Farewell Talk, Magnifying your Calling

Here is the talk I gave in my sacrament meeting talk I gave last week in church, word for word. Really, I was so scared all I could do was read my paper and look up occasionally. I even preserved the original font size so you know what I had to do to be able to read the paper without holding it in front of my face. :)

In 3 Nephi 11: 23 Christ explains the doctrine of baptism saying “[whoso ever] desireth to be baptised in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them – Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.” When we are baptized as members of this church, we take upon ourselves the Name of Jesus Christ, we make covenants to uphold his commandments and honor his name as we would honor our own—with integrity and virtue.

I have been assigned to speak to you today about how we can best magnify our calling, I could have chosen to speak about how to be a good primary teacher, deacons quorum president, or any other of the numerous callings that exist in this church, but instead I chose to speak about the great calling that all of us have accepted, or will accept, when we were baptised.

When baptized we took it upon ourselves to represent the saviour on this earth. We were baptized in his name and took his name upon us as our own. We are essentially called as “Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” and everything we do in this church we do by his power and authority.

1)    Not a single meeting begins or ends before a prayer is said, In Christ’s name

2)    Every blessing, sacramental or personal, is performed, in Christ’s Name

3)    Not a single Calling is accepted without an ordination carried out, in Christ’s name

In essence, everything we do while acting in our callings throughout the ward we do while acting IN CHRIST’S NAME, but that is not enough. To go to church once a week acting in Christ’s name, and then to go home and never speak about him again till the next Sunday morning is akin to the Zoramites who when Alma saw their malpractice of religion cried out in mighty prayer saying “Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world.” Alma 31:27

It is important that when we go home from church, we carry with us what is taught. We are advised to say prayers over our food, after waking up, and before going to bed. All of which are very good ways to remember who’s name we carry with us on a day to day basis. Yet there is even more we can do.

Christ was once asked which of all the commandments was greatest, his response was this: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matt 22:37-39

At the last supper Christ said to his apostles “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love, one to another.” John 13 34-35

This ward is amazing at this, the day of service yesterday is a testimony to that. It seemed like the entire ward showed up to help out. At atleast four different houses jobs that would have taken the property owners weeks to finish were completed in mere hours. Every time a new family moves into our ward, with in the month they’ll be standing here, at this pulpit, thanking everyone for the amazing welcome they received. Yet I say we can take it even farther.

In Doctrine and Covenants 84: 46-50 the Revelation follows:  “And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world. And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.”

This Scripture speaks about Missionary work. We have the light and knowledge of the Gospel, 31+ million members is a lot, but this number pale in comparison to the 6 billion people alive on the earth today, and the trillions of people who have passed away before hand. It is our responsibility to share what we have with others. We have trees of eternal life growing in our living rooms, why would we not want to share the seeds?

As a Melkezedic Priesthood holder I have accepted and covenanted to live by something called “The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood” the Lord says in 84:35-39: “all they who receive this priesthood receive me. Saith the Lord; For he that recieveth my servants receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my father hath shall be given unto him and this is according to the oath and covenant which belong to the priesthood”

By receiving his priesthood, which is the power to act in the name of Jesus Christ, and by being baptized which is a covenant to be worthy of Christ’s name. We take upon ourselves his own mission which is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”

We do this by sharing the gospel and spreading the priesthood power across the earth “for whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies” [Resurrection unto eternal life]

Women are not exempt from these blessings, although they cannot hold the priesthood themselves. When they marry a righteous priesthood barrier and are sealed to him in the temple for all time and eternity, they can take part in the same blessings as their husbands along with their children, parents, brothers, and sisters.

So this is our greatest calling: to share the gospel with the world, through loving kindness and service. Treating everyone we meet as our friends, brothers, and sisters. Showing forth patience, meekness, and humility where others might be short tempered, loud, or self-centered. In so doing we created an eternal family spread throughout the world across all cultural, political, and ethnic barriers which will give us joy throughout all eternity.

My name is Steven Dawson, Soon I will be confirmed a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I will be serving in the South Dakota, Rapid City Mission, I Know this Church is true, I am eager to share my knowledge with the world, and I am proud to say that I close my remarks in the Sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.