Farewell Talk

Life had been so hectic lately. I have been doing so much to prepare for my mission. I feel my testimony growing and my love for this gospel as well. I love the temple so much! My goal before I leave is to go to every temple in Utah and Idaho. Thanks to my trip to Idaho this past week I have gotten quite a bit done. I have gone to 3 of the 4 temples in Idaho. Twin Falls was closed for maintenance, but I'm going as soon as it opens. I have also done a session a 7 of the 13 temples in Utah in the month since I have gotten my endowments. I'm starting to cut back on work to prepare myself more. It's nice, and I'm honestly not nervous at all. I think I am  more nervous to get up and giving my talk in front of everyone. There is just something about standing up there that makes me shake like a leaf. I never have a problem talking about the gospel with the sister missionaries, but standing in front of all my friends and family makes it even worse. However, I finally got my topic for my farewell talk, and got right into writing it. I thought I would share it all with you. My topic is the principles in D&C 88: 77-81. That might seem really specific topic, but if you read those scriptures it is a really broad topic. I could talk about anything I wanted. Well here ya go.

Each one of us has a special  gift. Although it night not seem like it. We have the gift of knowledge. We know that this church is true. Ach week we strive to become closer to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. We are trying to better perfect ourselves and become more Christ-like. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.” (Moroni 7:48)In all of Jesus’s life he taught others about the true church. He wanted to share His knowledge of the plan of happiness. This plan is made for us. The plan that is meant to help bring us back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. “ For behold this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) We were all sent down to earth with the purpose to come back to Him, but it has to be our choice. We watch have to choose Him. Each of us are given trials, hardships, and sorrow. We are blessed with the knowledge of good and evil. However we do not know or understand everything. In Moisah 4:9 it states, “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” The Lord is all knowing, that is why he has given us so much guidance through the scriptures, apostles, and prophets. We have so many simple commandments to follow. So that we can come back to Him, “ f ye love me keep my commandments… and the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”(Matt 22:39) The lord loves us so much, and gives us o much with little in return. All He asks is that we follow His commandments If we love Him . He has told us that loving our neighbors is the second greatest commandment. Now who are our neighbors? Just the couple in the house next door? No, our neighbors are all the children of God. Everyone that we come in contact with everyday of our lives. That even includes those terrible drivers that cut you off and then slows down. Mosiah 2:17 says, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Even in this scripture we learn that if we serve man we are serving Him. How amazing is that, that we can do something for our Heavenly Father on this earth, along with helping our neighbors. Well how do w e serve our neighbors? What can we do to help them? “And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom… Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.”(D&C 88:77,81) The Lord has again given us a commandment to teach His doctrine. In John 21: 17 it says, “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” The Lord tells Peter three times that if he loves Him, to feed His sheep. So how do we Feed His Sheep? How can we teach His doctrine? Well we cannot teach it unless we know it, unless we have a testimony that the doctrine is true. We need our own conversion of the gospel before we can go out and tell others it is true. Just like in school. The teacher has gone through four years of college plus high school, junior high, and elementary school before they can even teach their students. Then each night they plan, and go over what they are going to teach. They have become very prepared before sharing the knowledge they have obtained to their students. We need to become like teachers. We have to gain he knowledge before sharing it. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) Not only was this scripture the reason we have the restored gospel in our lives, but it can help us as well. The Lord wants us to be prepared, he wants us to gain a greater knowledge of the gospel. “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” (D&C 130:18-19) We have to search, ponder, and pray about the gospel for us to gain a testimony and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “ Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5) Having a greater knowledge and understanding of the gospel not only strengthens your testimony, but helps others by you being an example. “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.” (D&C 115:5) “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16) When I was 17 years old I got the opportunity to go out with the Elders in Tennessee. One day they called and asked if I could go with them to teach one of their investigators about the young women’s program. I agreed, and once we got to the door and she answered I found out that it was a girl I went to school with, and I had taken gym with the previous year. So for the first few minutes we got to talking and catching up, she then proceeded to tell me that I was the reason she wanted to take lessons from the missionaries. In the class many people knew that I was a member, and I was always asked questions about what we believed. Well she had been watching me, and noticed how happy I always was, I always had a smile on my face, and she told me that I just seemed different than other people. I never knew how much I influenced others, and how much knowing I made a difference in someone elses life strengthened my testimony. At that moment I knew I wanted to serve a mission. Little did I know that it would actually happen. I had so many dreams and things I wanted to accomplish, and yet most of them never happen. So why would I have thought that a fleeting thought of a teenager would come to pass. I had put it off, I was focusing on m friends, my life, getting a job, and getting married. Four years is long time to wait to go on a mission, and life happens. Then October 2012 conference comes around I was living on my own in my pajamas watching the Saturday morning session when the Prophet shocked everyone with the age change. I was so shocked, I literally jumped up off the couch grabbed my phone called my grandma, and asked if she just heard what President Thomas S. Monson said. I jumped in the car and made my way to my grandma’s house. Little did I know that, again the Lord was preparing me to go on a mission. Again I put off the notion of going on a mission. How could I ever go on a mission? What do I know about the gospel. Well I again, had someone put in my life to remind me that I need to go on a mission. Well it was a whole family actually. Never did I know that this family would be the reason  I would put my papers in. Josh and I talked about the gospel for hours on end. We would talk and ask question, and find the answers to our questions through the scripture. We were preparing each other for our missions. The moment I realized that I needed to put my papers, was the day that Josh received his mission call. After I found out he go his call, I had a voice in the back of my head saying you need to put your papers in, you are ready, you are prepared. Again I ignored the promptings of the Spirit, just like with Peter, the Lord had to keep telling me to Feed His Sheep. The moment I realized this was the moment Josh was going to share where he was going. I wouldn’t let him tell me. I was crying, I finally allowed myself to listen to the promptings of the Spirit. I was overwhelmed with the Spirit. So after an hour I finally was ready where he was going on his mission. And I felt at peace. I was finally not going against the Lord’s plan for me. Each week as we went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead I had the same question in my heart. Am I suppose to go on a mission? I wanted to make sure that I understood the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Well each time I would close my eyes and open up the scriptures to a random page. No matter how many times I did that, each time there would be a scripture talking about missionary work, or serving the Lord.  I bet Heavenly Father  was up there just shaking His head  thinking how many times do I have to tell this girl that I need her to go on a mission. That her testimony, her faith, her trial, and her talents will help someone to come into My fold.  I had to doubt my doubts about going on a mission, so I would finally know my faith that I have in the gospel. To see how strong my testimony is. Each day as pray to my Heavenly Father, read my scripture, study preach my gospel, and go to the temple I feel my testimony growing. I have been prepared and saved for latter days, I have been prepared from the time I was born, and I just had to chose Heavenly Father. I had to realize that I will never completely be prepared to go and teach the gospel, but it’s ok. I don’t need to know everything, all I need to know is that if I have faith in Him he will be there to help me to know what to say, “ And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”(Ether 12:27)