(My sisters sang one of my favorite hymns before I spoke)
"Because I have been given much, I too must give
Because of thy great bounty Lord, each day I live
I shall divide my gifts from thee with ev'ry brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.
Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care
I cannot see another's lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, My roof's safe shelter over head
That he too may be comforted
Because of thy life's mission Lord, I too will serve
I'll leave the comfort of my home to teach thy word
I'll seek thy sheep who've gone astray and those who've never known the way
I will make thy work my work, today
I shall give love to those in need,
I'll show that love by word and deed
Thus shall my thanks be thanks, indeed."
Unconditionally Surrendering our Will to the Lord …
Becoming the Person our Heavenly Father intended us to be
By: Madeline Vance
I. INTRODUCTION: BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH, I TOO MUST GIVE
Thank you, that was really beautiful. I was just thinking that the only thing I love more than that song is my sisters.
Good morning everyone. It has been made very clear to me, especially over the past several months, that I am richly blessed in my life and that because I have been given so much, I too must give. That is why I am here today ... it’s my turn … to share what I know to be true with others, and to help others find that same happiness in their lives that I have found in mine. I am so grateful to have so many friends and family here today that have had such profound influence on me and shown me so much love and support throughout my life. I am grateful for the sister missionaries that taught my dad the gospel so many years ago, making it possible for me to be a part of this gospel and pay it forward, as I try to bring that same gospel light to others in the world.
As many of you know, I have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to serve in the France Paris Mission. My mission will cover the northern half of France, the southern half of Belgium, and Luxembourg.
What exactly IS a missionary? We believe we are called to serve as representatives of Jesus Christ. I will have the opportunity to do this full-time for the next 18 months of my life, but I can honestly say that I have tried to be a missionary, in my own way, representing Jesus Christ through word and deed, all of my life.
I chose to serve a mission because I want others to have the love, peace, and happiness in their lives that I have had in my life. I love my Heavenly Father and know He loves me and all of His children on the earth, and desires all of us to return and live in His presence. I chose to serve a mission because I know it is what the Lord wants me to do at this time in my life and that he needs me to influence and touch the lives of the people in France and elsewhere, to help them understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and help them make choices in this life that will prepare them to meet God and dwell with him forever.
I must admit that, at times, I do feel a bit overwhelmed and inadequate regarding the challenge that lies ahead of me the next 18 months, but I take heart knowing that I was called by Jesus Christ and that I have the same promise He gave those humble and uneducated men He called at the beginning of his earthly ministry. In Matthew 4:18-20 it says: "and Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.”
I know that we can all touch the lives of others and be great fishers of men simply by choosing to follow Jesus Christ, knowing and following the will of God, reaching out and loving others, and by having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion.
II. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? WE ARE HERE TO REACH OUR POTENTIAL
I was very fortunate to be raised in a home where faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel was the priority in our family and in our individual lives. At a very young age, and throughout my life, my parents showed me and taught me the importance of prayer, faith in Jesus Christ, listening to the spirit, learning and gaining knowledge and a testimony, being kind and loving to others, working hard and doing my best, being obedient in all things, repentance, standing up and standing out, leadership, service, and eternal families. These are the core principles that helped shaped my happy childhood and successful teenage and young adult years. There is no doubt in my mind that I avoided the pitfalls of adolescence that so many of my peers fell victim to, because of the growing testimony I had of these principles, and the peace and happiness that came from living them.
My parents loved and cherished the gospel, each other, and their children more than anything else. My home was filled with the spirit and I grew up rich in the gospel, family values, and traditions. I was raised with high expectations, but understood early on that having a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel was something that my parents desired for me above all else. My eternal family has been the greatest blessing in my life and my parents and siblings are my best friends.
My brother Spencer is currently serving a mission in Santa Rosa, California, and he always tells me that he loves his mission so much and that he cannot imagine doing anything that is more important with his time right now … that the reason he is so happy is because he knows that he is doing what he has been sent to do and that he is trying so hard to leave the people in California better than he found them.
President Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others...”
This life is precious and often fleeting. When I think about my life and my purpose here on the earth, I know that I want to spend my time making a difference in the lives of others; and valiantly living a purposeful life, centered on the precious things in which I believe.
The playwright Maxwell Anderson put these words into the mouth of the French peasant girl, Joan of Arc, "Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, nevertheless they give up their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all that we have, and we live it as we believe in living it, and then, it is gone.”
