Talk – What I Have Learned on my Mission
When President Colbert asked me to share the things I have learned on my mission, I chuckled a bit and asked how many hours I had to speak. He told me he could cancel the rest of the block but I assured him I would condense it. I will share just some of those lessons. First of all, though I want to share something that happened just after General Conference.
Dream
During Conference, one of the things that I was praying for was what we should do now that our mission was ending. Where did the Lord want us to go from here? I didn’t get any clear cut answers although I got lots of inspiration about my life. On Sunday night, after Conference had ended, I went to sleep and dreamed a dream in which I was going out with the sister missionaries. There were many things in the dream that I won’t share here but will tell what applies to my talk today. In the dream, we were meeting people in a station of some kind and I stopped to talk to a little family. What was interesting, was that I wasn’t preaching the gospel as much as I was finding out about them and just loving them. Then, I introduced them to the Sisters and they began teaching them. I went on doing some other things and talking to some others but the significant part was that when I looked down at my missionary tag, it was all covered up so no one would have been able to see that I was a missionary as well. As the Lord has been teaching me about this dream I had, I have come to understand that He is telling me, in part, that I don’t have to be a missionary to do His work.
None of us have to be missionaries to do the work of the Lord, so while I will be telling you things that I have learned as a missionary, they apply to all of us. Because we work in the temple, many of the precious lessons I have learned cannot be shared outside of the temple because they are too sacred. I promise each of you, however, that if you will go to the temple often, the Lord will teach you these things as well. Many of the temple experiences I will share will be from the baptistry. Here are five lessons that can be applied to all of us.
Work of Salvation
The first sweet lesson I learned in the very first weeks of our mission in the temple. We do everything in the temple from laundry to cleaning, work in the office to ordinances and work as patrons. It occurred to me one day that ALL of the work we do in the temple furthers the work of salvation. That applies to each one of us. The work we do in our families and in the church all brings people unto Christ and is the work of salvation: FHE lessons, scripture reading, talks, comments in class, lessons, even conversations we have with each other. Each person is important in the work no matter who we are or what our strengths and weaknesses might be. Some of us question about whether or not we have anything to really offer but Elder John C. Pingree said this in October Conference: “Our Heavenly Father has specific and significant things for you and me to accomplish…Some of us question whether Heavenly Father can use US to make important contributions. But remember, He has always used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.”
I love the analogy that Paul gave us of people being members of the body of Christ found in 1 Corinthians 12. He said: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. ..” And here is the part I love the best: “That there should be no schism in that body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” I have been so touched by the way the members of this branch care for one another and love one another. It is an example to me!!
For Such a Time as This
My next lesson came on the 4th of July when some of the Temple missionaries were asked to take the place of the Site Missionaries at the different sites. We were assigned to the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s center. At one point, I had been asked to help a family because of my ability to speak Spanish and, as they were looking at some of the displays, I hung back a bit. I began thinking about my life and how I had gotten to that point. The scripture came to mind from Esther when Mordecai was encouraging her: “For such a time as this.” I marveled how the experiences I had had in my life and the things I had learned had brought me to that point at that time. All of us have been put here at THIS time in THIS place for a wise purpose known to our Heavenly Father. We each have had unique experiences and have unique talents and the Lord will use us, with our strengths and imperfections, to further His purposes. We are instruments in His hands. President Russell M. Nelson said: “The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself! You have been reserved and preserved for this time and place.”
The Lord’s Hand in Our Lives
This brings me to my next lesson. More than any other lesson I have come to understand how much the Lord is in the details of our lives. I have been touched by the love our Father has for us and have seen His hand in my life and in the lives of others. Many people would say some things that happen are just coincidences but I think they are tender mercies of the Lord. I will relate just three stories since I am running out of time.
One time, a family – mother, father, son and daughter – was on vacation and they felt impressed to come to the temple to do baptisms for the dead even though they hadn’t brought any Sunday clothes. They weren’t sure they could get in but when they came, they were greeted and given two jump suits each so that they could do all the work they needed to do. They were visibly touched and the experience was a tender one for them as well as for the workers who witnessed it. The mother and the father were able to perform baptisms as well as their children. I don’t know what was going on in their lives that they needed this experience but the Lord did.
The next experience was a sweet one. Three sisters had flown in to Buffalo at about 1:00 am and were planning on coming to the temple the next day. One of them was so excited that she could hardly get to sleep. As a result of all of this, they overslept and were afraid that they would miss the session. They decided to come anyway, and came into the temple just minutes before we were to close the doors of the session. We waited for them, even though the session started about 15 minutes late. They were so grateful. The Lord loves them and told them to come anyway….and told us to hold the session even though they could have done another ordinance.
