Hello brothers and sisters, my name is Rebekah Croft. I’ve been away attending college at Utah
State University for the past year, so those of you who have moved in recently might not know
me, but my family has lived in this neighborhood for almost eight years now, so I recognize most
of the faces out there.
I have been called to serve in the London, England mission. Part of that mission will be working in the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Center. Interestingly enough, London was the very first place missionaries were officially sent when the church was first expanding, so it is often referred to as the very first mission of the church. Most of us can probably remember Pres. Hinckley sharing stories in conference of his mission in England, specifically of him standing on Hyde Park corner conducting street meetings and sharing the gospel. Our very own stake Patriarch, Brother McFarland also served in London and recently shared with my family his stories of making contacts and preaching on Hyde Park corner. When he was serving, on their first day in the field all the new missionaries would be taken to the busy and intimidating Hyde Park Corner where they would get their first chance sharing the gospel as missionaries in a sort of “make it or break it” experience. I’ve heard rumors that even today the missionaries in London frequently sing on the steps of the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Center. So it will be fun to be there in a place where there is so much history and add my own experiences where there is already so much history.
My mission is english speaking. However whenever I tell people that, they laugh and tell me that I won’t be speaking the kind of english I’m used to...the British people have their own way of speaking the language. Some of you may remember Elder Maring who recently served here in our stake for a few months. He’s actually from London and after I got my call, he came over to our house with his companion to give me all sorts of tips as to what is NOT okay to say in England, different kinds of slang, and all sorts of cultural things I should be aware of. So although I will be speaking english, I’m positive that at some point or another I will accidentally say or do something ridiculous like many other missionaries do while learning their languages.
“Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. ... ‘The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life,’ and we do not worship unless we give of our substance, ... our time, ... strength, ... talent, ... faith, ... [and] testimonies” Gordon B. Hinckley
If you couldn’t tell from the quote, I have been asked to speak on “Sacrifice”. Personally the very first thing I think of when I hear the word sacrifice is Christ’s ultimate, and infinite sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the words of Eliza R. Snow:
His precious blood he freely spilt; His life he freely gave,
A sinless sacrifice for guilt,
A dying world to save.
I have been called to serve in the London, England mission. Part of that mission will be working in the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Center. Interestingly enough, London was the very first place missionaries were officially sent when the church was first expanding, so it is often referred to as the very first mission of the church. Most of us can probably remember Pres. Hinckley sharing stories in conference of his mission in England, specifically of him standing on Hyde Park corner conducting street meetings and sharing the gospel. Our very own stake Patriarch, Brother McFarland also served in London and recently shared with my family his stories of making contacts and preaching on Hyde Park corner. When he was serving, on their first day in the field all the new missionaries would be taken to the busy and intimidating Hyde Park Corner where they would get their first chance sharing the gospel as missionaries in a sort of “make it or break it” experience. I’ve heard rumors that even today the missionaries in London frequently sing on the steps of the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Center. So it will be fun to be there in a place where there is so much history and add my own experiences where there is already so much history.
My mission is english speaking. However whenever I tell people that, they laugh and tell me that I won’t be speaking the kind of english I’m used to...the British people have their own way of speaking the language. Some of you may remember Elder Maring who recently served here in our stake for a few months. He’s actually from London and after I got my call, he came over to our house with his companion to give me all sorts of tips as to what is NOT okay to say in England, different kinds of slang, and all sorts of cultural things I should be aware of. So although I will be speaking english, I’m positive that at some point or another I will accidentally say or do something ridiculous like many other missionaries do while learning their languages.
“Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. ... ‘The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life,’ and we do not worship unless we give of our substance, ... our time, ... strength, ... talent, ... faith, ... [and] testimonies” Gordon B. Hinckley
If you couldn’t tell from the quote, I have been asked to speak on “Sacrifice”. Personally the very first thing I think of when I hear the word sacrifice is Christ’s ultimate, and infinite sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the words of Eliza R. Snow:
His precious blood he freely spilt; His life he freely gave,
A sinless sacrifice for guilt,
A dying world to save.
Because of this sacrifice, we are able to learn from our mistakes, have new beginnings, be
strengthened in our trials, and be forgiven of our sins. But greatest of all because of the Son of
God, our redeemer and savior, we are given the opportunity to one day live again with our Father
in Heaven. The next thing that comes to mind is the story of Abraham. A man willing to offer his
son Isaac in a sacrifice because he was commanded to do so as a test of his faith. I think of Lehi
and his family travelling into the wilderness, leaving everything behind to come to this land of
promise. I think of Esther sacrificing her reputation and standing with the King, risking
execution, in order to save her people. I think of the early pioneers willing to leave behind their
homes, land and many possessions in order to cross the planes and make it to this mountain
valley we now call home. Lastly I think of Joseph Smith sacrificing his reputation, home, time,
family, and finally his own life in order to restore this gospel on the earth today.
