My Farewell Talk

Good Afternoon brothers and sisters! Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve wanted to serve a mission, and I can’t believe that this day has finally come. For those who might not have heard, I will be serving in the Belgium/Netherlands mission speaking Dutch. This Wednesday I will report to the Provo Missionary Training Center for six weeks, marking the beginning of my 18-month journey. I am excited to serve the Lord and to spread His teachings to the Dutch people.

For my talk today, I first wanted begin with a few short paragraphs from President Uchtdorf’s amazing talk: The Love of God. Here he explains the measure of our Heavenly Father’s love for each of us, saying Quote “God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.” End quote.

I believe that this is a beautiful illustration of Heavenly Father’s love for each and every one of us…not just the super honest, the rich, or those who are cute, but again, all of us, even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant and the wicked.  God showed this perfect love for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ. to provide a way for us to live with Him again. John 3:16 says, “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Imagine loving all of your children so much that you would sacrifice your Only Begotten Son, so that all your Children would have an opportunity to live with you again.  And then imagine the love of the Only Begotten Son, who willingly gave His life, so all of us would have the opportunity to live with Heavenly Father again. 

Later in the same talk President Uchtdorf says, “Heavenly Father’s love for His children is the core message of the plan of happiness, which plan is made active through the Atonement of Jesus Christ – the greatest expression of love the world has ever known.”  End Quote.

I would like to talk a little more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s love for us, and would like to use John chapter 10 to do so. In Versus 11-15 Christ says,

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

President Ezra Taft Benson gave us some insights to understand these versus better.  He said, Quote, 

“In Jesus’s time, the Palestinian shepherd was noted for his protection of his sheep. Unlike modern sheepherders, the shepherd always walked ahead of his flock. He led them. The shepherd knew each of the sheep and usually had a name for each. The sheep knew his voice and trusted him and would not follow a stranger. Thus, when called, the sheep would come to him. (See John 10:14, 16.)

“At night shepherds would bring their sheep to a corral called a sheepfold. High walls surrounded the sheepfold, and thorns were placed on top of these walls to prevent wild animals and thieves from climbing over.
“Sometimes, however, a wild animal driven by hunger would leap over the walls into the midst of the sheep, frightening them. Such a situation separated the true shepherd—one who loved his sheep—from the hireling—one who worked only for pay and duty.
“The true shepherd was willing to give his life for the sheep. He would go in amongst the sheep and fight for their welfare. The hireling, on the other hand, valued his own personal safety above the sheep and would usually flee from the danger.

“Jesus used this common illustration of his day to declare that He was the Good Shepherd, the True Shepherd. Because of His love for His brothers and sisters, He would willingly and voluntarily lay down His life for them.” End Quote

After Christ gives the analogy that he is the Good Shephard and that he giveth his life for his sheep, he then says this in verse 16 

“Other sheep I have which are not of this fold.: them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

God and His son love everyone.  Did Christ lay down his life for only those in Jerusalem, and were they the only ones privileged enough to hear his voice?  Of course not, so it makes sense to me that Jesus Christ would mention to his disciples in Jerusalem that they were not his only sheep, and that those in other parts of the world would need to hear his voice too.  Following Christ’s death and resurrection, he visited the people in ancient America and testified to them that He was their Saviour and Redeemer.  Just as the Jews recorded Jesus Christ’s life death, and resurrection - which is found in the bible - the people on the American continent recorded Christ’s visit to them.  This record is found in the Book of Mormon.

One of my favorite parts of this account is found in 3 Nephi 11:14-15, when Christ told the people quote “arise and come forth unto me, … that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth … and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet, and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.”  Again, we see how important even one person is to him.  He wished for every single person present to come and feel the scars on his hands and feet so each person there could know with a surety that he was the Christ.  The scriptures state that there was a large multitude gathered.  I wonder how long he stood there as he let each person feel the scars on his hands and feet.  This shows His great love for us.

While Jesus Christ was visiting the people in ancient America, he taught the people His doctrine just as he taught the Jews before his death.  It makes sense that he would teach them many of the same things because he wants all to learn of Him and His teachings.  Although a similar account is found in the bible, I will read a few of my favorite teachings recorded in the Book of Mormon. 

In 3 Nephi 14:12, it says quote “Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”. This is better known to many of us as the Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have others do to you.  One of our church leaders, Russell M Nelson said, “…The Golden Rule encompasses the moral code of the kingdom of God.”  Dallin H. Oaks says, “Followers of Christ should be examples of civility.  We should love all people, be good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs.  Though we may disagree, we should not be disagreeable.  Our stands and communications on controversial topics should not be contentious.”  Imagine what this world would be like if we followed this one rule that Christ taught. 

Another teaching Christ shared with both the people in Jerusalem and to those in Ancient America is that we not judge others, saying in 3 Nephi 14:3-4, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: let me pull the mote out of thine eye – and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” A mote, spelled m-o-t-e, in the dictionary is defined as a small particle or speck, especially of dust, while a beam is a long piece of wood or metal. How can we criticize another’s imperfections – or try to remove the mote –  when we have our own flaws as big as a beam? President Thomas S Monson said quote “None of us is perfect. I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions. There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.”’ End Quote. Instead of judging, we should simply love thy neighbor as thyself.

There are these and many other teachings that Christ shared with the people in Ancient America.  While He was there, He not only shared His teachings, but He also established His church among the people.  Just like His church in Jerusalem, Christ called prophets and apostles to lead it.  He instituted the sacrament, just like He did at the last supper in Jerusalem. He also gave men the authority to baptize and to do many more things in His name. To me, Christ appearing to these people, teaching them the same doctrines He did to the Jews, and also establishing His church is another demonstration of His perfect love for all His children.  He wants all His children to know what He expects of them and what they need to do to return to live with Him. 

And just as He wanted to share these things with the Jews, the people in Ancient America, and whoever else He visited during that time, He also wants people in our day to know His love for them and to hear of His teachings. He wants all of us to know what we need to do to live with our Heavenly Father again. Christ’s church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, is on the earth today, just like it was in ancient times. Christ leads this church today through prophets and apostles. When we understand God’s perfect love, we can understand why His church is a missionary church. Because God loves all His children, He sends missionaries out to preach His Gospel. This is not new to His church.  In bible Christ told His apostles, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” As the work progressed, He called the seventy, and sent them “two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”  Today, the world’s population is so large that He needs more help spreading His Gospel so He established a larger missionary program.  Today there are over 75,000 missionaries serving in many nations of the world.  For the next 18 months, I will join this group of missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I, along with other missionaries, will be bearing my testimony that God lives and that He loves each one of us. Because He loves us He sent His Son Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to return back to our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know He wants all to hear His voice and to feel of his love for them. We can learn of Christ and God the Father in the Bible. We can also learn of them and their doctrines in the Book of Mormon.  I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I have read and studied this book. I know it is another testament of Jesus Christ and is a witness of God’s love for all His Children.  As I serve my mission, I hope that I can be like our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ and recognize the value of each person.  I hope that I can help those I serve feel the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help them join Christ’s fold. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.