I am going to start with a couple of verse from Matthew 25:
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Verses 34-36).
King meaning Jesus Christ. This scripture has meant so much to me since the beginning of my mission. In the MTC I heard the song “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.” My favorite lyrics to this song is:
In pris’n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ‘mid shame and scorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!”
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
“Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me.”
(Verses 6-7)
An elder with an incredible voice sang this acapella, and I felt this incredible feeling. What I was about to do was not about me, but that through this I was going to know my Savior in a way that I would never be able to put into words.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Verses 37-40).
As I studied these verses I contemplated on my life now. Am I doing things to see Jesus Christ? Am I where He is? OR am I where His children are that need me? So as I contemplated these questions, that also went so well with last weeks Good Samaritan pondering, I did something about it. I prayed to know who needed me this week. I then was blessed to help someone go to the temple and just sit in there for the first time in who knows how long. She can’t go all the way in, but we just sat in the waiting room and prayed. I saw Him there. As I prayed, He spoke to me. Why? Is what I asked Him. I said, I am not even doing the work for the dead, I am just sitting here. And in reply the Spirit said to me, “Because you are doing the work for the living.” I felt His presence more at that moment than I feel like I have in the temple in a long time. And it was because I really wasn’t there for me. I was there to serve one of Heavenly Father’s children and He could not be more pleased with me. Earlier in the chapter there is a verse that I will always love:
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Verse 21).
So I also looked for patterns and themes as I studied, and the on going theme was turning outward and not inward for your own healing. Be willing to give at all times, don’t just do it when it is convenient. Always show charity, to even people that you may feel are lower than you. In reality though, we are all at the same level trying to make it to the same place. See others, the way Christ sees them. Show that your heart isn’t yours, that it is the saviors.
In the mist of our trials, there is joy. The joy is in seeing Christ in those we serve. So to echo what I emphasized last week, find someone to serve. You will find answers to more of your prayers by doing that, than just by begging on your knees. Pressforward faithfully, brothers and sisters. Below I have attached a link to a video of Christ teaching and it is wonderful.
Sister Hattie Lyn Carr 