President Thomas S. Monson recently shared a story of tremendous sacrifice in the 2011 April General Conference. He says, and I quote:
“May I share with you the account of Tihi and Tararaina Mou Tham and their 10 children. The entire family except for one daughter joined the Church in the early 1960s, when missionaries came to their island, located about 100 miles south of Tahiti. Soon they began to desire the blessings of an eternal family sealing in the temple.
At that time the nearest temple to the Mou Tham family was the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, more than 2,500 miles to the southwest, accessible only by expensive airplane travel. The large Mou Tham family, which eked out a meager living on a small plantation, had no money for airplane fare, nor was there any opportunity for employment on their Pacific island. So Brother Mou Tham and his son Gérard made the difficult decision to travel 3,000 miles to work in New Caledonia, where another son was already employed.
The three Mou Tham men labored for four years. Brother Mou Tham alone returned home only once during that time, for the marriage of a daughter.
After four years, Brother Mou Tham and his sons had saved enough money to take the family to the New Zealand Temple. All who were members went except for one daughter, who was expecting a baby. They were sealed for time and eternity, an indescribable and joyful experience.
Brother Mou Tham returned from the temple directly to New Caledonia, where he worked for two more years to pay for the passage of the one daughter who had not been at the temple with them—a married daughter and her child and husband.”
Although we are not usually asked to travel into the wilderness like Lehi, trek across vast distances carrying all our possessions in hand carts like the Pioneers, risk our lives to save the
President Thomas S. Monson recently shared a story of tremendous sacrifice in the 2011 April General Conference. He says, and I quote:
“May I share with you the account of Tihi and Tararaina Mou Tham and their 10 children. The entire family except for one daughter joined the Church in the early 1960s, when missionaries came to their island, located about 100 miles south of Tahiti. Soon they began to desire the blessings of an eternal family sealing in the temple.
At that time the nearest temple to the Mou Tham family was the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, more than 2,500 miles to the southwest, accessible only by expensive airplane travel. The large Mou Tham family, which eked out a meager living on a small plantation, had no money for airplane fare, nor was there any opportunity for employment on their Pacific island. So Brother Mou Tham and his son Gérard made the difficult decision to travel 3,000 miles to work in New Caledonia, where another son was already employed.
The three Mou Tham men labored for four years. Brother Mou Tham alone returned home only once during that time, for the marriage of a daughter.
After four years, Brother Mou Tham and his sons had saved enough money to take the family to the New Zealand Temple. All who were members went except for one daughter, who was expecting a baby. They were sealed for time and eternity, an indescribable and joyful experience.
Brother Mou Tham returned from the temple directly to New Caledonia, where he worked for two more years to pay for the passage of the one daughter who had not been at the temple with them—a married daughter and her child and husband.”
Although we are not usually asked to travel into the wilderness like Lehi, trek across vast distances carrying all our possessions in hand carts like the Pioneers, risk our lives to save the
people we love like Esther, or in most cases labor to obtain the blessings of the temple for years
like the Mou Tham family, we as latter day saints are still asked to sacrifice in our day to day
lives.
3 Nephi 9:20 reads:
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.”
But what does it really mean to offer up a broken heart and a contrite spirit? We’ve all heard it, but do we actually understand what is being asked of us? Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy defines it by saying
“Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur.”
Basically we need to be humble and receptive to the will of God, realizing that He can see the full picture where we can only see a small piece of the puzzle. While I agree with this quote I also believe that another aspect of having a contrite spirit and a broken heart is to be sincerely, and deeply grateful for Christ’s sacrifice for us; his suffering on our behalf. We need to take advantage of the atonement in our lives, sacrificing the things of the world to become cleansed of our sins. Only through the atonement may we truly become perfected in him.
Along with offering up a contrite spirit and a broken heart there are many, many other things we as members can sacrifice just as our ancestors, and people of the past have done, although these things may be different. I came up with three examples of ways we sacrifice as members of the church without perhaps even realizing that this is what we are doing. My first example of a sacrifice we can offer up to the Lord is participating in the work of family history. In order to find names of people to take to the temple we must sacrifice time and effort. Not to mention the actual time it takes to attend the temple and perform the ordinances. But true to the definition of sacrifice, in the end, our hard work will be worth the happiness and spiritual progression gained by not only us but also those people that have been waiting so long to receive the ordinances.
