Unto One of the Least of These My Brethren

To my son,

                Today in Sacrament Meeting one of the speakers told the story of Charles Mulli. I had never heard of him before, but after learning about him and reading more online, I am touched by his example. He was born in Kenya and at the age of six he was abandoned by his parents. He lived on the streets for twelve years and was close to taking his own life when someone invited him to a church where the pastor bore witness to him that he was a son of God and loved. He gradually grew to understand the life of the Savior and the Bible, and eventually he gained faith and became a very successful businessman. He married and had children and was a multi-millionaire—quite the accomplishment for someone raised on the streets. The website for his organization describes what happened next, “In 1986, Charles began to hear a call on his life to care for the thousands of abandoned children he encountered on the streets of Kenya, especially as he remembered his own struggles there as a child. In 1989, Charles and Esther began to take street orphans and vulnerable children into their home to be raised alongside their own biological children. Those numbers grew so that over the last 35 years, the Mully Family has given their entire lives and considerable fortune to rescue, adopt, house, feed, clothe, and educate well over 26,000 Kenyan orphans who have graduated from the program as well as an additional 6,300 in the program currently.” While he could have simply enjoyed his riches and kept to himself, at about the age of 40 he chose instead to follow the call of the Lord to spend the rest of his life taking care of those in need. He and his wife Esther have made a powerful difference in the lives of these thousands of suffering children. Surely the Lord would say to Charles and Esther: “I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me…. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40). Theirs is a poignant reminder to us that what matters most in the end is how we serve the Lord and bless His children.               

                In the past you have joked about the mansions you will have when you are older and I believe your younger brother is still planning on building them for you (but beware that this generous attitude may not last into adulthood!). While it might be fun to imagine having great riches and enjoying big houses or other material possessions, we should always remember what the prophet Jacob taught us about seeking riches. He told the Nephites, “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:18-19). The most important point is that what matters most is the kingdom of God, and loving Him and building up Zion should be our primary concern. If we also seek for riches, then the Lord may grant them to us, but our goal should not be to simply enjoy them for ourselves. Rather, if we seek to become wealthy, it should be primarily with the intent to bless those who are in need. I believe that is exactly what the Mulli family has done, and I hope that as you think about your future and what you want to make out of your life you will remember that example. If you really want to find happiness, it will only come as you serve and give and bless others. I love the physical example we have in the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee in Palestine. The former takes in water from the Jordan River but it has no outlet, taking but never giving back. The Sea of Galilee, on the other hand, both takes in water from the Jordan River and sends it back out in the lower Jordan River. The Dead Sea is just that—dead, with very few signs of life there. The Sea of Galilee, on the other hand, is full of life with fish and plants and fresh water for people to use. It was, in fact, a place that Jesus seems to have loved for He spent a lot of time there. In our lives we want to be like the Sea of Galilee—taking and giving back, so that we can be full of life. If, on the other hand, we only take but never give back like the Dead Sea, then our lives will be without the meaning and fulfillment that Jesus has to offer us. Charles and Eshter Mulli chose to have a life like the Sea of Galilee and they are, I am certain, full of the joy that comes from knowing they made a difference. I hope that you and I can remember that important lesson and seek to serve others and the Lord like they have.

Love,

Dad