The last experience involved a brother and a sister who were unknown to one another. The sister was running late and arrived at the temple to do baptisms for the dead. At the same time, a brother came to the temple without an appointment and wanted to help with baptisms so that he could practice before baptizing his eight-year-old daughter. If they had not come at the same time, the sister would have had no one to baptize her because of other things happening in the temple that created a shortage of brethren to do the work, and the brother would have had no one to baptize if she hadn’t been late for her appointment. The Lord knew their individual needs and knew that they needed one another.
One of my favorite scriptures is one that President Miner often quotes in part, found in D&C 76: “I, the Lord….delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness…”
Temple Work
The last two lessons are closely related but I have separated them. You cannot spend as many hours in the Temple as we have spent without having your hearts changed. We have a deeper love and testimony of the work we do in those sacred walls. We have a deeper love for each other and an increased Spirit in our home and in our lives. I have had many sacred experiences with my family as I have done their work for them. President Schwendiman tells the youth who come to do baptisms that the cards they bring with the names of their family on them are referral cards and as we do the ordinances for them, they become temple recommends that allow them to leave their prisons and to continue their progression.
I encourage each of you to go to the temple often and as you do the Spirit will fill your hearts and rest with your families.
Holy Places
Finally, when we went to visit the Priesthood Restoration site in Harmony, Pennsylvania, I had a sweet experience. After we had visited the homes I was looking out over the beautiful trees in the Sugar Maple Grove where John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to restore the Aaronic Priesthood. I marveled at how the Church had created and restored these sites so that we could be in those sacred places. Then, I realized that these were more for members of the Church than they were for investigators – to strengthen our testimonies. I was filled with the Spirit that testified to me that we MUST stand in Holy Places, and make sure that our children do as well, so that we can withstand the evil and temptations that surround us. Our homes can be holy places, consecrated space, where we will be safe from the evils and temptations of the world.
Testimony
As I have walked in these places where the Prophet and others have walked I have felt my testimony of the things that happened there swell within me: The Hill Cumorah, the Sacred Grove, the Temple. I have the same feelings of reverence, love and testimony in all three of these places. I love standing at the clear window in the Temple and looking out over the Grove. I think of President Black as he has talked to the youth telling them that the Grove is the first temple of this dispensation where the Father and the Son truly came. I have loved living at the base of the Hill Cumorah and know that I have been on sacred ground.
I know beyond a doubt that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives and loves us. He knows us and will use us to bless the lives of others. I know that the work we do in the temples is the work of salvation and feel so humbled to be able to assist in that work. I know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Boy Joseph and that he walked out of that Grove as a Prophet of the Lord. I leave that testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Dream
During Conference, one of the things that I was praying for was what we should do now that our mission was ending. Where did the Lord want us to go from here? I didn’t get any clear cut answers although I got lots of inspiration about my life. On Sunday night, after Conference had ended, I went to sleep and dreamed a dream in which I was going out with the sister missionaries. There were many things in the dream that I won’t share here but will tell what applies to my talk today. In the dream, we were meeting people in a station of some kind and I stopped to talk to a little family. What was interesting, was that I wasn’t preaching the gospel as much as I was finding out about them and just loving them. Then, I introduced them to the Sisters and they began teaching them. I went on doing some other things and talking to some others but the significant part was that when I looked down at my missionary tag, it was all covered up so no one would have been able to see that I was a missionary as well. As the Lord has been teaching me about this dream I had, I have come to understand that He is telling me, in part, that I don’t have to be a missionary to do His work.
None of us have to be missionaries to do the work of the Lord, so while I will be telling you things that I have learned as a missionary, they apply to all of us. Because we work in the temple, many of the precious lessons I have learned cannot be shared outside of the temple because they are too sacred. I promise each of you, however, that if you will go to the temple often, the Lord will teach you these things as well. Many of the temple experiences I will share will be from the baptistry. Here are five lessons that can be applied to all of us.
Work of Salvation
The first sweet lesson I learned in the very first weeks of our mission in the temple. We do everything in the temple from laundry to cleaning, work in the office to ordinances and work as patrons. It occurred to me one day that ALL of the work we do in the temple furthers the work of salvation. That applies to each one of us. The work we do in our families and in the church all brings people unto Christ and is the work of salvation: FHE lessons, scripture reading, talks, comments in class, lessons, even conversations we have with each other. Each person is important in the work no matter who we are or what our strengths and weaknesses might be. Some of us question about whether or not we have anything to really offer but Elder John C. Pingree said this in October Conference: “Our Heavenly Father has specific and significant things for you and me to accomplish…Some of us question whether Heavenly Father can use US to make important contributions. But remember, He has always used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.”
I love the analogy that Paul gave us of people being members of the body of Christ found in 1 Corinthians 12. He said: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. ..” And here is the part I love the best: “That there should be no schism in that body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” I have been so touched by the way the members of this branch care for one another and love one another. It is an example to me!!
