The Lord Always Provides A Way

Heavenly Father has this tendency to give us responsibilities whether or not we request it. We will always have the agency and ability to choose for ourselves to accept or decline. If we decline we will forfeit the outcome that could have blessed our lives. If we accept, having faith in Jesus Christ, despite our disabilities, imperfections, failures and doubts, we are promised in 1 Nephi 3:7 "the Lord shall prepare a way for them."

Here is an example in the Book of Mormon. Nephi and his brothers were commanded to return to Jerusalem and get the record of the Jews and genealogy of their father from Laban, which were engraved on brass plates. They fled this place previously from a commandment to leave the city. Now they are asked to return and collect these brass plates. Nephi accepted the call and eventually so did his brothers. They failed twice before they succeeded. Nephi was firm and had faith the Lord "would prepare a way to accomplish the things which the Lord had commanded them" (1 Nephi 3:7). Now we have Another Testament of Jesus Christ and the fulness of the everlasting gospel which was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Heavenly Father has always issued a need to preach the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to His children around the world. I accepted this call at the age of 12. I wanted to be like Nephi and say "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded" and prepared myself for the day I would be called upon. I had faith the Lord would prepare a way, but the journey wasn't easy and He never told me how long it would take.

I've heard that when you prepare for a mission, Satan is also preparing for you not to go at the same time. I never thought that it would be the case for me. By the time I was of age to submit my mission papers, it was the day before my meeting with the Stake President that I had surrendered myself to the devil and sinned which disqualified me from serving. Just like Nephi and his brothers I failed the first time.  

A few years later of failing and asking myself what I should do, knowing truly well in my heart that I always had a desire to serve. I tried again, and again and again. I was more focused, I did the things necessary to qualify myself and made it my highest priority to get it done. I put my life on hold and made a promise with God that I wasn't going to move on with life until I served His mission.

My Patriarchal blessing strengthened my faith to live up to a promised blessing of serving a mission and I held onto that as I tried again to submit my mission papers. After battling the task that I had failed before, it was a struggle to maintain achieving the goal. After a long time of exercising more faith that I would succeed like Nephi, I did it! It took me the time of serving two missions to qualify myself for the one mission I desired to serve. Just like Nephi and his brothers, I finally succeeded.

Waiting for my mission call felt like the same time it took me to submit my papers. Satan and his followers threw everything at me, they went all in to try and break me and it was getting bad. While wrestling with them I felt like I was ready to give in. I had given it my all and was exhausted from defending myself and the darkness just surrounded me.  My phone buzzed a few hours past midnight. I leaned over and saw the notification "Your Missionary Call Letter Is Ready!" Immediately my room was filled with light! Just as if the Patronus Charm in Harry Potter was cast, the darkness was gone. I was filled with joy and felt at peace.

All I can say is that I'm here! I did it! Nothing else matters! I'm serving a mission! The Lord surely did prepare a way for me to be right here as His disciple. From my experience I learnt that trusting in God can be difficult when we don't exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Satan will always work on us when we try to work for the Lord, but there are benefits with our Saviour and disappointment with Satan. When Satan wants us to doubt, the Saviour wants us to have faith. When Satan wants us to fall short, the Saviour wants us to rise up and overcome. When Satan wants us to give up, the Saviour wants us to keep going and try again.

Sisters and brothers, I know the Lord will give us responsibilities whether or not we request it and will always prepare a way for us to accomplish His work even if it means that it will take longer than expected. I am a witness that this is true. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Trust that He prepared a way and follow His directions. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I promise you the same as Nephi, that the Lord will never give us a commandment without preparing a way first. As long as we have faith in Him, the task will be accomplished. To this I testify in the name of our Saviour, The Way, The Truth and The Light, Jesus Christ. Amen.

From a talk given in Sacrament meeting in Adelaide, South Australia.