Blasts from the Past - 18 September 2022
Here are some excerpts from weekly emails that I used to send to missionaries I taught in the MTC.
Power of Prayer - 31 January 2021
I had a powerful experience this week that I would like to share. Tuesday I usually have a lot of time because this semester I don't have MTC class on Tuesdays and I just have two classes earlier in the day. So usually I get a lot done. However, sometimes feeling like I have a lot of free time can lead me to mosey about (could be avoided with effective planning), and that was the case this last Tuesday. It got to be about 7:00 PM and I realized I had several dozen pages of material I needed to read to prepare for an assignment and class due to the next morning. And as I tried to read, other distracting thoughts in my mind.
In the midst of this frustrating situation in which I felt unable to concentrate, I remembered a story President Ballard told in the last general conference (I had listened to this talk a few days prior) in which he had a distracting pain in his hand and he knelt down and prayed so that he could get to the critical matters stacked on his desk. I decided I would give the virtue of prayer a try, and prayed really briefly that I would be able to focus and accomplish what I needed to with efficiency. As soon as I finished my prayer, my mind cleared and my vision seemed to zoom in on the document in front of me. I had focus! I was able to get done all that I needed to.
Sometimes I do not fully comprehend the power that comes from it, and so I do not pray for blessings that the Lord is already willing to grant conditional upon my asking. So I invite you to pray with faith when you begin a lesson that you will be able to understand and focus on the person's hidden needs, or to pray with faith that the Lord will give you greater focus and understanding as you study the language. God may surprise you with the power in His answer, as He did for me.
Power of Prayer Part 2 - 28 February 2021:
There was a moment Thursday morning when I started to get frustrated because I knew I had a midterm exam later that day and had only about an hour and a half to study, but various things seemed to keep delaying me that morning and I found I was having a really hard time focusing as I tried to study. I thought again of Alma the Younger's experience in Alma 36 in which he was harrowed up by the memory of his sins (so much that he couldn't even hear the rest of what the angel was saying to him and couldn't function or move for three days). Alma's mind caught hold upon the thought of Jesus Christ and His power, and when he had done so his pains were replaced by exquisite joy and peace. I offered a silent prayer and I found my mind start to relax and find focus and the things I had been doing to try to help my mind focus started working. I was able to study and do fairly well on the exam. This experience reminded me of a quote that really impressed itself on my mind this week from President Nelson:
Love-Inspired Work - 28 March 2021:
“I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.” - President Ezra Taft Benson
In a general conference talk, Elder Uchtdorf points out that there are plenty of busy people but not everyone that is busy is happy! I recently read a book about Cambodians living under the Khmer Rouge. They were required to spend 20 hours each day building canals and planting rice, but many weren't happy. This is partly because their work didn't mean anything to them; they worked for their own survival and out of fear of punishment, not out of concern for the well-being of others. When our work is motivated by love for God and others, our work has meaning and gives us satisfaction, and we will get the Spirit and be happy. However, when we work without a love-inspired purpose, we usually just end up frustrated and unhappy and have the Spirit in lesser abundance.
How do you increase your love for God and for others when you don't feel it as much as you would like? For me, taking time to learn about and notice God and others always leads to naturally feel love. The more I take time to learn about what God has done for me and notice His hand in my life, the more I feel love for Him that makes me want to serve Him. And the more I take time to learn about the feelings, interests and struggles of others and choose to notice the good in them, the more I feel love for them and want to help them. And in the process of serving and helping out of love for God and others, our relationships with God and others deepen, leading to even greater love.
It is, of course, important to notice the needs of our mortal bodies and to ensure that we are not running faster than we have strength. But if we spend too much time noticing only ourselves, we will not find the sense of satisfaction and joy that comes through focusing on others. This is why it is so important to "forget yourself and go to [love-inspired] work." This week, when you feel frustrated, unhappy or dissatisfied, consider how you can lose yourself in the service of others and make your work more love-inspired. Take time to really notice God and others in your life and then make what you discover the motivation for what you do.
Love God, Love People - 25 April 2021:
Jesus Christ actually taught the secret to missionary work plainly in Matthew 22:36-39. When we let our relationship with and love for God be the most important thing in our lives and our relationships with and love for others be the second most important thing in our lives, we are happy and we get done everything that we need to get done. There were times when I was a missionary when I thought learning Korean or memorizing scriptures or going really hard at proselyting was the secret to missionary work. They weren't. The secret is to prioritize God and others in our lives, and when we do we will naturally do those other activities more effectively than we would otherwise AND we won't let those activities get in the way of relying on the Spirit and serving others that the work is all about.
When we make our relationship with God the most important thing in our lives and let other people and building relationships with them become the second most important thing in our lives (while taking care of our own needs so that we can effectively do so), we will feel happiness and deep satisfaction. We will end up doing many of the same actions, but they will be driven and transformed by the powerful motivation of love.
