Welcome to the Come Follow Me podcast for teens and for parents of teens. A podcast to supplement your weekly study of the Come Follow Me curriculum. with thoughts, ideas, principles, stories and questions all geared towards helping teenagers better follow Christ through their teenage years.
Hey everybody, welcome back to another edition of the Come Follow Me for Teens podcast. As always, I'm your host, Josh Downs, and this week we're going to be taking a look at Doctrine and Covenants sections 3 through 5, My Work Shall Go Forth. And just another reminder, you can find the Come Follow Me for Teens shorts. podcast on apple and spotify just a daily very short version of this podcast where we just share daily thoughts instead of
covering the entire material in one episode. So a great way, especially for you teenagers to be able to kind of digest it a little more easily and just get a thought per day. i'm excited for this episode today and the the material that we're going to study there are some absolutely vital principles and truths that can serve you really throughout your entire life. And granted, there are those things in just about everything that we study, but some of these that you'll take a look at this week.
you will find yourself needing to rely on again and again and again very, very often. And they can become one of kind of almost like a pillar.
of of strength to you in times when you need it in times where there's doubt uncertainty or or when you've made mistakes and you don't know how to to come back or to fix things or how things can possibly come to together again the principles that will be studying in this week's material are those kinds of principles that can help you through those moments and so let's get right into it here's the background of this week's study
During his first few years as the Lord's prophet, Joseph Smith didn't yet know everything about the marvelous work that he had been called to do. But one thing his early experiences taught him was that to do God's work, his eye must be single to the glory of God. For example, if the Lord counseled him to do something he wasn't sure he wanted to do, he needed to follow the Lord's counsel.
And even if he had many revelations and power to do many mighty works, if he felt what he wanted was more important than God's will, he must fall. but joseph learned something else just as important about doing god's work that god is merciful and if joseph sincerely repented he was still chosen god's work is after all a work of redemption
And that work cannot be frustrated. Absolutely beautiful introduction as always. You may have caught in some tones in that introduction about what exactly Joseph experienced during...
these sections at this point in time that they were recorded, which is the experience and story of Joseph losing the 116 pages that he initially translated from the Book of Mormon. Now I'm not going to go into details about that particular story, I will include an attachment of that story in the study and teaching guide for this week. But as the story is told, basically Joseph gets to the point of translation where he had translated 116 pages from the Book of Mormon.
and had been showing them to some of his colleagues and friends as far as what he had done, Martin Harris being one of those. And Martin really had a desire. Apparently he was getting a lot of pressure from his wife, from some of his friends about What are you doing spending time with this so-called prophet? And why are you giving him so much money? What is this all about? And he really wanted to show them.
what they'd been working on to show them the 116 pages and so he just simply asked joseph if he could take them for a period of time and show those closest to him the work that he'd been doing well as joseph approached the lord the answer came back no Well, Martin didn't like that answer, and so he put pressure on Joseph to ask again. And a second time, Joseph went to the Lord, and again the Lord said, No. Well, again, Martin...
due to the pressure that was being put on him, asked Joseph to ask the Lord again. And so Joseph reluctantly does so, and this time the Lord says yes. but with a precaution and warning and parameters in which to show it. And so Joseph gives the 116 pages to Martin. Probably know the story. Martin, at some point, cannot find them after taking them home. They are lost. And he goes back to Joseph, completely broken and defeated in having lost them and breaking Joseph's trust.
the lord's trust and then just imagine how joseph felt in recognizing that he had broken the lord's trust himself And as Joseph records, it's one of the darkest periods of his life. He really thought that he had single-handedly destroyed God's work. And you know what? Heavenly Father let him sit in that for a little while before he teaches him.
of the most important truths and lessons that will serve Him and, as I mentioned, can serve all of us through all those periods in our lives where we find ourselves in similar situations where we just don't know.
how things could ever work out, how things could become better, or how we could ever come back from mistakes we've made. Or they can also serve as preventive principles to help us to... have the courage and the strength to push through those kinds of moments where we may feel tempted like joseph to give up a sacred possession
due to the the pressure of whatever it is that we may be experiencing or from whoever it is we may be around but before we get into that in a little bit more detail i want to take a look at a very basic and simple principle that can very easily be overlooked after receiving the plates and starting the translation process you almost get a feel in reading the
early sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, like Heavenly Father just couldn't wait for the Book of Mormon to be finished and to be put out there for the entire world to have. He genuinely sounds so excited about it that He just can't contain Himself.
the world and all of us over and over at the beginning of several of the early sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, that basically it's coming. The Book of Mormon is about to come out. And he does this by using some form of the phrase, a marvelous work is about to come forth well in matthew chapter 4 verse 4 jesus taught that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god
implying how important it is that we pay attention to literally every word that God speaks and God says and God uses. And that's how I would like to start here this week. I want to take a closer look at the word marvelous that God uses, which we see first in Doctrine and Covenants section 4.
