Farewell Talk

Good Morning Everyone,

Just as Brother Bentley just said, I have been called to serve in the Philippines Urdaneta Mission, Tagalog speaking and I am very excited. Although my initial reaction when I read my call was… OH CRAP! What have I got myself into?! But I know that I have been called there for a reason, and today I am going to talk to you about faith and missionary work.

So, what exactly is missionary work? Missionary work means “to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by word and by example”. The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all who follow him. Missionaries teach from the Preach My Gospel book and I’d like to share some things that are mentioned from the book to help us better understand missionary work. First of all it says that our purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Not only do we have a purpose, but we also have accountability as missionaries to ourselves, Heavenly Father and the people who we are serving.  Our ability to touch others with the voice of truth is so powerful. There is no greater decision in life than to come unto Christ and receive his covenants.

There is a paragraph in Preach my Gospel that I love I think it helps us put into perspective the eternal purpose of missionary work. It says “You are surrounded by people. You pass them on the street, visit them in their homes, and travel among them. All of them are children of God, your brothers and sisters. God loves them just as much as he loves you. Many of these people are searching for purpose in life. They are concerned for their families. They need the sense of belonging that comes from the knowledge that they are children of God, members of his eternal family. They want to feel secure in a world of changing values. They want “peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come”. But they are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it”.” 

There are so many unhappy people that have not yet found the truthfulness of the gospel. Some might be looking for it and are lost because they don’t know where to look. That’s where we come in. Missionary work is so important, but it can be very hard. I believe that it can be especially hard for those who aren’t actual “missionaries”. I think that missionaries have somewhat of an advantage because that is what they are devoted to, and it’s easier for them to go up to random people and hand out a Book of Mormon and it’s completely normal.  Whereas if a normal person did that people might think that’s very weird. I know that I personally haven’t been the best missionary that I know I can be. I have had several opportunities where I could have shared my testimony of the gospel and I didn’t because I was too scared and I was especially scared of what the outcome might be if it didn’t go well. I am definitely not someone who will just go up to random people and start talking, let alone my religious beliefs. So, I just tell myself that it’s weird and no one does that anyways. YEAH, I’m gonna have to get over that real fast.

But I’ve also come to realize that faith plays a huge part in missionary work. If we are going to do missionary work, then we need to have faith in what we believe. Alma 32:21 says “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true”.  Having faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us knowledge of things which are true. We need to have faith in not only missionary work, but in all things. If we do then we will be blessed. I think one of the greatest examples of faith was Joseph Smith. As a young boy in 1820, Joseph wanted to know which church he should join. His mother and father both professed faith in God and Christ but participated in two different faiths. This was very confusing to the 14 year old. As he searched the Bible for help, he read “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him”. Acting on this counsel, Joseph went into the woods near his home and offered up his most fervent prayer. In his own words he describes, “I saw a pillar of light exactly above my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other, “This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him.” When Joseph asked which church he should join, the Savior told him to join none of the churches then in existence because they were teaching incorrect doctrine. Through this experience and many others that followed, the Lord chose Joseph to be His prophet and seer and to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church to the earth. As Joseph Smith proved his worthiness, he was given a divine mission as a prophet of God. Through him, the Lord accomplished a great and marvelous work that included bringing forth the Book of Mormon, restoring the holy priesthood, revealing precious gospel truths, organizing the Church of Jesus Christ, and re-establishing temple work. I know that Joseph Smith was a chosen prophet and called of God to restore the gospel on the earth today. It took 117 years until 1947 for the church to grow from the initial 6 to one million. Today we have 14,782,473 members worldwide, 29,014 congregations, 58,990 missionaries, 347 missions, most importantly, there are 141 temples worldwide.  What a great success our church has had and still continues to have to this day. And it all started with a man named Joseph Smith.  

Now missionary work does not mean that you have to go on a mission. The Lord needs us to be missionaries every day in the things we are doing such as school, places of employment, communities, and even families.  Elder Neil L. Anderson says “If you are not a full time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart”. I think regardless of age, experience or stage in life, we are all missionaries.   It’s not easy sharing the gospel. But when we do, our faith is tested and I know that we become stronger.  I would encourage everyone to try and start with small and simple things and try to become the missionaries that we have been called to be.

I have come up with 3 categories to help us remember what we can be doing in our lives and with missionary work. They are

1.)   DO GOOD

2.)  LOVE GOD

3.)  SERVE HIM

Mosiah 2:16 says “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”.

When we serve others we serve God.  How sacred is that.