It's HIS Work - 8 August 2021:
This week, while I was in the temple, revelation about a topic concerning missionary work flowed like a faucet in my mind. The thing that was most impressed upon my mind is that we are not the Lord of the vineyard; we are the servants. The Lord said in Moses 1:39 that this is HIS work and HIS glory. Throughout the Book of Mormon, faithful missionaries and prophets prayed not that the Lord would give them a fixed quota of people to teach or baptize, but that they could PERHAPS be an instrument in His hands. The word “instrument” in God’s hands is scattered all throughout these verses. We are to be the sickle that reaps, the shovel that digs about, or the shears that prune—but the Lord is the one doing the work. Our work is to position ourselves in His hands by keeping His commandments with all of our might, mind and strength (D&C 11:20). In essence, this means our job is to figure out what God wants us to do in our corner of the vineyard and just do our very best to do that all the time. That’s it!
When I was a missionary, I often thought that if I just worked harder or figured out the secret or did the right things, I could find dozens of people to teach and/or baptize, but that my imperfections must be keeping the Lord’s work from going forward in my area. However, I have since learned that all people are in the hands of the Lord, and that God continually nurtures and prepares them throughout their lives—and I as a missionary only played a small but significant role in that process. Sometimes, we get mixed up and think we are the Lords of the vineyard who are responsible for bringing forth the natural fruit. We feel the weight of everyone’s salvation on our shoulders and get stressed or begin to become robotic in order to save everyone as fast as possible. Or we determine what we think is supposed to happen in the vineyard (We have to have a baptism this transfer, Sister Kim needs to come to church this week, I need to be able to speak better Korean, etc.) and then pray to the Lord to make it happen as if He were the servant. But the Lord says, “Counsel me not” because He knows the people and when they are ready and what they need at this time in their lives (Jacob 5:22). When we choose to be “content with the things the Lord has allotted” to us and glory in “that perhaps [we] may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance,” we will find greater joy and success in His work (Alma 29:1-9).
Anxiously Enduring - 15 August 2021
I am currently training for a long-distance running event. The training plan I am using has a two week cycle, each week ending with a longer run. One week I am asked to simply run for a fairly long distance (over an hour) at an easy pace (whatever I feel). The other week, I am asked to run even farther, and to run at a relatively fast pace for several miles during the last half of the run. Which type of long run would you imagine I enjoy more and find more energy during?
Logically, one would think the shorter, easier run would be more enjoyable and tax me with less energy. However, I have consistently been finding that not only do I run more energetically and enjoy the longer run with the faster finish, but I also feel like it is easier and faster even though it is literally not either of those things! During the latter half of the longest run, I am forced to take my mind off how far I have left to run in order to focus on hitting the target paces each mile. Before I know it, the run is finished, and I am amazed at what I accomplished! Similarly, a missionary who is constantly looking at his watch wondering how much time is left before his or her 18-24 months expire is much less likely to enjoy and be effective in his or her mission than a missionary who is focused on fulfilling personally meaningful yet challenging endeavors each day, one day at a time.
Enduring to the end should be much more than enduring! Nephi described it well when he said, "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" (2 Nephi 31:20). I believe that when we choose to press forward with intention and purpose rather than just enduring our experiences, we feel greater satisfaction in life, accomplish more and become what the Lord wants us to become.
Stones that Shine - 31 October 2021
I'd like to share something I learned from my personal study that illustrates the principle that the gathering of Israel is not so much our work but God's work. In Ether 6:3, referring to the stones the Brother of Jared made, it says that "the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." If this is not the work we are engaged in, I don't know what sharing the gospel is--there are people crossing the waters of life in darkness and they are finding light through the gospel! But what is our role in the process? We are not the Lord, and we are not the light--the light is the hope and assurance and strength of Jesus Christ that we receive through the covenants and ordinances of His restored gospel. We are the stones (or as Sister Hall says, the "little beans")! By ourselves, we are useless, hopeless and insufficient in this work. But to the extent that we allow the finger of the Lord to touch, change and transform us so that His light is in us, we become bearers of His light unto the world and instruments by which Christ can shine light in the lives of those in darkness! As He Himself commanded us, "Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do" (3 Nephi 18:24). This week I also watched "The Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar and at the very beginning he said that when he travels the world and visits with converts of the church and asks them what it was like to meet with the missionaries, they always say they were so confused and had no idea what was going on and it was the weirdest thing ever--so perhaps our language and teaching skills often aren't sufficient! But when he asks why they would invite the missionaries back, they inevitably say it was because of what they felt when they were with the missionaries. More than your skills, it is you and the light and spirit they feel through you that makes an impact!
Remember This List - 7 November 2021
I usually ask the missionaries I have worked with to compile a "Remember This" list of the most important things they have learned during their time in the MTC. I have usually shared my own thoughts but I actually never compiled my own official list until yesterday! I'd like to share my "Remember This" list with you all in hopes that the Holy Ghost may use some part of it as a way to tell you something that will be helpful!
"Behold, this is MY work" (Moses 1:39)! God is the one that brings to pass the immortality and eternal life of all His children. Our glory and opportunity is to be an instrument in His hands. We don't need to get stressed or frustrated; we just need to be humble and put our trust and confidence in Him!