For Such a Time as This
My next lesson came on the 4th of July when some of the Temple missionaries were asked to take the place of the Site Missionaries at the different sites. We were assigned to the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s center. At one point, I had been asked to help a family because of my ability to speak Spanish and, as they were looking at some of the displays, I hung back a bit. I began thinking about my life and how I had gotten to that point. The scripture came to mind from Esther when Mordecai was encouraging her: “For such a time as this.” I marveled how the experiences I had had in my life and the things I had learned had brought me to that point at that time. All of us have been put here at THIS time in THIS place for a wise purpose known to our Heavenly Father. We each have had unique experiences and have unique talents and the Lord will use us, with our strengths and imperfections, to further His purposes. We are instruments in His hands. President Russell M. Nelson said: “The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself! You have been reserved and preserved for this time and place.”
The Lord’s Hand in Our Lives
This brings me to my next lesson. More than any other lesson I have come to understand how much the Lord is in the details of our lives. I have been touched by the love our Father has for us and have seen His hand in my life and in the lives of others. Many people would say some things that happen are just coincidences but I think they are tender mercies of the Lord. I will relate just three stories since I am running out of time.
One time, a family – mother, father, son and daughter – was on vacation and they felt impressed to come to the temple to do baptisms for the dead even though they hadn’t brought any Sunday clothes. They weren’t sure they could get in but when they came, they were greeted and given two jump suits each so that they could do all the work they needed to do. They were visibly touched and the experience was a tender one for them as well as for the workers who witnessed it. The mother and the father were able to perform baptisms as well as their children. I don’t know what was going on in their lives that they needed this experience but the Lord did.
The next experience was a sweet one. Three sisters had flown in to Buffalo at about 1:00 am and were planning on coming to the temple the next day. One of them was so excited that she could hardly get to sleep. As a result of all of this, they overslept and were afraid that they would miss the session. They decided to come anyway, and came into the temple just minutes before we were to close the doors of the session. We waited for them, even though the session started about 15 minutes late. They were so grateful. The Lord loves them and told them to come anyway….and told us to hold the session even though they could have done another ordinance.
The last experience involved a brother and a sister who were unknown to one another. The sister was running late and arrived at the temple to do baptisms for the dead. At the same time, a brother came to the temple without an appointment and wanted to help with baptisms so that he could practice before baptizing his eight-year-old daughter. If they had not come at the same time, the sister would have had no one to baptize her because of other things happening in the temple that created a shortage of brethren to do the work, and the brother would have had no one to baptize if she hadn’t been late for her appointment. The Lord knew their individual needs and knew that they needed one another.
One of my favorite scriptures is one that President Miner often quotes in part, found in D&C 76: “I, the Lord….delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness…”
Temple Work
The last two lessons are closely related but I have separated them. You cannot spend as many hours in the Temple as we have spent without having your hearts changed. We have a deeper love and testimony of the work we do in those sacred walls. We have a deeper love for each other and an increased Spirit in our home and in our lives. I have had many sacred experiences with my family as I have done their work for them. President Schwendiman tells the youth who come to do baptisms that the cards they bring with the names of their family on them are referral cards and as we do the ordinances for them, they become temple recommends that allow them to leave their prisons and to continue their progression.
I encourage each of you to go to the temple often and as you do the Spirit will fill your hearts and rest with your families.
Holy Places
Finally, when we went to visit the Priesthood Restoration site in Harmony, Pennsylvania, I had a sweet experience. After we had visited the homes I was looking out over the beautiful trees in the Sugar Maple Grove where John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to restore the Aaronic Priesthood. I marveled at how the Church had created and restored these sites so that we could be in those sacred places. Then, I realized that these were more for members of the Church than they were for investigators – to strengthen our testimonies. I was filled with the Spirit that testified to me that we MUST stand in Holy Places, and make sure that our children do as well, so that we can withstand the evil and temptations that surround us. Our homes can be holy places, consecrated space, where we will be safe from the evils and temptations of the world.
Testimony
As I have walked in these places where the Prophet and others have walked I have felt my testimony of the things that happened there swell within me: The Hill Cumorah, the Sacred Grove, the Temple. I have the same feelings of reverence, love and testimony in all three of these places. I love standing at the clear window in the Temple and looking out over the Grove. I think of President Black as he has talked to the youth telling them that the Grove is the first temple of this dispensation where the Father and the Son truly came. I have loved living at the base of the Hill Cumorah and know that I have been on sacred ground.
I know beyond a doubt that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives and loves us. He knows us and will use us to bless the lives of others. I know that the work we do in the temples is the work of salvation and feel so humbled to be able to assist in that work. I know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Boy Joseph and that he walked out of that Grove as a Prophet of the Lord. I leave that testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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