But then we see it from that point on in several other sections. And I'm just going to jump ahead a little bit and invite you to kind of scan through section 4 through about 14. And just look at the very first scripture in each section. Because if it's there, you'll see it in verse 1.
And so going through those, you would have found it in section 4, verse 1. Again, now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. You'll see it again in section 6, verse 1. A great and marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. And you'll see this again in chapters 12 verse 1 and in 14 verse 1.
And what I want you guys to see through the use of the word marvelous is... heavenly father describes the coming forth of the book of mormon and the work that's going to be a part of it is to first of all see the significance of this book in the eyes of the lord again why he's so excited about it And one of the first places we can go to really see that is to look in the timeline of when it was actually given to us.
President Benson said this about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the time that it did. He said a powerful testimony to the importance of the Book of Mormon is to know where the Lord placed its coming forth in the timetable of the unfolding resurrection. restoration. The only thing that preceded it was the first vision. In that marvelous manifestation, the Prophet Joseph Smith learned the true nature of God and that God had a work for him to do.
The coming forth of the Book of Mormon was the next thing to follow. think of that in terms of what it implies the coming forth of the book of mormon preceded the restoration of the priesthood it was published just a few days before the church was organized the saints were given the book of mormon to read before were given the revelations outlined such doctrines as the three degrees of glory celestial marriage or work for the dead it came before priesthood quorums and church organization
Doesn't this tell us something about how the Lord views this sacred work? Well, if you notice after section 14, verse 1, this phrase about a marvelous work stops. What happened after section 14? Well, the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished. A copyright was secured and the first printing was completed in March of 1830.
The great and marvelous work that was about to come forth unto the children of men was indeed the Book of Mormon and all that it would lead to. And so again, referring back to the word that God uses to describe this work, marvelous. I want you to really understand and put that word in context, especially as it relates to Him. For that context, I want you to consider the word that God used when He created the world and everything on it.
In looking at the beginning of Genesis, you will find after each kind of creative period, a phrase that is repeated in the Bible. And that phrase is, And I, God, saw that it was good. That's the word that he uses to describe the creation. I don't know. I think personally that we might use a different word than just the word good in creating things like light and dark and the world and everything on it, including man.
But to God, it's good. Now, it's worth noting, young men, and make sure that you hear this, after creating woman, he says it's not just good, but very good. now there's a whole other lesson in that for you that we'll reserve for another time but let's get back to the word again that he used to describe the creation of and the coming forth of the book of mormon remember what it was Marvelous. Now, coming from God and all that He is capable of doing, that word really says something.
Think about it. Creating the sun. Creating the moon. Creating the world and everything on it. Creating atmosphere and orbital patterns and animal life and ecosystems to sustain life. Creating the amazing human body that we all have in all of its wonder and function. is according to God, good. Yeah, it's good. But the work that he has produced in the Book of Mormon, what is the word he uses? It's marvelous.
Now I think a part of why he refers to it as marvelous is because of what it has been designed to do, which is to bring people to christ and to bring people to his church so that they can receive all of the saving ordinances and covenants and support and help and strength needed to return home clean and pure having successfully navigated mortality
in simple terms he might have said the work that i have done in the creation of my children and everything associated with them is good and even very good but the work that i am doing to save them is marvelous. And the work that I'm doing to help them to learn and to help them to grow and to help them to become everything that they can become is marvelous. Now, this should give every one of you young people confidence in what God is doing with you in your life.
And in the opportunities that are yours to grow and to progress. To be forgiven of your sins. To overcome your weaknesses. And to live a life that will meet the requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God. Because He isn't just good. at His work and His glory, of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. No, He's marvelous. Which means you've got this, young people, because, well, He's got you.