The Spirit is the teacher, not us! Thus, our responsibility is to do whatever we can to invite the Spirit wherever we are and with whomever we talk by using the words of Christ and then sharing our testimonies, experiences and love for God and others.
OUR work is to keep the Lord's commandments with all of our might, mind and strength (D&C 11:20)! All we have to do to be the instrument He wants us to be is to eagerly seek out what He wants us to do and do our very best to do it!
The first great commandment Jesus Christ gives is for us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. As we come closer unto God and become like Him, we will be filled with His light and people will feel something special because of who we are. We will have the perspective and direction we need to be happy and successful.
The second great commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. When we focus outward instead of yielding to Satan and worrying about our own problems, we find energy, joy, peace and great success and everything in our own lives falls into place.
MOST IMPORTANT: Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice is the only reason why any of this is possible or even matters. It's all about Him! He's changed our lives and hearts, and He wants others to have the same opportunity! Through His strength and His promise to be with us, we can "look unto [Him] in every thought" and "doubt not, fear not" (D&C 6:36)!
Bring THOUSANDS of Souls unto Repentance - 28 November 2021:
This week I came to see a scripture verse in a new way! Alma 26:22 gives a promise that might seem a little unfulfilled to some of you! "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing...it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance." On my mission, I did my best to repent and have faith and do good and pray and yet I didn't see thousands (not even dozens!) of people I met start reading the Book of Mormon, come to church, change their lives dramatically and be baptized. I imagine the same is true for many of you!
However, as I pondered the opportunities I have had to serve as an instrument in the hands of the Lord as a missionary and now as an MTC teacher, this week the Spirit reminded me that being solely responsible for bringing someone all the way from knowing nothing about God to making covenants and qualifying for celestial glory is quite rare and perhaps never occurs! Rather, the Lord nurtures people on their path to Him over a long period of time and uses a variety of "instruments" according to the people's unique needs. There are people that soften hearts by showing love and a good example, people that extend invitations, people that teach, people that fellowship, people that answer tough questions, people that perform ordinances, and people that encourage and support all those other people and so many more! Since all of God's children are somewhere on this path of repentance, the field truly is "white already to harvest"! Jesus Christ is the one that oversees and orchestrates it all, and while He gives the glory of playing a role in it, we are always just one of the many people that contributes to their coming unto Him over time!
When we shift our focus from thinking of missionary work as primarily helping those who know nothing about the church be baptized right now to always and consistently doing whatever God directs us to do to help those around us to take their next steps in coming toward Christ, we begin to see that we really are bringing thousands to repentance--wherever they are in that process! Every time you inspire a fellow missionary through your Christlike example, share a comment in a Sunday school lesson, help those not of our faith have a more positive view of missionaries and the Church, or help anyone feel the Spirit and love of God, you are participating in God's work of bringing them unto repentance. From my experience, this occurs most often as our examples inspire others to come closer to the Savior or His Church in ways we do not even realize! If you commit to do whatever the Lord asks you to do and trust in His plan, you will find that over time He truly does use you as an instrument in His hands to bring THOUSANDS of souls to repentance.
Implications of Assisting GOD'S Work - 12 December 2021
First, a review: bringing about the immortality and eternal life of all of God's children is GOD'S work and glory (Moses 1:39). OUR glory is to "be AN [not the one and only] instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance" (Alma 29:9), and OUR work that allows that to happen is "to keep [His] commandments, yea, with all [our] might mind and strength" (D&C 11:20).
Now please consider this question: "What difference does it make that I know this is the Lord's work and not mine?" I invite you to listen to the Holy Ghost as I share some of the reasons I think keeping this perspective in mind can be so important!
1. We stop worrying about our own imperfections, the imperfections of companions, and the imperfections of others involved in this work. When we remember that we are not solely responsible for the salvation of the world and that each of us is just one of many instruments in the Lord's hands as He himself does His work, it is easier to be patient with ourselves and others and have faith that good things will result from our efforts even when we feel insufficient. We learn to try and trust. The Lord has made it clear that He will do His work through "the weak and the simple" (D&C 1:23), so we don't need to panic when we see weakness and simplicity in ourselves or others!
2. We recognize the importance of being in tune with God and doing what He wants us to do. When we realize that this is not our own work and that we are just instruments in God's hands, we recognize the need to let God guide us and to rely on His power. We do everything we can to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost so we can figure out what He wants us to do and then go out and do His work in His way.
3. We feel just as much concern about the fruits of other missionaries' labors as our own. When we recognize that this is not a one-man show and that the Lord needs lots of prepared and sharpened instruments to do His work, we realize that all of us are on the same team and do everything in our power to help everyone to succeed and be more capable servants of the Lord!
