As Elder Ellestad and I have been hard at work this week, I
have been reflecting on a passage from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 9 verses
35-38:
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with
compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep
having no shepherd.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is
plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will
send forth labourers into his harvest.
I came across these verses as I was reading the New
Testament in Hmong and they have stuck with me. Christ, seeing the needs of
those around him, was inspired and motivated to expand the ministry. In the
next chapter he instructs and empowers the Twelve Apostles. As I have reflected
on that sequence of events, I am touched by the imagery of "the
harvest." There is are plenteous multitudes of people who seek the healing
and peace that can come only through the grace and mercy of Christ. The
laborers go to the people and in the name of Christ teaching, preaching, and
healing. Christ could have spoken louder to reach more people. He could have
healed masses of people is distant parts of the globe without ever leaving
Jerusalem, but "when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion
on them," and so he initiated a system that allowed the real needs of the
flock to be met while maintaining the individuality of the sheep. Christ's
desire is for his servants to minister to others the way he did "one by
one" (3 Nephi 11:15). Christ
doesn't just want to heal us. He wants to heal us "one by one."
Individual identity matters to Him.
Perhaps this is one reason why missionaries are sent out by
the tens of thousands, and the numbers brought into the blessings of the gospel
by each individual missionary measure far fewer than the tens of thousands
brought by the ancient apostles; by the modern day apostles as the restoration
was first proclaimed; and by the Nephite missionaries, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and
Himni. There is always a time in every
dispensation that God gathers in bulk by the hands of a few hard-working souls.
It is supposed to be that way. Until Christ empowered and sent out others that
is the way he himself carried out the ministry.
But seeing the multitudes, and being moved with compassion, the Lord of
the harvest has sent forth laborers in numbers to harvest "one by
one."
We experienced part of that "one by one" ministry
this week.
Her name is Lala Vang. She is actually a former investigator
of mine, but she was not the emphasis of teaching when we would visit her
family, her mom was. That was way back with Elder Ostler. Mom was under a dark
cloud as the calendar approached the year anniversary of her sons suicide. She
had dropped us because her less-active daughter wouldn't sustain her church
attendance, and she elected to go to a closer church that was more convenient
for travel. She, Zoua, had a tender place in my heart. When I got back in the
area I attempted to re-establish contact unsuccessfully. She had passed away
shortly after dropping us and the family moved. I had no idea until the current
residents filled us in. By miracle we contacted two of her daughters last night
who gave us the family's current address. Lala let us in and told us more
details of her mother's death a year ago April, another suicide. Lala was
seeking for answers that only the gospel could bring. We brought the Spirit
with a powerful and unified teaching of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus
Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith. She was moved, committed to baptism,
and we have a return appointment Tuesday night. Without having previously met
the family, I do not think we could have taught to her needs to precisely. God
brought me back to Pioneer Park West for many reasons. Lala is one of them.
I know that God lives. He has a plan for each of us and he
will guide us home one-by-one, and "[we] shall not be beaten down by the
storm at the last day" if we will allow ourselves to be in his hands
"by obedience to the laws and ordinances of [his] gospel" (Alma 26:6,
Articles of Faith 1:3).
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