We have the magnificent blessing, and the accompanying responsibility, of knowing precisely what we are here for. Our time here in mortality is the time for each of us to prepare to meet God; it is a time to repent and serve God, and a time for each of us to prove whether or not we will do all the things that the Lord commands us to do.
Lawrence E. Corbridge has said, “The purpose and central blessing of life is change. It is to be changed to become more like Jesus Christ. It is to incorporate into your character, the qualities of His character. It is to move from one degree of intelligence and capacity to the next, and from there to the next, until you see God’s face and know Him as He knows you.”
The purpose and essential blessing of life is to be changed to become more like the Lord, to realize the full measure of our divine potential. We can choose what kind of person we will become. We are responsible for what we do and most importantly for who we will become.
III. TIMES THAT TRY OUR FAITH/TRIALS:
So how do we do good and become someone better in the face of life's challenges and roadblocks, the disappointments and discouragements, and all of the stress and temptations?
As a teenager, when I was leaving home to go somewhere, my parents would say to me, "Madeline, remember who you are” (meaning --- never compromise your values or standards, be smart and safe, and always listen to the Holy Ghost and let it guide you in every situation) … “and you better be home by midnight or else!”
I often think about what our Heavenly Father may have said to me before I came to this earthly life. I’m sure he hugged me and told me how much He loved me … that he believed in me and trusted me, and that he knew I could do what I had been asked to do in the face of huge obstacles. I picture Him telling me that He will never leave me alone and that, when my work is finished on earth, He wants me to come home and live with Him forever with my family.
Brigham Young taught, "to be sealed up to the day of redemption and have the promise of eternal lives, is the greatest gift of all. People do not fully understand these things and have them not in full vision before their minds. If they did I will tell you, plainly and in honesty, that there is not a trial which the saints are called to pass through, that they would not realize and acknowledge to be their greatest blessing."
My faith has been tried at times, and those experiences have helped shaped my life and strengthen my testimony. For years I played at the highest level of competitive soccer, on one of the best teams in the state. I had my heart set on playing collegiate soccer, and hoped it would be for BYU, but during my sophomore year in high school, I tore the ACL in my left knee. I was crushed, and I silently worried that my dreams of playing college soccer were over. As much as my family and friends tried to be supportive and help me through this painful process, it was initially a very hard and lonely road for me. I felt sorry for myself, I was overcome with doubt, and I began to lose confidence in many things and really question if the Lord was mindful of me at this very low point in my life. I knew I couldn’t go on this way. I decided to exercise some faith and began to pray and read my scriptures with more intent than I had ever done before. I immediately felt the love of my Savior. I began putting my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and I could tell that this process was strengthening me; as my faith and hope returned. After surgery and months of physical therapy, I was ready to return to the sport I loved and fight for my dreams the following year.
Two months into my junior season I tore the ACL in my right knee. After all the tears that followed, a priesthood blessing that night told me where to place my trust this time, and I knew that the faith and strength that I gained through my previous trial would help see me through this new one. After another surgery, months of therapy, and virtually two lost soccer years, I was determined to play at a very high level again my senior year … and I did. I was voted team captain, MVP and received state athletic honors and had many collegiate soccer scholarship offers – but knew through answered prayers that I needed to attend BYU, and serve a mission someday. I know that God DOES hear our prayers. There was never a time when he didn’t hear my cries. He will NEVER leave us alone. If you pray for peace or comfort like I did, you WILL receive it. If you pray and ask a question, you WILL receive an answer. I know that trials make us stronger. I grew closer than ever to my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ during those trials in my life than I ever had before.
“Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens to you, every unfairness, every conflict, every sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of Jesus. As you do so you are changed to become more like Him.” –Lawrence E. Corbridge
I have learned that it is in those moments of disappointment that we often make the decisions that forge our faith, mold our character, and fortify our convictions. How do we know if we are honest, unless our honesty is put to the test? How do we know we can bear trial and challenge, unless we experience trial and challenge? How can we expect to feel the love of our Savior Jesus Christ and the power and peace of His Atonement unless there are times in our lives when we desperately need it?
IV. WHAT WE MUST DO: (LIVE THE GOSPEL WITH A HIGHER STANDARD)
Brothers and Sisters – We are here to learn the gospel, recognize the Spirit, and humble ourselves enough to submit to His will.
