A couple of weeks ago, Elder Holland came and spoke to the youth in our area. He said that every day since he went on his mission, he has thought about and benefitted from having served. I could not agree more. My mission to Guatemala has blessed my life in more ways than I can count. Daily I am reminded of something I felt or learned or became as I served my Savior on a full time mission. For those who are considering a mission, let me testify of the power a mission will have for good in your life.
The first scripture I learned in the Missionary Training Center was Mosiah 4:9:
Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
The scriptures testify of God on every page.
But really, we only need to look around to know God exists. We need only to study the stars or take a physics class or hold a new born baby to marvel at the perfection of God’s creations. We only understand the smallest part yet all the parts point to an all loving creator.
Psalms 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
If God is real, and is the creator of our magnificent universe, and put our planets in orbit, and spectacularly designed our earth to be the one place in space, that we could exist. Shouldn’t our goal be to seek him? To find him? To know him? To understand his works and try to understand him? To be like Him?
We can’t comprehend all that our Father in Heaven is or all that our Savior is, But our goal is to try!
Isn’t that what personal conversion is? To seek and find God. In some small way? To come to discover and understand our Savior Jesus Christ?
But how do we do that?
Proverbs 4:7 Gives us a hint: It says, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
We get. get get get.
Instagram, Netflix, carpool, jobs, mail, pedicures, sick, etc. But with all our getting, get understanding. a synonym for understanding is insight. We need insight into the spiritual world around us. We need to see more than the physical.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. - our souls are made up of our body and spirit. Perhaps he is saying, don’t forget, you are more than just a body. There is more to see than you can see with your physical eyes. Perhaps getting understanding and insight into things that are spiritual is the essence of personal conversion.
Like I said, I loved my mission. I experienced so many moments of personal conversion there. It was a magical time of serving and reflecting. Here is the story of one of those special moments.
I was called to be a Spanish speaking missionary in Guatemala in the City North mission. I’d been in there struggling to learn Spanish for 6 weeks when I was called to speak Kek’chi in a remote village in a valley several hours away from the capital. This valley was so isolated that there was only one way in. We were surrounded by mountains on both sides and the valley ended at an enormous lake. Only the valley floor was passable by a chicken bus that went to the end of the road in the morning and returned in the late afternoon. The round trip into the Polochic valley took about 6 hours. The old chicken bus was the only way in or out of the area unless you happened upon a passing truck. My companion was Hermana Lopez and she was an amazing missionary. She was a native from Guatemala and so valiant and intelligent and obedient.
One week Hermana Lopez and I were studying in first Nephi and were learning all about Nephi, Sam and Laman & Lemuel and we decided that Laman and Lemuel were complainers, whiners, lazy and disobedient and we didn’t want to be like them. We decided Sam was a good guy but not quite as valiant as Nephi who was a hard worker, didn’t complain, and was obedient in everything he was asked. As we studied about these examples from the scriptures, we decided we wanted to be like Nephi. We would be courageous and 100% obedient. We would do everything right and God would bless us - we were sure. So we began our quest for perfection: We got up on time, we took our vitamins (because the mission nurse said it was a rule). We did our exercises. We said our prayers and did our studying and planning. We were awesome and pumped to be just like Nephi.
We set out that morning and hiked and hiked. There were no roads besides the one on the valley floor - only footpaths thru endless cornfields. We visited members, asked for referrals, talked to farmers on the side of the mountain as they worked their crops, and Searched out less actives, We did our best. We worked very hard and we had a wonderful day.
We had hiked about 2 miles from our home down the valley and about a mile up into the mountain that day. When we started for home, Hermana Lopez slipped. somehow she fell but her foot got caught and stayed where it was - the result was an ankle that instantly doubled in size and was terribly painful. She couldn’t put any weight on it and we feared it was broken. She was scared, it was getting late and we were far from home. We knew our only hope was to get to the main road before the chicken bus passed. She couldn’t walk so we alternated her hobbling and me piggy backing her down the mountain. A kind farmer saw us and though unable to go with us, offered us his wheelbarrow. Hermana Lopez climbed in and we hurried as fast as we could to get to the road. In all the hurrying, she fell out several times and we alternated laughing and crying. Within 100 yards or so of the road, we heard the bus coming. I left her and ran the last bit to try and flag down the bus but I was too late, all I could see was the dust trail it had left behind. Sad and a bit panicked, I ran back to my companion and we started the long wheelbarrow ride back to our hut. It was a heartbreaking end to a day that started with such enthusiasm and hope.
We ate dinner and worried about her ankle. We had no electricity, no phone, no ice to bring down the swelling. We just had to wait till the next night and make sure we were there waiting when the bus came back thru so we could get her out of the valley and to the hospital. We were dejected to say the least. Hermana Lopez cried from pain and frustration and said, “So much for trying to be like Nephi! Nephi never had to go thru something like this!” We had a boo hoo session and then as we always did before bed, we got out our scriptures to read together. Coincidentally, we happened to be in 1N chapter 18 and we read
15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
No joke. You can’t make up stuff like that. God truly has a sense of humor and sees us and hears us and loves us thru our trials.
I learned 4 important lessons that day as I read the Book of Mormon with my injured companion.
1. Study and service make us feel great. That day with Hermana Lopez was one of the greatest of my mission - I felt the Lord magnifying our efforts. I felt the joy of obedience and hope.
2. I learned that effort, study and service do not exempt us from trials. Think of Moses when God reveals himself to him. Who followed? Satan. Not just satan but as it says in Moses 1: 21 & 22, a trembling loud, weeping wailing and teeth gnashing satan trying to deceive and overpower Moses. Does this ever happen to you?
Think of Joseph Smith as he knelt in prayer before God and Christ appeared to him. Joseph says I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
Satan did all he could to interfere. We are no different. The harder we try - expect pushback from the adversary. We used to tell our investigators, “Now when you commit to baptism, prepare for everything in the world to combine against you to keep you from making that commitment.” That is proof it is from God or Satan wouldn’t try so hard to stop it.
Not even Christ was exempt from endless harassing by Satan. As if fasting for 40 days isn’t hard enough, Satan has to show up and tempt him to make bread?
3. I learned that the scriptures offer us understanding and comfort no matter how unique our situation seems. God knows us and has given us all we need to feel his love and comfort if we will turn to the scriptures. The world’s comfort and counsel doesn’t hold a candle to what the Lord has given us. I think those words of the prophets are magic. They morph and change to comfort us and teach us when and how we need them. Trust them, they are of God.
4. And lastly, I learned that God uses experiences (sometimes painful ones) to allow us moments of clarity. Spiritual clarity. That night in a hut in Guatemala, it was like I could see. I understood God’s plan for me. I could see that it is: studying and seeking truth and goodness that gives us a Godly perspective on this earthly experience. I saw a glimpse of who I was and I knew God knew me personally. I recognized that study and service hadn’t saved me from pain and hardship but had prepared me for spiritual clarity. For personal conversion.
I challenge you to seek moments of spiritual clarity and personal conversion often so that you can see how important you are to your Father in Heaven. How important you are to your ward, to your community, to those you serve in your callings, to the family you home or visit teach, to your neighbors and most importantly, to your family. You are needed.
I'll finish up with one of my favorite scriptures:
34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
My day in Guatemala did not end up how I planned. But God turned my small plan into a lesson that will last my lifetime.
Christ is our rock. All good things come from him. As we learn of Him, as we emulate Him, we will see more clearly who we are and how we can follow Him.
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