Homecoming Talk

Say appropriate thank yous and such 

Maayong Aga brothers and sisters. My name is Hannah Larson and I returned from the Iloilo, Philippines Mission just two ish weeks ago. On my Mission I spoke Hiligaynon, Karay-ah, Aklanon and a little bit of Tagalog. I am missing the 90 degree heat right now. I have a deep love for the Philippines and the Filipino people. They are the kindest people I have ever met and almost everyone you meet would love to hear a message about Jesus Christ and feed you. My mission means more to me than any other experience I have ever had. I have a few stories and principles I want to share but more than anything I hope that someone here will feel the holy ghost or receive a prompting through what I share. 

I talked about this a little in my farewell talk but I wanted to share my experience of deciding to serve a mission. I hope something I share will resonate with some of you. I grew up in the church. My family had always read the scriptures. Around Junior High I began reading the scriptures for myself every night. I said my prayers. I had been to the temple and I believed the Church was true. That was enough for me for a while. The year in between high school and my mission was the hardest year of my life. It tried my faith. I think it may have even been harder than my mission. It was the furthest I had ever been from God. I was physically active in church, for at least the first hour, but I was not spiritually active. Brothers and Sisters there is a difference. One day, feeling lost and seeking guidance concerning my choice of major, I read my Patriarchal Blessing and I felt the Holy Ghost stronger than I had in months. “It was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce me to my center”. It was not giving me the answer I wanted, about my major, but the answer I needed. I needed to serve a mission. And I am so very grateful I did. My mission was no cake walk but it was by far the best thing I have ever done. I have experienced, and found to be true, Christ’s invitation found in Matthew 16:24-25, which reads “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Brothers and Sisters on my mission I had to first lose myself but then I was able to find myself . Once I stopped caring about the bucket showers, mosquito bites, thinning hair and muddy shoes, Christ started working on me. And he taught me who I really am. Obviously I don’t have everything figured out but from trudging through scorching heat, biking through typhoons, speaking strange and unfamiliar dialects, rats eating my shoes, and catching strange illnesses I have come to know my Maker. 

Before my mission I had sung “I am a Child of God” countless times. I believed God loved others but I did not feel worthy of that love myself. Which I’m sure is not something unique to me. I knew what the Atonement of Jesus Christ meant, but I did not see how it could possibly apply to me. I now know God loves me as much as he loves you. I now know that Christ is My Savior and I know this because of the Book of Mormon. 

The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. Preach My Gospel chapter 5 states “ The Book of Mormon, combined with the spirit. Is your most powerful resource in conversion.” The Book of Mormon is powerful. If you read only the Old and New Testament you will know your Savior but only as Master, Messiah, Teacher, Lord, Shepard and many more. It's not until the Book of Mormon that Jesus became for me, as Nephi said in 2 Nephi 33:6, “ I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in My Jesus, for he had redeemed my soul from hell.” Through consistent and earnest study of the Book of Mormon Jesus can become yours and you will be His. 

There was one man I taught on my mission that to me testifies powerfully of the divinity of the Book of Mormon. I was in my second area, called Antique, and my companion and I were out finding. We had just recently stopped focusing on pass along cards and pamphlets and made the switch to giving out Book of Mormons on first meet. We met a man named Rufino. He was sitting on a motorcycle. I thought he was drunk and he only spoke Tagalog, which I did not know how to speak at that time. After a rough first encounter we left the Book of Mormon and didn’t think much of it. Luckily we followed up with him. As we walked up the second time we noticed he was actually reading the Book of Mormon. This was new. I thought he was messing with us. But as we began talking with him again he had questions about the relationship between Jacob and Lehi and eventually we figured out he had read all the way up until Jacob 1 or 2. Once again, this was new. After a short lesson and my awful Tagalog we agreed to meet again the next week. By our next visit he had read all the way through Alma. We asked him what he understood and he said “I read in Alma about how important baptism is.” At this point I’m shook. We said “brother do you believe this book is true” and he said “yes, of course. I feel good when I read it” So we asked him if he wanted to be baptized and he quickly accepted. Brother Rufino had felt and knew for himself that the Book of Mormon is true. He still lacked large pieces of information, and had many questions for us, but because he knew the Book of Mormon was true it didn’t matter to him. This is a common pattern. In Moroni 10:3-5 it says “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” 

President Nelson recently said “ Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.”

