Missionary Farewell Talk

If youd know told me a year ago that Id be nucleotideing here in front of you talking about going on a mission, Id shed laughed at you. Well, here I am. It has been a long and interesting journey in getting me here today, but, as a popular Kenny Chesney song professes The laughs, the smiles, the trials, the tears, its strenuous to hate what got me here. Well, Im here and am really excited to move on to this next chapter in my life. Id be a fool to think of that the coming years, though filled with joy and enlightenment, wont bring with them my fair sh be of hard times and adversity.I think the nearly frightening part of everything leading up to my mission lies in the fact that Im not exactly sure when those hard times testament present themselves, nor how they will present themselves. Joseph B. Wirthlin once comp atomic number 18d life to running a marathon. At some turn on in the marathon of life, we will all move out the wall, which Elder Wirthlin traced as feeling a su dden urge to quit, encountering an almost tangible barrier that requires a tremendous effort to over seed.Farewell to Manzanar, compose by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Japanese Ameri flock, and James D. Houston.The harsh reality of life is that we will all hit at least angiotensin converting enzyme of these walls at some point in our lives. So what will each(prenominal) of us do when we stand at the base of our protest personal walls? Will we rise to the occasion and queer through? Or will we crumble in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? What we do when we get to these proverbial walls is what will ultimately define us as people. Being one who enjoys the study of history, I have often looked to those who have come before me to find the strength I pauperism to press on.I think about those who have been disowned by their own families because of personal beliefs, the pioneers that crossed the plains despite the harshest of conditions, those families who have ever sent a lov e one overseas in support of the freedom we all hold so dear, and the horrible persecutions suffered by those early members of the church. After remembering them I think to myself, Do I really have it all that bad? In sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it highlights the revelations given to Joseph Smith as he was incarcerated at Liberty Jail.It was one of the coldest winters on record in Missouri and they werent given blankets sufficient enough to keep them warm. Their food was often dirty and unclean, sometimes even poisoned. til now Joseph himself spoke of the jail as a hell surrounded by demons. I doubt most of us here will ever have to don something as extreme point as those suffered by the Prophet Joseph and his companions during the winter of 1838-1839. The best example we should all look to when faced with trying times, however, is that of our Savior deliveryman Christ.So great was his suffering that he bled from every pore in Gethsemane. Later, a crown of thorns was placed upon his head and he was severely scourged. So extreme were the events leading up to the actual crucifixion that he couldnt even carry his own cross to Calgary, as was customary. In my studies, Ive come crosswise literature that discusses in detail the medical aspect associated with crucifixion. Crucifixion was arguably the cruelest form of punishment ever devised by man. To sum it all up, those who were crucified suffered through an imperative amount of pain.Where do you think the word excruciating comes from? So, I ask again, is it really that bad? The answer is NO. The Son of Man hath descended below them all, (D&C 122 8) and nobody that has ever lived or ever will live has suffered as much as He did. No matter what this life throws at us, we can all find comfort in knowing that there is al airs someone who knows exactly how we feel, because Christ suffered for all of that so that we could one day stand before God and live with Him again. Some will alw ays ask Why me? when troubling times come upon them.It is important to remember that just because trials and tribulations are heaped upon us, it doesnt mean we have somehow strayed from the straight and narrow path. All of the prophets have faced some sort of persecution in their lives. Jesus Christ suffered more(prenominal) than any other being that has ever lived, even though he was the most worthy individual to have ever walked upon the face of this earth. All of the troubles are simply trials of our faith, and God will never, ever, put a trial before us that he knows we cannot overcome. He will always provide a way for us to rise above any trial or temptation that may come our way.A true test of our faith can whole be measured if we use that faith during the times when things arent going according to plan. Back in Liberty Jail, the Lord tells Joseph that all of these trials are for our own benefit, saying If thou art called to pass through tribulationknow thou, my son, that a ll these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. (D&C 122 5, 7). In Jackson County, Missouri, the Lord tells Joseph that jubilate follows these trials, For after much tribulation come the blessings (D&C 58 3-4).Adversity exists in the world today to provide the much needed contrast that helps us to discern right from wrong, after all, it must be needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. (2 Nephi 2 11). If it werent for pain, we would feel no pleasure. If not for sadness, we could have no joy. Weve all felt the great sense of accomplishment that accompanies the completion of a large project, even though these projects can be very stressful at times. If life werent hard from time to time, then the fruits of our labors would cease to be sweet.Elder Neal A. Maxwell once counseled that Rather than passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us. It isnt enough to merely experience trials, but we must go through them in such a way that we can learn from each individual experience so that we can grow closer to our initiate in Heaven. I think it is most unfortunate when someone is going through an extended trial and the idea starts to creep into their mind that God no longer rests with them and has ceased to answer their prayers because He doesnt love them anymore.We must always remember that God loves each of us unconditionally and will never vehemence any of us. To reassure those who may have doubts, Jeffrey R. Holland provided these inspiring words, (QuoteChariots of Fire). He will answer your prayers in His own due time. It truly pains Him to put each of us through our own trials, but we must remember that He doesnt put us through them to punish us, He does it because He loves us and knows that this is the only way which we can grow to become like Him. When it is all said and done, God just wants us to be happy, for men are, that they might have joy. (2 Nephi 2 25).President Monson onc e counseled that we must find joy in the journey of life. The Lord even counseled Joseph Smith of this as he was imprisoned in Liberty Jail, saying Thereforelet us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power and then may we stand still, with the utmost(a) assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (D&C 123 17). Even during the darkest of times, the Lord still wants all of us to ultimately find happiness. The Lord promises everyone that if we will endure to the end, He will give us eternal life.A common misconception, though, is that enduring to the end means to simply hang in there when trials come our way. Elder Wirthlin sees it as being much more than that. Rather than simply suffering through lifes challenges, he sees it as a attend to in which we use these challenges to come unto Christ and become perfected in Him. If we remain faithful during our own dire circumstances and use them as schooling experiences to become more Christ-like, God cann ot deny you a spot with Him in the Celestial Kingdom.