It's true isn't it. Then what else matters?

    I wish too talk today of a situation that many people we meet face.  It is that of, fear of losing certain things for the gospels sake.  These fears go for many things:  Family rejection, broken friendships, activities not in harmony with the gospel.  Sometimes people even get to the point where they have a burning testimony of the Gospel and yet choose not to follow due to these reasons.  We as recently as last night talked with a man who faced this situation, his family did not approve of his decision to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We talked for a long time with him, then upon returning home a story from one of our prophets came to my mind.

                                                     

Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.

President Hinckley asked the officer: "Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?"

The officer's face clouded, and he replied: "My family will be disappointed. . . . As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me."

President Hinckley asked, "Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?"

With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: "It's true, isn't it?"

President Hinckley responded, "Yes, it is true."

To which the officer replied, "Then what else matters?"

      What else does matter?  We know that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. In our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood of God has been restored. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We know that the promises of the Lord are certain and will all be fulfilled.

       We all have things that do matter to us, and these things are very important.  We must have trust though that the command our Savior to follow him will bring eternal blessings, and that the things we must do or give up to follow him will all be worth it.  

                                                 

      I love the example of Peter and Andrew when the savior invited them to "Follow me: and I will make you fishers of men."(Matt 4:19)  then after this simple invitation "they straightway left their nets and followed him."(Matt 4:20).  then after this the response of James and John when the Savior called them. "They Immediately left the ship and their father and followed him."(Matt 4:22)

       These men left their careers and even family members at the simple command of the Savior to follow him, he gives us this same simple invitation.  Will we be as obedient as Peter, Andrew, James and John? 

The foolish things of the world

                                                   

    Do these five missionaries look foolish to you?  If you are thinking to yourself, "why yes they do!"  That is a correct answer, these five missionaries, myself included, are "Foolish" and I am so grateful to be called such.

    This past week in one of my studies I was reading from 1 Corinthians 1:27 in which the apostle paul says "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" As I read this I was thinking, "why would God choose foolish people?"  It became immedietely clear to me that he was reffereing to missionaries as those foolish things of the world.

   As a missionary, I am a living witness of this.  I am not that smart as to the things of this world, I do not know that much by the worlds terms, I am still in the process of learning these things.  There are a couple of things that I do know though;  I know that my Father in Heaven lives and loves me, I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, and I do know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I may not know much more, but luckily, I don't need too.  As a missionary I have talked to so many people with a higher IQ than myself and many that have much more knowledge, and yet I have been able to teach them and bring a joy into their life that they have never had before, and in turn they have thanked me for the blessings in they have recieved because of the gospel in their life.  This is direct fulfillment of that scripture.

                                                        

      Many people have asked me before, why do they send out missionaries when they are 19 years old?  Wouldn't it be better if they sent out missionaries when they were like 50 so they know more?  As I read and pondered this scripture I realized.  It isn't about how much we know.  It isn't our sophistication or our knowledge that gives us power to teach the gospel.   What gives us power is our faith and our humility, these are the great qualifiers. 

    I know that by "Small and simple things, great things are brought to pass." (Alma 37:6-7)  As we are willing to serve the lord, no matter how "Foolish" we may be.  The lord will take who we are and use us for his divine purposes.