I know that if we are not careful we can easily lose sight of who we are and what we are here for, and as a result become distracted from what is really important. Satan wants to blur our vision - he does this by making evil look good, by making our characters seem unchangeable, and by making trials look insurmountable.
Some may find the commandments or standards outlined in the “For the Strength of Youth” restricting, but I am here to testify to you to you today that they are not. Peer pressure dwindles away with an eternal perspective. As we surrender to His will we become free and when we keep His commandments we are immediately blessed … and CHANGED. Each good thought, each good act, every good word changes us for the better.
I am not a parent, but I have been parentED, and I know through experience that it means everything for parents to do more than love their children, but to guide them as well … to help them recognize the spirit of the Lord in their lives, and act according to His will.
There are many different types of missionaries. The ones who are most successful and benefit personally from their missions are those that unconditionally surrender themselves to the Lord. They accept the Lord’s will and don’t try to fight it. They lose themselves in the work and serve with, not only all their might and strength, but with their HEART and MIND.
We cannot be spiritually changed against our will. You may permit the Lord to change your nature if you give yourself to Him and to His work. He cannot work on what he does not have, and He cannot have you unless you give yourself to Him.
Paraphrasing C.S. Lewis from his book, Mere Christianity, the Lord says to us, “Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work: I want You. All of you. Hand it all over to me, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart.”
This gospel and the doctrine of Christ is the doctrine of faith and hope … and through that faith and hope, anyone can change and anything can be done. The US Army says, “be all you can be”, but the Lord asks of us, “let me make you all that you can be”. Our true potential is in His loving hands, but only we can put ourselves there.
When I was just months old, I am told, to my parents dismay, that I refused to sleep – especially when I was supposed to sleep. My parents would rock me, run the vacuum or drive me around town in my car seat trying to get me to sleep. And then at some moment I would stop fighting it, and I would surrender to sleep. We must do the same brothers and sisters. We must give it up and surrender our will to His. Unconditionally, withholding nothing. Lawrence E. Corbridge has said, “Trust in Him. Trust Him who knows all things. Trust Him who has all power. Trust Him whose love for you is perfect. Trust Him, who alone suffered, paid, and atoned for your sins, and for your weaknesses as well. Trust Him that He will make of you, immeasurably more, than what you will ever, ever, in all eternity, make of yourself.”
VI. CLOSING/TESTIMONY:
I want to be a faithful representative of Jesus Christ. Every week I partake of the sacrament at church. I do this to remember the covenant to "always remember the Lord." My perspective on life and the choices I make are affected when I truly try to remember Jesus Christ. I have learned that remembering the Lord and remembering who we are seem to be inseparably connected.
One of my favorite movies growing up was The Lion King. At a crucial point, as the young Simba turns to the heavens in a moment of desperation, His Father appears to him, and gives him this profound counsel: "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become.” Like Simba, we can all get confused at times, and there are many things about life that I do not understand yet. But there are many things that I do know:
I know and always try to remember that we our children of a loving Heavenly Father.
I know that the light of Jesus Christ is stronger than any kind of darkness that we face here.
I know that we each have a purpose and that our lives matter.
I know that understanding who we are and who we always have been is vital to our mortal success and eternal progression.
I know that we can find peace and happiness in our families and that our homes can be a refuge from the world.
I know that we are not alone. I also know that we have Jesus Christ as our Savior, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the power of the priesthood, ordinances that bind us to each other and the Lord, and a living prophet to help lead us and guide us and keep us on course back to our Heavenly Father. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and goes hand in hand with the Bible. I know if you read it, and ask to know if it is true, that you will receive an answer.
I know that as we let the world go and become consecrated followers of Jesus Christ, we will be better able to fill our foreordained mission here in helping build the kingdom of God. Every one of us is vital to building that kingdom.
I hope that each of us will take some time to consider what we are here for, and where we are going. It is my prayer that you will go to the Lord in prayer and seek out what your personal mission is here on this earth.
As for me, I go out to fulfill this part of my
life’s mission … and I bring a piece of each of you with me in my heart … and
as promised by the Lord, I know that whoever receives me, there He will be
also. He will go before my face. He will be on my right hand and on my left,
and His Spirit will be in my heart, and His angels round about me, to bear me up.
I so testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