4. We seize opportunities to serve as instruments in the Lord's hands in ways we would never do if we were only concerned about "our own people." If we think of sharing the gospel only in terms of "my investigator," "my convert," "my baptism," "my ward," "my trainee," and so forth, we might miss everyday opportunities to change the lives of others who have not specifically been assigned to us in powerful ways. None of these are really "ours" anyway; they are Heavenly Father's children and it is only because of Jesus Christ's infinite atoning sacrifice that anything good can happen in their lives. But if we focus on serving everyone that we come in contact with at all times, we can make thousands of meaningful and special connections with others as we help bring thousands of souls to repentance!
5. We avoid discouragement and weakened faith that comes from distorted ways of measuring success as a missionary. When we forget that this is the Lord's work and that the glory of bringing salvation and exaltation to His children is His, we allow Satan to trick us into thinking that we have to be solely responsible for someone's salvation to be successful or that the only thing that matters is how many people were baptized during the time we were assigned to a certain area or so forth. As President Nelson said, “Anytime we do anything that helps anyone — on either side of the veil — to make and keep their covenants with God," we are helping to gather Israel and we are instruments in the hands of God. We're doing what He wants us to do!
This is the Lord's work, not yours! Keep trying and trusting!
Refined Instruments in the Lord's Hands - 26 December 2021
As servants of the Lord, it is easy to see adversity as getting in the way of the good we want to accomplish! (Think of how much more effective you would be if you had perfect Korean ability or if it weren't so cold, etc.!) But I realized again that our adversity and weaknesses do NOT hinder our effectiveness in the Lord's work! Rather, turning to the Lord and developing a stronger relationship with Him through our challenges is precisely what gives us the ability to teach and testify with power and authority! Our joy and glory as His servants and friends is to be an instrument in the Lord's hands as He does His work (Alma 29:9), and the more we as instruments are polished and "refined... in the furnace of affliction" (Isaiah 48:10), the more powerfully the Lord can use us!
We don't have to go out looking for trials or challenges! Everyday, there is always some challenge in which we can rely on the Lord for help and thereby strengthen our relationship with Him! And as we do so, we will have greater love and empathy toward others and have more power in our ministry to others. I hope that through whatever challenges you may be facing or face in the coming days, you will turn to the Lord and rely on Him so that you can feel His joy and love and be more capable of helping others to do the same! As you do, I believe that you will feel the Lord ease your burdens, "even that you cannot feel them upon your backs... And this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter... that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions" (Mosiah 24:14).
He Would Do It Again for You - 2 January 2022
Working with the ten missionaries each day was definitely the highlight of my break, and they were so full of love and it was really an amazing experience to be with them! I also knew it would be the last district I'd get to work with so I tried to go all in! But I also found that I was getting so into planning for class and seeking to do my best to discern their needs was exhausting and I honestly breathed a sigh of relief that everything had ended well and was over after the last class! But just then something that Elder Smith had said multiple times during our two weeks together when testifying of the Savior Jesus Christ came to my mind: "And He'd do it all again, just for you."
Wow, that helped me to understand the Savior and His character a lot better! As a well-intentioned but mortal teacher, I'm not 100% sure I would be willing to give that same amount of effort if I had to do the two weeks again starting tomorrow with another set of missionaries! I was getting tired! But I realized that the Savior suffered for the pains and sins and infirmities of each person to ever live on the Earth, one by one, and He would do it again if he had to because His love is perfect. We might get tired of trying, but He never gets tired of helping! So when we are tired, we can remember the Savior's example of unwearyingness (Helaman 10:4) and trust that He is not too exhausted to give us the strength to keep going!
Love One Another - 23 January 2022
I'd like to share a message that I hope will help people recognize you as true followers of Jesus Christ! In the New Testament, Christ charges his disciples to develop love so that others can recognize them as His disciples. Please notice for whom Christ tells them that they should show love so that others to recognize them as His representatives:
In the Book of Mormon, the father of Lamoni crosses paths with Ammon and Lamoni, and he mistrusts Ammon and tries to kill them. However, Ammon withstands his blows, and during his interaction with Ammon, the father's heart is softened. What was it that changed the heart of the father of King Lamoni?
From my personal experience as a disciple of Christ and as an MTC teacher, I think most of us are very good at expressing love for the Lord. We communicate very clearly what He means to us and how grateful we are for Him! And having and expressing our love for the Lord is absolutely critical. But I think that many of us (especially myself) do not always remember to express our love for others and what they mean to us and how grateful we are for them! And I think that makes a big difference in the power that we have as Christ's representatives!
The introduction to Preach My Gospel Chapter 10 tells us that one of the most powerful ways to invite the Spirit into an interaction is to "express love for the Lord and for others." I think we all have had people in our lives who we like to be around and who attract us because they are just really good, kind people and they truly love and admire everyone in their lives (for example, think of your mission leaders or missionaries you admire!). This is the same experience that others will have with you every time when you take special care to express your love not just for God but for those you interact with and others in your lives! Anyone who professes to be Christian is going to talk about Christ and how much they love Him, and we should definitely be doing that, too! But the real compelling evidence that we are His true representatives comes when they feel and experience Christ in us by the way we talk about and treat them and others!
