March 17th 2013
Come Follow Me, and Invitation to become a true Disciple of Jesus Christ.
I will send a Savior for each one of you.
He will carry your burden, lighten the load,
Take on your sins, His love will be shown.
He will prove it by paying the greatest price,
For you, he’ll willingly give his life.
Tears stained faces and hearts were on flame,
As a Son stood up, to the Father he came,
He stared at the Father, on bended knee,
And whispered, “Here am I send me.”
Here am I send me..
How can one describe what these five words have meant to every son and daughter of God?
Christ’s mission was to come to this Earth and be the Savior of the World. In Ether 3:14 it reads, “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ.”
Like Christ..We each have a mission here on Earth. We have been sent here during a specific time and to a specific place. We are here to be tried and tested. We are here to overcome our weaknesses, to better others, find joy, and be dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ.
Jeffrey R. Holland said, “When we promise to follow the Savior, to walk in His footsteps, and be His disciples, we are promising to go where that divine path leads us. And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane. So if the Savior faced such injustices and discouragements, such persecutions, unrighteousness, and suffering, we cannot expect that we are not going to face some of that if we still intend to call ourselves His true disciples and faithful followers.”
But why do we need to become disciples of Christ? What is our motive? Those who follow the Savior are often ridiculed and discouraged. What makes us want to become like our Savior?
We each may have our own personal reasons, but as a whole we are all motivated by one concept and that is the concept of joy. We do not do anything unless we believe it will bring us happiness. Anything that makes us unlike God makes us unhappy. Therefore, when we become more Christ like and strive to be true disciples we will find true joy in our lives.
In order to be dedicated disciples we must recognize that discipleship is not a competition nor is it a simple task.
Discipleship is a journey. In Luke 9:23 Christ says, “Deny [yourselves], and take up [your] cross daily, and follow me.” Take up your cross DAILY. Discipleship should be a daily commitment.
Thomas S. Monson said, “Seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard, by the inch, it’s a cinch.”
If we work on becoming disciples of Christ each day we will not feel like this is such an unreachable task.
Neal A. Maxwell said, “There is no greater calling, no greater challenge, and no greater source of joy—both proximate joy and ultimate joy—than that which is found in the process of discipleship. This process brings its own joys and reassurances. We must not, however, expect the world to understand or to value our discipleship; they will not. In a way, they may admire us from afar, but they will be puzzled about the priorities resulting from our devotion.”
It is also important to recognize that a disciple of Christ is not perfect.
Peter was one of Christ’s greatest disciples, yet before the cock crowed he denied knowing the Savior three times. Every one of us stumbles and makes mistakes. Discipleship is not a task for someone perfect, but a journey and a process for those striving to choose the right and become more Christ like.
Dieter F. Uctdorf said, “It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines.”
Being a disciple of Christ takes action on our part.
There are many simple characteristics of a true disciple.
I would like to touch on few of these today.
First, in order to be a disciple of Christ we must love one another.
I would like to tell you about one person in particular that has had a greater impact on me than I could have imagined. Her name is Carmody Sagers and she was my RA and dear friend at BYU. Carmody always has such a happy spirit about her. The first time I met her I could tell that she was a genuine person. Whenever I was stressed or needed to talk I knew I could always go to Carmody. I could always find Carmody outside. One of her favorite quotes is, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." Whenever she was sitting outside and someone would ask her what she was doing she would always say, “I just want to feel the Sun.” She never took God’s creations for granted.
During my Fall semester at BYU her and her roommate were assigned to come visit me once a month, and share a spiritual thought. This past winter semester I was assigned to visit her.
February 9th was just like any other Saturday. I noticed that Carmody had posted on Facebook that she had cold and was working on homework. A thought crossed my mind that I should go check on her. However, I brushed it off. I thought to myself her roommates are there. What would even say, “Sorry your sick”… I felt silly. And I soon found myself busy with my own homework.
Later that night Carmody was rushed to the Mount Timpanogos Hospital with a bloody nose that wouldn’t stop and she was soon going in and out of consciousness because of the lose of blood. At about 3AM they sent her to the University of Utah hospital and on the way she called her parents, who were in California, incase she didn’t make it through the night.
