This is what Elder South spoke in the Sharon 6th Ward sacrament service, on the Sunday before he left for the Missionary Training Center.
Annyeong hashimnikka! Che ireumeun Sam imnida.
I will be spending the next two years in Seoul, South Korea, in the service of the Lord. I am absolutely, unbelievably excited to do so, and honestly, I wish that I were boarding the plane tomorrow. All in the Lord’s time, however, and I will be arriving in the land of Psy, kimchi, and histrionic dramas (though I’m one to talk) before I know it. As I’m sure my parents would remind me, too, I’ve still got plenty of packing before I depart, so I guess things are wonderful just the way they are.
I have long been a fairly quiet, even timid, individual, and it can be somewhat difficult for me to share my beliefs with others, as much as I value them in my own life. As I prepare to serve, I am overwhelmed by my weaknesses in speech, in spirituality, in Korean, and in many other regards, but I DO have faith that as I am willing to open my mouth, as we are promised in section 33, verse 10, of the Doctrine and Covenants, it “shall be filled.”
Ether chapter 12, verse 27 likewise states that “if [we] humble ourselves before [God], and have faith in [Him], then will [He] makes weak things become strong unto [us].” I truly believe that God will fulfill this promise as we demonstrate our faith and sincere effort.
In addition, I know with absolute certainty that as I put my personal aspirations aside and seek solely to become a tool in God’s hands, He will guide me and allow me to overcome my weaknesses so that I may become an instrument to serve His children.
That being said, Seoul is massive. The second largest metropolitan area in the world after Tokyo, with over 25 million people, roughly 300 times the size of Orem, I won’t be in Kansas anymore. I heard from a recent return missionary that he and his companion alone had responsibility for an area with more than one million people, which for us, translates into many a s(e)oul to save.
My nervousness now may be somewhat akin to that before I spent time in another large city: Beijing. This was a transformative experience, with lots of opportunities to look at the different and make it the same. When once asked after returning from this time, I believe by a brother in Elder’s Quorum one day, what I thought was the biggest difference between our cultures, I responded by saying that the Chinese write their “ones” like this “”, and we write ours like this “”, and that that antithesis about summed it up. In truth, I was doing a disservice to the people and culture of China, as if I learned any one thing in my time there, it was that things that we see as different are not “weird,” they’re just that- different. We just wear different color sunglasses, and once we take those off, we have the same hopes, cares, and dreams.
I hope that I can realize the same as I travel to another land with whose customs I am unfamiliar and whose language will be a tough nut to crack. Fortunately, the Lord has provided a nutcracker with his promise of the gift of tongues. This gift, I think, comes through two different avenues. First, the Lord’s incredible promise of language comprehension is promised in Doctrine and Covenants, section 46, verses 23 and 24, which reads, “It is given to some to speak with tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues.” Secondly, though, we are promised that after we are baptized, and stay true to our covenants, we may likewise be blessed with the tongue of the Spirit. 2nd Nephi, chapter 31 verse 13 states, “Then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels.” This ability to share the things of the Spirit, I think, is even more important than what we normally regard as language ability, and is something that I will strive for all throughout my mission and beyond.
I, as have many before me, always been desirous to serve a mission, and I can hardly believe that time crept, or rather, pounced, up so quickly. Now that I think about it, actually, I’m still waiting to grow that foot or two. As I heard stories of my great grandfather bushwhacking in Australia and my dad stoking the coal fires in the early morning light of Hamburg, I, too, wanted to have such an experience in my life.
Until relatively recently, however, I feel that my desires were misplaced, and even selfish in some regards. My excitement was more geared toward going somewhere in the world and doing my best to integrate myself into the culture and learn the language; in essence, to have an adventure. To travel was to explore; to fly, to escape, to grow. This was by all regards an inappropriate attitude for missionary service, and I knew this. I could say the right reasons, to share the gospel with God’s children, I just felt like I couldn’t fully convince myself that that was engrained into my heart.
One day, though, as I read through the scriptures, the promise made in Mosiah, chapter 3, verse 20, of the Book of Mormon, struck me heavily. “And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” Revelations chapter 14, verse 6, similarly speaks of, quote, “having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” End quote. These simple verses drastically changed my outlook on missionary service, and I recognized that for me to be successful on my mission, these two ideologies must come together before the Lord.
First, I must have this great love for the people of the area wherein I would be serving. I must observe their culture and make it my own, and switch out my sunglasses, that I may see how I may most effectively share the word of Christ and work toward the fulfillment of these prophecies. This doesn’t have any right to be true, considering my limited exposure to the Korean culture, and it is hard to explain, but I already do feel a deep love for these people and their land, and I cannot wait to immerse myself more fully. A part of me will always be here with you, but I feel not as if I am travelling to a foreign land with those of a different culture, but rather that I am in some ways going to a new home, to where I belong, and where I will cultivate close friendships as we grow together in the gospel.
