I love, love, love this talk from Elder Holland. I loved it while I was serving a full-time mission, and I love it now as a member missionary.
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.
If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.
The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
I'm grateful for the experiences we have as full-time missionaries and member missionaries wherever we may labor. It is hard work and sometimes when investigators or friends reject something that is so precious to us it brings us sorrow and confusion and a slew of other feelings. Why wouldn't someone accept the gospel? I experienced while serving a mission, it was really hard to see someone progress then have them just completely drop us and choose to reject the gospel. Like Elder Holland says, we need to take a step toward the summit of Calvary and spend a little time in Gethsemane. Not only when we sorrow for those who choose to reject the message but when I first went out in the field I realized how inadequate I was. I have a lot of faults and I still had them then and as a full-time missionary I think your past wrongdoings and your faults are magnified at least at first. It brought me closer to the Savior, my understanding and gratitude for the Atonement grew exponentially. I know the Atonement carried me as a full-time missionary and I know it still does as I strive to do what is right and also as I make my feeble attempts to share the gospel. I can always do better, no matter whether I am successful at sharing the gospel or not, my testimony will grow, my relationship with the Savior will deepen, and the way to salvation will be clear in my eyes. I love the gospel and I love you all. Also, a shout out to Cheeseman for choosing to serve the Lord for two full years and watching you as you have developed your testimony in the last couple years has been a testimony builder for me. I wish I had prepared as well as you have when I was preparing to serve a mission.
Here in Iowa and everywhere there are a lot of people that I meet who are comfortable and complacent when it comes to religion and I can see the potential if they will just take a little step closer to the Savior by coming to know Him better through the restored gospel. However, I still love them, I pray to serve them, and I am hopeful for the day when they will accept the gospel and I can truly rejoice with them. For now, I try to do what I can and recognize the Savior's hand in my life as I try to be a better missionary and receive the blessings of the gospel. Love you all! Hopefully this all makes some sense :)
Kelly Kelly
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