Kia ora and talofa! I’m so honored to be speaking to you all this Sabbath morning before Thanksgiving and before becoming a full-time missionary for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the Samoa, Apia mission. I’ve grown up performing Samoan siva with my Samoan-based Polynesian dance group, Tausala, and have attended Samoan celebrations and ceremonies. So I’ve already had the chance to come to learn and love the people and the culture. And when other polys would try to guess what my background was, they would always say Samoan first, so I guess I look the part too. It’s always fun when people try to guess my ethnicity because they would never guess Maori. When people would ask me where I wanted to serve my mission, I would always say Japan because I love their food and language. But as I was working on my mission papers, I felt it in my spirit that I would be called to a Polynesian island, and that being specifically Samoa. I thought I was being biased though, because out of the Polynesian islands, Samoan is my favorite to dance. But thinking about it now, Samoan dance is my favorite because I’ve felt the spirit most while performing it. It’s like the Lord was dropping hints that I would be serving in Samoa in the future. I used to be really shy before I joined Tausala and I didn’t like to dance because it brought me out of my comfort zone. But I’m glad I decided to continue dancing because it gave me more confidence and is one of my most favorite things to do. So, the Samoan people have already shared with me what is precious to them, and now I’m so happy to share with them what is precious to me. Throughout my talk, I will be wrapping its contents around Elder Dale G. Renlund’s talk “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God” from the October 2020 General Conference.
From the title, Elder Renlund is quoting from the Old Testament prophet Micah in which he asks, “[God] hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). Elder Renlund then explains this scripture further, stating that, “To do justly means acting honorably with God and with other people. We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him. We act honorably with others by loving mercy.” (Renlund, October GC). As I pondered on those words, I thought of ways that I had learned and strived to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God throughout my life and in preparation to becoming a missionary.
Do justly
Elder Renlund says, “To be Christlike, a person does justly, behaving honorably with both God and other people. A just person is civil in words and action and recognizes that differences in outlook or belief do not preclude genuine kindness and friendship.”
To do justly, I think of Christ and His example. He was humble, meek, honest, loving, kind, and true to everyone He met. Although I strive to be like Him now, I wasn’t the nicest when I was little, as in elementary school little before I was homeschooled from 5th grade through 8th grade. I used to have no filter and would say mean things to family and friends. You might say I didn’t know any better since I was younger, but I still remember everyone I was mean to and the things that I’ve said because of the guilt I felt right after saying them. Only during my homeschooled years and when my beloved Grandma Barbara passed away was when I had a change of character, because that was when I gained my own testimony of the plan of salvation, the Savior’s Atonement, and the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon. Looking up to my Grandma Barbara’s spiritual and loving nature, I prayed more after her passing and read The Book of Mormon on my own, wanting to know if it was true for myself and also seeking forgiveness of my sins. The Book of Mormon taught me the love of the Savior, and the love I felt was overwhelming that I couldn’t not want to emulate that same love to those around me. I’ve learned further that the only way to overcome my personal struggles and temptations was by loving and caring for others, serving others, and looking outside of myself. Elder Renlund says, “A just person chooses to obey the commandments of God, repents when falling short, and keeps on trying.” Once I returned to public school as a freshman in Bennion Jr. High, I was probably shy, awkward, and maybe a little weird, and that still hasn’t changed. Other than nerves, the only things I had in mind was that I was going to love, serve, and stay true and humble in everything I did because of what I had experienced and learned from the Savior’s teachings beforehand. One of my favorite teachings of the Savior is in 3 Nephi 12:14-16, and it says “14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house; 16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” By doing justly, I also strive to be a light to those around me.
Loving mercy
Elder Renlund says, “To love mercy as God does is inseparably connected to dealing justly with others and not mistreating them.” “People who love mercy are not judgmental; they manifest compassion for others, especially for those who are less fortunate; they are gracious, kind, and honorable.”
In loving mercy, not only is mercy expressed towards others, but through my experiences, I have learned to be merciful towards myself. Thoughts of being unworthy for mistakes I have made in the past have brought me down and have made me think if I am even ready to take on an adventure in serving the Lord and a people in a different language. But as I have looked at examples of disciples of Christ in the scriptures, no one that the Lord has used was really ready to do what was commanded of them. They were all imperfect people, just like you and me. What allowed them to carry on and do what the Lord wanted them to do was their faith and knowledge in the Savior’s Atonement and His plan of happiness for us. My favorite example is the prophet Moses, because he didn’t feel “eloquent” to deliver his people since he was “slow of speech” as he described in Exodus (4:10). I’m not very confident in talking either, so I could relate to Moses feeling doubtful of his abilities to serve the Lord. The Lord responded to Moses, saying “... I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:12) I know that if the Lord could help Moses with his doubts and weaknesses, He can help me with mine as well. Elder Renlund describes this perfectly as he said, “Without the blessings that come from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can never do enough or be enough by ourselves. The good news, though, is that because of and through Jesus Christ we can become enough.”
