A few twenty-four, I was sitting in the choir section of the Assembly Hall,
building located in the southwest corner of Temple Square. Took place a stake conference, and the elders
Joseph Fielding Smith and Alma Sonne had assigned to reorganize the office. The Priesthood
and bishoprics were charged with presenting the music they served as bishops
sang along to our youth. After singing the first number, Elder Smith
approached the pulpit and announced the names of the members of the new presidency. I suppose the others had heard
appeals, but not me. After reading my name, Brother Smith said: "If the
Brother Monson is willing to respond to this call, we are happy to lead us now
the word." When viewed from the pulpit that sea of \u200b\u200bfaces, I remembered the song we'd just sing
and entitled: "Have courage, my son, to say no." But I chose the theme of my acceptance speech:
"Have courage, my son, to say yes."
There is a popular song whose lyrics describe to you young people:
Look!
royal army and come to fight,
with weapons and flags
to conquer evil.
Their ranks are filled with men
value, following his
Caudillo and sing with vigor:
A Victory, victory,
for saving us!
A Victory, victory,
by King Jesus Christ!
(Hymns, 248.)
The priesthood is a powerful army of justice, a real army. We run a Prophet of God and our commander in chief
is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The marching orders we receive are clear and concise
. Matthew describes our mission with these words of the Master:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
;
" teaching to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway,
until the end of the world "(Matthew 28:19-20).
Did you hear the divine command first disciples? Marcos tells us: "And they went forth and preached everywhere
, helping the Lord" (Mark 16:20).
's mandate to preach is not invalidated, by contrast, has re-emphasized in him.
currently have thousands of missionaries who have answered the call, there are thousands more who will respond, are constantly creating new missions
. What time is it exciting and motivating!
You who possess the Aaronic and you honor, have been reserved for this special period of history
. The harvest is truly great. Let us not be misunderstood in this regard: the opportunity to
your life is within your reach. I hope the blessings of eternity. How can better respond to the call
? Let me suggest that you cultivate the three virtues:
1. The desire to serve.
2. The patience to prepare.
3. The willingness to work.
doing so, always will form part of the royal army of the Lord. Consider separately each
these three virtues.
First, the desire to serve. Recall the requirement of the Lord in his statement: "Behold, the Lord requires
heart and a willing mind" (D & C 64:34).
contemporary A minister said: "While the desire to serve is not greater than the obligation,
men fight as conscripts forced and not as patriots who follow his flag. The duty is fulfilled only when the dignity
you do, if I could, willingly goes the extra mile. "
Do not you think appropriate to yourselves lest you be who you must call to missionary work? Is not
also prudent than those who do your parents? Instead, you are called by God, by prophecy and revelation
, and your appeal is signed by the President of the Church.
For many years I was privileged to serve with President Spencer W. Kimball, when he was president of the Executive Committee
Mission of the Church. Those unforgettable meetings where the destination is assigned
missionaries were full of inspiration and, from time to time, enlivened by touches of humor.
remember very well the form of recommendation for a future mission, in which the bishop had written
following: "This young man is very close to his mother. She asked whether it would be possible to send him to a nearby mission
home, so he could visit a few times and talk on the phone every week. "
read these words aloud and is awaiting that President Kimball appointed mission to which
send this young man. I felt a spark of mischief in his eyes as he said with a sweet smile, without adding any comment
"Asignémoslo to Mission-South Africa Johannesburg ".
appeals cases were angels are too numerous to mention
but I know without a doubt that divine inspiration involved in these assignments sacred. We all recognize the truth
so simply declared in the Doctrine and Covenants: "If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to work"
(D & C 4:3).
Second, the patience to prepare. Preparation for the mission is not something that can be improvised, but
that started earlier than you remember. Each class of Sunday School, Primary, the seminar, each
assignment you had in the priesthood, had a broader application than the apparent. Quiet and almost imperceptibly has
shaped a life, has begun a career, have formed a man. A poet
said
Who for the Master's plan a
motivates young man during the morning determined.
That commitment involves the calling of a quorum adviser guys! Advisors, do you think really
the opportunity you have? "You pray? Do you make it? Do you prepare your young?
When I was fifteen, I was called to preside over a quorum of teachers. Our advisor was interested in
us, and we knew it. One day he said:
-Tom, to you like raising pigeons, right?
"Yes," I replied enthusiastically.
Then I asked
- Would you like that gives you a couple of pigeons of pure race?
- Yeah, right! "I answer this time, since I had were of the ordinary caught on the roof of
school. He told me to go home the next afternoon.
