As I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning, I read about the success of the sons of Mosiah near the end of their sojourn in the Land of the Lamanites and was much impressed that their feelings were the same as missionaries of the Lord today have expressed at the close of their missions.
Alma 26:13-16, 26-31, 35-37
13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has He loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of His word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?
14 Yea, we have reason to praise Him forever, for He is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.
15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, He has brought them into His everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of His love; yea, and we have been instruments in His hands of doing this great and marvelous work.
16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of His great power, and of His mercy, and of His long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.
26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.
35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for He has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; He comprehendeth all things, and He is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on His name.
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.
37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, He numbereth His people, and His bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.
As member missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we may be able to have this same experience of joy and boasting in the Lord, when we share the Gospel with those we work with, play with or meet along our daily road of life. It has been my privilege to experience this elation a couple of times and desire to experience it on a more continual basis. Perhaps when Dad retires, we will be allowed to be of service to the Lord in a more formal way to share the Gospel around the World, as Dad's Patriarchal blessing alludes to!
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