The most important component of missionary work is happiness.
This week was a blast! Summer's right around the corner, and everything's heated up, but it's still raining! We're in the midst of rainy season, so we're facing up to a month more of rain. Wow! Luckily, I enjoy the rainy weather, even though it can be difficult to talk to people on the street. I can't believe it's taken me so long to remember, but I finally re-learned my most important lesson as a missionary: a happy missionary never fails, and an unhappy missionary will never succeed! My personal belief is that when one is unhappy, it acts like a filter -- the Spirit has a hard time breaking through to you, and charity just seeps out of your person. Abraham Lincoln said that a house divided cannot stand -- he also said, "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad." I think that making the decision to be happy is the first step in attaining charity, and a vital move in maintaining the companionship of the Spirit that all members of the church are entitled to. I know that, for me, it's the most important tool I have when I'm proselyting -- nobody wants to speak to an unhappy person, no matter how good they are at Korean. On the other hand, they're more likely to be intrigued by a person who is truly good, and without guile.
I also had the opportunity to give a talk last Sunday. It was a shortie, clocking in at around five minutes (I think. That was the goal, at least). President and Sister Morrise visited, so our sacrament meeting program was all white people! Elder Campbell spoke after me, then Sister and President Morrise spoke. It was interesting to hear a Korean translating what I was saying in Korean so that Sister Morrise could understand. Anyways, I took most of my talk from Elder Clayton's talk from last conference, "Choose to Believe," and Joseph Smith -- History. It went something like this:
Choose to Believe -- Like Joseph Smith
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to hear from the Lord's appointed servants. Amongst many wonderful talks, I was particularly impressed by Elder L. Whitney Clayton's talk, "Choose to Believe." In it, he shared the following story:
"Last January, seven-year-old Sailor Gutzler and her family were flying from Florida to Illinois in a private airplane. Sailor's father was at the controls. Just after nightfall, the aircraft developed mechanical problems, and crashed in the pitch-dark hills of Kentucky, upside down in very rough terrain. Everyone but Sailor died in the accident. Her wrist was broken in the crash. She suffered cuts and scrapes and had lost her shoes. The temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit (or 3 degrees Celsius)-- it was a cold, rainy Kentucky winter's night -- and Sailor was wearing only shorts, a T-shirt, and one sock.
"She cried out for her mother and father, but noone answered. Summoning every ounce of courage, she set off barefoot across the countryside in search of help, wading through creeks, crossing ditches, and braving blackberry briars. From the top of one small hill, Sailor spotted a light in the distance, about a mile away. Stumbling through the darkness and brush toward that light, she eventually arrived at the home of a kind man she had never met before who sprang to her care. Sailor was safe. She would soon be taken to a hospital and helped on her way to recovery.
"Sailor survived because she saw a light in the distance and fought her way to it -- notwithstanding the wild countryside, the depth of the tragedy she faced, and the injuries she had sustained. It is hard to imagine how Sailor managed to do what she did that night. But what we do know is that she recognized in the light of that distant house a chance for rescue. There was hope. She took courage in the fact that no matter how bad things were, her rescue would be found in that light."
Sailor saved her light by following the light. As I thought about this story, I realized that Joseph Smith's experience was very similar. If you remember, Joseph was confronted by the decision of which church was Christ's true church. After reading a scripture that taught God would answer prayers, Joseph decided to go and prayer. He described his experience like this:
"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself along, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliever me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction ... just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held my bound. When the light rested upon my I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"
(Joseph Smith History 1:15-17) Even after this experience, Joseph would continue to face various challenges, but he would go on to become a might prophet.
Today I'd like to briefly explain the success formula that both Sailor and Joseph Smith employed. That formula is: endure darkness, by remembering light.
There were times when Sailor could not see the light. Elder Clayton shared, "Gradually, as she made her way through the night toward the light, it grew brighter. Still, there must have been times when she could not see it. Perhaps it went out of view when she was in a ravine or behind trees or bushes, but she pressed on. Whenever she could see the light, Sailor had evidence that she was on the right path. She did not yet know precisely what that light was, but she kept walking toward it based on what she knew, trusting and hoping that she would see it again if she kept moving in the right direction. By so doing, she may have saved her life."
Joseph Smith also had periods where he could not see the light. Even though he faced great persecution after his First Vision, he trusted what he'd seen. He didn't doubt it, or question it. He was true to the light he'd seen.
