See Ya Later

Here is my farewell talk for those of you who care :) I'm sorry you missed all of my awesome jokes. See Ya Later

Good morning Brothers and Sisters, Thank you to everyone who has come to support me today, as intimidating as it is I am grateful to feel so much love. Over the years I have seen some amazing people who I respect and love stand at this pulpit and testify of Christ, I feel inadequate to be standing here and I know that many of you could do much better than I. I pray that the Lord will give me strength and help me to convey the message that he wants you to hear today. But I do ask a favor of all of you as I speak, do not listen to the words which come from my mouth instead listen with your heart to the words that the spirit speaks to you, I promise that he is much better at this then I am.

The scripture I was asked to speak on today is 2 Nephi 2: 6-8

6. Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the holy Messiah, for he is full of grace and truth.
7. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
8. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth; that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the spirit; that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

A little background of these scriptures… This is after Lehi and his family had made it to the promised land. Lehi is on his death bed and is speaking to his children. In chapter two he is speaking specifically to his son Jacob who was born in the wilderness during much affliction and who would later become a mighty leader and missionary.

To understand these words of Lehi better and to share with you the insights that I have learned from these scriptures I am going to break these scriptures into a few parts.

1.     What are we talking about? And why did we need to be redeemed?

a.     (1 Nephi 10:6)  Because Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden they were case out and subject to death and sin. Men were then in a “lost and fallen state” no longer in the presence of God.
But because Heavenly Father loves his Children he provided a way that everyone could return and live with Him again. 2 Nephi 2:22-26

b.     There needed to be an answer to the law. As mortal beings we make mistakes and we sin, we are not perfect. Nonetheless there is a way that we may be redeemed and that we can return to the presence of our Father in Heaven again.

2.     Who is it that makes this possible?

a.     The holy messiah for he is full of grace and truth. 

b.     We were sent a savior to meet the ends of the law. Justice needs to be met when we do something wrong but because of the savior we are shown mercy and we are forgiven.

c.      Jesus Christ came to this earth suffered for the sins of the world.  He suffered so that we don’t have to and so we can be resurrected and  return to the presence of our Heavenly King once again.

3.     How can we receive of the blessing of forgiveness?

                                               i.     We must believe in Christ

1.     In this last conference Elder Jeffery R Holland told a story that I would like to share with you. A 14-year-old boy recently said to me a little hesitantly, “Brother Holland, I can’t say yet that I know the Church is true, but I believe it is.” I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and he need never apologize for “only believing.” I told him that Christ Himself said, “Be not afraid, only believe,”¹² a phrase which, by the way, carried young Gordon B. Hinckley into the mission field.¹³ I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction and that the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase “We believe.”¹⁴ And I told him how very proud I was of him for the honesty of his quest.

                                              ii.     Have a broken heart

1.     Godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10)

                                            iii.     Have a contrite spirit

1.     Humbled (see true to the faith)

2.      October general conference 2007 Bruce d. Porter (broken heart and a contrite spirit)
When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience “godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven. Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur. The penitent will then experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, which will fill them with peace of conscience and the joy of reconciliation with God. In a wondrous union of divine attributes, the same God who teaches us to walk with a broken heart invites us to rejoice and to be of good cheer.

b.     Like I stated before, none of us are perfect but I know that as we strive to be more like our Savior every day we will find happiness in our lives. I know that every step we take towards Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, they are rejoicing in every step we take towards them! As we continue on our up hill climb we can find joy in the journey, I invite you to search for joy and the many blessing you have received in your life.

4.     After we have received a remission of our sins what must we do? And now for my favorite part of these scriptures…
Verse 8 reads
8. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth;

a.     There are no excuses that can be made as to why each of us can not be missionaries and help others to come unto Christ.

b.     Although I have chosen and felt prompted to serve a full-time mission this is not the only way to be a missionary! As excited as I am to go away and spend a year and a half of my life preaching the Gospel to the people of Georgia…. There is one thing I am more excited about! I am excited to spend the rest of my life as a Disciple of Christ being a missionary!

                                               i.     Every member a missionary! The full time missionaries need your help in this work!

c.      What is our purpose as member missionaries?

                                               i.     It is to help others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

d.     How do you begin today to be a missionary? Let me tell you… You are already doing amazing things with missionary work.

                                               i.     Here are a few ways I have seen all of you be missionaries in my life…

1.     Home teaching and visiting teaching

a.     I have watched as faithful men have come every month to minister to me and my family. They have been missionaries to me.

2.     Magnifying Callings in the church

a.     No matter what your calling is… people have been blessed and have been brought closer to Christ because of your diligence and love in fulfilling your calling.

3.     Family history work and redeem the dead

a.     As you do family History work you are blessed from the other side of the vale and you are creating eternal families!

b.      (stakes goal to do all the temple work for deceased individuals to equal that of a stake)

4.     Welcoming and inviting.

a.     You welcome people into your homes and to come with you to church activities so that you can share the happiness you have in your lives.

5.     Being a friend

6.     Living an honest life.

a.     Being an example in your life is one of the strongest missionary tools we have.

7.     Loving God and his Son Christ

8.     Caring and loving other people

9.     Not being afraid to talk about what you believe with others.

                                              ii.     As to the feelings of inadequacy in sharing the gospel with other…

1.     There is another part of the atonement that is often past over but that is mentioned in 2 Nephi 2:6
 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the holy Messiah, for he is full of grace and truth.

2.     ………that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the spirit; that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

3.     Through the grace of Christ.

4.      (Grace, true to the faith) 2 peter 3:18 but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ

5.     Elder Bednar said in a speech given at BYU in 2001 “It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts”

6.     I promise you that as you use all parts of the atonement and you ask for strength from the Savior you will be able to do all things that can help you return to your Father in heaven and also will help you to have the courage to be a missionary.

5.     Obviously there are going to be a lot of things that I learn in the next year and a half but the one thing that I know now and that I can share with you is that the best tool you have for being a missionary is Love. As we love our neighbors and pray to love all of those around us we will find success in our labors.

                                               i.     Christ is the perfect example of a missionary because he loves us. As we strive to be more like Jesus we will become better missionaries

b.     I promise you and I testify that you are a Child of God and that you are loved. We need you to help this work go forth.

D&C 4

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

4 For behold the ^afield is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.