Brothers and Sisters, I want to start by bearing testimony that our Brother, Jesus Christ loves you and that our Heavenly Father loves you too, as He does all of His children. Today I want to tell you about three of those children that I have crossed paths with in my life; Dan, Debra, and Max.
It was my sophomore year of high school. In seminary we were studying The Book of Mormon. One day while learning about Ammon and the sons of Mosiah and their mission to their mortal enemies, the Lamanites, our teacher asked us to think of the meanest and scariest person we knew at school. Not seeing the hidden object lesson coming, we rather foolishly actually named the meanest, scariest person we could think of and unanimously picked Dan, a very scary senior who's very glare could send entire herds of freshman scampering for safety. Incase you’re thinking about my comments from last night about judging others, allow me to amend my comments to say that Dan wasn’t bad but his actions were terrifying! Dan would not even exist in today’s anti-bully culture, even the teachers were afraid of him! Our seminary teacher then asked for a volunteer, still oblivious to what was about to happen, I raised my hand and the teacher then gave me a Book of Mormon and said, "Joel, just like Ammon going to the Lamanites to preach the gospel, I want you to give this copy of the Book of Mormon to Dan.” All of the color then drained out of my face and into the big pit of my stomach as I realized the trap that I had just walked into! Had we only seen what was coming we wouldn't have picked the actual scariest person but instead picked a person with mildly bad actions. I won’t get into the teaching methods behind sending a student into a potentially dangerous situation or the fact that maybe a better approach would have been to first find a way to give service to Dan. Despite my fears, I accepted the challenge and headed off to school with the Book of Mormon in hand. Once at school, I knew exactly where to find Dan, he was in an area called the horseshoe, it was a senior hang out where sophomores dared not go. I kept circling at a distance, a very far distance, keeping an eye on Dan and trying to build up the courage to approach him knowing that I would have a very small 5 minute window of opportunity to make the drop. The bell rang and everyone went to class, everyone except Dan, he was no respecter of bells who just did his own thing. Once the horseshoe was clear of everyone else, I timidly walked up to Dan, extended my hand with the Book in it and said "Dan, my church youth group wanted to give you this Book of Mormon." Dan looked at the book and then slowly raised his eyes to meet mine and while giving me a death stare that froze my inner soul, he asked, "why, do you think I'm evil?" I panicked thinking that he could read my mind! What could I say, no we don’t think you’re evil, just your actions, a group of us voted for most evil and you won, unanimously! Well, I actually told him that we just thought he could benefit from the Book. He took the book and I turned and did that really fast awkward walk like when you’re at the pool and you’ve been told not to run! I don't know what happened with Dan and that book, I did a horrible job of placing that Book of Mormon, giving no background, extending no invitation, nothing, but he did take it. I wish that I could tell you that Dan read the Book, believed, was baptized and is now serving in a bishopric somewhere, but I can’t. I actually can’t tell you anything about Dan, that is my last memory of him, but this story isn’t about Dan, it’s about me, it’s that I survived, that I placed, rather poorly, a Book of Mormon with Dan and didn’t end up upside down in a trash can. We can never control how people will react but we have complete control over our what we do!
We all know that we should help the Church to grow but it can be a very scary thing! The gospel means a lot to us and is a huge part of who we are, so we may be afraid of rejection. We may be afraid of upsetting or offending our friends and we don't want them to see us as trying to push our religion on them. Well, Imagine tasting a delicious meal that is so good that you want to share it with your friend, so you offer a bite, if they say no, we assume they just don’t want the bite, we’re not offended that they are rejecting our taste in food. Furthermore, if you don’t want to be perceived as pushy, then don’t be pushy, after our friend rejects the offer of a bite of our food we wouldn’t keep insisting they try it to the point of shoving the food in their mouths (maybe with our children, but that’s a different story). We may know in our heads that our fears are not rational but they exist nonetheless. I get it, I understand, I often feel that way too, but we must remember that “perfect love casteth out fear.” (1Jn 4:18) As we cultivate our love for the Savior and for those around us, eventually that love becomes stronger than the fear. In the Book of Mormon, when Nephi was commanded to go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from the wicked Laban, a task that under normal circumstances surely would have been impossible, Nephi responded with great faith: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:7) I testify that when the Lord says that He will not ask us to do anything without providing the way that He is NOT only talking about difficult physical tasks but that He also means commandments that are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually challenging as well! Nephi’s journey to get the plates didn’t start in Jerusalem it began in the desert, right where he was. We too must start where we are comfortable and progress from there. Our Area Presidency has asked that at the least we can pray in our homes and meetings for the church to grow. Nephi didn’t just talk the talk, the scriptures record his thoughts: “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth…”(1Nephi 4:6) If we take the simple first step of faith to pray, the Lord will magnify our efforts! What I learned from my experience with Dan is that as we exercise faith to act the Lord will provide a way, no matter how feeble or poorly executed.
