Desires to Serve God

To my son,

                Today in deacons quorum we watched a video based on a story that Elder Neil L. Andersen told in general conference the year you were born. He recounted how a young man named Sid Going was a rugby star in New Zealand at the age of 18. His enormous success in professional rugby was anticipated by many. Elder Andersen related, “At age 19, in this critical moment of his ascending rugby career, Sid declared that he would forgo rugby to serve a mission. Some called him crazy. Others called him foolish. They protested that his opportunity in rugby might never come again. For Sid it was not what he was leaving behind—it was the opportunity and responsibility ahead. He had a priesthood duty to offer two years of his life to declare the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Nothing—not even a chance to play on the national team, with all the acclaim it would bring—would deter him from that duty.” He was called to the Western Canadian Mission and he left rugby behind for two years to serve the Lord and the people there. Elder Andersen continued, “Sid told me of an experience he had on his mission. It was evening, and he and his companion were just about to return to their apartment. They decided to visit one more family. The father let them in. Elder Going and his companion testified of the Savior. The family accepted a Book of Mormon. The father read all night. In the next week and a half he read the entire Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. A few weeks later the family was baptized. A mission instead of a place on the New Zealand All Blacks team? Sid responded, ‘The blessing of [bringing others] into the gospel far outweighs anything [you] will ever sacrifice.’” What an incredible story! Because he was willing to sacrifice his own interests, he was able to bring the gospel to this family and many others. Even though he later became the rugby star everyone had expected, it was his work in the gospel that was the greatest and had the most lasting impact for good. I believe that like it was for Sid, there are places in the world with people waiting for your testimony as a missionary and to be taught by you. Prepare for that incredible opportunity and do not let anything get in the way, even if you are ready to be drafted into the NBA!

                You might wonder how you can best prepare to serve the Lord as a missionary. In our dispensation the Lord gave a revelation to Joseph Smith Sr. which teaches us a lot about missionary work and how to prepare. The primary prerequisite for missionary service is defined in this verse and is obtainable by anyone: “Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” First and foremost, you need to cultivate the desire to serve God. Once you have that, here is what will help you be qualified to serve: “And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:3, 5). Faith and hope in Christ, coupled with charity and love for all of God’s children will help you to be successful as a missionary. You don’t need to be an expert in the scriptures or the history of the Church or the life of the Savior, though your knowledge in all of those things is indeed helpful. But the Lord declared that it would not be the scholars or the rich or the popular who would be sent on missions: “Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 35:13). It is those who are weak and unlearned in the eyes of the world that the Lord uses to share His gospel, and what will matter most for you will be the traits He listed above: your desire to serve God, your faith in Christ, and your love for those around you will make you a powerful missionary. You will be able to help bring souls back to Him like Sid Going and so many others before you.  

Love,

Dad