On Sunday morning everyone in our congregation and anyone who knew Carmody gathered together. We sang I Am A Child of God, the spirit in that room was so strong. We prayed for her, her family, and the doctors who were treating her. We also prayed that God’s will would be done and that we would be able to accept it. After the prayers we found out that Carmody was in a coma with acute liver failure and the doctors had no idea what caused it.
That same day I drove to the hospital to see her. I brought her flowers and a bunch of cards that people who love her had made. I talked to her for just a minute. The nurses said, though she was in a coma, they thought she could hear me.
Over the next week we prayed, fasted, and attended the Temple for her. We knew the only way she would survive is with a liver transplant. So as the doctors worked on getting her on the transplant list and also getting her strong enough for the surgery, all of her friends worked on raising money to pay for all of her medical costs. We had local business lined up to do events, Divine Comedy, one of Carmody’s favorite organizations, was going to do a benefit for her. We even had the band Imagine Dragons working on scheduling a benefit concert for Carmody.
However, the very next Sunday, February 17th, Carmody was called home. Her time and mission here on Earth had ended.
Carmody’s boyfriend, Mike, had been posting on a Blog every night, keeping us informed on Carmody’s status. The night of her passing he wrote..
“Let us learn from the gentle spirit, who loved and served so many people. Let us go on to find more ways to be aware of our friends and their troubles and concerns. Let us go to serve our friends and even those who we don't know.”
On February 23rd, her funeral was held at a local church. It was a beautiful service. Her older siblings spoke of her life and were comforted because they knew they would embrace her again. I had the opportunity and privilege to sing at her funeral, along with others who love her. I have never been so overwhelmed with a feeling of love and comfort.
Carmody’s sister read this scripture found in 2 Timothy 4: 7-8 it reads,
7 I have fought a good afight, I have bfinished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a acrown of brighteousness, which the Lord, the righteous cjudge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Carmody’s mission on Earth may have ended, but Carmody is still a disciple of Christ. And she will receive great blessings in Heaven. She has taught me through her examples the joys that come with love one another.
Second, a disciple of Christ is a friend to everyone. They are kind and caring. They look for others who may be lonely. They lift others up and try to comfort them in their times of need.
Through out my life I have had many experiences when I have become friends with unlikely people. Many of those people are here today. I would like to think that I have made an impression on their lives, but regardless, I know they have helped shape me. There is one friend in particular that I would like to tell you about today.
I have known her since elementary school. However, I don’t believe we ever spoke much. In high school, the only time we ever talked was when she had a question about activities the class of 2012 was doing or when I needed her help or advice about those same activities. Other than that we may have smiled and said hi as we past each other in the hall. But that was the extent of our friendship.
However, this past summer, Chelsea, turned out to be a true blessing in my life. I had about a month before I was leaving to go to school at Brigham Young University in Utah. At this point in time my focus was on my family. I really didn’t have any other friends. When I graduated high school I immediately and unintentionally lost contact with pretty much everyone. And I was honestly perfectly content with that. However, I truly believe the Lord had a different plan in mind for me.
Chelsea was Kiger’s boss this summer, so when I would bring something to Kiger at the Oaks pool I would always see her. Kiger and Chelsea became really good friends. When they would hang out they would invite me. Which I have to say was kind of awkward at first. But the more I spent time with Chelsea the more I realized what an amazing women she is. She reached out to me when I had no other friends. And at the time I thought I didn’t need any friends.. But I was wrong.
She has become my best friend. Being away at BYU has brought us even closer together. She has taught me through her example that a friend is someone that strengthens you and motivates you to be a better person. Someone who puts your needs above their own. Someone who wants you to find joy. Chelsea is true disciple of Christ.
She is a true friend.
Third, in order to be a dedicated disciple we must “get on our knees and pray, then get on our feet and work” as Gordon B. Hinckley once said. Service is an important attribute of a disciple.
Part of following the Savior and doing what He would do in any given situation, means loving and serving when we are needed, not just when it is convenient for us.
Spencer W. Kimball said, “God does watch over us and does notice us, but it usually through someone else that he meets our needs.”
