Walking with the Savior
When I was a young boy, my family
and I would go on walks together throughout the mountainside, we would put on
our jackets and walking shoes, then head out for our walk. It wasn’t a very
long distance in which we would walk, but I can remember when I was young and when
we were first starting these walks, it would feel as though it would never
end... but as we more frequently went walking, the distance would feel shorter
and shorter and our pace would further increase. We would walk up through the
trees and into the denser parts of the forest, where many times in the winter,
there would be snow freshly fallen on the ground. In my family, we love nature,
and we love taking walks together, they have always provided us with a sense of
peace and also a time of learning from one another. However peaceful, they are
not always easy, sometimes the hills are steep, the trails muddy, and or the
weather changes amidst the walk. You can never really be sure of what will be
ahead.
When I first began my mission, I
began in Kilungu Hills, an area that is typically called “up country” or the
“village” and thus doesn’t have a lot of development, but rather is a more
rural farming community. This was of great joy to me as I had the privilege to
walk every day in the Hills of Kenya which were absolutely beautiful, terraced
with farms, banana trees, and sugar cane. It was very much like walking with my
family through the mountains. But rather than walking with my family, it was a
walk with the Savior and through him and the journey throughout my mission I have
been taught many lessons, some of which I will share.
First; Leave your fears, worries, and
doubts behind, He is the Master, we can trust him.
We don’t always know what will happen along the way, we rarely know the
magnitude of the trials we will have to face, but as we faithfully follow the
path marked by Jesus Christ, we can find peace in the fact that He will never
lead us astray. In Luke 5: 1 – 11 We read the account of Peter being called to
the ministry, Christ had come to the shores of the lake where Peter and his
brethren were washing their nets, these humble fishers had caught nothing, but
when Jesus instructed them to try once more and put their nets on the other
side the net filled with fish, almost to sinking the ship. Now as they sat
there in amazement, “Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou
shalt catch men.” Their obedience to this simple sentence would forever change
their lives, as we read, “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”
They gave up everything they had previously known including their fear, worry
and doubt, and acted on faith. Jesus Christ is the Master, he came to lead the
way back to our Heavenly Home, when we trust his guidance, we may see his light
guiding the path before us.
Second; Take time to look around and enjoy
the moment
In Doctrine and Covenants we learn 59:18 -20 “Yea, all things which come
of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of
man, both to please the eye and to
gladden the heart;” Recently on an exchange we were in Kilungu Hills, while
walking to an appointment, we stopped to take a breath and look at the
beautiful landscape before us. I thought about how blessed we are to serve in
Kenya, We are only able to serve one time as full time missionaries, and we
have the blessing of being in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
As we go about each day teaching and serving, let us take notice of the birds,
the trees, the sunsets, the animals, the joyful smiles of the people we teach,
all these things were created to bring us joy.
Third; If we get off the path, He will
always beckon us to return
There are times throughout the mission where we may get off
the path a bit, whether it be in our obedience, our diligence, our attitude, or
even our faith. In all these cases, the Savior knows the danger and consequence
of those decisions, but more importantly, he knows our true potential and seeks
for us to have the best, so he calls for us to return to the correct path, the
path which is the only way to true lasting happiness. When the Lord spoke to
the Prophet Ezekiel he expressed this concern for us saying “23Have
I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not
that he should return from his ways, and live? 32 For I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
My favorite example of this is found in John 21. In this chapter we learn of
Christ’s disciples after his ascension. Peter and about half of the other
disciples decide to return to fishing. As they go out and make their attempt,
they catch nothing. Christ comes and stands on the shore and unrecognizably he
gives guidance as to how they may catch fish. As with their first experience,
they catch a multitude of fish. Later, when Christ speaks to Peter, Christ
beckons for Peter to return to the work which he had been called to do. It
wasn’t that fishing was a bad thing, but Peter and the other disciples had a
much greater duty and potential to fulfill. Jesus Christ is our Lord and
Savior, he knows what is best for us, when we fall off the path we must listen
to his beckoning and return to his loving arms.
My Dear Elders and Sisters, We are all walking with the
Savior. As we serve him and do so with Obedience and Diligence, he is able to
stand by us and guide our steps, we need his guidance, he has many lessons to
teach us. When we listen to his teaching, he teaches us more. It has been said
that serving a mission is like going to the University of Life. I would agree
with this saying, it gives two years or eighteen months to walk daily with the
Savior. I know this is what the Lord wants us to be doing at this time of our
life, it will bless our lives and those of our posterity for eternity, but more
so it will bless the lives of those we have helped receive the Gospel.
I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the way for us to
return home, if we focus on the atonement in all that we do and remember the
great mercy and love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us, then
we can have their continuing smile of approval. May we show this our
appreciation and love by Walking continually in His footsteps.
Have Faith, Be Focused, Work Hard
Until we meet again,Elder Rushton Jay Hiltbrand
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