Mission Farewell

If you were not able to be at my Mission Farewell, here is my talk. 

The topic I was given to speak on today is found in Moroni 7:14-16 . My mom read my family this story by S. Michael Wilcox for family home evening a couple weeks ago, and I think it fits perfectly with these scriptures.

The chore I most hated as a boy was fixing fences. It was a hot, miserable job, and it was extremely boring. Hour after hour we would walk the miles of barbed-wire fence lines. We would stop where the cattle had stretched the wires or broken the posts and repair the damage. I knew how most of the holes and broken posts had been made. It didn’t much matter where you put the fence; the cows always felt there was better grass on the other side. I’m convinced that the expression “The grass is always greener on the other side” was invented by a cow. The middle of the meadow could be full of good, green, grass, but the cows would wander the fence line looking greedily through the wire and eat the grass on the other side. Slowly the wires would stretch. Not satisfied with this, they would eventually push against the wire, stretching their long tongues out as far as they could, and lick the grass into their mouths. In time the fence would break down, the posts would weaken, and huge holes would appear up and down the line.The Lord has built some fairly sturdy fences to protect His children. There is plenty of good, green grass in the middle of His meadow, but far too often we look longingly through His fence to the entertainments, pleasures, ambitions, fashions, and desires of the world. Many Church members would never think of actually breaking out of the Lord’s protecting fence, but they see no harm in poking their heads through the wires to reach outside as far as possible. Occasionally some even want the Lord or His prophets to move the fence for their convenience. I noticed while taking care of cattle as a boy that more often than not the cows did not go through the holes they created in the fence, but the calves did. Sometimes we would ride up the fence line and find a calf separated from its mother. Often it would be half starved and bawling to get back inside the fence next to the mother. The calves seemed to know how to escape through the holes the older cattle had made, but rarely did they know how to step back through those holes. If they were not found, sometimes they died. This is the true tragedy of resisting the standards and counsels of the Church. Parents must be careful in their own pushing of the limits not to create holes that their children will slip through. Compromising, for example, on the type of movies we watch may create a hole that our children will crawl through to their own destruction. One generation’s exception becomes the next generation’s rule, as standards of behavior deteriorate. If the cows had stayed in the center of the meadow, no calf would have ever been lost.

I love this story because I can relate it to myself a little bit. I never went to fix fences with my dad, but living on a farm was a whole family ordeal. There were just some chores on the farm that I hated and were such a pain! My dad expected us to work hard and help him out when needed. My oldest brother was probably one of the only ones in my family to actually enjoy that hard work, but my other siblings and I could agree that we are grateful for parents who taught us to work hard. Not only did they teach us to work hard, but they taught us to love the gospel. They showed us and promised us that we would be blessed when we followed the standards the Lord sets for us. I am so grateful for them and their example. 

How often do we push the “fence”, or the standards of the church? I remember asking myself the questions like, why can’t I date before I am 16? Why can’t I drink coffee? Why can’t I have more than one piercing, and why do I have to dress modestly? We do it simply because the Lord has asked us to. Sometimes we will never truly know why the Lord asked us to, but we can have comfort because he promises us that he will bless us and keep us protected when we do follow his commandments. Just like the story, the farmer provided green grass and protection on the inside of the fences, but sometimes the cows saw the outside grass and thought it was more appealing. 

What can the green grass on the inside of the fence represent for us? The things I thought of were; the temple (and better yet being worthy of a temple recommend), safety, and happiness! When we follow the Lord’s commandments, we are happier because we will be protected and the Holy Ghost can dwell with us.

Sheri dew said, “Living as latter-day saints is not easy, but it is easier than the alternative. The cost of discipleship, as high as it may be, is less than the price of sin; less costly than have the Holy Ghost withdrawn or losing self respect, or jeopardizing eternal life.” It is worth paying the cost of discipleship because we receive so many more blessings when we do so. 

Heavenly Father has given us some tools to help us to make good decisions and to help us return to him someday. 

He has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we are baptized, we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can help us to make good choices, warn us when there is danger; Physical or spiritual, and help us discern between right and wrong. You cannot deny the power and spirit you feel when the Holy Ghost testifies something to you. Often times I hear people say that they have trouble recognizing the spirit. One comfort that you can have, is that ALL good things come from God. If you feel you have a prompting to do something that will bless someone else, than do it! If we worry too much about wondering if it’s just yourself, or if it really is the Holy Ghost, we may miss an opportunity to serve one of Heavenly Father’s children. Also, if you get a prompting to leave a situation, do it. Never risk the chance of you getting injured spiritually or physically. President Monson counseled us again and again to never postpone a prompting. We will be blessed if we follow that counsel. I am going to read v. 16 again from Moroni chapter 7. Heavenly Father sent us to this earth and gave each and every one of us the light of Christ. The light of Christ gives everyone the ability to see a situation and consciously know that it is morally right or wrong. It also gives people the desire to do and be good. How great is that? Even non-members can be guided by the light of Christ in their lives to find truth. More often than not, that will lead them to finding the gospel, as well as being able to recognize truth when they see it. That is a testimony to me that Heavenly Father loves his children and wants us all to return to him someday.

He gave us Latter-day Prophets that lead his church today. President Nelson receives revelation for the church to help guide us towards our Heavenly Father. The revelation he receives is for our guidance and protection. If we put our faith in the Lord, we can have faith that our prophet that he will never lead us astray because he is the mouthpiece for the Lord. All of the called leaders of this church are called of God, they will never lead us astray! President Nelson counseled us in the last conference. He said,” In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” If we have faith in him and what he says, he will truly guide us and lead us to our Heavenly Father. He knows far greater than us, and if we follow his council, we never have need to fear. 

He has given us his only begotten son, so that when we falter and make a mistake, we can use the gift of Jesus Christ’s atonement to come back to him. Jeffrey R. Holland said,” However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you think you have made or talents that you think you do not have, or however far from home and family and God you think you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” I testify to you that the Atonement is real. There is nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing, that the atonement does not cover. Jesus Christ bore our sins and trials so that we do not have to. We can have peace knowing that when we sin, and wander outside of the fence, our Savior will bring us home. All we have to do is seek him. He is begging for us to reach out to him and to use his gift that he so freely gave. In Matthew 11: 28-30. We can find rest when we take our burdens to the Savior and let him carry us. He is the only source of peace in this crazy world that we live in.

I know that as we do these things, and follow the commandments that we will be blessed. More often than not, the grass isn’t greener on the other side and we will be safe as we stay in the fences that Heavenly Father has given us for protection.We save ourselves a lot of heartache and grief when we follow the commandments.