#26 "Go Ye into All the World, and Preach My Gospel"

Our Heritage, pgs. 29-33, 36

Picture yourself walking down the streets, or floating down the streets of New Orleans, and Indonesia after the Tsunami and devastating hurricane, what different kinds of attitudes do you think you would find among those people after such a devastating and destructive blow? I remember some of the scenes shown on the news of people fighting for bottled water and supplies for their families, I recall people sitting there despondent, staring off into space too depressed to move or do anything. I remember people all huddled in a small corner of that huge football arena till they could be placed in a more livable place. One thing I didn’t see were people running around with smiles on their faces happy about their current situation.

The early saints experienced a devastating and destructive blow when many of their members, members who held high positions in the church, apostatized. Their numbers were relatively small, growing but slowly, it seemed there was a time when there were more leaving the church than coming to.

I thought about their situation and how it parallels our situation in a couple of ways. Our wards were struggling for so long, people we know going inactive or moving away at a quicker rate than are moving in. Our numbers are dwindling again, I’m sure summer has a lot to do with it, or at least I hope that is the case but nonetheless, our ward situation is similar to the early saints. If you ever feel a bit discouraged that there is no one to put into a calling, or that people aren’t doing their callings, or you just feel like there isn’t hope we can take a lesson from the early saints and their mission calls.

The lesson “Go Ye into All the World, and Preach My Gospel” is the answer to all of these problems. How is that you ask? Well I came upon this phrase in Our Heritage that led me in this direction. P32 Mission to England-(1st para)
In the latter part of the Kirtland period, a crisis arose within the Church. Some members, including some leaders, apostatized because they could not bear trials and persecutions and because they began to find fault with the Prophet Joseph and other Church leaders. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that something new must be done for the salvation of his Church. That something was an infusion of converts into the church from England.

The Lord promised the saints in D&C 112:19-22 that whithersoever they shall go He would be with them and if they proclaimed His word while listening to the spirit shall have power to open the door of His kingdom no matter where it is. This promise was fulfilled, whereas, in 18 months, 2,000 people had joined the church, forming 26 branches. In the church history manual p234 & 235 it sates that “over 10,000 British saints sailed to America. By 1870 there were 28, 000 more, and the majority of the adult Saints in Utah were former natives of the British Isles.” “British converts who emigrated to Nauvoo provided vital support to the Twelve following the death of Joseph Smith.”
The Lords answer to the early saints’ devastation as well as our dwindling numbers is to convert new people, bring in ‘new blood’, people who are excited about the gospel, people who want to serve and Love the lord through worship and service, people who come in and infect those of us with sour attitudes or hopelessness that may be creeping in.
On pg. 33 and then pg.30 it states the result of missionary work done at that time. “Because many early missionaries obediently accepted mission calls despite personal sacrifice, thousands of British converts enjoyed the blessings of the restored gospel. They gathered to Zion and greatly strengthened the Church for the crucial periods that lay ahead.”
“Through these missionary efforts, many people received a witness of the truth of the gospel. They became valiant members who brought great strength to the young Church.

If we learn one thing from all the apostates it should be that the Lord’s church will continue with or without us, it will continue. If we don’t do something He will send His servants to bring in new people to take their places. They can and have been replaced.

So if you are frustrated with the youth you are over or can’t seem to find someone to put in as a teacher or counselor, take the counsel of our Savior-Go Preach the Gospel to the world.

*Write responses on the board*How can we do this? How can we start? How about individually-How can we start? Home/visiting teaching, meeting your neighbors, having a neighborhood bbq, inviting a friend to a movie or enrichment night, quilting day, etc. My parents had a neighborhood bbq, there are no LDS people on their block at all, but they had the party anyway. Even though this party didn’t bring in the result of conversions or even any missionary discussions, they now know their neighbors, they wave to each other a little more than they did before. Even the neighborhood drunk waves quite enthusiastically now. (Especially when he’s had a few)

Now how can we do missionary work and bring in new people as a presidency? How about having activities and parties, getting people involved and having something fun to go to? How about having Spiritual experiences in our classes instead of just a lesson that was read out of the book? Or what about just getting the list of the members in your quorums and classes and just visiting them and taking with you the promise in 112 ‘that if you humble yourself and go with the spirit the doors will be opened.’

