Arise and Shine Forth

To my son,

                This week I had the opportunity to go Europe, and I spent a few days in an area close to where I served as a missionary in France. That gave me an opportunity to reflect a little on my experience many years ago sharing the gospel there. I spent two years in the south of France trying to serve and teach the people there, and I am so grateful for that experience. As my plane departed for home on Friday I got to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea, and it reminded me of the times when I used to drive from Antibes to Nice to meet with other missionaries. The drive goes right along the coast of the water there and was so beautiful in the mornings as the sun came up. I remember feeling so much gratitude for my opportunity to serve the Lord there and this scripture in particular seemed to encapsulate my testimony on those days: “And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled” (Moroni 10:31). In this verse Moroni, paraphrasing Isaiah, expressed his hope for us in the last days that we would arise—just like that sun I watched come up over the sea—and become the people of the Lord that He wants us to become. And for those of us who have been blessed to receive the gospel we have a job to share that light with the rest of the world, just us the Savior invited us: “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:5). I know that you can be a great blessing for many as you let your light shine for the world and as you prepare yourself to one day serve the Lord as a full-time missionary.

                So what can you do to prepare serve as a missionary when you are older? The Lord gave us the answer in a revelation to Joseph Smith Sr. in 1829. He said this: “And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:5). First, you can develop faith in Jesus Christ. You can do this by learning about Him at Church, reading in the scriptures, and trying to keep His commandments. Second, you can learn to have hope through Him as you make mistakes because He will forgive you and enable you to improve. Seeking to repent and be better will help you have a hope in Christ that you will want to share as a missionary. Lastly, you can work to develop charity, which as you know is love. This means learning to be kind and considerate of those around you and being willing to share and help and give to others. For example, recently you wrote a card and gave it to a sister our ward who was sick, and we were able to visit her with it and spend time trying to help her feel better. I know you felt good inside because of that act of service. Serving and sharing with others will help you develop the kind of love that will inspire you to share the gospel as a missionary. I encourage you to start now to prepare to be a missionary by developing faith, hope, and charity, and one day you will be sent somewhere in the world to participate in this “marvelous work” that has so blessed our lives.

Love,

Dad