Sometimes, we also have times were the only way to endure the dark is by remembering past light. We can keep the light we've seen -- our spiritual experiences -- by recording and expressing gratitude for them. The most important thing we can do is choose to continue believing. Elder Clayton taught how we do this:
"We likewise must give place for the hope that we will find spiritual light by embracing belief rather than choosing to doubt. Our actions are the evidence of our belief and become the substance of our faith. We are choosing to believe when we pray and when we read the scriptures. We are choosing to believe when we fast, when we keep the Sabbath day holy, and when we worship in the temple. We are choosing to believe when we are baptized and when we partake of the sacrament. We are choosing to believe when we repent and seek divine forgiveness and healing love."
The promise we have from God is that light shines after moments of darkness. As we are tested, our faith becomes stronger, and our hope becomes firm. Moroni, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, taught this principle: "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)
Simply put, this patter of light and dark is necessary for us to develop faith. During tests, we show our faith. After the trial passes, our faith grows stronger, preparing us for the next test.
If you feel like the darkness will never pass, please, remember this: Never give up. Light follows the dark. If you need confirmation, just look at nature: after every night comes the dawn. God has given us reassurance in such a simple thing as nature.
Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world. When we choose to believe in Him, all things will eventually be well. As a representative of the Lord, I promise that to you. If you choose to believe in Jesus Christ, things will work out. He bled in a garden, died on a cross, and rose from an empty tomb. Through His atoning sacrifice, we can receive forgiveness, and return to God's presence. I say these things, in the name of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
(For the rest of Elder Clayton's talk, see https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/choose-to-believe?lang=eng )
The talk went really well. Lots of the members approached me afterwards and expressed how well I spoke, and how the talk touched them. I think the reason why is because I focused on the things that caused me to feel the Spirit while I was preparing -- the highly emotional story about a little girl lost in the dark, and the poignant struggle with darkness that preceded the First Vision. Preparing this was really difficult because I prepared a talk that was probably about five times as long. At least, it had four other principles in it, and then this one. But, in the end this turned out really well because it packed a spiritual punch. It was lean, and fit -- no fluff, no filler.
After church, we attended a performance put on by the Liahona Chamber Orchestra, with our investigator, Gabriel. As we walked, he talked a bit about how he's wondered what his purpose in life is, and what the point of it all is. Considering we're planning on talking about the Plan of Salvation, I consider that a thumbs up from God, urging us forward.
On the way home, I had a neat experience that re-emphasized the fact that this work is done by teams of 2, not alone. We were standing in a subway car, and I was surveying the people around me, trying to decide who to start talking to, when Elder Schilling asked if I wanted to change cars, or stay here. I hadn't even thought about changing cars! I asked him what he thought, but he didn't have any feelings regarding the matter. As I turned it over in my head, I felt a light (we're talking downy light) impression to go to the other car. I prayed about it, felt a gentle impulse to move, and so we moved to the next car. I stood next to a young man and started talking to him. It turns out that not only were we the same age (a huge thing in Korean culture, since it's the only time you're actually a "friend" with somebody), but he's Christian! He'd actually done missionary work a year ago. We talked a lot about Christ, and how he came to believe in him. He was born into a Christian family, and so he always went to church, but he really started to believe when he was a senior, and things were really tough. Learning about Christ brought peace to him.
We also met Lee Gi Won (이기원). We shared a video about Christ's resurrection, and sang, "Be Still, My Soul." I played it on the piano for him, because he said it'd been twenty years since he'd heard the song, and wanted to hear the melody again. We talked a lot about church and the sacrament, but he wouldn't commit to come... he's just too bogged down by his physical problems, and feels too much anxiety. He really doesn't like meeting Koreans, so that's going to be difficult to work around. He talked a lot about our freedom of choice, so we're excited to begin talking about agency and the Plan of Salvation with him soon.
We also met our new investigator, Kim Han Soo (김한수), and begin teaching the first lesson. He's definitely an English interest investigator, but he has Christian beliefs. Hopefully we'll be able to touch his heart with the doctrines of the Restoration, and help him understand the message we're sharing with the world.
What is our message? Depends on what you need -- Jesus Christ's restored gospel is a multi-faceted diamond, covering concerns from family life, to deceased ancestors' salvation, to having authority from God to perform sacred ordinances, to the beautiful, sacred truth that families can live together for all eternity.
Best Wishes,
Elder Austin Lynn
Elder Austin Lynn
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