Farewell Talk:
Intro:
Good morning brothers and sisters. For those who don’t know me, my name is Hayden hall. I've been called to serve in the Jacksonville Florida mission. I start home MTC November 13th.
Growing up I KNEW I was supposed to serve a mission. But last January, something changed and I decided I didn’t want to serve. So if you’re surprised to see me standing here- don’t worry- so am I.
Obviously, like Alma, I have had a might change of heart and have decided it’s time for me to serve a mission.
I want to thank many friends and family who came to support me, as well as those who aren’t even here who have impacted my life. I would not be here today and could not do these next two years without your love, support, and example to me. I know I will continue to look up to you.
Today I want to talk about this change of heart, living the gospel actively and the blessings that come from it.
Recently my mission president asked me to fill out a “get to know you” questionnaire. One of the questions asked who is my favorite person in the Book of Mormon. This was an easy one. I have always loved how brave and loyal Nephi is.
——Complain & Murmur——-
In 1 Nephi chapter 3 Lehi tells his son that he’s has had a dream and they need to go retrieve the plates from Laban. In verse 4 Lehi is speaking to Nephi and he says:
- Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.
Nephi and his brothers know this isn’t going to be an easy tasks and the brothers aren’t too excited about going. Verse 5 reads:
- And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.
The brothers complained and murmured.
Unfortunately I can relate to these boys. My family has talked about me going on a mission since I was little. So I assumed when I turned 18, the decision to serve would be easy. But this year has been anything but easy. It’s been a roller coaster of “yes I’m going” to “no I’m not going” and back and forth. I wasn’t too excited about going and even started to “complain and murmur.”
I was focusing on all the negatives in my life. Such as losing the state championship in football for the second year in a row. I wasn’t doing well in school. I had a relationship end, and my friends were starting to move away. So I had settled on “no I’m not going on a mission. I’m going to work and go to school”. I got a job and started getting registered for school.
However I noticed I was significantly less happy. It felt like I wasn’t completely whole - like something was missing. I felt lonely and empty. This lead to me distancing myself from the spirit.
A couple months ago, I had my bi-annual or half year birthday interview with Bishop Johnson. We discussed receiving the Melchizedek priesthood and he advised me to read Doctrine and Covenants section 84. I agreed to do it but I shrugged it off and thought I was in no rush (sorry Bishop Johnson).
——-Friends & Temple ———
At this same time, I also had had enough of the feeling of emptiness. I turned to my friends. All I wanted to do was hang out with them more and more. I figured it would fill this void. These friends had all already gotten their mission calls and were living as the best missionaries they could already. They attended the temple regularly, did baptisms, prayed together, and shared scriptures around the camp fire. They tried to get me to come to the temple multiple times but I was persistent on not attending with them and they told me they respected my decision. At least I thought that was the case until I was randomly added to a group chat one day titled “temple time”.
I finally humbled myself enough to start going to the temple with these friends. I willingly got up earlier than most teenagers do in the summer, but on church clothes, and met my friends at different temples. It shocked me how happy I was to do all of this in the middle of summer. It was almost instant! Immediately I felt joy. As I attended the temple more and listened more intently to the talks given in sacrament meeting, I found I was so much more at ease and felt peace in my life. I walked around feeling better than I had in months. I immediately knew this was a blessing from Christ himself.
That is when I decided to finally go back and read what Bishop Johnson had suggested - D&C 84. As I read there was one verse that stood out to me. Verse 46, says,
- “And the spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into world; and the spirit enlighteneth every man through the world that hearkeneth to the voice of the spirit”.
This scripture hit me hard because of how much I related with it. As I attended the temple more, I was “receiving the light”. As I listened to the talks given in sacrament meeting, I knew I was “listening to the voice”. I knew the “spirit enlighteneth” me because of the peace I was feeling. I immediately knew this was no coincidence but rather Heavenly Father showing me his love and the compassion he has for me right when I needed it most. After this I knew my decision needed to change.
——Go and DO——
As in 1 Nephi 3, when Lehi basically told his sons, he wasn’t ASKING them to go get the plates, he was TELLING them. He told them this hard task wasn’t just required but it was a COMMANDMENT of the Lord.
I finally started to understand that serving a mission, although it occasionally feels like a hard task, is required of me.