And in referencing God's power that you and I can access through this marvelous testament of Christ, President Benson taught that the Book of Mormon will change your life. It will fortify you against the evils of our day. It will bring a spirituality into your life that no other book will. It will be the most important book that you will read in preparation for a mission and for life.
A young man or woman who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, who has read it several times, who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings, will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hand of the devil. of the Lord.
You see why the Lord's so excited about this book coming forth that he keeps having to announce it in almost every section at the beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants? It's like, you guys, get ready. A marvelous work is about to come forth. This is going to be awesome. This is going to be amazing. Trust me. A marvelous work is about to come forth. And what it's going to do for you in your life is marvelous.
And I just want to take a moment and bear my testimony of that marvelous work in the Book of Mormon. And I bore it many times last year in studying the Book of Mormon, but that book has absolutely proven to do exactly what... President Benson said it would do in my own life. It has changed my life. I have noticed a difference in the day between when I read it and when I don't.
when i study its pages and when i haven't when i try to apply its teachings and and i forget to There is a palpable difference in strength to resist temptation, to be a better person, to refine my character, to become more like Christ when I read it as opposed to when I don't. And if you haven't quite yet allowed the Book of Mormon to become that kind of an integral part in your life, make the decision to do so.
Because not only is it a marvelous work, the work that it will do in your life will be marvelous. And you will begin to see blessings pouring into your life the moment you begin to study its pages. Keep in mind, Satan did everything that he could once Joseph got those plates to get them out of his hands. And he will do the same with you. So be prepared for that, young people.
Now some journal discussion questions for you to consider on this. First of all, why do you think God refers to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as marvelous? What experiences have you had with the Book of Mormon to help you recognize it as being? Marvelous. What has been so marvelous about the work that he's doing in the world today? What has been marvelous about the work that he's doing in your life?
How have you seen the Book of Mormon lead others to Christ in marvelous ways? And how does understanding how God sees the work of saving His children give you hope in His ability to save you? To apply this, I might invite you to maybe write of an experience you've had with the Book of Mormon in your own life, and how and why it has become marvelous to you.
Now, for Principle 2, we're going to dive into the results of Joseph losing the 116 pages. In Section 3 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it details God's response to Joseph losing.
those 116 pages that were initially translated from the book of mormon and again in section three we'll find some of the best words of counsel and truths for anyone that has ever made a mistake or experienced fear in life, or has been put in a difficult situation where they couldn't find or see a way out, or has felt pressure to do something that they didn't want to do. that can ever be received from God to help in any of those situations.
This counsel is absolutely priceless to every single one of us and will be especially for you guys as teenagers. There isn't one of you, I know, that won't be tempted like Joseph was to let go of or give up. a sacred possession, so to speak, through things like pressure or temptation and fear. And that's the value in this story. Yeah, you're never going to have...
116 pages that you've translated from the Book of Mormon that Satan's going to be trying to make you lose or give up. But you will have certain things that are just as vital, just as important, just as sacred. that Heavenly Father wants you to keep and to protect and preserve and use in the right way, in the right time, that Satan absolutely will want to get you to give up and to lose.
And so again, as you read these verses, one of the greatest things that you can do is put yourself in Joseph's shoes and read them as if God is speaking directly to you. You can find great courage and faith through these verses to overcome the pressures and fears that you'll experience all throughout your life. And as you read in particularly section 3 verses 1 through 8, I want you to look for what truths are there in these verses that resonate with you.
especially when it comes to trusting God, trusting His plan, and overcoming the mistakes and the weaknesses and the challenges that we face in life. Now we're going to read through these together just because they're that good. And also keep in mind again the context. Joseph at this point has been very humbled. He's in a very dark place. He has felt like he has single-handedly let God down and let the work down.
And that he's destroyed everything that he had been told that he was supposed to do and that he had had a vision to do. And he didn't see any way that it could possibly come back together. And in that... context god tells him these things these words gives them this revelation starting in verse 1 the lord says The works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.