As we keep BOTH of the two great commandments that Jesus gave us and let people see clear evidence of BOTH in our examples, our words, and our lives, others will feel a special spirit around us that allows them to recognize us as Christ's true disciples. They will want what we have because they really see who we are!
Sent Here to Gather Israel - 6 February 2022
Yesterday I had the chance to attend the temple and do proxy initiatory for five individuals. And while I was there, listening for whatever the Lord had to tell me, I realized how much peace and joy I was feeling through just being there and being able to serve the Lord and these people on my temple name card. And then the Spirit firmly impressed this truth on my mind: This is what I was sent here to do and what really matters! While doing well in school and developing talents and hobbies is good and even helpful in my desires to do good, I was not sent to Earth to get good grades at school or to achieve a certain proficiency in Korean or to live a life of exemplary cooking and nutrition and exercise or to achieve any other temporal achievement. Those things are good, but I was sent here to the Earth to gather Israel by helping others on both sides of the veil to take their next steps towards coming unto and becoming like Christ through a covenant relationship with Him. As President Nelson said to us all just a few years ago, "You were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.”
SO, I would just like to remind you all of what the Spirit reminded me of: You were not sent to Earth just to become an amazing Korean speaker, or to be a missionary legend, or to achieve key indicator goals, or to be good at everything you do. You were sent to Earth to help gather Israel--to help people take their next steps towards or on the covenant path by inviting them to come unto Christ and helping them receive the restored gospel as a representative and disciple of Jesus Christ. As Elder Bednar would say, "Period. Exclamation point. End of sentence. That’s it. That’s what we do." Please don't get caught up in trivial pursuits, worldly comparisons or toxic perfectionism, which is a temptation even as a missionary! Embrace the joy that comes from focusing solely and securely on the simple mission that the Lord has given you.
"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" (Alma 29:9).
Thou Art Still Chosen - 13 February 2022
Despite your weaknesses and mistakes and imperfections, you really are worthy to have the Spirit with you to guide and empower your efforts. Please know that if you are trying to be good and to improve each day, you really are worthy enough for the Lord to use you as an instrument in His hands! Satan is so good at getting us to believe that our flaws disqualify us from the Lord's influence and work. Especially for you all who are really trying to give the Lord their all, there is not much that Satan can do except take advantage of the fact that you are not perfect and try to use that against you in whatever way he can!
At certain times this week I felt very aware of my mistakes, and I let them bother me more than I should have. There were times when I wasn't focused as I should have been, or times when my thoughts and actions were not very consistent with Christ's will and character. There were entire hours that I failed to use effectively due to my poor planning. And even though I know the Lord loves me and understands me and that I can repent, it was still too easy to let Satan convince me for a little while that my imperfections would prevent me from having the Spirit and being able to do what the Lord wanted me to do. Please consider what the following scriptures have to say about this idea and how the Lord feels about you and how the Lord wants you to respond when you realize you have made mistakes:
(The sons of Mosiah and Alma the younger, who had spent large amounts of time not only unproductively but actively trying to tear down the Church and the faith of those around them:) "And they traveled throughout all the land of Zarahemla... zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church... and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them. And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer" (Mosiah 27:36-37).
(Ammon's testimony after his miraculous ministry to the Lamanites): "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing... it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance" (Alma 26:22).
(My favorite: Christ's message to Joseph Smith after he felt horrible for losing 116 pages of the Book of Mormon!): "But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work" (D&C 3:10).
Beloved Elders and Sisters, missionary work is a group sport! In high school, I participated in cross country, which is a very individual sport. While our team competed and scored as a team, my personal performance was discrete and separate from the performance of other runners, and could be clearly measured with a time and a ranking. Getting all the way from the start line to the finish was entirely my responsibility and dependent upon my own efforts. In contrast, soccer (which I played briefly in third grade, and not very well!) is much more of a group sport. While individual skill and effort makes a big difference and is hugely important, most goals are the result of numerous interactions and passes between players, and it is more difficult to measure what impact a player's individual effort has on an individual score. It is ridiculous to suggest that the score cannot be attributed at all to the forward who kicked the ball into the goal, the midfielder who deftly passed the ball without interception, or the defender who stole the ball out of the opposing player's reach because other players were involved. The score belongs to all players, and all players play a critical role, even those who did not touch the ball directly!
I testify that when you are really trying but fall short of your commitments and covenants, God doesn't want you to withdraw from His work or resign yourself to a lesser role. He understands you and is willing to forgive and perfect you and just wants you to waste no time in turning back and recommitting to do your very best! In fact, your experiences with repentance and relying on the Savior can give you the extra zeal and excitement and devotion to Christ and His work necessary to become an even more powerful instrument in the hands of the Lord!
This week and always, when you recognize your mistakes and shortcomings, please remember Bishop L Todd Budge's advice from last summer to avoid a negative spiral of doubting your worthiness and effectiveness by just laughing at yourself, quickly repenting, and moving on. Take the work seriously, but don't take yourself so seriously! I promise that the Lord is so proud of your efforts and that as long as you do not rationalize or rebel, you are "still chosen" to do a great work!
