Mission Farewell Talk -
Soon Scott and I will be gone for six months living, working and teaching on Holy Ground. I am grateful that we will be in a Holy Place. I know the faith of those who have gone before me will help sustain me. I pray for the spirit of the Lord to be with all of us as I try to describe the things of my heart.
In Philippians 4:13 it says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
What does it mean to me that I can do all things through Christ?
How does that look in my life?
When I feel what I need to do or am asked to do requires God’s grace to make it possible, I turn to God for help. Anxiety is a reminder that I need Him, I need to Hear Him. Anxiety means I care about the outcome enough to turn to Him. It helps me remember Him. As it says in Ether 12:27,”And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
When have I leaned into God’s grace?
The time in my life when I asked for God’s grace most consistently was as a seminary teacher. That is when I daily exercised the actions of 2 Nephi 32:9 and learned firsthand about the grace of God. It says, ”But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”
While I was teaching seminary I would leave my class full of the spirit because “win, lose or draw” as a teacher in class, I was always blessed with the spirit as a gift for doing my best and because I had asked for it to bless my students as well as myself. I learned early on that going straight home to prepare the next day’s lesson would allow that gift of the spirit to stay with me longer. In hindsight, I recognize that maybe it took me a little longer than most to prepare the next day’s lesson not because I was struggling, but because I loved having the spirit teach me. That spirit allowed my home to become a holy place. I wanted more of that in my life.
Where we are serving our mission in Wyoming is considered by many to be a holy place because of the things that have taken place there. It is holy because of the sacrifices the pioneers made in faith to obey the prophet to gather to Zion and it is holy because of the charity and sacrifices of those who came from SLC to rescue the pioneers who became stranded due to an early winter storm as they traveled with handcarts to SLC.
I remember my parents teaching me what it meant to be on Holy Ground. The most consistent time was each Sunday as we attended church. As a child it meant dressing differently when I entered the Chapel. I know they hoped my dress would help me behave differently, feel differently, and be a better version of myself. Then, I could learn how the Chapel feels differently because it is a holy place.
The temple is a Holy place and ever since the first time I went to the temple I could feel that I was on Holy Ground. I could see the majesty of God there. I could see Order and Beauty. I could feel Peace. I have felt God’s Love and presence as I have visited the temple. These experiences have helped me understand how I feel on Holy Ground.
My father’s grandmother, Annie Jones was 9 when her family left Wales to join the saints in Salt Lake City. I often refer to her when I tell about my connection to Martin’s Cove and the experiences of the pioneers there, but today I would like to mention her father, Elias Jones. After all, he is the reason she came. Elias joined the church in Wales in 1849 at the age of 40. He owned a grocery store and part of a Coal Mine. Elias had a large family with his wife Mary, but she passed away shortly after the birth of their youngest child in 1854. Mary’s younger sister who was a recent widow and mother of one came to help Elias with his family and they married in January 1856. They wanted to gather with the Saints. They sold the mine and their belongings, prepared their family, which consisted of 9 children ranging from 18 to 2 and left Wales in April 1856. They took a boat to Boston. They took a train to Iowa. They spent the summer building handcarts for other saints to cross the plains. They joined the Hunt Wagon Company which followed the Martin Handcart company late in the summer of 1856. They traveled with 8 Oxen, 2 cows, 2 wagons, a horse and buggy, and everything they needed to get to Salt Lake City and to establish a home there comfortably. For them everything went well for the first few weeks. Then the early winter storm came on October 19th. Imagine the weight of responsibility that hits a father of 9 when he has taken his children out on a trek across an unknown country and you’re over 300 miles away from your destination. The snow is so deep you have no choice but to stop traveling. You need to be safe as you move forward. You need to help others who are in a far worse predicament because they have their families out in the same conditions with only a handcart and far less provisions and food.
When the snow was trampled and the road made for the wagons the snow along the side was above the tops of the wagons. I am sure the faith that brought them to this point was the faith that got them through it.
In early October Brigham Young called for rescuers in general conference and 50 men started their travels East to meet and help the pioneers on trail. So, Yes, there was a heroic effort by rescuers who came from SLC. Yes, the rescuers charity offered the pioneers comfort and care. They were needed and appreciated. The snowy conditions didn’t just disappear. They traveled slowly to Salt Lake City in snowy conditions with the last of the pioneers and rescuers arriving by December 15th.
Elias and his family didn’t have as many hardships as those who were traveling in the handcart companies, but he did make sacrifices to obey the prophet and gather with the saints to establish Zion.
Elias left his mother of 81 behind in Wales. He lost his infant daughter, Hannah, along the way and she was buried in Ohio. He spent his summer building handcarts for other families. His cows were stolen along the trek. He helped to bury those from the handcart companies who didn’t survive the trek. He trampled snow to prepare the road for the wagons which badly froze his feet. He left behind their possessions at Martin’s Cove so they could help transport members of the handcart company. They were promised they could return to retrieve their belongings later, but many of their precious things were stolen. He came to SLC to find the home he had purchased before leaving Wales didn’t exist.
That is a whole lot of sacrifice, but his Faith in Jesus Christ and his desire to obey a prophet of God sustained him through it.
After arriving in SLC he rented a home in SLC that winter. He and his wife were able to go to the Endowment House (for temple covenants and ordinances) that Spring. The next fall they moved to Spanish Fork, Utah where he established a new life and raised his family for the next 11 years until he died in 1867 at the age of 58.
So, What does it mean that I can do all things in Christ?
It means when I am confronted with a task or assignment that is beyond myself, I know I can turn to Him and with faith request His grace, His assistance. President Hinckley said it best when he said,” “Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do.”
Scott and I will be gone for six months living, working and teaching on Holy Ground. I am grateful that we will be in a Holy Place. I know the faith of those who have gone before me will help sustain me. I am grateful for my ancestors who brought our family to America, who chose to join the church and set the example for me of Faith, Obedience, Sacrifice and Charity.
If you find yourself passing through the beautiful state of Wyoming this summer, you should stop by and see this Holy Place for yourself. Consider this your personal invitation. You can pull a handcart to Martin’s Cove. You can watch the Sweetwater River snake across the land. You can see how Devil’s Gate and Split Rock Mountain can be seen in the distance and would be used as landmarks to guide the pioneers as they traveled. You can come and say Hello to your favorite people who will be there this summer. It will be a good time for sure.
I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the direction it gives me. It has brought me to this point and I know it will continue to guide my path in life. My efforts to Follow Christ and Come Unto Him help me be a better person. I am just a little intimidated to be the one wearing the name of Christ on a missionary nametag, but that is where faith comes in, right?
I know that there is a God who loves each of us. He is there every time we will turn to Him. He sent His Son to be our Savior. It is through Faith in Jesus Christ that all things are possible. I am grateful for this knowledge. I have faith in Jesus Christ and it helps me to believe that I can do hard things.