For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth He turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth He vary from that which He hath said. Therefore His paths are straight, and His course is one eternal round. Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.
for although a man may have many revelations and have power to do many mighty works yet if he boasts in his own strength and sets at naught the counsels of god and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. Behold, joseph you've been entrusted with these things but how strict were your commandments and remember also the promises which were made to you if you did not transgress them
And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For behold, you should not have feared man more than God.
although men said it not the counsels of god and despised his words yet you should have been faithful and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary and he would have been with you in every time of trouble boy those are such great verses and loaded with so many wonderful truths the most important things in these verses are first of all what you have found for yourself and the way that you see god's counsel apply directly into your life
Now again, remember, Joseph felt a great deal of pressure to meet Martin Harris's request to allow him to take the 116 pages that were translated so that he could show his family and friends the work that he was doing and help them understand why he was giving Joseph so much of his time.
and also his money and i'm sure that joseph saw martin as a very rare friend and a support to him both personally and financially it must have felt incredible pressure to keep him happy After all, he went to God three times to ask His permission to allow Martin to take the manuscript. Again, the first two times being told no, only to be told yes the third time, but with that warning. Now when it was discovered that the 116 pages were lost, it was again one of the darkest days in Joseph's life.
And he really thought that he had single-handedly destroyed God's work. Well, let's look at a few of the key principles the Lord teaches here in these verses to help Joseph through this experience, starting, first of all, in verses 1 through 3. I want you to mark these words and phrases. The works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated. Neither can they come to naught.
That God does not walk in crooked paths. His paths are straight. And then remember, remember with emphasis that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men. In other words, Joseph... no matter what you do or matter what you've done you cannot destroy my work
My work will never be frustrated. You might get frustrated and might not see how things can work out, but they always can and will with me because it's not my work that ever gets frustrated. That the designs, the purposes that I have cannot be frustrated. frustrated. And we see evidence of this so clearly looking back through the Book of Mormon. In 1 Nephi 9, Nephi makes mention that the Lord commanded him to make another set of plates.
In many ways, basically just retelling the events of their journey, even though his father had been keeping a record of it. And he mentions that he doesn't know why. but that it must be for what he refers to as a wise purpose. Which purpose, he says, I know not. But what Nephi says he does know is that the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning. and that he hath all power, and thus it is.
And then much later, as Mormon is putting together different writings as a part of the Book of Mormon, in the book that is referred to as the Words of Mormon, he basically says at one point, you know, I've been going through all these records when I came across these small plates of Nephi. And although they kind of retell his family's journey in many ways, which I've already included, I feel to include them with the other writings. And although I don't know why,
Mormon says, I do this kind of for the same reason. I do this for a wise purpose. Thus it whispereth me according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And then references some of the same things that Nephi says. He said, I don't know all things, but... I know that the Lord knoweth all things which are to come, wherefore he worketh in me to do according to his will. Now, can you see what God is doing in these verses?
He is basically taking care of Joseph's mistake almost 2,000 years before he made it. Now let that sink in for a moment, young people. When the Scriptures teach that God knows all things, He really does know all things. To further illustrate this, I love referencing the story of Nephi and his brothers going back to get Ishmael's family because, well, they needed wives for Lehi's boys in the promised land.
And if you look closely at the math there of how many single daughters he has, it just so happens that Ishmael had just as many single daughters as Lehi had single sons, including Zoram. who was brought with them completely unplanned. In other words, God provided a wife for him as well before he even knew he would be going on that journey with them. Is God good? No.
He's marvelous. The works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to not. Verse 4 is a warning. for all of us to not boast in our own strength or to set it not the counsel of god and follow the dictates of our own will and carnal desires desires because if we do we will fall
In other words, never put what you think is best before what God says is best. Verse 5, he tells Joseph that you are entrusted with these things. And I would invite you young people to think of what are some of the things that... have been entrusted to you how about your agency how about your body how about opportunities that you have like going on a mission or getting married in the temple or other talents or gifts that you might have or similar things and then
Hold on to those things as we go through the rest of these verses. Because then in verse 6, the Lord reminds Joseph, How oft have you transgressed the commandments and the laws of God? We could all raise our hands, that we've been in a similar boat, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. And then he teaches Joseph and all of us this most valuable lesson.
verse 7 for behold you should not have feared man more than god i want you to think about how that relates to you how that relates to all of us how do we at times fear man more than god i have seen it play out in so many different ways from
the peer pressure that sometimes friends can put on us, to having to make decisions between things of the world and things of God. There wasn't one year in my years of teaching seminary that I didn't have students that had to make a decision between getting a scholarship, versus serving a mission. And those are very difficult choices and decisions to make. But again, God's counsel is to not ever fear man more than God. Why? Because in verse 8,
He says, Yet you should have been faithful, and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary, and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. In other words, he's saying, That He'll help you. That it'll all work out. And it will be better for you if you follow me and you put me first. And that I'll be there when you need me. Not just some of the time, but every time.
