Called of God
Dear Sisters and Elders,
We are currently in the middle of our quarterly mission president's interviews. As you know, I truly enjoy spending time with each of you. Your faith, dedication and humility inspire me. Each of you has put so much "on the altar of sacrifice." Each of you truly wants to serve God and to help His children. Each of you is showing by your actions who you really are.
I do have one particular worry or concern. It is the same concern that the Lord had with Moses. As told in Exodus, chapter 3, when the Lord called Moses to go to Pharoah and bring all of His people out of Egypt, Moses did not realize the power of his calling. He said to the Lord: "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharoah (the most powerful man in the world at that time) and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt (hundreds of thousands of slaves who did not know how to survive in the wilderness and who did not respect Moses)?"
Then the Lord assured Moses: "Certainly I will be with thee."
Moses was worried that the people of Israel would not believe him. "What shall I say unto them?" The Lord gave him His name to share with the people ("I AM") and gave him instructions and reassurance: "I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders...I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians..."
My concern is that many of you do not fully realize or feel what it means to be literally Called of God. You have been individually and personally called by God to do things that are beyond your natural power. You have been given power and authority to do miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the way the Lord works. He takes the "weak and simple" and uses them to do amazing things. He did this with the disciples He chose during His life on earth and He does this now.
Remember the promises you have been given:
"Wherefore I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, the thrash the nations by the power of my spirit; and their arm shall be my arm and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet..." (DC 35:13-14)
"...thou shalt preach the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days, the covenant which I have sent forth to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and i will be with thee and go before thy face." (DC 39:11-12)
I pray that your eyes will be opened so that you can see the great power of your calling. I pray that you will be able to see that you are faithful, spiritually powerful servants of Heavenly Father.
I INVITE YOU to search the scriptures for the promises the Lord makes to His servants. Write them down. Put them up in your apartments. Send them to me in your emails. Share them with your family. Live to make them true. I promise that the Lord will pour out blessings on you. It was YOU that Joseph Smith prophesied about when he said:
"The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent until it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country and sounded in every ear, til the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say, the work is done."
Thank you for living your lives so that you could be called of God to serve Him in the greatest mission on earth!
I know you were called of God.
Mahal ko po kayo,
President Creg Ostler