This has been an exacting week as a missionary. The work has stretched me and has asked of me
to sacrifice more of my heart, mind, and attention on the Lord's work, and more
specifically, on doing the Lord's work the Lord's way.
Early in the week we saw our teaching pool reduce again.
Over three days we taught only one investigator, and our finding efforts
yielded no fruit. I have been blessed to
serve in a mission where the work progresses readily, but at times in spite of
our best efforts things get harder.
After offering several disappointments, and several mighty prayers we
commenced again to labor Thursday morning.
We felt inspired in our planning that day, but the outcome was not
inspiring. Finally, at 8:30pm of another
trying day we said a prayer that we would be sustained by the grace of
God. We were. The lesson we began teaching less than a
minute later was profoundly inspired.
His name was Jonathan.
He was 18 and was a high school drop-out. He recognized us instantly as servants of God
sent to him. His mother came out of the
house in tears. She had been praying for
someone God to send someone to her son.
Her father, an active and faithful member of the church, had recently
passed away. She felt, Jonathan felt, and
we felt the Spirit of the Lord. God has
a plan for that family.
Friday we found three new investigators, and Saturday and
Sunday were in their own way miracles.
We had a lesson in a member's home and the investigator was
touched. That investigator came to
church, and then introduced us to her friend, who also is interested in coming
closer to Christ.
This week has caused me to reflect on the need for sacrifice
in the Plan of Salvation, and in a much smaller sense in missionary service.
God must try us. He
must demand eventual perfection from us or He cannot provide eventual
exaltation with our families.
God tried Abraham. He
required his only son, Isaac, to be given as a sacrifice. Abraham loved Isaac, but Abraham loved and
trusted the Lord. He prepared and he and
Isaac obeyed, being stopped in the actual act of literal sacrifice at the very
last moment by an angel of God. The
scriptures teach that "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him
for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2:23).
Sacrifice purifies us.
Through sacrifice we each can earn, in our own way, the title given
deservingly to Abraham. When we feel
that our spiritual growth is slowing, we can ask ourselves, "Am I a Friend
of God?" If we feel the answer is
no, sacrifice to be made pure. If we
feel the answer is a "maybe," sacrifice to be made sure. If we feel the answer is a "yes,"
we will desire to sacrifice more. He
loves us. I know he does. He wants us all to reach our potential. As D. Todd Christofferson put it, He is a God
of great expectations. He will take us
as high as we can go, "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ," if we will trust Him (Ephesians 4:13).
-Elder A. Jared Cummings
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