So, young people, you see the message? Keep your sacred possessions. Don't give them away. Don't give up the opportunity to serve a mission. Don't give away your virtue, your purity, your talents, your gifts, the opportunity to go to the temple. Don't let Satan or others pressure you to give them away like the 116 pages were. It was always one of my favorite object lessons, actually. In context of teaching this section, I would give my students a very small little square.
a kind of card little piece of paper with 116 on it and i would kind of tell them that this symbolizes all those sacred things that god has entrusted to you and to not give it away for anything and then i kind of give them a challenge that they were all welcome to try to steal each other's 116 card that they had, but that in order for them to get it, it had to be given freely.
and uh and if they could hold on to that and show it to me periodically throughout the rest of our time together throughout the rest of the year And my students always loved that. They'd often show me, hey, Brother Downs, guess what? I still have my 116 pages. I even had students come back years later and show me, hey, Brother Downs, guess what? I still have my 116 pages.
Just a reminder. It was a reminder, a simple one to them. But also to me too, that those things that God has given us that are sacred, we need to hold on to. And we need to trust that no matter what kind of pressure that we're put in or situation we find ourselves in, That it will all work out when we trust Him, when we hold on to those things and keep them close. And that He'll be there to support us in every time of trouble.
And so, young people, please know you have no reason to fear anything. Any challenge you have, any trouble that you get into, any mistake that you make, basically any corner. that you get backed into. Anytime you feel like there is no way out or that you don't have any control over whatever it is that you're experiencing, never forget. That God always does. That He's always in control. And that He knew exactly where you would be thousands of years before you ever found yourself there.
Which means that He has already provided and put into place everything you need to get through it, to overcome it, to solve it, to fix it, and to rise above it. So, have faith. And trust in Him who knoweth all things and hath all power. Now, that doesn't mean that we might not still feel bad like Joseph did when we are in positions due to our own poor choices and mistakes.
but god offers us hope the same hope just as he did with joseph which is one of the reasons why i love verse 10 so much one of my favorite verses in scriptures because he reminds us but remember God is merciful. Therefore repent of that which thou hast done, and thou art still chosen, and art called again to the work.
As Elder Bednar reminded all of us while teaching a group of missionaries in a recent address, this isn't a gospel of second chances, young people. This is a gospel of unlimited chances. As long as we get up. and keep trying. Joseph, after this experience, and I think this is worth noting, said this, and you can understand the reasons why he would say this. He said, I made this my rule. When God commands, do it.
that's a rule that i have for myself and one that i hope you will adopt for you even if and when we don't understand all the reasons why we can just trust like nephi and mormon that It must be for a wise purpose. Which purpose we know not, but we trust that God knows all things and has all power. Elder Richard G. Scott taught in one of my favorite quotes too that this life is an experience in profound trust.
Trust in Jesus Christ. Trust in His teachings. Trust in our capacity to be led by the Holy Spirit. To obey those teachings. For happiness now. and for a purposeful, supremely happy, eternal existence. To trust means to obey willingly, without knowing the end from the beginning. To produce fruit.
Your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience. Elder Paul B. Piper taught that good teachers and coaches know that intellectual growth and physical strength can happen only when minds and muscles are stretched. So, likewise, God invites us to grow by trusting His spiritual tutoring through soul-stretching experiences.
Therefore, we can be sure that whatever trust we may have demonstrated in God in the past, another trust stretching experience lies yet ahead. God is focused on our growth and progress. He is the master teacher, the complete coach, who is always stretching us to help us realize more of our divine potential. That will always include a future invitation to trust Him.