Brother and Sisters with so many trials ahead of us and constant temptations, it's time to do the spiritual work. It’s time to figure it out for ourselves. Most people on my mission claimed they were too busy to read the Book of Mormon. We are not too busy to read the Book of Mormon. Are you too busy to know the truth? Would it kill us to just try it? At worst we read a cool book and at best we gain an understanding for ourselves that this is real. You can know for yourself, by the Holy Ghost, that “ Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth.” As Sister Tracy Browning of the General Primary Presidency said in her inspirational video “Seeing More of Jesus Christ”, “The gospel is a gospel of try it out. You just have to try it out.” Now I am inviting you to try out the Book of Mormon. Read a few chapters and see how you feel. If you’re already doing it, keep going. If at some point you stopped, let's start again. And if you’ve never tried, why not start now? 

The Book of Mormon teaches us clearly the value of our Covenants. Covenants are also evident in the Bible but most Christian religions I encountered had little to no understanding of what a covenant is, let alone why they matters or needs to be done with proper authority. In Mosiah chapter 18, Alma, himself a recent convert, teaches the people at the waters of Mormon about the baptisimal covenant. He explains in verses 8-9, “as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” God commands us to make covenants because they are his channel for providing us with more blessings. 

One sister I taught right at the beginning of my mission, named Ronica, understood covenants. The day of her baptism she was 45 minutes late. Which is not actually that shocking for Filipino time. This was the first baptism in this area for almost 7 months, which is a very long time in the Philippines. My trainor and I were beginning to get anxious and all we could do was call her 12 year old sister who was not giving us very helpful updates. Eventually a jeepney *SHORT EXPLANATION* stopped at the end of the street and a 16 year old girl in a white dress jumped out of the back. Ronica ran probably 100 yards through traffic to get to the chapel. She was glowing. Her baptism was one of my favorites. She understood how valuable her covenant would be and she continues to enjoy her covenants to this day and is planning on serving a mission. I think sometimes we take our covenants for granted or see them more as restrictions instead of reasons to jump out of jeepneys or as the people in Alma did “ clap our hands for joy.” 

Do we really understand our temple covenants? I know I didn’t. Until I spent time weekly in the Manilla temple while I was in the MTC I just didn’t get it. I knew a family in my second area who had recently been baptized but due to divorce laws in the Philippines they were unable to be sealed. This broke their hearts. Do we really realize how valuable it is that we can have an eternal family? Almost everyone I taught on my mission would agree that they wanted an eternal family but most were unwilling to do the work to receive that blessing. A blessing as great as eternal families must require effort of equal magnitude. As we promise God to keep his commandments, serve Him and others and build meaningful family relationships he will guide us and bless us with eternal happiness and families. And who better to guide us than our loving and omniscient Heavenly Father.

One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is that of Aaron. At the beginning of his mission he saw literally no success and was being persecuted in every city he tried until eventually being thrown in prison. After being freed by his brother and king Lamoni he eventually meets the father of Lamoni, who had previously met Ammon, another missionary. The first time he met Ammon he tried to kill him for influencing his son. Well that didn’t work so well and Ammon easily overtakes him. The King begs for his life and offers half of his kingdom to stay alive. Ammon does not accept but only asks that the king set his imprisoned brothers, Aaron, free. Later when the King meets Aaron he has been sufficiently humbled and begs Aaron to teach him. After Aaron teaches him, the King asks in Alma 22:15 “ What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.” 

ALMA 22:15-18* 

So the king started with willing to give up half of his kingdom to his entire kingdom to all his sins. God does not ask for half your possessions, or all your possessions but asks for you. He wants us to give up our sins in order to know him better. What are we willing to give up to know real joy? He wants to make a covenant with us in order for us to receive that  great joy and eternal life. I didn’t really get that before my mission, but I’m so grateful God taught me. 

I am incredibly grateful for my mission. Everyday was full of challenges and miracles. I learned so many practical skills but the greatest thing I learned is that this is Christ’s gospel and church. Brothers and sisters this is the gospel with pure, plain and precious Christianity. God has restored the Church of Christ through Joseph Smith and this is it.

Brothers and Sisters this is it. Welcome to a church of covenants and welcome to the church of joy. The people in the church are not perfect so don’t be surprised if you see flaws, but Jesus Christ is perfect and this is Hs church. Please read the Book of Mormon to know for yourself. 

Before I close with my testimony I just want to share for anyone thinking about a mission. It’s not about you. Do it for God and he will make you more than you believe you could be. 

I wanted to close with my testimony.