It is very easy to make excuses of why we shouldn’t go or do missionary work, but as we look at the stories of the 1st missionaries we need to follow their examples. Listen to this paragraph and name some of the excuses they could’ve used as to why they shouldn’t go. P30 “Many of them (the saints) were married (my spouse needs me) and had family responsibilities.(my family doesn’t see me as it is) They departed in the midst of harvests (I need to provide for my family) and during the dead of winter(it’s too cold/hot), during periods of personal prosperity (I’m too busy making money to provide for my family, maybe when I retire) and at times of economic depression.(I’m too poor to serve or do missionary work) They had the same excuses we have don’t they, nothing has changed. Satan still gets us with the same excuses he could’ve gotten them with if they weren’t completely diligent in following the Lord’s call to preach. Satan even went to great lengths in making them get sick so they wouldn’t go. I loved the stories on p227 of the Church History manual of how even though the twelve were sick at one time or another before they left, that still didn’t get them down.

“John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, still sick from malaria, determined to depart immediately. Wilford Woodruff wrote, “Early upon the morning of the 8th of August, I arose from my bed of sickness, laid my hands upon the head of my sick wife, Phoebe, and blessed her. I then departed from the embrace of my companion, and left her almost without food or the necessaries of life. She suffered my departure with the fortitude that becomes a saint, realizing the responsibilities of her companion…Although feeble; I walked to the banks of the Mississippi River. There President Young took me in a canoe… and paddled me across the river. When we landed, I lay down on a side of sole leather, by the post office, to rest. Brother Joseph, the prophet of God, came along and looked at me. ‘Well, Brother Woodruff,’ said he, ‘you have started upon your mission.’ ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘but I feel and look more like a subject for the dissecting room than a missionary.’ Joseph replied: ‘What did you say that for? Get up, and go along; all will be right with you.’

John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff struggled on their journey to the east coast. In Indiana, John Taylor became deathly ill, and Wilford had to leave him behind, committing him into the hands of the Lord. After a miraculous recovery, Elder Taylor continued on his journey. He was stricken again, but finally met Elder Woodruff in New York.
The departures of the other brethren were similarly difficult. Brigham Young was prepared to leave on 14 September, just shortly after his wife, Mary Ann had given birth to a daughter. When he left Montrose, however, he was so ill that he could not walk the 500 feet to the river unaided. Three days later, Mary Ann, still weak from childbirth, arranged to cross the river and care for her husband who was staying at the home of Heber C. Kimball in Nauvoo. On 18 September, Brigham and Heber decided it was time to start on their appointed mission. Both men were so ill that they had to be helped into a wagon. All of the Kimball household were bedridden except 4 yr. old Heber Parley, who could just manage to carry water to the sick. As the men drove off, Heber said he felt that “my very inmost parts would melt with in me at leaving my family in such a condition, as it were almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could not endure it. I asked the teamster to stop, and said to Bother Brigham, ‘This is pretty tough, isn’t it; let’s rise up and give them a cheer.’ We arose and swinging our hats three times over our heads shouted: ‘Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.’ Vilate hearing the noise arose from her bed and came to the door. She had a smile on her face. Vilate and Mary Anne Young cried out to us: ‘Goodbye, God bless you.’”

*What kind of attitude can we take from this story and put it into our own missionary efforts?

When we go with a positive attitude one that is humble with determination to follow the prophet and the Lord we get blessings like one the ones Brigham Young shares on p228 of Church History manual: ‘Elders Young and Kimball were joined en route by George A. Smith. As they traveled Brigham reached into his trunk and always found just enough money for the next stage coach fare. He thought Heber was replenishing the fund, but later discovered that he had not. The brethren had started their trip with $13.50 in donations, yet they spent more that $87 on coach fares. They had no idea how the additional money had gotten into the trunk “except by some unseen agent from the Heavenly world to forward the promulgation of the Gospel.”

Also because they continued in faith many miracles happen to them as well as through them. They healed the sick the brought many people into this church, their spirituality grew more than they could even imagine. Because of their efforts and diligence the church continued to grow and have plenty of people to fulfill callings and serve one another.

When devastation occurs in your life take the Lord’s counsel “Go Ye into All the World, and Preach My Gospel”. Can you do it? Will you do it? How will you start? What are you willing to sacrifice for it? Sharing the Gospel brings answers to problems that seem to not even be related, but they all work out when we are in His service He gives us that promise, of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.