That was one of the longest days of my life. When he got the job, an hour ago and I was waiting for him
. I took the pigeon that was in a small shed at the back of his land. While
watched the doves, who were the most beautiful I had seen, he said:
-Pick any male, and give you a female that is different from all the pigeons in the world.
After I made my selection, I put in the hands of a tiny female, I looked and asked him was what made her
different from the others. He replied: "If
examine it, you'll see that has only one eye.
was true, was missing an eye, he had lost in a skirmish with a cat. Then my counselor advised me
"Take them to your loft, let him be imprisoned for ten days and then drop them to see if they have
accustomed to the place and stay there.
I followed your instructions. When I released, the male strutted about on the roof of the loft, then went to
eat, but the female disappeared in an instant. I immediately called the counselor to ask if the pigeon
had returned to his loft.
"Come," he answered, we'll be looking.
As we were walking from the house to the loft, the adviser said:
"Tom, you are the president of the teachers quorum. Of course, I already knew that, then added:
- What will you do to turn to Bob?
"I bring to the meeting of a quorum this week," he said.
He then reached out to a nest and gave me the dove-eyed.
-Keep it locked for a few days, "he said and try again.
I did so, and once more the bird disappeared. The story was repeated.
"Come, and see if he returned here.
While we were for the flock I made this comment:
"Congratulations for having got that Bob was a priesthood meeting. And now, what will you and enable him to
Bill?
"I will take with us to the next meeting," I replied.
This experience was repeated again and again. I was already a man when I came to realize that my advisor
certainly had given me a special pigeon: the only one of all the loft that he knew would
each time I let go. It was his inspired way to make sure you have every two weeks, the ideal interview
priesthood with the teachers quorum president. I owe much to that dove-eyed, and much more
owe quorum adviser that had the patience to help prepare for the opportunities that I
submitted later.
Third, the willingness to work. Missionary work is difficult, will test your energies, will take you to
limit of your ability, you will require your best effort and often you do it again and again.
Remember that no "race to the swift nor the battle to the strong" (Ecclesiastes 9:11), but
which endures to the end. Take the determination to do the following:
persevere in your duty to that part of you is;
to start with are many, but few finish the task.
Praise and honors, position and power,
for remaining will be provided.
Persevere in your efforts to be part of you;
strive for it, sweat and try to smile,
as for the effort, smile and sweat
finally get the victory and honor.
During the latter part of World War I turned eighteen and was ordained Elder
a week before leaving for active duty in the Navy. A member of the bishopric in my neighborhood went to the station to say goodbye
, and a moment before leaving the train I put in my hand a little book entitled The Handbook of
missionary. Seeing the title I laughed and said,
"But I'm not going on a mission.
"Take him anyway," he answered, can help.
And it was.
The basic training period, our company commander instructed us regarding
best way to put the clothes in our bags of sailors, among other things, we recommended that if
had a hard object that was and rectangular in shape, we put it in the bottom of the bag for clothes
have a firmer basis. I suddenly remembered that he had the rectangular object right: my missionary manual.
That was the first service that I provided, and there remained twelve weeks.
The night before our departure in the Christmas holidays, our thoughts were, as always,
in the family, a great silence reigned in the barracks. Suddenly I heard my colleague the next bunk-a Mormon boy
-breathed moans of pain.
- What is it? I asked.
"I'm sick," he replied, very sick.
advised him to go to the clinic at the base, but he said that if he did not let him go
home for Christmas.
With the passing of the hours her moans became more severe until a time when,
desperate, whispered:
-Monson, Monson, are not you Elder?
I said yes, after which I asked: - Give me a blessing!
I suddenly realized that he had never given a blessing of health, had not received any, nor
seen anyone give it to someone else. Then pray to God pleading for help, and received the answer: "Seek
at the bottom of the bag of clothes." It was two o'clock in the morning emptied on the floor when the contents of the bag
, took up the bedside lamp that hard, rectangular object that was underneath it all, the missionary
manual, and read all about how to bless the sick. Then, with about sixty sailors
around us watching us with curiosity, I proceeded to give the blessing. Before the end of
keep my things, my partner was sleeping. The next morning, he turned to me and said:
-Monson, I'm so glad you own the priesthood! Future
missionaries, our Heavenly Father bless you with the desire to serve, the patience to prepare and
the will to work, so that both you and all who make up this royal army of the Lord ye
deserve their promise
"I will go before your face. I'll be on your right hand and your left, and my Spirit shall be in your heart and
my angels around you, to bear "(D & C 84:88).
general conference address, taken from Ensign, August 1979.
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