Recently I was informed that I am being sent home from my mission in Oregon because I have asthma and because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I went from having 8 months left to having 3 days left as a missionary real quick. That night after I found out I was being sent home I couldn't sleep. I spent the whole night thinking, pondering, and thinking more. At 3:44am I decided to start writing down my thoughts, this is the result of all my thinking.
My mission president, President Wilde said to me in my second to last interview that "Exact obedience brings miracles but Real Obedience brings Discipleship." Real Obedience is being obedient for no other reason than simply that you love the Lord. I would go so far as to say that real Obedience is completely interchangeable with charity.
Near the end of my mission for the past few months I can say that I partook of the fruit of Real Obedience. Before then as a missionary I feel like I was simply being obedient to be obedient, because it is what was expected of me.
The fruit of real Obedience truly is a fruit that is most sweet above all other fruit.
It is a fruit that fills you with a joy that you can't explain. It is a joy that comes from knowing and feeling that your Father is proud of your labors, the joy of knowing you've given all that you can give, for the one that gave you the opportunity to give.
1 Nephi 8:10-12
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree,
whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof;
and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy;
wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also;
for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
One of the most amazing doctrines taught by missionaries all over the world is that all of us are spiritual brothers and sister and that we are all a part of God's family. As a missionary I've grown to love everyone simply because we are spiritual brothers and sisters. I love all of you, you are all my family. Because of the love I feel for all of you I have a strong desire that each of you may be able to partake of the fruit of real Obedience.
For it is "most desirable above all other fruit."
Real Obedience is loving the Lord enough to submit your will to his. It's complete submission and dedication to Him because you love Him. It is not, however, being obedient for recognition, it is not being obedient simply because you've been asked to. Again real Obedience is being obedient because of love, Love for God and for your Savior.
A few months ago President Wilde committed each of us missionaries to wake up every single day at 6:30 and to be Obedient in the small things. I have kept that commitment every single day, not because he asked me but because I love the Lord and it was truly the Lord asking me because the Lord has said "whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." D&C 1:38
I pray with all of my heart that each of you, my family, will be able to partake of the fruit of Real Obedience. That each of you will commit yourself to being obedient in the small and seemingly unimportant details of your God given life. I promise that as you do it will bring true discipleship and will fill your soul with more abundant joy.
If any of you feel lost or hopeless if any of you feel scared or nervous, the antidote is real Obedience or in other words real love for your Savior. The antidote is complete submission of your will to His. Again I want to say that I love each of you, and I share these thoughts out of love for God and my fellow men and women.
Being a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past 16 months will forever be one of the greatest, if not the greatest experiences of my life. It has transformed me, I am a new creature in Christ. My experiences in Oregon have truly changed me for eternity.
I leave this testimony as a witness before God that I gave everything, that I did my best, and that I know that at the judgment seat my labors here will be accepted by Him who gave me life. I bear testimony of my Savior that His atonement is real, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that we truly do have living prophets in this present day and I do so in in the name of Jesus Christ amen.
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| Last companion couldn't have been better |
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