Dad's weekly letter (good principles for all of us!)

Dear Elders and Sisters,

Have you at any time on your mission asked yourself: "Why do I not feel close to the spirit all the time like so many other missionaries do?" "Is there something wrong with me?"

Have you ever agonized over the worrisome thought: "Why do I lack confidence?" "Why is my faith sometimes so weak?" "Why do I have doubts?."

Have you ever been troubled by the thought at the end of a difficult week or a particularly disappointing day,: "Why do I not feel the great love for the people around me like I should?" 

Have you ever been plagued by questions rolling through you mind when you wake up in the morning, like: "Why don't I have energy and enthusiasm for missionary work?" or "Am I wasting time and money by being here when I am so ineffective?" 

My dear Elders and Sisters, I want you to know that almost every missionary will at some time, perhaps even frequently, be troubled by one or more of these questions, frustrations and doubts. And you have some pretty good company. Four great prophets – Paul, Nephi, Brigham Young and Gordon B. Hinckley – each experienced similar feelings and doubts. 

The Apostle Paul Struggle

The apostle Paul said: "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Rom. 7:21–23). 

Nephi's Struggle

Nephi, a prophet who had experienced life-changing miracles and who had seen marvelous visions, lamented: "Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities." Nephi, like us, acknowledged that he was "encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me" (2 Ne. 4:17–18) Like us, when he wanted so much to rejoice in his calling as a servant of God, he lamented, "my heart groaneth because of my sins." (v. 19)

Brigham Young's Struggle

President Brigham Young also acknowledged experiencing similar challenging feelings. He once asked those who looked to him as their prophet: "After all that has been said and done, after [I have] led this people so long, do you not perceive that there is a lack of confidence in our God? Can you perceive it in yourselves? You may ask, 'Brother Brigham, do you perceive it in yourself?' I do, I can see that I yet lack confidence, to some extent, in him whom I trust.—Why? Because I have not the power, in consequence of that which the fall has brought upon me." (See Deseret News, 10 Sept. 1856, 212)

Gordon B. Hinckley's Struggle

At a time of deep frustration, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley wrote in a letter to his father that he felt he was wasting his time and his father's money. President Hinckley's story about overcoming these frustrations has become familiar to every missionary in the world.

Let's examine how each of these prophets overcame his feelings of doubt, frustration and despair.

Paul's Message

The Apostle Paul acknowledged that "they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." He warned that "to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." He encourages us with this powerful testimony and promise: "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." He reminded us that "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (See Romans 8:3-17) Elders and Sister, you will, like Paul, regularly experience the trials of the natural man. But you will find great strength when you remember that you are a literal son or daughter of God, His heir and a joint-heir with Christ. Paul reminds you that Christ suffered and struggled in the flesh to know how to carry you through your struggles and that when you put your faith in Christ and devote your life to serving Him, you have His promise to be glorified together.

President Brigham Young's Message

President Brigham Young honestly acknowledged that he, too, sometimes lacked full confidence in God because of his own fallen nature when he said: "Something rises up within me, at times[,] that … draws a dividing line between my interest and the interest of my Father in heaven; something that makes my interest and the interest of my Father in heaven not precisely one." But then he gave the following empowering suggestion for overcoming these feelings: "We should feel and understand, as far as possible, as far as fallen nature will let us, as far as we can get faith and knowledge to understand ourselves, that the interest of that God whom we serve is our interest, and that we have no other, neither in time nor in eternity" (See Deseret News, 10 Sept. 1856, 212). His message to us is that we can begin to feel greater faith, confidence, and closeness to our Father in Heaven when we come to know that He desires more than anything that we have perfect unity of interests with Him. He desires that we share His same desires and vision for our success and happiness. He wants us to be one with Him in desires, purpose and feelings.

Nephi's Message

Having acknowledged that he felt the same doubts and worries that you and I feel, Nephi shared his personal understanding, testimony and thought process for overcoming them. Let's examine six specific steps presented by Nephi's personal example that will help you feel renewed confidence, assurance, peace and joy. 
Step 1. Nephi reminded himself: "Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, … He hath confounded mine enemies, … Behold He hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time." (See 2 Nephi 4: 20-23) You, like Nephi, need to reflect on the specific occasions when you experienced your Heavenly Father's guidance, assistance, comfort and assurance. I know you each have had these experiences and the first thing you should do is remember that they are a reality in your life.

Step 2. Nephi acknowledged: "O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?" You, like Nephi, must acknowledge that God's power and tender mercies are always available and accessible to you. You can trust in Him. If you will simply be willing to do what you know you must do to qualify for His divine help, including the assistance of ministering angels, you will also understand that there is no need to linger in the valley of sorrow or experience a slackening of your strength.

