The Gift of Life

“This work is bigger than just you and me” my wise, obedient missionary trainer once told me, directing my behaviour and teaching me.

I have wondered what those words have meant. When I am reminded of this companion, I am also reminded of those words of his. I have come to see the inspiration of that statement.

There is great work underway, and I had to stop obsessing with the missionary struggles I was facing. In the words of President Hinckley's father, “Forget yourself, and go to work.”

My companion's words and President Hinckley's Father's words have strengthened me on my mission, and throughout life.

Now, on a turn of direction, I recall with fondness the emotions I had when first encountering Elder Holland's counsel. Paraphrasing, he taught that our first convert should be ourselves! If we were to leave the mission with only one convert, who would it be?

Because, ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own salvation, it is ourselves. We should be focused and concerned with our own salvation.

How can I help others at any rate, if I myself am fallen? Wise words once were expressed as such: “You cannot lift someone higher than where you are.”

Now, the two principles I have addressed seem contradictory. Forget yourself and serve? and, focus on your own salvation?

I suggest the following statement that combines the two: “It is all about you learning that it is not about you.”

Heavenly Father is the perfect demonstrator of this principle. His work and His glory, his focus and the apple of His omniscient eye, is our progression to obtain all He has, and become all that He is in righteous character.

He can't do that if He is imperfect.

Christ was the perfect example. It is doctrine that the highly pure and righteous from the preexistence only came to earth for a short time to receive bodies of flesh and bone.

Christ was the purest, even as God. Yet, He not only obtained a body, but remained on earth. He completed a mission to save us, to be the example and the light. Thus, every moment of His life is a gift to us.  For Himself, He didn't need to stay. For us, His need to stay was beyond a need. For Him, it was a must.

And so, I propose this thought: is every moment of my life a gift to Him?

What a high standard! Only achievable through His Atoning strength. It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. Since Elder Bednar taught to replace “grace” in the scriptures with “enabling and strengthing power”, we can understand that salvation is a choice through the Atonement. We choose it. We work for it.

Giving every moment of our lives is our gift to give Him – it never repays Him, but it fulfills His plan to bring us to Him, Home again.

When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. How great will be our joy over every soul we have assisted to return to His presence!

What a grand work we have to do!