If Ye have Desires to Serve God, You Are Called to the Work
By Sarah Doxey
"If ye have desires to serve God, you are called to the work" (D&C 4:3), I never knew how true that was until I came home from my mission. My mission meant everything to me. I can't say it wasn't hard, very hard at times, but I also must admit that I loved it more than I could ever express in words. I loved giving my all to the Lord and loosing myself in bringing others to Christ. I loved working hard, studying hard, praying hard, loving hard, and then at nights because I had given it my all sleeping hard. I had so many incredible experiences that I can't even begin to share them all, and some so sacred I wouldn't even dare to. What I would like to share though has everything to do with my mission, but is what I have learned these last 2 1/2 years from being home.
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| Hermana Doxey (Apr. 2010 - Nov. 2011) |
I remember the night before I went home, kneeling by my bedside asking Heavenly Father that I wouldn't go backwards, that I could continue progressing and giving my life to Him. My biggest fear in coming home was that I would just come home and return to who I was before, that I wouldn't continue to progress, love, and serve like I had on the mission. I had learned so much and what was it all for if I was just going to go home and stop the progression?
I remember the whole plane ride home being nervous about a future. I loved my mission and I just wanted to keep giving my all in the service of the Lord. I caught myself thinking "was there really anything else in life that mattered other than what I had just done? How could I just move on from everything that I had experienced?" I couldn't just pick up where I had left off when I had left my home 19 months earlier, too much had happened. I no longer was the same person, I was changed. I had learned so much in those 19 months that I could never be the same and I didn't want to be! I got off the plane and before I went to see my family I found a quite place in the airport down a hall where no one was and I said another prayer to my Father in Heaven pleading to Him all those desires of my heart.
Now I can't say everything was perfect coming home and I didn't pass through many lonely and trying days, but what I can say is that truly the Lord is mindful of us, that He will give to us according to our desires. All I wanted to do was to continue serving Him, and as I relied on Him He guided me and led me to have such incredible opportunities. As I said earlier, if we have desires to serve God we ARE called to the work. Not just on your missions, but afterwards as well. I can say that though I love and appreciate my mission so much, these last 2.5 years have also changed my life in an equal way. I have had so many sacred and incredible experiences since being home that I know the Lord lives and loves us even more than I did when I came home. When I got home He gave me the opportunity to teach at the Provo MTC for 2 years. That experience has changed me in ways that I can't even begin to describe. My love for the work continued to grow, and the progression that I so earnestly desired continued. The Lord continued to answer those desires of my heart by giving me the incredible experience of being sent with a few other Spanish teachers to the Mexico MTC to help train teachers there and get it started. That experience also changed my life forever in so many different ways, and my eternity will be indebted to it.
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| Hermana Doxey (third from right) and one of her MTC districts |
Then coming home from Mexico the Lord led me into a different direction. I am working at Utah Business Magazine, a totally different path, yet I know it is still leading me to the same path of eternity with Him. He has continued to bless me, and my desires to continue serving him have been fulfilled as I have been able to substitute teach many institute classes at LDS Business College. The Lord has moved mountains in my life, and He continues to do so. How grateful I am for Him and His guidance in my life. Like it says in 1 Ne. 16, that with the guidance of the Liahona they were led to the "most fertile" parts of the land. The Lord will do the same for us. As we follow the Liahonas in our days, through our daily scripture study, continual prayers and counseling with our Father in Heaven, weekly church attendance and partaking of the sacrament, and weekly (regular) temple attendance, our Heavenly Father will also guide and lead us to the most fertile in our lives. Though it may not be what we had planned or had thought about, it will be perfect for us. It will be better than what we could have every planned or hoped for ourselves.
Everything that I am, do, and have in my life has a direct connection and is a direct result of my mission, but my mission has not ended, and our missions never should! They are for an eternity. The Lord continues to call us, He wants to provide us with opportunities to continue to bring others to Christ, to serve Him, to learn and progress. He calls us to hasten His work! If we continue to put into practice what we learned on our missions and follow the counsel and guidance of our Heavenly Father He will lead us to exactly where we need to be and what we need to do. He will provide us with just as powerful experiences that we had on our mission. It is not over and never will be as we continue to give our all to Him.
As He had done for me, I know He will do for you. He will answer your prayers, and those desires of your hearts. Each of us has different desires but they are just as important to our Heavenly Father. He will direct our lives to accomplish ALL that we desire. How I love Him. I know He is our Father and we are His children. I know He lives and loves us. I know He has restored His gospel on the earth, and how grateful I am for it. He is my all, and I will praise Him forever!
Just as Heavenly Father has answered my prayers, and the desires of my heart I know He will do that for every one of us. We are His children, He loves us, He wants us to be happy, and so He will give to us according to our desires and faith. Just like He says over and over in the Book of Mormon if we are righteous we will be blessed. It is as simple as that. I have seen that even more since being home from my mission and I know you will too.
Hermana Sarah Doxey
(April 2010 - November 2011)