Just a little bit more. Now I want to just share my personal testimony of that. I have had multiple experiences and will continue to throughout my life to trust in the Lord. Times where I find myself in situations like Joseph. Like, I don't know how this is going to work out. I don't know how this can get better. I don't know how I can fully recover from what's happened or what I've done. And that's where I fall back on these.
kind of life not just changing but sustaining principles and i will tell you from a personal example and experience that's kind of where i'm at right now i went through a divorce years ago And my life is very different than what I ever thought it would be and what I ever wanted it to be. And I honestly have no idea how it can all come together again. And I can relate now so much better to my students.
who in my class would raise their hand whenever we talked about eternity and eternal families and just simply ask, hey, Brother Downs, so what's going to happen to my family? You know what? I never really had a good answer for them other than this. And now I'm using it for myself. I don't know how all the pieces will come back together, but you know what? You know who does? You know who I know does? That's God.
And He has promised that much. That He would be there for me. That He'll be there for you in every time of trouble. That if we trust Him and don't go on in the persuasions of men and just believe and have faith, that he will support us in every time of trial. Almost saying to Joseph in that moment, and to all of us, you know what, Joseph? If Martin would have taken his money and gone, which was one of the fears Joseph had, guess what?
I would have basically found another. I would have sent another. We can kind of adopt that same thing. We can let people go. We can let situations go that aren't the best for us and trust that God will bring something better. into our lives that He'll help solve things, fix things, and help things turn out okay in the end. That's my faith and my testimony.
And I hope that it can become yours as well. Now some journal discussion questions for you to consider might first of all be, how can you see the story of the 116 pages applying directly to your life? What are some of the key lessons that you take away from Joseph's experience? What are some of the ways young people experience the fear of man through peer pressure today?
How have you seen others give away a sacred possession due to peer pressure? How have you felt tempted to give away a sacred possession or opportunity or experience of your own? What does it mean to really trust the Lord? And when is it hardest, do you think, to trust the Lord? And how can the Lord's promise to Joseph help us when our trust is wavering?
To apply this, I just invite you to write of a time that you experienced trust in the Lord and saw the Lord indeed support you in that time of trial. How did He show up for you? And how did this experience serve to strengthen your trust in Him the next time? Your faith was tested.
Now for our last principle today, and we'll just take a look at this one quick, section four is where we're going to go. And it really is probably the most well-known, quoted, and memorized set of scriptures among missionaries. And it is for a reason. In it, it contains everything that you need to know about how to be an effective missionary, an instrument in the Lord's hands. And while there's so much there that we could discuss and kind of unpack, I'll leave that for you to do.
Because young people, I want you to focus on one verse and one line only. And that verse and line is in verse 3. As you read it, think deeply on what the Lord is expressing here as it relates to being called to serve Him and to serve a mission. In verse 3 it simply reads, Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. And not just to any work.
but to God's work, this marvelous work of His that we've been referencing. Now this message is especially for all those who may want to serve, but who don't feel capable to serve, or worry about being good enough to serve, or knowing enough. to serve or having a strong enough testimony to serve, maybe even for those now serving that struggle feeling like they can do it, then that they're good enough. Which means, if we're honest,
That is all of us that have served and any of you that are serving and all of those yet to serve. It's human nature at times to not feel good enough, to feel inadequate, incapable, and unable. Some of you will worry about being able to learn a language. Some of you will just simply worry about being able to speak your own language well enough. That was kind of my fear. I didn't feel like I was good at speaking to people. And how could I go out and teach and speak to others?
A lot of you will struggle feeling like you know enough. After all, how can you teach what you don't know? Others will worry about health issues or disabilities or just feel fear of all that they think a mission entails. Please know... that if this is you, that it's okay to feel that way and totally normal. I remember laying in my bed the first night in the mission field thinking, what in the world have I gotten myself into? and iowa stateside serving in mississippi of all places
It is absolutely normal to feel fear. It's normal to experience doubt. It's normal to question yourself and your ability. But I want you to listen very carefully to a statement the Lord made about qualifying for a mission. Again in verse 3. Do you see what he says? Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work. That's it. First and foremost, all you need to bring to the table to get the job done is to have a desire to do it.
Notice the Lord doesn't say you must be proficient in talking to people, must have previous experience teaching the gospel, must have impeccable health or money or piano skills or be a good reader or a certain height or weight or color of skin or any other qualifying factor. or that a person must even have a rock-solid testimony of the church and his gospel. You just need to want to serve. And that's it.
I want you to understand why that is. It's because this is His work and His glory, and He is God. Remember, as we talked about, He has all power and knows all things and can do all things. Therefore, whatever your perceived shortcomings are, in His work you can never come up short. If you just have a desire to serve.