Secondly, the gospel of Christ must be foremost in my own life. If I will be serving the Lord and spreading His word, then I must for myself have a sure knowledge of its truthfulness. I once more knelt down for myself and asked God, if these things be true, to confirm them unto me. I received again a sweet affirmation, and I knew that God loved me, that the Gospel was indeed true, and that I was blessed to have such knowledge. This knowledge is an incredible blessing in my own life, and is a bright light when difficulties arise, a crutch when the journey is long, and a shared yoke when the burden is heavy. With the joy of knowing the integral role that Christ plays in my life, I have come to desire nothing so much as to share this joy with the world, that our sins our swallowed up in Christ, and that we may live with our Heavenly Father once more if we only persevere. I love the Gospel with all of my heart, and I am keen to spread this love with God’s children in Korea.
In order to share God’s message with others, we must, both as full-time missionaries and as the Lord’s servants in whatever place or occupation we may be, take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We must seek to know Him on a personal level so that we can do His will, put Him first in our lives, and stand as “witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places.”
So what does this mean for us on a practical level?
First, it simply means that our hearts are always full of love. We are promised in the eighteenth chapter of Mosiah that:
“As [we] are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death, that [we] may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that [we] may have eternal life.”
Secondly, we need to put our respect for God above our fear of man. As Christ performed miracles and taught of His doctrine, He was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief . . . he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:3-5)
He did everything for the glory of His father and to grant us the ability to return to live with Him without fear for what earthly consequences could have and did come.
If we take upon ourselves His name, then, as we covenant at baptism and each week when we take the sacrament, we are promising to honor His name, to seek to be like Him, to put aside worldly fears, to realize what He went through for our sake, and be more empathetic because of this, and, because we love Him, to keep His commandments.
Above all, let us all live so that we may, at the pleasing bar of judgment, turn with confidence to our Lord Jesus Christ and say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) I have honored thy name.
Even as we are faithful, though, as challenges come and barriers block our way, it is often easy to be discouraged, to blow things out of proportion, and simply to feel that we don’t know where we are going in life. “When you’re lost and alone,” go the lyrics to a popular modern song, “or you’re sinking like a stone, carry on.” I think that a common misconception in our often individualistic and fast-paced world is that no one is out there to help you. That when times get tough, it’s just- you.
However, we need never to go through trials alone. This, I think, is the most important message that I will have the opportunity to share: the knowledge that we are never alone, and that one who understands all and has won a victory over all that threatens us is available to succor us if only we turn to Him.
Let us, then, when we face opposition that would have us become discouraged, trust in the capable hands of our lord, and say unto Him, in the words of one of my favorite hymns:
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee! E'en though it be a cross / That raiseth me. Still all my song shall be / Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
I know with all of my heart that God loves each and every one of us, and knows our aspirations and our weaknesses, but most importantly, our strengths, our gifts, and our potential as His children. Because of this, He sent His Only Begotten son to die for us, that we may be cleansed of the sins that arise as a result of our imperfection and mortality here on Earth. Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, walked a long, difficult, and lonely path, full of suffering and persecutions of every kind, but always, always, He remained true. Because He walked alone, we now never need be ourselves. The sting of death and sin is swallowed up in the goodness of our Savior. Of us, the Redeemer spoke words of consolation, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].” (John 14:18) He wants us to be happy, and our suffering and afflictions will be “but a small moment” if we but turn our eyes to God and let His love permeate our very beings.
It is with great earnestness that I seek to bring the knowledge of our Savior to those who are looking for answers. Many worry about their families, or seek to be grounded in a world of quickly changing values. Our opportunity will be to bring hope and courage, and to invite these beloved individuals to embrace the Gospel of Christ. The Lord’s Gospel is truly on Earth, and will bless our lives both here and in the eternities to come.
The Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is central to our religion. The Atonement provides the ability to repent, to be made whole, and to live eternally with our Father in Heaven. It is this miraculous promise that I am particularly eager to share with the people of Korea. All of the unfathomable blessings of Christ’s sacrifice in Gethsemane are available to all those who live in faithful accordance with his principles, humble ourselves before Him, and endure, trusting in our Lord, to the end. Our great message to the world is that each one of us is invited to come into the fold of Christ; to walk into His arms and feel the safety, purity, and absolute goodness that He emanates.
Brothers and sisters, I know that God loves us. I know that He has a plan for us, and that we may be saved in His mercy and His goodness. I know that Jesus Christ, His son, died on the cross, the poignant and perfect end to a life filled only with goodness. I know that today God has blessed us with a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, to guide and direct us. I know that the prophets who came before were called of God, and that in 1820, Joseph Smith truly did kneel down to pray, and saw God the Father and the Son. I do not feel adequate in the slightest to be blessed with this opportunity to serve God’s people in South Korea, but under his guidance, as I strive earnestly to be live worthily of his name and be “even as [He is],” all things shall be made possible.
Annyeonghi kyeseyo. Stay in peace, brothers and sisters.