A second way we are blessed to have the opportunity to sacrifice is in our callings. From Gospel Doctrine teachers to Primary teachers, Relief society presidents to Bishops, and choir directors to Home and Visiting teachers, the diversity of callings in our church is incredible but, they all require time and effort in order to be successful and ultimately bring the Spirit into others lives. I think of the many hours that teachers spend preparing lessons, the meetings that various presidencies take time to attend in order to plan activities, and discuss the needs of others. I think of the time that Home teachers take out of their busy lives to meet with a family in the ward once a month and check up on them. Lastly I think of the bishopric of this ward spending countless hours for the benefit and spiritual welfare of all its members. Every one of us can sacrifice and in doing so share our testimonies in our individual ways to make a difference in this church if we just try.
3 Nephi 9:20 reads:
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.”
But what does it really mean to offer up a broken heart and a contrite spirit? We’ve all heard it, but do we actually understand what is being asked of us? Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy defines it by saying
“Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them God’s way instead. In such a condition of submissiveness, the Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur.”
Basically we need to be humble and receptive to the will of God, realizing that He can see the full picture where we can only see a small piece of the puzzle. While I agree with this quote I also believe that another aspect of having a contrite spirit and a broken heart is to be sincerely, and deeply grateful for Christ’s sacrifice for us; his suffering on our behalf. We need to take advantage of the atonement in our lives, sacrificing the things of the world to become cleansed of our sins. Only through the atonement may we truly become perfected in him.
Along with offering up a contrite spirit and a broken heart there are many, many other things we as members can sacrifice just as our ancestors, and people of the past have done, although these things may be different. I came up with three examples of ways we sacrifice as members of the church without perhaps even realizing that this is what we are doing. My first example of a sacrifice we can offer up to the Lord is participating in the work of family history. In order to find names of people to take to the temple we must sacrifice time and effort. Not to mention the actual time it takes to attend the temple and perform the ordinances. But true to the definition of sacrifice, in the end, our hard work will be worth the happiness and spiritual progression gained by not only us but also those people that have been waiting so long to receive the ordinances.
A second way we are blessed to have the opportunity to sacrifice is in our callings. From Gospel Doctrine teachers to Primary teachers, Relief society presidents to Bishops, and choir directors to Home and Visiting teachers, the diversity of callings in our church is incredible but, they all require time and effort in order to be successful and ultimately bring the Spirit into others lives. I think of the many hours that teachers spend preparing lessons, the meetings that various presidencies take time to attend in order to plan activities, and discuss the needs of others. I think of the time that Home teachers take out of their busy lives to meet with a family in the ward once a month and check up on them. Lastly I think of the bishopric of this ward spending countless hours for the benefit and spiritual welfare of all its members. Every one of us can sacrifice and in doing so share our testimonies in our individual ways to make a difference in this church if we just try.
My third and final example of a sacrifice we can give unto the lord is that we can give one tenth
of our earning to the church. Living the law of the tithe is a sacrifice we can make almost
everyday. Also in regards to money, we can pay fast offerings every month. The money that we
give for fast offerings and tithing, however much it may be, helps people around the world, and
strengthens this church. It goes into bishop's store houses, to families who are struggling
financially, to the missionaries, to build temples and church houses, to aid in humanitarian
services all around the world, and many other efforts. In addition, we are promised by the Lord
in Malachi 3:10 that if we pay our tithing He will...“open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.”
From this scripture we learn that in most cases although the Lord asks us to sacrifice, we often gain much more than we ever lost in the first place, obtaining something far greater in return for our sacrifices. We can become like those we read about who are admired for their great spiritual strength and efforts of sacrifice, whether they be in scripture, early church history or even live today. Although our sacrifices may seem small, in comparison to some, if we simply give our all our sacrifices will be great in the sight of the lord, and I know we will be blessed.
Testimony...
From this scripture we learn that in most cases although the Lord asks us to sacrifice, we often gain much more than we ever lost in the first place, obtaining something far greater in return for our sacrifices. We can become like those we read about who are admired for their great spiritual strength and efforts of sacrifice, whether they be in scripture, early church history or even live today. Although our sacrifices may seem small, in comparison to some, if we simply give our all our sacrifices will be great in the sight of the lord, and I know we will be blessed.
Testimony...
(Here's Rebekah working on her talk. It looks like she's playing around on social media...but I can attest to the fact that really she was reading a talk by Elder Oaks on sacrifice....haha.)
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