There is a talk about missionary work in the Philippines, given by Augusto A. Lim that I’d like to share. It was quite a while ago, so the numbers might be off a little. But I’d like to share a few things from it. He says “The restored gospel was first introduced by Latter-day Saint servicemen and women while serving in the Philippines near the end of World War II, but missionary work officially started in the Philippines (from the records of the Southern Far East Mission) on April 28, 1961, when Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, met with a small group of members at the American War Memorial Cemetery in the suburbs of Manila to offer a prayer invoking the blessing of the Lord on the missionary work in the Philippines. Before giving his prayer, President Hinckley, in a brief talk, made this prophetic statement: “What we begin here will affect the lives of thousands upon thousands of people in this island republic, and its effects will go from generation to generation for great and everlasting good.” A few days after that historic meeting, the first four full-time missionaries arrived from the Southern Far East Mission based in Hong Kong. From a handful of members in 1961, the Church in the Philippines has since grown at a remarkable rate, now increasing by more than two thousand members per month. As a result of close correlation by the full-time missionaries and members, membership is now three hundred thousand distributed in forty-eight stakes, sixty-five districts, and thirteen missions. Five of the thirteen mission presidents and all the eight regional representatives, all stake and district presidents are now native Latter-day Saints. Sixty to 70 percent of the more than two thousand full-time missionaries now laboring in the field are also native Latter-day Saints. And now, standing majestically in an elevated grounds overlooking a valley where hundreds of thousands live in the heart of Metro Manila, is the Manila Philippines Temple.”

I’d like to point out that the Philippines now has 3 temples. The Cebu city temple was built in 2010 and in October 2010 they announced that another temple was going to be built in Urdaneta City. I am very excited about this news and hopefully I will be able to be there for the groundbreaking of the Urdaneta temple. The temple is a very special place. I know that they are the house of the Lord. I am so grateful to have them here on the earth. It’s one of the closest places we can be to our Heavenly Father.  

I’d like to share one last quote from Brother Lim’s talk. He says…

“We are also witnessing the literal fulfillment of the prayers and blessings for the people of our land given by President Hinckley that lovely April morning in 1961. Many thousands have been touched by the Spirit as the gospel message is brought to many homes by committed missionaries, with the help of members who willingly share the blessings of their Church membership. We are often asked the reasons behind this phenomenal growth in membership. After three years of working closely as mission president with these young, devoted, upright, and virtuous missionaries, I am humbled and grateful for the good they do. These young ambassadors of the Lord leave the comfort of home and the companionship of loved ones and go to foreign lands or places far from home, bearing strong testimonies of the Savior, teaching the gospel with faith and sure knowledge of its truthfulness. My testimony has been strengthened as I see the great effort of missionaries to, among others, overcome homesickness, adapt to new environment, new customs, new languages, which they must learn, and food so different from Mother’s home-cooked meal, in their noble desire to proclaim the gospel to the world.”  

I know that missionary work is real. It’s our duty to share the gospel with others and to bring them unto Christ. And although going on a mission is a great blessing to others, we can be missionaries every day. We don’t need to go to a foreign country to share the gospel. We can do it right now, and share it to those who are desperately seeking the truth.

In closing, I would like to share a poem called “So You’re Going on A Mission” it expresses very much how I feel. It goes like this…

So you’re going on a mission?

Seems pretty odd to me.

What about school and dating?

Won’t you miss your family?

I have chosen to serve a mission,

Not an easy thing to do...

But I want to share the happiness I feel

Because I know this gospel is true.

That’s a pretty big decision,

How did you decide that you should go?

Studying the scriptures, fasting, and prayer to my Heavenly Father

That is how I came to know.

You must have been pretty nervous

Not knowing where you’d be sent.

I put my faith in God,

I knew I would be serving wherever I was meant.

The feeling I got when I read my call is something that won’t be forgot,

I can’t wait to be in the Philippines, I know I’m needed there….a lot!

Eighteen months is so long and you’re so young….isn't there something that you’d rather do?

No, I’d rather help others understand eternal life… this knowledge I highly value.

How will you teach? There is so much to know!

This is sounding hard, Tagalog (ta-gol-ic) is pretty tough.

I’m sure it won’t be easy….being a missionary can be rough,

But I’ll start with my testimony and desire to serve, and I think that that’s enough!

But no swimming or skiing?

What a sacrifice to make!

There are many who gave much more than this,

My savior made the ultimate sacrifice giving his life for my sake.

I am so grateful for his selflessness,

and strive to be more like he.

I am honored that to help bring others unto Christ

My father has enlisted me.

I think I understand now,

why a mission you’re choosing to serve....

Knowledge of Christ, his atonement, and our father above

Is something everyone does deserve!

I want to be a part of this,

I want to help others too!

Where do I start? How can I share?

What do I need to do?

You do not need to wear a name tag to serve our God above,

The best way to serve his children is to show them Christ like love!

I want to end by sharing my testimony that I know this church is true with all my heart. I am so grateful for the gospel and the blessings it has had in my life. I know that it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith so that we could have it on the earth today.   I know that Heavenly Father knows each one of us and he has a plan for us. I know that he died for our sins so that we could have the atonement in our lives. I know that we have a prophet on the earth today who leads and guides our church and receives revelation for us. I am so grateful for the happiness that being a member of this church has brought me. I know that missionaries are called of God to the place where they are needed, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to serve and share my love for the gospel to the people of the Philippines. I am also so grateful for my family and the support and love they show me every day. I love them so much and I am going to miss them terribly. But I know that I will be blessed for my service. I’m especially grateful for my brother who was the best example I could have had for a missionary. I’m so grateful for his service. I love him so much. I know this gospel is true and I am so grateful to be a member of this church. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.