Hear Him As We Minister to the One

Thank you, Stephanie. I love you! In three weeks, we will celebrate our 30^th anniversary, but it seems like yesterday when we had our first date. That day was December 5, 1989, and we had shared a plate of nachos from a local gas station. We spent the evening talking and laughing with each other—it was the best first date I had ever had, and it was my last first date. We were married six months later on June 4, 1990, in the Salt Lake City Temple. Stephanie is kind and forgiving and listens without judging others. She is my best friend.

We recognize how busy you are, and we know that there are many other things you could be doing at this time. Yet you have exercised your faith in Christ to be with us. You are committed to do that which is good; you know how to discern truth from error and the light from the darkness. You are sons and daughters of God. He knows you by name, He loves you, and you are amazing.

My prayer is that we will recognize the guiding and comforting influence of the Holy Ghost as we seek to hear Him—even the voice of Jesus Christ and minister to the one.

In August 1986, at 19 years of age, I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In August 1987, a year later, I was called to serve as a missionary assigned to the Alabama Birmingham Mission. I did not know a lot about the Church or the scriptures when I left on my mission, so I was catching up as best I could.

As I learned about our Church history, I was surprised about some of the things I learned. At times, I was confused and did not understand some of the past policies and practices of the Church. This lack of understanding led to self-doubts and worries. As a result, I was resisting to become the kind of missionary the Lord needed in Alabama because I was struggling to understand my place in the gospel plan.

It was as if the Spirit of the Lord had left me, and I felt alone. Each night during the midst of my frustration, my companion ministered to me. He did not try to answer any of my questions or concerns but said at the end of each night, “Elder Johnson, I love you.” He repeated these words every night until finally my heart softened, and I began to feel that my companion truly did love me.

With a softened heart and in a quiet place, I knelt down to pray out loud to God. As I prayed, a scripture came to my mind that before this moment I had never read or studied. It is Doctrine and Covenants 6:21–23, which reads, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?”[1] 

I remembered. I cast my mind upon that night during my own conversion a year earlier when I simply asked, “Heavenly Father, is the Book of Mormon true, and is Joseph Smith a prophet?” On that day, feelings of love and joy filled my heart, and I gained a personal witness that the Book of Mormon is indeed another testament of Jesus Christ and that Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet of God.

President Nelson, our beloved prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, proclaimed that “regardless of where you live or what your circumstances are, the Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior, and God’s prophet Joseph Smith is your prophet.”[2] It is because of the Restoration of all things that families can be “sealed together forever.” We can be “baptized by one who has authority from Jesus Christ and . . . enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.” “Priesthood power can bless us as we receive essential ordinances and make covenants with God and keep them.” And the Restoration of the gospel of Christ is “an anchor to our souls.”[3] These marvelous blessings of the Restoration are for you and for me.

I love the words spoken to Esther of the Old Testament, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”[4] You have come to Earth for such a time despite the uncertainty you face with career choices, temporary failures at school or in relationships, and feelings of anxiety, depression, or loneliness. And you have come to Earth for such a time when the fulness of the gospel has been restored. This is your time to receive the magnificent blessings of the Restoration, “especially in these times when the tempest is raging.”[5] As you and I seek to enjoy these blessings, we must invite others to hear the voice of the Savior as we minister to the one.

Our Savior, the Master Teacher, shared examples of what it means to minister. You know of the parables recorded in Luke 15 regarding the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. The good shepherd leaves the ninety and nine to go after the one that is lost, and when he finds the lost sheep, “he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing.” He returns home and calls his friends, “saying unto them, rejoice with me” for the one that had been lost is now found.[6] Likewise, the woman with ten pieces of silver lights a candle, uses a broom to sweep the house, and searches diligently for the one precious coin that had been lost. When the woman finds the lost coin, she calls her friends, “saying, rejoice with me,” for the one that had been lost is now found.[7] And then there is the parable of the prodigal son who took the portion of his inheritance and wasted it with unrighteous living. We learn that “when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and . . . he came to himself [and said] . . . I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. . . . But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and kissed him. . . . The father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet . . . for this my son . . . is alive again; he was lost, and [now he] is found.”[8] My friends, I believe there are times when you and I will have to minister to the one in such roles as those of the lost sheep, the lost coin, or the prodigal son.

Yes, we may have to leave others who are faithful and resilient in their testimony of Christ to go after the one that is lost. We will have to kneel down and, in a sense, carry the one upon our shoulders to lead him or her back to the covenant path so he or she can hear Him once again. We will rejoice because the one who had been lost is now found. There are times that we may be like that good sister who employed all the resources at her disposal to find the one. We will have to light a candle, use a broom, and call upon a Relief Society sister, elders quorum president, ministering brothers, ministering sisters, and others to assist us as we seek to find and minister to the one. We will rejoice because the one who had been lost is now found. And there are times when we will be like that good father—regardless of what resources have been employed to find the one, it will not be enough. These are the times that are most difficult as we wait, hope, and pray for that day when the one we love—our brother, our sister, a son, a daughter, a classmate, a co-worker, or a good friend—comes unto himself or herself, repents, and finds the way back home. When that time comes, we will be like that father watching and faithfully waiting, and when we see the one making his or her way back to the covenant path, we will run to embrace the one with love. We will rejoice because the one who had been lost is now found.[9]

And yes, there may be a time when we will need to be like this good father and minister to the one who never left. These are the ones who come to Church each Sunday and still feel alone yet remain faithful. These are the ones who suffer from depression or anxiety and, for reasons unknown to us, are unable to hear or recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. And there are others we see who may participate in the Church but are not participating in the gospel. All of these are the ones who may ask like the faithful son, “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never . . . [prepared for me a feast] that I might make merry with my friends.”[10] It is during these moments that we must extend arms of love to hold, to nurture, and, with gentleness, to invite them to hear the loving words of the Savior, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”[11]

Those of you who are amazingly faithful and yet still feel alone, please know that you are loved and trusted and that all the Father has will be yours. Continue to make and keep your covenants and seek to feel His loving arms because He is there, you are never alone, and He wants you to hear Him—even the voice of Jesus Christ.

