at our daughters ward when this lesson was being
taught. During that lesson a man got up
and related to us the story that I am going try and tell of those saint that
were in the Willy hand cart company. I
think he was a relative of the man this story is about. We have all herd this story before, but I am
hoping it will help you as it does me, understand the LOVE, and relationship
with our Savior and our Father in Heaven that these saints had and I hope we
will have someday.
The man who crossed the plains in the martin
handcart company lived in Cedar City Utah for many years. One day he was in a group of people who began
sharply criticizing the church leaders for ever allowing the Saints to cross the
plains with no more supplies or protection that a handcart company
provided. The old man listened until he
could stand it no more; then he arose and said with great emotion:
“I was in
that company and my wife was in it. . . . We suffered beyond anything you can
imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a
survivor of that company utter a word of criticism?. . . We came through with
the absolute knowledge that God Lives for we became acquainted with him in our
extremities” “I have pulled my handcart
when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly
put one foot ahead of the other. I have
looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go
only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.
. . I have gone on to that sand and when
I reached it, the cart began pushing me.
I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my
eyes saw no one. I knew then that the
angels of God were there. “was I sorry
that I chose to come by handcart? NO. Neither then nor any minute of my life
since. The price we paid to become
acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was
privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company”
That is what
I want to understand, that is the relationship I hope we can all have through
our service and covenant keeping. This
give us HOPE when our own loads get heavy, we must remember there are angels
that will help push our carts when we fill we can do it no longer.
Brother and Sisters
when we have the privilege to hear our beloved Prophet speak , the First
Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, those who are special witness of the Lord
Jesus Christ, don’t you feel and see the
same kind of love and commitment and knowledge of God and our Savior Jesus
Christ?
It is this
that we yearn for; it is this that we have a great desire to have, to
understand and to feel. we want to have a more perfect love for him, we want to
understand more fully who our Savior Jesus Christ is, we want to feel stronger his love, we
want understand better the atoning sacrifice he has made for us, and how we can
implement it into my life, we want to
become more like our Savior.
A quote I
read but cannot remember the author.
“A call to serve is indeed a call to know the
richness of the Lords Blessings”
The sacrament.
As we
partook of the Sacrament today we made a covenant, and we are keeping that covenant
by serving. We are witness to the Father that we do remember all that his Son
has done for us, and provides for us, all that he has sacrificed for us. By serving we are showing that we are taking
his name upon us as we show are love, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. As we serve one another and all others we
come in contact with, as we try to do are part in helping the Gospel of Jesus
Christ go forth, helping others understand the love Jesus has for them, and
that not only does he love them, he knows them by name. He understand their needs their troubles and
trials, their sufferings, he is our comforter and redeemer. By serving we are trying to keep the
covenants we make each week when we partake of the sacrament. That by so doing we may have the spirit to be
with us.
Luke 22: 32
“when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”
John 21:
15-17 Jesus asked Peter “lovest thou me
more than these” three time Jesus asked him this question and three time Peter
answered, saying Jesus, you nowest I love the. Then said Jesus to Peter, “feed
my sheep”.
Yes Sister
Ferney and I are excited to go to the Philippines, to do all we can to help
further gospel of Jesus Christ. To try
and do what we are asked to do, strengthen they brethren, and Feed his sheep.
I am sorry
for my selfishness of wanting these blessing for my family and wanting Gay and
I to gain a better relationship with our Savior!
So to answer the question, how did we decide
to go on this mission? It is our family
all of you good friends, everyone in this ward, our wonderful State Presidency
and Bishopric. It is your examples of
the LOVE of JESUS CHRIST, and your Christ like attributes, that helped Sister
Ferney and I make the decision to serve this mission, that by so doing we can
show our love for our elder brother, our redeemer and our Savior Jesus Christ.
So trusting are
all to thy tender care dear Lord, and knowing thou lovest us, we’ll do thy will
with a heart sincere:
We will be
what you want us to be.
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