And I want you to understand another thing to try to shift your thinking a bit on all of this. And it's this, when it comes to this work, to his work, doubting yourself and your ability in any form. in many ways is kind of an expression of a lack of faith in his ability. Can you see that? So don't let yourself do that.
Listen to what Elder Maxwell taught about how the Lord's requirements for His work work. He said, God does not begin by asking about our ability, only about our availability. And if we prove our dependability, He will increase. our capability. If you remember, Moses certainly didn't fill up to the task. He wasn't a great speaker, so the Lord provided a spokesman for him.
Enoch expressed his own fear and doubt by saying, Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight? I am but a lad, and all the people hate me, for I am slow of speech. Wherefore, am I thy servant? Can I do this work? Why do you want me as a missionary? The Lord's answer? Just go. Trust me, just go. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth and it shall be filled. I will give the utterance.
for now listen to this all flesh is in mine hands and i will do with as seemeth me good enoch was so successful that all those that fought against god feared him because All he had to do was speak, and mountains would move, and rivers would change their course. And all nations feared greatly. So powerful was the word of Enoch, for so great was the power of the language that God had given him.
You got this, young people, because he's got you. You are capable of doing this work because it's his work. I think it was just in this last conference, Elder Araldo B. Cavalcante said every day, Thousands of young men and young women answered the Lord's prophetic call by serving as missionaries. You are brilliant, and as President Nielsen said, you can have more impact on the world than any previous generation.
Of course, that does not mean that you will be the best version of yourselves the moment you step foot into the missionary training center. Instead, you might feel like Nephi, led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which you should do. Nevertheless, you went forth. Perhaps you feel insecure like Jeremiah did and want to say, I cannot speak, for I am a child. You might even see your personal shortcomings and want to cry out like Moses did, O my Lord, I am not eloquent.
but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. If any of you beloved and mighty young men and women is having a thought like this right now, remember, that the Lord has answered, Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. And he promises, Therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. Your transformation from your natural to spiritual self will occur line upon line.
precept upon precept, as you earnestly strive to serve Jesus Christ in the mission field through daily repentance, faith, exact obedience, and hard work. To find constantly, teach repentance, and baptize converts. Now, I would just bear my testimony of the absolute blessings that can come and will come to you from serving a mission and how making the decision to serve a mission is the very first step. in becoming a missionary all you need young people is a desire to serve
And the rest will fall into place if you just move forward. And trust in the Lord. Trust in His power. Trust in His knowledge of all things. And trust Him when He says, the thing that will be of most worth to you and to I is... to declare repentance to the world and to bring souls to him. There is nothing that you could possibly do in your life at that point in time in your life that will be more important and more beneficial.
and more life-changing to you than serving a mission will it was for me I can absolutely bear testimony of that. To this day, my decision to serve a mission is one of the greatest decisions, if not the greatest decision, I feel like I've ever made. And I certainly had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know the gospel as well as what I needed to. I was young. I was naive. But yet I had a desire to serve. And that was enough.
I gave that to God, and He gave me everything else. And I know that He can and will do the same for you. Now, a few journal discussion questions to end with today. Why do you think the most important thing you need... To have to be called to his work is a desire to serve. And why do you think that's all that a person needs to be called to his work? How can understanding this help you to feel more confident in your ability to serve a mission?
How can remembering God's ability help you to have more confidence in your ability? How can doubting your ability actually be an expression of a lack of faith in His ability? To apply this, I invite you to do a couple of things. Maybe write of the changes that you've seen in those that have served a mission. How have you seen serving a mission shape others for good?
And how have you experienced God helping you in whatever way that you've been called to serve Him apart from a mission? Maybe in a calling while giving a talk or solving a problem or overcoming a challenge or just being guided in some way by inspiration. How have you felt him support you in those experiences and moments? And how can that translate into serving a mission as well?
There's a lot there. Hopefully some of that has been helpful to you and will be in the future. Thank you for joining me this week as always. Please remember that that person is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, of blessedness, of joyfulness
That's how close a life can come to being like the Master Jesus Christ. He is the right way. He is the full truth. He is the abundant life. And he invites us all to just come follow me. So what do you say we follow him better this week? And as always, become better as we follow him. Until next week, everyone, I'm Josh Downs, and you've been listening to Come Follow Me for Teens.