Mercy is enlaced through the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, and as such, should be shared with those around us. In cases where I have felt immense pain and guilt for my wrongdoings, I have also felt peace, comfort, and joy in knowing that because of Christ’s love and mercy, I am able to learn from my mistakes and become better through His Atonement. After coming to know the Savior’s mercy for myself, I had a strong desire to share Christ’s love and the restored gospel with others. In Mosiah 28 of The Book of Mormon, the third and fourth verses have stood out to me and are one of the many motivations of why I have chosen to serve a mission. To give context, the verses are in the point of view of the sons of Mosiah who are asking their father if they can preach to the Lamanites, and it says, “3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. 4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.” Just like the sons of Mosiah, we are able to experience the ‘infinite mercy’ of the Lord because of His Atoning sacrifice and the fullness of the gospel. Knowing the heartache that I have gone through, but also knowing what Christ has done for me, sparks within my soul a need to tell and show those around me what Christ and His gospel provides.
Walk humbly with God
Elder Renlund says, “To be Christlike, a person chooses God, walks humbly with Him, seeks to please Him, and keeps covenants with Him. Individuals who walk humbly with God remember what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have done for them.”
As I have been preparing spiritually and temporally for this next chapter in my life, I’ve attended temple classes and made it a goal for myself to go to the temple at least once a week before I became endowed. Knowing that the adversary would try extra hard to ensnare me since I’ve made these important spiritual decisions, I wanted the spiritual guidance and protection that comes with attending the temple more often. I was then blessed to become endowed in the Taylorsville temple on my birthday. Preparing for and learning about an endowment taught me the importance of making and keeping sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven and what it means to choose God and walk humbly with Him. President Boyd K. Packer states, “Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into [God’s] presence.” (Boyd K. Packer, “Covenants,” Ensign, May 1987). Ordinances and covenants are the path to eternal life and there is no other way to eternal life except through Christ and His Atonement. That’s why I am serving a mission, to bring the restored gospel to anyone who hearkens unto the Spirit.
Other than becoming endowed, I’ve had the privilege of serving in the temple as an ordinance worker these past two weeks, and this week being my last before my new calling as a missionary. I have never felt more at peace anywhere else than in the presence of the House of the Lord, and to be able to serve others at the same time has been such a humbling and spiritual experience. Being in the temple more often has helped me to be still, be more reverent, and ponder more on the blessings the Lord pours onto those who choose to walk humbly with and please Him by making and keeping their covenants with Him. It’s also helped me to understand what being a disciple of Christ looks like. It looks like someone who is willing to guide, offer a smile, and let the Spirit emulate from their countenance. Seeing the faces of those who sacrifice their time to worship and serve the Lord in the temple motivates me to continue sacrificing my time and talents to Him not only on my mission, but for the rest of my life and in the eternities.
As we go about our lives, whether that be school, work, retirement, or a mission, I invite you to ponder for yourself how you can do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. As you do so, Elder Renlund says, “We assimilate the attributes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ into our character, and we love one another.” We become more like the Savior as we strive to follow His example by being a disciple of Jesus Christ. The Lord sees your efforts and will bless you accordingly. I know that as we serve our Lord with all our “heart, might, mind, and strength”, we “may stand blameless before God at the last day.” (D&C 4:2)
With it being Thanksgiving season, I’m grateful for my family and friends for supporting me in my decision to serve a mission and I’m grateful for everyone who helped raise me up in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for the priesthood and the priesthood holders who made it possible for me to serve a mission. I’m so very grateful to be called to serve in Samoa. Lastly, I’m grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, for making me who I am today.
To wrap up my talk, I’m going to attempt to say my testimony in Samoan with some English, haha:
Ou te iloa o le Atua o lo tatou Tama Fa’alelagi. Ou te iloa o i tatou o Ana fanau. Ou te iloa o Iesu Keriso o lo tatou Togiola. Ou te iloa o Iosefa Samita o se perofeta a le Atua. Ou te iloa e moni le Tusi a Mamona. I know that I will be able to see my Grandma Barbara again and that families are forever through the plan of salvation. I le suafa o Iesu Keriso, ‘amene.
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