Missionary Work: A Group Effort - 20 February 2022
I have often heard missionaries say something like, "This week was discouraging. We have been meeting with Brother XYZ, but we found out that he lives in another area so we won't be able to keep teaching him." Or, "I don't know why the Lord keeps transferring me out of areas right when everyone starts to be progressing. Here we hardly have anyone to teach." Or, "This week, one of our friends got baptized! Of course, I just moved into the area two weeks ago, so I can't really take credit for it. I hope someday I'll actually be able to find someone who wants to learn about the gospel myself." Or, "If all God wants me to do here is plant seeds, that's what I'll do I guess." Do you see how sometimes it can be easy to feel like we personally have to be responsible for every part of the process--all the way from finding the person on the street through every lesson and concern to the waters of baptism--in order to feel like our efforts really count?
Hardly anything beautiful or useful in life is created using just one instrument. In the process of nurturing and conversion, I have found that God typically uses many instruments over time--the process often spans months and years and involves passes from missionary to missionary, with many others helping and rooting on the sidelines. As much as we may want to know, it is impossible to tease out exactly how much of a difference you personally are making in the lives of those around you, and any efforts to do so are likely to lead to distorted perceptions of your influence. From my experience, times when we know for certain that something we said or did made a critical difference are rare, and we often are aware of only a tiny portion of the effects of our faithful service. So my invitation to you is to stop trying so hard to gauge your own individual success and contribution to the work because this is the Lord's work and it's a group sport, not an individual sport! Instead, please just do your best and trust that as you do "your work, to keep [God's] commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength" (D&C 11:20), Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will certainly use you in every expedient way as an instrument in Their hands in Their work, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). I know you will be happier and have greater faith that the Lord is working through you if you will do so!
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase... For we are labourers together with God" (1 Corinthians 3:6,9).
I promise you have done, are doing, and will yet do more good than you will ever know!
Descended Below Them All - 27 February 2022
This morning as I was studying the Book of Mormon, I started thinking about what it really means that Jesus Christ "condescended" and what it might have felt like when He "came as man, though son of God" ("God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son").
Imagine that you, as the mature adult that you are now, decide RIGHT NOW to go back to your junior high school, even though you already graduated years before. You choose to sit among children with limited experience and perspective and participate as a student--an exemplary student. You put up with the noise of the classroom as you sit in front of the kid who doesn't wear deodorant and behind the kid who can't sit still and next to the kid who has a temper tantrum. You choose to sit patiently and be an example for the students and do your best to make friends with them and listen to them. Not only that, but you voluntarily put up with all of the chaos of middle school day after day for 30+ years.
After 30+ years of suffering through these experiences and doing your best to be patient and help the students even when some are unkind to you and those you love, you decide that you want to understand the junior high student experience even further. You want to experience everything that any middle school student anywhere has ever faced. So you create a plan--first, you will have a fellow student throw spaghetti at your face and clothes. Then, you will ask another student to kick you really hard in the shins. You go through every experience of each individual that has ever walked or will walk the halls of that school--detention, getting failed grades, being picked on, being hazed, cyberbullying, etc. And you do it all voluntarily, without any payment.
That is a very imperfect attempt to represent even just a taste of what Christ chose to do for us. Christ was perfect and had amazing glory, but he chose to come down and spend decades with immature, imperfect mortals who mostly rejected and despised him. He not only suffered the pain, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, cold and other things that are part of our daily experience--without complaining, giving into temptation, or being unkind to others--but He went beyond that and chose to willingly experience every negative experience that every human being ever will experience because He wanted to understand and be able to succor us.
I know that Jesus Christ understands everything that we experience! He suffered them all "because of his loving-kindness and long-suffering towards the children of men" (1 Nephi 19:9). What a privilege it is to try to take His name upon us and follow His example of condescension in little ways by bearing one another's burdens!
You Cannot Force Spiritual Things - 13 March 2022
About a year into my mission, I was really concerned about never having had a powerful spiritual experience when praying about the Book of Mormon! I kept hearing other members and missionaries testify of powerful impressions they had when they prayed to God about the book, and I had never had that happen once! I believed in the book's truthfulness, but I was confused and wondered if I really had the ability to testify of it with power and authority.