Next, Deborah. Deborah was another teacher in my department where I work. She and her husband are very spiritual and open to truth. One friday before a General Conference she asked if I had plans for the weekend. I responded that it was one of my favorite weekends of the year, church in pajamas! She was terribly confused and asked me to explain. I told here how twice a year the leaders of our church broadcast messages of instruction and inspiration from Salt Lake City. She looked at me and said, “that’s cool, it sounds very interesting.” I looked back at her and said “It is! See you Monday!” and we parted. I know, it’s a painful ending of a story and I can feel you all collectively smacking your palm to your forehead. I didn’t realize what I had done until it was too late. It would have been so easy for me to invite her family to join my family to watch conference. Deborah moved away and I was never able to get that opportunity again. Believe me, that is a moment of my life that I have agonized about, that I have wished I could have back, and I have prayed that Deborah will meet someone who was better prepared to share the gospel with her than I was at that time. But I have tried to repent for that blunder and have learned some valuable lessons. Ammon, the son of Mosiah was, without question, one of the greatest missionaries in all the Book of Mormon and if I were to ask what made him so successful, usually the top two answers are that he served and was a good example, and those are true but there is something else that is often overlooked. Ammon and the other servants of the King were driving the flocks to get water. The enemies of the king came and scattered the flocks. The servants of the king stood there and watched and just said “oh woe is us, now we’re going to die.” Ammon’s reaction, however, couldn’t have been more opposite! “Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy:” Servants: We’re dead, Ammon: this is awesome! Going on: “for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.” Ammon looked for, found, and took full advantage of a situation in which his example and gospel living would create a situation that would naturally lead to sharing the gospel with his fellow servants. He created his missionary opportunity.
The area presidency has also asked that we “pray for personal missionary opportunities and increased convert baptisms.” Like Ammon, and unlike me, we need to pray that we will have the wisdom to see missionary opportunities and then the courage to act! We create opportunities by our example and by living the gospel openly. I did that right with Deborah, I told her about conference. Do our friends, neighbors, and acquaintances know our gospel standards simply because we live them? My friends know that if they ask me how my weekend was I will likely tell them something great that happened at church just in an effort to open the door to further gospel conversations. Our Prophet, President Nelson tells a story of a Nurse and her Doctor Husband that he had worked with who asked him, from watching his example, why he lived the way he did. His response “Because I know the Book of Mormon is true.” He leant them a copy and they soon gave it back with a polite “thanks a lot.” President Nelson then said “What do you mean, thanks a lot? That’s a totally inappropriate response for one who has read this book. You didn’t read it, did you! Please take it back and read it; then I would like my book back.” President Nelson then finishes the story: “Admitting that they had only turned its pages, they accepted my invitation. When they returned, they said tearfully, ‘We have read the Book of Mormon. We know it is true! We want to know more.’ They learned more, and it was my privilege to baptize both of them.” Oct. 2010. When we live our religion and pray for opportunities the Lord will bless us with Deborah’s who have been prepared, if we but look for them and then act!
Finally, my good friend Max. Most of you know that I’m a high school choir director. Max was a member of my choir several years ago. He was not a member of the Church but was friends with many other kids in the choir who were members of the Church. One day one of his friends asked him; “do you want a donut...every friday morning?” In my opinion that was a brilliant approach, I’d do almost anything for a good donut and so would Max! He went to seminary that Friday for the free donut, then he went again the next Friday and then every friday. Friday turned into Thursday and Friday which eventually turned into Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, which turned into Monday through Friday and then Sunday’s. That eventually led to Max getting baptized. That turned into the groups other friend, George, going to seminary and eventually Max got to baptize George. Max, George, and their friends eventually led to Eric getting baptized. That eventually led to Max going to the temple and serving a mission and bringing the gospel to many more souls! Max eventually returned from his mission and that turned into us sitting in the sealing room of the temple watching him marry, Bethany, another former member of the choir. They now have a beautiful baby with another one on the way, and they are raising a righteous generation to influence others, and all of that came from a donut! The first lesson here is never underestimate the power of a good donut!
In a recent training, Elder Miskin, our area authority seventy, said “sometimes we make helping the Church to grow too complicated, it can be kept simple.” There are so many more ways to share the gospel then asking our friends to be baptized or listen to the missionaries. It could be: “would you like to bring your kids to the trunk or treat? Would you like to bring your son on a camp out? Would you like to hear me speak on sunday? Would you like to come for dinner? Would you like a donut? Sharing the gospel is just that simple. We share something special with people who are special. We find ways to just share a little of who we are. Another Part of what makes Max’s story so successful is that he had an awesome support system! We can be the support system for our friends and we can join the support system for anyone who walks through our doors! The area presidency has asked that we find ways to support all who are new to our church.
Brothers and Sisters, The Lord wants us to help the church grow. Exaltation for all of us is His work and Glory and it's our sacred and solemn responsibility to assist. We do so because we love, the Savior and others, and because we know it's true. We can pray for missionary experiences. We can pray for the wisdom to recognize them and the courage to take advantage of them. We can keep sharing the gospel by inviting people to do gospel centered activities based on common interests. We can live our religion more openly and set an example of a disciple of Christ that draws people, people we know and love, to us and our beliefs. As we do the Lord will bless us and magnify our efforts and we will see miracles occur as loved ones accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can be the tools in the Lord’s hands.
Stake Conference Talk by Pres. Joel Wilson on January 20, 2019
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