Today, a question for each of us is, “How will I know which role I will need to play as I seek to minister to the one in normal and natural ways?” The answer is that we will need to receive personal revelation. President Nelson declared that “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”[12] May I suggest three things we can do to be directed by the Holy Ghost.

First, we need to remember and understand the first and great commandment to love God with all our heart and strength.[13] Everything we do should be motivated by our love for God. We show our love for God by keeping His commandments—especially the commandment to repent.[14] Repentance is not punishment; it is the process of changing and becoming more like Christ each and every day. “Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power. Personal purity can make us powerful tools in the hands of God.”[15] As we repent, we allow the redeeming and healing power of the Atonement of Christ to be manifest in our lives. As we repent, we come to feel Christ’s perfect love, and, in a miraculous way, our love for Christ increases. “We love him, because he first loved us.”[16]

Second, we need to study the holy scriptures and actively participate in the home-centered Come, Follow Me curriculum. When I prayerfully study the scriptures, I receive direction and feel the comforting influence of the Holy Ghost. It is a wonderful feeling. It is a feeling that I can have every day, and so can you.

Lastly, we need to share the message of the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ with family, with friends, and with those not of our faith. Sister Jean Bingham, Relief Society General President, taught, “As you have the privilege to represent the Savior in your ministering efforts, ask yourself, ‘How can I share the light of the gospel with this individual or family? What is the Spirit inspiring me to do?’ Ministering can be done in a great variety of individualized ways.”^[17] Please note that “everyone . . . deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . They decide for themselves if they want to know more.”[18]

A little over a year ago, our family had the unique opportunity to share with our friend Katrisse, a single mother, the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Katrisse is an amazing woman of faith with six beautiful children, five courageous boys and an angelic daughter, ranging in age from five to fifteen. As we discussed the gospel together, there was a defining moment when the missionaries asked Katrisse’s oldest son to give the closing prayer. It was the first time Jay’Mon had prayed out loud to God. The love and gratitude that filled our home that day was almost overwhelming. We all felt it. After the discussion, while returning the missionaries to their home, I asked the elders what they saw as they looked at Katrisse with her beautiful children.

With love for this family, they said, “Elder Johnson, we see this family dressed in white for their baptism.”

And then they asked me, “What do you see?”

I said, “Elders, I see Katrisse with her children being endowed with power in the house of the Lord, kneeling at the altar to be sealed for time and for all eternity. I see the children serving missions. I see the circle of poverty being broken as these wonderful children of the Lord receive college degrees and advanced training that enables them to pursue careers that provide financial stability. Oh, Elders, I see so much more than a family being baptized.”

Following this conversation, the discussions we had with Katrisse in our home changed. The missionaries stopped teaching lessons and began to teach Katrisse the things she needed to know and to do to hear Him so that she could envision what the Lord had in store for her and her family.

I testify that there are individuals and families like Katrisse all around us, even in Rexburg, Idaho. Please know that others need to know and feel what you know and what you feel.

In the bicentennial proclamation to the world, the First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state, “We as His Apostles invite all to know—as we do—that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”[19]

May I add my witness that as we love God with all our heart, prayerfully study the scriptures, and share the message of the Restoration, we will hear His voice and come to know Him as our Savior and Redeemer. We will receive the promised blessings pronounced by a prophet of God, even President Russell M. Nelson. He promised that we will be “blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness.” We will have “miracles in our marriages, family relationships, and in our daily work, and our . . . capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in our lives.”[20]

I know these promised blessing will be ours as we seek to hear Him, minister to the one in normal and natural ways, and invite others to receive the message of the Restoration. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES

[1]. See Doctrine and Covenants 6:20–23.

[2]. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 88–92.

[3]. Ibid.

[4]. See Esther 4:14.

[5]. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 88–92.

[6]. See Luke 15:6.

[7]. See Luke 15:9.

[8]. See Luke 15:11–24.

[9]. Please note that although I state there may be a time for you to minister to the one, I fully recognize that many of you have or are doing this right now. You are ministering to people and those close to you who are grieving or who may not be on the covenant path at this time. You are ministering in the Savior’s way.

[10]. See Luke 15:24–32.

[11]. See Matthew 25:21.

[12]. Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018; churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/05/sunday-morning-session/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng.

[13]. See Matthew 22:35–40.

[14]. See John 14:15.

[15]. Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 68–69.

[16]. 1 John 4:19.

[17]. Jean B. Bingham, “Ministering as the Savior Does,” Ensign, May 2018; churchofjesuschrist .org/study/ensign/2018/05/sunday-afternoon-session/ministering-as-the-savior-does.html?lang=eng#title1.

[18]. Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018; ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

[19]. “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 91–92.

[20]. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 88–92.