I have since observed that many other missionaries, members of the Church and those investigating the truth of the Church have similar experiences to me. This past week I had an important insight about a related principle, and I hope it will help you or someone you know. Please consider why some people might struggle to have a powerful experience with the Spirit when praying specifically for a witness as you read the following quotation from the end of Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel (p. 108):
“You cannot force spiritual things. Such words as compel, coerce, constrain, pressure, demand, do not describe our privileges with the Spirit. You can no more force the Spirit to respond than you can force a bean to sprout, or an egg to hatch before its time. You can create a climate to foster growth, nourish, and protect; but you cannot force or compel: you must await the growth” - Elder Boyd K Packer
I realize now that I was trying to force God to give me a spiritual witness in a particular way. I got so bent on the need to feel something immediately after praying about the Book of Mormon that I was almost demanding that God give me that experience--which led to confusion when I didn't receive it. I now realize that a testimony obtained "line upon line... here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30) at times when the Lord saw fit to grant spiritual witnesses to me--feeling the Spirit strongly at a sacrament meeting musical number, experiencing the fruits of intentionally living a principle from the Book of Mormon, having feelings of peace while studying the scriptures, etc--is just as valid as a testimony obtained from an immediate spiritual witness while praying. And in my case, and perhaps the case of many others, stressing about getting a witness right in the moment when I ask for it actually drives away the Spirit as it draws my attention away from God and towards myself.
Know for What End the Law Was Given - 17 April 2022
Understanding why we do what we do gives our words and actions power, genuinity, and authenticity. When I was a missionary, I often did certain things just because I knew that I was supposed to or because it said to in Preach My Gospel. However, when I did the right things without knowing the right reasons, my words and actions were often unnatural, abnormal, and lacking in authenticity. I was just going through the motions and following a checklist, and I think that was unfortunately obvious to the people I interacted with. However, as I learned the reasons behind some of the rules and guidelines given by mission leaders and Preach My Gospel, my words and actions began to have more power and genuinity, and my ability to have the Spirit guide me to meet others' needs increased.
As Nephi taught about the law of Moses, it's a good start to know about or observe the law, but it's also critical to "know for what end the law was given" (2 Nephi 25:27). If there is any part of the gospel where you feel that you are just going through the motions--anything that doesn't feel "natural and normal," I invite you to pray, study, ponder, and talk with others to understand more deeply the reasons behind it. There really is an understandable, natural reason behind everything! I know that if you seek to understand and focus on the intent behind the principles and rules of any part of the gospel, you can connect with Christ and with others in more meaningful, genuine, and authentic ways.
Heavenly Treasures - 24 April 2022
I've always been very task-oriented and obedience-minded. When I was a missionary (and a lot of the time I have been at college), I used my free time to study and check things off of a never-ending to do list. I prided myself on being "all-in" in learning Korean, talking with everyone at every opportunity, spending every waking second before 10:30 contacting people, and wasting no time if possible. While my heart was good, I'm afraid that my "swiftness" and narrow-mindedness sometimes robbed me of valuable opportunities to build connections with my companions and with other missionaries. As President Monson put it, I sometimes forgot (and still sometimes forget) to "never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."
This week, as I moved into my new apartment, the Spirit strongly impressed upon my mind to let some of my relentless goals for personal development and "to do items" slide so that I could have the time to meaningfully interact with and form deeper relationships with my roommates. And I'm so glad I have. Just in the past few days, I have been richly blessed and enriched by these connections. Something my roommate John said the other night really struck me. I had thought that he was pretty strict about going to bed at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30, but on this night he was going to bed at around midnight. When I asked him about it, he just said, "I still sometimes follow a schedule when I have to get up for school, but I have learned that there is a lot of connection to be made--heavenly treasures."
As Sister Oscarson shared in one of my favorite talks ever, "The Needs Before Us," "What good does it do to save the world if we neglect the needs of those closest to us and those whom we love the most? How much value is there in fixing the world if the people around us are falling apart and we don’t notice? Heavenly Father may have placed those who need us closest to us, knowing that we are best suited to meet their needs." Please make sure that you are there for those the Lord has placed closest to you in your mission. I promise that doing so will provide for some of the most rich and meaningful experiences of your mission and will ultimately help you "lay up... treasures in heaven" (3 Nephi 13:20).
90% of the Good You Do - 1 May 2022
One day, when Jesus entered a certain village, He was stopped by ten lepers who begged for Jesus to have mercy upon them. When Jesus saw them, He instructed them to show themselves unto the priests. As they went, they ALL were cleansed. But only one turned back and gave thanks (Luke 17:11-19).
I think that ratio that Jesus taught is about right. Nine times out of ten, we're probably never told about the difference we make in the lives of others. In general, we all are really bad at turning back to others (or to God) and giving thanks for their influence in our lives! We just get so caught up in rejoicing that we forget to let the people who helped us know how grateful we are and how much their efforts made a difference.
Therefore, we can safely trust that we are doing more good than we will ever know. And we can help others to recognize the good they are doing by being more intentional about turning back and giving thanks when others bless our own lives.
Listen First - 8 May 2022
Preach My Gospel Chapter 10 says: "When you listen carefully to others, you understand them better. When they know that their thoughts and feelings are important to you, they are more likely to be receptive."
We all have a message that is important to us and we really want to share it and influence others. As missionaries, that message is literally the most important message in the world--the life changing, restored gospel of Jesus Christ! But too often, we are so excited about our message that we charge in and begin to talk and explain and teach when we really need to start by listening--not just so we know how to adapt our message, but so that others will be ready to receive it.
