Nathan's Sacrament Talk
September 2, 2024
Nathan gave a talk in Sacrament and I just wanted to share a segment of that with you:
30 years before Christ's coming, Nephi, seeing sin and iniquity rising around him, gave up the judgment seat and took it upon himself to preach the word of God. Throughout his life, Nephi was in the service of the Lord. He taught the people through the land the words that God had to him. At times, he was persecuted, cast in prison, rejected, and falsely accused. Through it all, he unwearingly declared the words that God had given him, and he was highly blessed and favored because of it.
Nephi is one of the many examples of missionaries found in the scriptures. Throughout time, the Gospel has been taught by the righteous. Adam and Eve shared the Gospel with their children after they had learned it. In the Book of Moses, we read, "And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters,"¹ and later, "And Adam hearkened unto the voice of God, and called upon his sons to repent,"² God wants all of His children to know how they can return to Him and oftentimes that knowledge comes from faithful members to other people. Just as God called upon the righteous in the past to preach His Gospel, he calls on the righteous today to do the same.
These are the Latter-Days, and God is hastening His work of gathering Israel. Many of our recent conference addresses have emphasized the gathering of Israel. It is as important as ever to take part in this glorious work. One of the covenants that we make at baptism is "...to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in..."³ In keeping those covenants, we are expected to be a witness of God no matter where we may be. Our dear prophet Russell M. Nelson has said "...Each of us has a role to play in the gathering of Israel."⁴ God gives everyone a unique role to play in the gathering of Israel according to our abilities. How wonderful that the Lord has a place in His work prepared for everyone!
One of the roles I discovered for myself was that of a full-time missionary. As a full-time missionary, I spend almost all day going about and preaching the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I study and pray very often so that I may know the doctrine of God with my mind and with my heart. As a missionary, I meet a lot of different people from all walks of life, and we offer them the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the very rewarding aspects of being a missionary is to see life's change in the people who start to love the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have had the privilege of teaching a family about the Gospel on my mission. When we first met this particular family, they would always have their curtains drawn and their lights dimmed. It made for a rather dark house. Sometimes, the kids would squabble and argue, and on numerous occasions, there would be someone missing from the lesson. As they learned and applied the Gospel of Jesus Christ, however, they began to change their lives. During one of my last meetings with them, before I left the teaching area, they opened their blinds, and their house was filled with light. Everyone sat waiting reverently, waiting to hear more truths of the restored Gospel. The family told me that they had never before been so united as a family and that they were so happy that they were able to learn the Gospel.