We all know the scripture that follows in 1 Nephi 3:7
- And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Although at first I could relate more with Nephi brothers, I now understand that as we obey, have faith, trust, and be willing to sacrifice for the Lord, our lives are blessed and we feel peace and joy. I would have never come to this understanding if it weren’t for my friends invitation to GO to the temple and DO the work I needed to do.
——The Lord Loves Effort——-
This church- the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - is a church of ACTION. It requires effort. It requires us to Go and DO!
In D&C: 88. The lord tells a parable about 12 servants who are feeling lost and in need of light. The master hears of their struggles and comes to speak with each servant. He tells each to go out into a field to dig and labor for him. And if they do this, he will visit them and gift them the joy of his countenance.
So without hesitation, off go the servants to dig and labor in the fields. and within the first hour, The Master visited the first servant. And in the second hour, he visited the second servant. And so forth until the 12th. Helping them with their work, speaking to each, Filling each with his light and relieving them of their feelings of confusion immediately.
D&C Verse 63 states,
- Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
As the servants kept their promise to their master he did the same to them and they were rewarded for their diligence.
We can and should strive to do the same thing as the servants. We should strive to become closer to our Heavenly Father through keeping our covenants and obeying his commandments and we too can be rewarded with his light.
——Effort Brings Joy——
I think everyone wants to be successful in all aspects of our lives - work, school, home, family. But like the parable teaches, if you really want to make a difference or if you really want to succeed at something, you can’t just sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to DO what is required. It takes work on your part! That applies to the gospel too.
In my cousin’s farewell talk she said:
When you do good, you feel good.
When you do bad, you feel bad.
When you do Nothing, you feel nothing.
I tested the “do nothing” part.
On July 25th, I met Bishop Johnson at his home and told him I was ready to serve. My papers went in a few weeks later. While waiting for my call, I received my endowment, started reading the Book of Mormon, I focused on gospel principles and engaged in church conversations. And I can honestly say, I have also tested and proved the “do good” part. I have never felt better or been happier.
When you do good, you feel good.
I know serving a mission won’t be easy.
President Nelson, when asked if being a prophet is hard, answered: “Of course it’s hard. Everything to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult. The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.”
I plan to GO to Jacksonville Florida and DO the Lord’s work. Like my friends did with me, I hope to INVITE people to come closer to Christ. I hope to work hard each day, because the Lord loves effort.
Conclusion
I want to close with one last personal story and my testimony that I KNOW our Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us. He knows our questions and is waiting to answer them. I have learned that sometimes our will and the Lords will don’t align. But that the Lords way is the best way. He won’t change to what WE want. But He will love us and send little spiritual hints to help us and He will patiently wait until we align our will with His.
Back in March, I got my recommend to receive my patriarchal blessing. When I called Patriarch Taylor, his first opening wasn’t until June 4th. As I said before these months of waiting were long and miserable for me.
Finally the day arrived. I was excited to see what my blessing would say about possibly a wife or any “future telling” things. But I was most interested to see what it had to say about serving a mission. At this time I had decided I was not going on a mission. I figured that if my blessing didn’t say anything about a mission that it was God letting me know He accepted my decision. I received my blessing and to my surprise (& relief) it had nothing to say about me serving a mission. However something felt off.
The following Saturday the patriarch called and asked if he could hand deliver the transcript of my blessing. Something he said he had only done once before. When he came to my house he told me that all week he felt as if he had left a very important part out of my blessing. He also encouraged me to pray to know that this “new part” was from the Lord.
Once he left, I opened my blessing and on first glance I saw the line saying “you will be called as a missionary”.
—-Testimony——
I know our Heavenly Father loves us. He will answer our prayers- even if they aren’t the answers we wanted. He will make his answers CLEAR but it is up to us to choose to accept those answers.
I have a testimony that this is the one true church and it is a church of action. You will receive what you put in. That when you seek God's love intently he will bless and reward you through the spirit that is his voice. As we look with love and gratitude to God, as we serve him with an eye single to his glory, there goes from us the darkness of sin, the darkness of selfishness, the darkness of pride. There will come an increased love for our Eternal Father and for his Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer. There will come a greater sense of service toward our fellow men, less of thinking of self and more of reaching out to others.
I know it is a privilege to be a representative of Jesus Christ in the Jacksonville Florida mission. As nervous as I feel today, I know JOY awaits.
I am grateful for the opportunity to SERVE In Florida. And I leave this with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