I have observed something in my interactions that I suspect you have observed as well. I don't feel this way as often as I should, but when I genuinely want to understand where a person is coming from--what their perspectives are on a topic and what experiences have led them to feel that way--and genuinely listen to them until they've expressed everything that comes to their hearts and minds with no other intent than to simply understand, every time, they always go on to say something like, "What about you?" or "What do you think?" And then they almost always really, truly, listen to what I have to say.
If we start an interaction with only the intention to teach or to share our own message, we are likely to fail. But if we start an interaction with only the intention to listen and understand at first, others will eventually give us their attention--without fail. Giving the gift of being heard and listened to touches people and causes them to want to give the gift back to us. And even if they don't, seeing the mind and heart of another child of God is always a rich and beautiful experience.
Baptize in MY Name - 21 May 2022
Baptisms are so special. While there are many people involved in a baptism, ultimately it is a personal experience between the person making promises and Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
Sometimes, we mistakenly think or act as if baptisms were performed or recorded under our own names. But throughout the scriptures, we are reminded that we are baptized in the name of Christ. In the great work of our Heavenly Father--inviting and helping others to come unto Christ through His gospel--we are all on the same team! All of the glory belongs to Them–and the Holy Ghost that does the true teaching and converting.
Behind every person that makes these promises with God, there are MANY people (sometimes over many years) who find, teach, fellowship, or strengthen. While our work is important, it is nothing compared to the work that Jesus Christ performed alone in a lonely garden thousands of years ago. In every path to conversion, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost do all of the heavy lifting; we are like little children who watch their parents whip, bake, and frost a cake and then are mercifully allowed to have the joy of licking the spoon and blowing out the candles.
It’s so cool that as we put our heart, might, mind, and strength into serving the Lord and ministering to others, we can have the joy of publishing Christ's good news and representing Him to others! But if a baptism belongs to anyone, it belongs to God–and to the person making their first step on the covenant path.
“I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" (Alma 29:9).
Ask Them What They Need - 14 July 2022
Two missionaries, Elder Higson and Elder Melanoset, were serving in a remote area of their mission. They were working hard, but struggling to find people to teach. Elder Melanoset had been in the mission for only a week and was struggling with homesickness, and Elder Higson could see that Elder Melanoset was slowly becoming less and less happy.
Noticing that his companion was especially struggling one day, Elder Higson felt prompted to do something to serve him. When Elder Higson asked Elder Melanoset what he could do to help him feel better, Elder Melanoset honestly replied that he would feel better if he could have something really tasty to eat. Elder Higson quickly replied, “No problem! I’ll have something fixed up for lunch in a jiffy!”
That’s when the agony began. As Elder Higson looked through the kitchen, he was overwhelmed with indecision. There were so many options, but which one was right? Would tacos be the perfect food to cheer up Elder Melanoset? Would french toast bring him joy and remind him of home? Or should he try out the new instant broccoli and cheddar soup mix? Nothing seemed like a bad idea, and nothing felt like the right option. After five long minutes of analyzing the options and getting nowhere, Elder Higson knelt down and offered a prayer, asking which food might bring Elder Melanoset joy. He still didn’t feel anything, even when he sat and listened. Various foods flashed through his mind, but none of them stood out more than any other.
Frustrated, Elder Higson decided he would simply spin around in the kitchen with his eyes closed and make whatever food his finger pointed to when he stopped, asking God to direct his spin. When he opened his eyes, he found his finger was pointing right at the broccoli and cheddar soup mix. Relieved, he joyfully began to prepare the soup, excited to see Elder Melanoset’s face light up.
As soon as the soup was piping hot and aromatic, Elder Higson gleefully transferred it to a fancy dish and waltzed over to Elder Melanoset’s desk. “The Spirit made it known to me that you really wanted broccoli and cheddar soup!”, he exclaimed.
Elder Melanoset, startled, looked at his companion, trying to force a smile. “Thank you,” he started. Turning towards the bowl of soup, hesitantly picking up the spoon but then quickly setting it back down, he admitted, “I really appreciate the gesture, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat it. I just absolutely cannot stand broccoli.”
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Too often, when trying to help others, we attempt to figure out what others need all by ourselves without consulting those we are trying to help! We are sometimes afraid of asking each other questions that really matter. Perhaps it’s because we are afraid of prying, or we erroneously think that we should just be able to assume what others need. But until we really understand people’s needs, interests, and concerns, we will just be shooting in the dark when it comes to trying to help them.
President Nelson has said that “good inspiration is based upon good information.” In my experience, the Spirit rarely is able to help me know what someone needs unless I have done my best to really ask the right questions and listen carefully to the answers. Rather, the Spirit simply prompts me to ask questions that lead to good information and helps me to discern things in what others share. And I have found that just as we allow trusted surgeons to make incisions in our bodies in order to perform needed operations, when others know that we love them and that our only intent is to help, we can ask direct questions that get to the root of the matter without coming off as intrusive or pushy.
“Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear?.... Ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives….. If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say [or do]. It will be given to us—by the Spirit and by our friends.” - Elder Jeffery R. Holland
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