Step 3. Nephi resolved: "And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul?…Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul." You, like Nephi, must simply become fully determined that you will not give way to temptations. You must resolve that you will not give place in your heart to Satan who seeks to destroy your peace. I promise you that you can, through studying the Book of Mormon and sincerely fasting and praying, receive strength to overcome all temptations and shield your heart and soul from Satan's afflictions.

Step 4. Nephi firmly decided: "Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions." Elders and Sisters, you must, like Nephi, get rid of any grudges, angry feelings, or offenses. You must forgive anyone who has offended or injured you. You simply cannot allow anger, hard feelings or any other similar afflictions in life slacken your spiritual strength. Again, I promise you that when you seek insight in the Book of Mormon and sincerely fast and pray for divine help, you will receive power, through the atonement of Christ, to sincerely forgive others and receive strength to overcome every affliction.

Step 5. Nephi looked solely to God and declared: "Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" Like Nephi, you must put your full faith and trust in your Father in Heaven, and no one else. Sincerely pray to feel gratitude and love for Him. Humbly acknowledge all that He has done for you. Rely on Him to give you strength to overcome the trials in your life. Look to Him alone for deliverance from the enemies of your soul. Do not rely on your own strength. Do not seek praise or accolades from others or depend on anything else to lift your spirits or raise your self-esteem. Ask sincerely for forgiveness and a mighty change of heart so that the appearance of sin is offensive to you. As you do so, you will experience a powerful sense of peace, security and confidence.
Step 6. Nephi sincerely prayed: "May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!" Elders and Sisters, I promise you that you will receive great peace, comfort, confidence and joy when you kneel before your Father in Heaven with a broken heart and contrite spirit, sincerely repent and earnestly submit your will to the will of your Father in Heaven. Your desires will change. You will experience a mighty change of heart. You will, like Nephi, have a profound desire to walk in the path of righteousness that approaches the gates to our Father in Heaven's kingdom. 

Gordon B. Hinckley's Message

In response to the letter expressing frustration to his father, Elder Hinckley received the following reply: "Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work." Elder Hinckley had read in the Bible, earlier that morning during scripture study: "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35). He recalled: "With my father's letter in hand, I went into our bedroom in the house at 15 Wadham Road, where we lived, and got on my knees and made a pledge with the Lord. I covenanted that I would try to forget myself and lose myself in His service" (Ensign, July 1987, p. 7).

Elder Hinckley's father advised his son to essentially follow Nephi's determination to "walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road." As a missionary called of God and set apart to rescue the souls of your Russian brothers and sisters, you must firmly decide that you will lose your life in the calling you have received and "go to work." It means letting go of selfishness and doing your best to live and serve strictly according to the guidelines and commandments God has given to His full-time missionaries. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: "The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. … The many other things we give to God … are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God's will, then we are really giving something to Him. … There is a part of us that is ultimately sovereign, the mind and heart. … And when we submit to His will, then we've really given Him the one thing He asks of us."

Elders and Sisters, we have been taught all we need to know to be meek and submissive Preach My Gospel missionaries, which our Father in Heaven has revealed through living prophets is His expectation of us. I pray that the Lord will bless you with the resolve to follow Nephi's example of submissiveness, forgiveness, repentance, trust in God and strict obedience so that you, too, will experience the divine joy, consolation, faith and power that he experienced. Of course you will make mistakes from time to time, just as Paul, Nephi, and Brigham Young acknowledged that they did. Like them, however, as you continually pray for forgiveness and divine strength, submit your will to God and resolve that you will do all you are capable of doing, you will receive power to overcome your trials and weaknesses, you will receive heavenly joy and consolation, and you will become a powerful, confident and joyful instrument in the hands of God. I know this is true. I bear witness that it is true. 

It is perfectly understandable that you will, from time to time on your mission (and throughout your life), feel moments of spiritual darkness, loss of confidence, self-doubt, diminished love for others and susceptibility to sin, but there is no reason, and there certainly is no excuse, to linger or languish in these moments. You must exit immediately from these moments. God has given you the pathway for an immediate exit. That pathway is taught by four prophets' examples in this letter, perhaps the most helpful of which is the pathway taught simply and profoundly by Nephi's example and testimony. 

I promise you that notwithstanding your weaknesses and mistakes, if you will sincerely strive to be a Preach My Gospel missionary, you will be successful, you will have great faith, and you will, like Paul, Nephi, Brigham Young and Gordon B. Hinckley, quickly exit any moments of doubt or despair you may encounter. I testify from personal experience that the surest source of peace, joy and a feeling of closeness to your Father in Heaven as a missionary is simply putting your spiritual life in order and then losing yourself in the glorious call God has given you by getting out there and going to work.

I love each of you.

President Christensen