Dear
Elders and Sisters,
As I read
your emails from last week, I really enjoyed all your thoughts and insights
regarding the Parable of the Laborers from Matthew chapter 20 as well as Elder
Holland’s conference talk. This parable seems unfair or difficult to accept
when we read it from a standpoint of pride and self-sufficiency. If we humble
ourselves and consider that all that we have, and even more so all that we are,
is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father, then we feel immense gratitude and are
less inclined to feel entitled to praise, reward or position. When I think of
all that I have learned and gained as a result of serving the Lord, how can I
in good conscience even think about what I “deserve” in return?
I selected
a few emails to share with you:
“As I read
the talk this week I had thoughts applicable to both me and investigators… As I
read it made me think back to the MTC, just a few weeks into my mission. I was
in a district of Elders and Sisters who had been in the church since they were
little and there were times when they were talking about something and I just
had no idea what they were talking about. I felt like those people picked at
the last hour. I was almost ashamed of myself for not being in the church
sooner and I was sure that I would not be a very good or effective missionary.
However now that I've been here for some time I KNOW that that wasn't true even
in the least. The Lord blesses us according to our work and our heart. He makes
up for the weaknesses and shortcomings we might have. I may not have had the
most in depth understanding of everything but through hard work and diligent
study I have grown my testimony and realized that a successful missionary isn't
someone who just knows how to do everything perfectly, we never will be to that
point. All missionaries have to "learn on the job", and the
successful ones realize their potential is as large as their desire, faith, and
diligence.”
“I liked
the second point Elder Holland taught about not wasting the final reward
because of something that happened earlier in the day. Every time I hear a
story a missionary being disobedient I think my faith is hurt a little bit, and
sometimes I remember times during the day when I was not truly diligent, when I
rode past a person who needed the gospel, or when my personal selfishness hurt
the strength of the companionship. But I must remember that in the Lord's
vineyard, all that is required is that we change, turn back to Jesus, and then
continue to hold out diligent to the end. It is through the grace of Christ
that our weakness can be made strength after all.”
“The
biggest thing I pondered while reading the parable of the laborers in the
vineyard was the blessing that labor is. When we are performing the work of the
Lord, we are able to receive the assurance that we are doing something of
value, which is actually much better than being idle (where life lacks any
apparent purpose or clear direction).”
A couple
of nights ago, I had the opportunity to visit with a recent convert who has
struggled with the “fairness” of the Atonement. He couldn’t understand how or
why someone else, as in the Savior, should have to suffer for our personal sins.
Furthermore, he found it very difficult to accept the idea that we could simply
accept Christ as our Savior and then go happily on in life, even though others
may have been harmed, and are still suffering, as a result of our actions. I was grateful to have an opportunity to
increase his understanding of both repentance and the Atonement. The repentance
process is available to all individuals, young or old, naive or seasoned; the
Atonement is our source of hope and relief from the burden of all sins, small
transgressions as well as serious sins for which it may be impossible for us to
make restitution. These two great principles fit together beautifully with the
Parable of the Laborers. The hope of exaltation and eternal life is made
available to all through the atoning sacrifice freely given by Jesus Christ,
the Savior and Redeemer of the World. It is our privilege to apply these
principles in our own lives and to share them with others.
I thank
my Heavenly Father every day for the privilege that I have of being here in
Taiwan, with each one of you, engaged in His sacred work. There is nothing that
I would rather be doing at this time in my life. Thank you for the opportunity
and blessing that is mine to labor among such faithful and dedicated servants,
to learn from you and with you, and to be inspired daily by your consecrated
service.
President
Blickenstaff
Mentor
of Champions
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