For anyone here that doesn’t know, I’ve been called to serve a mission. I’ll be serving in the Guatemala Guatemala City Mission and I report to the Guatemala MTC on May 15th, only 3 and a half weeks from today! So often I’m asked if I’m excited, and let me just tell you now, I am excited beyond words. Upon my first, initial look into what Guatemala City is like, my first results were nothing positive. What’s one of the first things I saw? “Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. In 2009, approximately 25 murders a week were reported in Guatemala City alone”. And of course, I shared this information with my mother—not a good idea. Also, I have a friend that went to the exact mission I’m going to, and he said that he was lucky to only have gotten robbed once and that a companionship of sister missionaries was kidnapped just last year! But no matter what, I’m still going!
When/Why I decided to go on a mission
-Throughout my whole life, I have known that I wanted to go on a mission. At first, like for most people, it started as I know I should go on a mission and will because it’s what Mormon’s do when they turn 19 (well, now 18). Both of my grandpa’s served missions, my dad served a mission, my oldest brother served a mission, my brother-in-law served a mission, and Ben is in the mission field right now. I’m next in line, right? Within the past couple years, my heart changed from I know I’m serving a mission because it’s what kids do, it’s what my parents want me to do, it’s what I should do to “it’s what I want to do”. This change most greatly came when I went on a trip with the Young Men in my stake to view the Church historic sites in the Palmyra/Kirkland areas. Being where Joseph Smith was, being where God the Father and Jesus Christ were, being split into two’s like we were companionships. That made me want to go on a mission. On that trip, I bore testimony several times to my fellow young men that were wavering and taught them stories from the Book of Mormon. My desire to serve a mission recently has been incredible and gets me so excited. I’ve anticipated the day greatly when I would read the words “Dear Elder Hunt, you are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ____” The power I’ve found in the words are fantastic and I just love to read the first paragraph of my mission call over and over because of the emotions that flood into me. I have a desire to go on a mission because I know the gospel is true. I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and am so anxiously excited to get out and share the Good News with everyone I meet for two full years.
I faced this most recent General Conference with a new mindset. I approached it knowing I had a mission call. Knowing that I would be a special witness of Jesus Christ. Knowing that I will bear testimony of a living prophet and apostles today. Knowing that I will grow and my testimony will be strengthened. As with this General Conference and past Conferences, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk stands most prominently in my mind. In the October’s Session, Holland’s talk entitled “The First Great Commandment” was a beautiful adaptation of Christ returning to his apostles after His death and resurrection. This session’s talk entitled “Lord,
I Believe” had the same style and delivery. This time he focused on the story in the New Testament of the boy possessed by the devil and the boy’s father bringing him before Christ to be healed.
The story of this boy is found in Mark 9 starting in verse 14. The boy has had the dumb spirit since he was a child, the disciples could not cast the devil out, in verse 19, Christ says, “O faithless generation,” and Christ goes on to heal the child. The two most powerful verses in the story are 23 and 24. And they read:
23: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24: And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I
believe; help thou my unbelief
Here we see Christ’s focus when talking with those seeking for miracles or witnesses. He focuses on their faith and whether they believe. He does not ask if we “know” but just that we “believe”. Straightway, meaning with no hesitation, the father said “I believe” then followed that defining affirmation by saying “help thou my unbelief”. It not expedient for us to know of a surety of all things in order for Christ to help us of for us to be good, faithful members of this Church. As Elder Holland says, “hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.” He gave a recount of an encounter with a young, 14 year old boy. He said, “A 14-year- old boy recently said to me a little hesitantly, 'Brother Holland, I can’t say yet that I know the Church is true, but I believe it is.' I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and he need never apologize for 'only believing.' I told him that Christ Himself said, 'Be not afraid, only believe,' a phrase which, by the way, carried young Gordon B. Hinckley into the mission field. I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction and that the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase 'We believe.' And I told him how very proud I was of him for the honesty of his quest.”
Brothers and Sisters, faith precedes the miracles. I encourage each of us to not lean on our own understanding, but to make our knowledge and faith grow and become stronger. Acknowledge your shortcomings or weaknesses, but only dwell on them in the sense of making them your strengths. I just wanted to let you guys know what I know the General Authorities truly are prophets, seers, and revelators of our day. They are directly inspired by our Heavenly Father and are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. I urge and suggest using General Conference talks in personal study as often as you might use your scriptures. Find a favorite speaker of yours that you connect with on what seems to be a personal level. You'll appreciate it if you haven't. Let us live our lives as though others may know we are members of this Church through our actions. As Christ said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
Brothers and sisters, there is a divine work in process, namely missionary work, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, and I am so blessed and honored to be a part of it. I’d like to leave you guys with my testimony.
• I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
• He lives
• He is my Savior, Redeemer, and most importantly he is my friend.
• I know that Christ resurrected from the dead. My favorite verse of the resurrection story is John 20:17 when he says “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” I can only imagine the embrace between the Father and His son, Jesus Christ.
• I know that Christ died for each one of us. In Gethsemane, He bled from every pore so our sins and transgressions may be wiped away and we may be clean again through repentance. The atonement enables us to do so much more than we can even recognize.
• I know that God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, did appear unto Joseph Smith.
• I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God
• The priesthood is real. It has the ability to help lives if help properly and worthily.
• The Book of Mormon is the Word of God and it will bring any man closer to God than any other book on this Earth.
• Families can be together forever through the sealing powers of the temple.
• Our Father in heaven loves us. He wants the best for us. He is always willing to help if we but reach out to him and allow him to.
• Christ has his arms opened to us, reaching for us, we just need to go to him and he will accept us.
• The Holy Ghost goes by many names, but my favorite is “The Comforter”. Let him comfort you. Find comfort in his presence.
Brothers and sisters, the Church is true. I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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