Go- by Lindsay Chandler

As members of God’s church, we are often asked to go. We go on missions, we go to the temple, and we go forward to serve. Part of the reason why our church has progressed so much in such a short time is that its members are constantly working to strengthen God’s kingdom. If we were not going and progressing, we would be swept away by the rushing world. It is very important to Heavenly Father that we go where we are called, because that is the best way for him to bless us and others.

Often times, our going is an act of faith. We do not always know what lies ahead, but we “go in the strength of the Lord.” [1] Sometimes, we do not even know why we are going. The young woman who refuses to date until she turns 16, the young man who sends in his mission papers, foregoing a coveted athletic scholarship, the individual who receives a new and daunting calling, all go to do what they are commanded, not necessarily because they can see why, but because they trust that God can. Our Heavenly Father has a much broader vision than we do. He knows who we were before we came to this Earth, he knows what our purpose and mission are here, and he can see events in our future that we cannot. Therefore, we must trust that if we leave our lives in his hands, we have no need to fear. He will provide us with everything we need to succeed in our missions. As Nephi said in 1 Nephi 3:7, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” Heavenly Father himself said that if we “go forth has [he] hath commanded you…ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you." [2] I firmly believe that the Lord will not give us a commandment without guiding us every step of the way. He indeed prepares a way for his children to be successful, and he will provide us with the comfort and strength to do what we have to do. I have had several experiences when I have kept certain commandments even when it was difficult to understand why. But every time I put my faith in the Lord, I find myself blessed beyond what I could have foreseen. President Gordon B. Hinckley had an experience with this kind of faith. When he was serving his mission, there was a time when he wondered if he should even stay, as the people were unresponsive to the gospel. He wrote to his father about this, and received the answer, “forget yourself and go to work.” He then said “I got on my knees in that little bedroom…and made a pledge that I would try to give myself unto the Lord." [3] The greatest acts of faith are when we submit completely to the Lord, not knowing what will come of us, but knowing that He will be with us. This is the greatest blessing of all, and it comes from going where he wants us to go.

One of my favorite scriptures is the first chapter of the book of Ruth. It is much too long to quote the entire chapter, but I do want to point out the most important phrase of that chapter. As a little background, Naomi has just lost her husband and two sons, and is hopelessly advising her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to leave the country of Moab to escape the ongoing famine. Orpah leaves to rejoin her people, but Ruth cannot be convinced to abandon her mother-in-law. She pleads, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17). Her undying loyalty is so clear in this statement that Naomi no longer tries to convince her to leave. Ruth’s dedication to her mother-in-law reminds us that we must not simply go, but we must go with those we love. Heavenly Father, in his eternal love for us, gave us the give of families for this very reason. If this life is a road to return to God, then our goal should be to return with our loved ones. Lehi’s journey from Jerusalem in the first chapters of the Book of Mormon can be symbolic of our own journeys with our families. As they departed from wicked Jerusalem, we must, with our families, leave the ways of the world behind and focus on our path to God. When we hit roadblocks and obstacles along the way, we can turn to God, united in everything we do, and he will guide us safely to our own promised land. We may complain, make mistakes, and sometimes even forget the purpose of our journey, but we can always help each other stay on the correct path. Above all, we must never leave our loved ones. If they make mistakes, who better to bring them back to the Lord’s path? James E. Faust well said that we must “place a high priority on loyalty to each other. The dictionary defines the word loyal as being ‘constant and faithful in any relation implying trust or confidence; bearing true allegiance to the constituted authority.’ (Britannica World Language Dictionary, s.v. “loyalty.”) If family members are not loyal to each other, they cannot be loyal to themselves." [4]

The most comforting thing about going is that if we are with the Lord, we never have to go alone. He has prepared a way for us, and he is always with us to provide help and strength. I love the poem by Margaret Powers, entitled “Footprints.” It tells the story of an individual looking back at his life, seeing it as footprints in the sand. There were two sets of prints, one of the individual’s and one of the Lord’s. This person became very confused upon discovering a time where there was only one set of footprints, and at a time that was so difficult for them. When he asked the Lord why, the Lord replied “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you…when you say only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” [5] Sometimes we may feel alone, particularly when the world is so hard on us. But those are the times that the Lord is especially with us, lifting us from our troubles to a better place. I do not believe that he ever wants to leave us. Sometimes we may leave him, but he will always be waiting with open arms, as the father of the prodigal son. It is such a great comfort to know that we are never alone. He promises that “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” [6] What greater blessing than to always have the protection of the Savior?

I promise that if we make an effort to become immersed in the Lord’s work, everything else in our lives will fall into place. Heavenly Father loves us so much, and desires to bless us, but he cannot do this if we are idle and do not move forward. And most importantly, he will always be with us if we are moving forward in his work.

Footnotes/sources:
[1] Psalm 71:16
[2] D&C 49:26
[3] "Your Mission will Change Everything" David F. Evans, Ensign May 2006, p. 32-34.
[4] “Enriching Family Life” James E. Faust, Ensign May 1983, p. 40.
[5] "Footprints" