Your Road to Damascus
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Each six weeks, more so than each day in this mission,
Sister Clark and I are blessed to witness, in its finality as far as their
mission experience is concerned, the mighty change of hearts in our departing
missionaries. They leave us triumphantly and the testimonies they bear,
although brief, are powerful and indicative of their level of conversion,
service, and dedication over the past 18 or 24 months. To me it is very clear
those who have allowed their missions to go through them - to work through them
and change their lives forever. Their "lamps" are full with the oil
of conversion as they leave new members and companions behind, strengthened in
the gospel and possessing greater testimonies of and love for the Savior. They
truly know the Master Jesus Christ whom they have served. And while this is a
culminating event to their missions, their changed hearts and strong
testimonies are something they earned each and every day of their mission and
will be a blessing to them and others for a lifetime.
Having just passed through this experience again I was
drawn back to a testimony Elder Holland offered to us as we departed the MTC. I
think it is so descriptive of what we seek, what they (the Twelve) seek for us,
and most importantly what our loving Heavenly Father desires of us as we serve
Him. I share a few excerpts for your edification:
"I ask you not to worry as much about finding your
[companions] or your [apartment] or your priesthood leaders and members as much
as I ask you to find the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Somewhere out there is a moment on this road
[referring to Saul and the Road to Damascus] in which you are to be knocked on
your back. For some, it could come dramatically and in an instant. For many and
perhaps most, it will be more gradual; it will be over time. In any case, it
should have an impact for [18 or 24] months and more. It should have an impact
forever; it is an essential encounter. In all your finding, we ask you to find
the Savior and Redeemer of the world."
"Consider this verse culminating what Elder Maxwell
once called the second greatest sermon ever put in print: “For how knoweth a
man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is
far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”1— King Benjamin’s final question
after a wonderful, instructive sermon. It is my final question to you in this
seminar. How can we know a master whom we have not served, who is a stranger to
us and far from the thoughts and intents of our hearts?"
"The answer to those questions will be the measure
of your mission. We have a lot of key indicators, but the greatest of all key
indicators will be the answer to those questions. It is not reportable. It is
not publishable. It cannot be shared or compared. It is as private and personal
as that sacred grove of which these young, beautiful missionaries just
sang."
"Somewhere out there for each of you is that road to
Damascus, that road to Palmyra, that road to Gethsemane, and that road to
Calvary; ultimately the road to glory. God bless you to find it and ask the two
questions Paul (Saul) asked when that moment came to him. He asked only two
questions, “Who art thou, Lord?” and “What wilt thou have me to do?” (Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland, 2014 Mission Presidents Seminar)
As we have been interviewing, I have been witnessing so
many of you with this "Who art thou, Lord?" and "What wilt thou
have me do?" attitude. It seems to
have been "built in" to your Mission Vision or your "Road to
Damascus" and you are living it - the life of a consecrated servant. You have discovered your Missionary Purpose
and your mission has been going through you rather than you simply trying to go
or get through it. You seem to be
building upon your foundation of faith, diligence, and exact obedience to
include an attitude and willingness to sacrifice all that is required to
"bring, save it be one soul unto [Him]". I suppose a slight re-write
to Saul/Paul's expression would be: "What wilt thou have me
[sacrifice]?". May I suggest you
include in your studies this week the account of Saul/Paul and if you have time
include the Book of Mormon equivalent, the account of Alma the Younger. I will pray that you will discover or have
confirmed your "Road to Damascus".
With all my love, prayers, encouragement, and support, President
Clark
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