When I was a junior in High School I was the class president. Part of my responsibility was to raise money for our upcoming senior year activities. I had lots of fundraiser ideas for the Class of 2012. However, I soon found out that our sponsor was leaving and we were truly lost. We weren’t sure how we were going to raise enough money for all of our senior activities. I knew I couldn’t pull off all of my ideas by myself or even with the help of the other class officers. We weren’t sure who would take on the responsibility of helping a bunch of 17 year olds raise thousands of dollars. However, when we did not know who to turn to someone stepped up. Someone knew we were struggling. A single mother, the Class of 2011 sponsor, Tara Bain, took on the responsibility of being the Class of 2012 sponsor as well. She sacrificed so much to help the Class of 2012. We were able to achieve more than we could have ever hoped for. She is a true disciple of Christ. She understood that we needed help, and though it was not easy or convenient for her to take on such a large task she did it with a smile. She has taught me through her example to never pass up an opportunity to help someone else. Her example has given me the desire to make sacrifices for others even though it may not always be convenient for me. I am so grateful for her example in my life.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.”
Tara was an answer to my prayers.
The last attribute of a true disciple of Christ that I would like to touch on today is the ability to recognizes God’s hand in our life…
Here is a poem that illustrates this..
One night I had a dream...
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;
One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before us,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life
This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way;
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why in times when I
needed you the most, you should leave me.
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious
child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of
trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.
Recognizing when the Lord carries us and directs us gives us the desire to follow Him. That desire gives us both the courage and motivation to become true dedicated disciples of Christ.
Richard G. Scott said, “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.”
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission.”
I would like to conclude my talk by telling you how I came to the decision to put aside my studies and leave my family and friends for the next 18 months.
Since August I have been attending Brigham Young University. Many of my friends there have already served missions all over the world and others are preparing to serve. Missionary work is always a topic that is brought up at every social gathering. People ask each other where they served or when they will be serving. Over the past year I have been writing letters to several of my friends who are serving missions. Missionary work is something that has been on my mind a lot.
But it wasn’t until October 5th that I really felt impressed that serving a mission was something that was in my future. October 5th was a Friday. My roommates and I went to the temple that day. In order to go into the temple I had to have a recommend, which is a paper that shows I am worthy to be in this sacred place.
When we had arrived at the temple I discovered that I had left my recommend back at our apartment. My roommates of course said they would wait for me while I ran home to get it. I have to say I was feeling kind of discouraged. It really wasn’t that big of a deal to go back and get my recommend, but at the time it felt like it was such an inconvenience for everyone and such a hassle to drive back and forth. Regardless of these negative thoughts I recognized that it was important to go to the temple. I knew that once I was there these feelings of annoyance would fade right away.
As I sat in the temple, missionary work crossed my mind. I was writing in my journal about some of my friends who had just gotten home from their missions and some who had just left. I was also thinking about my class schedule for next semester, because I knew that I would have to sign up for classes in a couple of weeks. With both of these seemingly unrelated thoughts running through my head, I made a discovery that has truly changed my life. I wrote,
“I’ve been thinking a lot about if I should serve a mission… If I am going to then I should probably start preparing. Actually- if I plan to marry someone who has served a mission I should prepare anyways. So that I can be as close to my Heavenly Father as my future companion will be. “
At that moment I decided that whether or not I ended up serving a mission when I was 21 I would still prepare myself physically, mentally, and spiritual. I decided that I would take a Mission Prep class, which was offered at BYU the following semester.
At this point in time I knew that I would not be allowed to serve until I was 21. This was the church’s policy and I respected that. Besides, I knew this would give me more time to prepare myself.
As I sat and pondered these knew thoughts and plans I was overcome with a comforting feeling that assured me that everything would work out.
On October 6th, the very next day, the Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, made an announcement that has changed many people’s lives, including my own. He declared,
“That able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve, may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21.”
As soon as I heard these words that same feeling of comfort and love overcame me. This was a second witness to me that I needed to serve a mission. Over the next several months I prayed to my Father in Heaven and went to the temple every week. I wanted to make sure that serving a mission was what He wanted for me at this time in my life. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that my Heavenly Father wants me to serve the people of the Nevada Las Vegas Mission.
