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My beloved brothers and sisters, just a few weeks ago,
I was at the missionary training center in Mexico City
to share a message with the missionaries.
My wife and I purposely arrived several hours early.
As we explored the beautiful gardens and well-kept streets
of the MTC, we couldn't help but notice the happiness that
radiated from the faces of hundreds of young elders and
sisters, each focused on acquiring new language skills
and learning to better appreciate their purpose as
missionaries.
As I paused to fully take in this remarkable sight, I
reflected upon the words of Alma when he commanded his son
Helaman to keep a history of his people as part of the
records which had been entrusted with him and to
"keep all of these things sacred" so that they will one
day "go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people."
Alma then told him: "Now ye may suppose that this is
foolishness in me; but behold, I say unto you, that by small
and simple things are great things brought to pass; and
small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great
and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth
confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many
souls."
The innocence and youth of our missionaries exemplify the
Lord's way, that those who are humble may "invite others to
come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored
gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement,
repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and enduring to the end." As members of the Church, we are
able, through our own small and simple things to
"[convince]
many of the error of their ways" and help "[bring]
them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of
their souls."
On one occasion I accompanied a stake president and bishop
to visit a less-active member.
We taught him, in a very simple way, about the
blessings of the Sabbath.
We expressed to him our sincere love.
He responded, "All I needed was to have someone come and
give me an abrazo, or hug." I immediately stood up and
embraced him.
The next day was Sunday.
This same brother came to sacrament meeting with his
entire family.
During a teaching visit, Martha, a member of our ward,
told my wife and her companion never to come back again.
She had decided to stop coming to church.
One of the visiting teachers ask Marta if they could sing a
hymn together this one last time, and she agreed.
As they sang, something special happened.
Little by little, the Spirit began to fill the room.
Each of them felt it.
Martha's heart began to soften.
With her eyes filled with tears, she expressed to her
visiting teachers the feelings of her heart.
At that moment, she realized that she knew that
the Gospel was true.
She now thanked her visiting teachers and expressed a
desire for them to return.
From that day forward she received them with joy.
Martha began to attend church with her young daughter.
For years they attended regularly, with Martha never
losing hope that her husband might eventually choose to
come to join them.
At last the day came when the Lord touched his heart, and he
began to attend with them, as did their other daughter soon
thereafter.
This family began to feel the true joy that comes from
having gospel blessings in their home.
Martha has since served faithfully as our ward Relief
Society president, and her husband has served well in
several callings within the stake.
All this began with the singing of a hymn, a small and
simple thing that touched Martha's heart.
Naaman was a "captain of the host of the king of Syria," an
"honourable" man, a "mighty man in
valour, but he was [also]
a ***." After being unsuccessful in finding a cure
for his leprosy from the king of Israel, Naaman went to the
House of Elisha, the prophet.
"Elisha sent a messenger [out to] him, saying, Go and wash
in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh will come again to thee,
and thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I
thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call
on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over
the place, and recover the ***.
. . .
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said,
My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,
wouldest thou not have done it?
how much rather then, when he sayeth to
thee, Wash and be clean?
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came
again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean."
Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has invited us all
to go forth and rescue our brothers and sisters.
He said (quote), "The world is in need of your help.
There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to
encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.
The blessings of eternity await you." (Close quote.)
I testify that many of those who need our help are there
waiting for us.
They are ready for their valiant brothers and sisters
to reach out to them and rescue them through small and
simple means.
I have personally spent many hours visiting less-active
members of the Church, whose hearts have already been
softened by the Lord, who are now ready to receive our
testimonies and our sincere expressions of love.
When we reach out and invite them, they will return to the
Church without hesitation.
Let us reach out to others with faith and with love.
Let us remember the promise of the Lord: "And if it so be
that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto
these people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how
great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my
Father!"
"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you
have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how
great will be your joy if you should bring me many souls
unto me!" I bear witness of the love of the Lord toward
all His children.
I know He lives and that He is our Redeemer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.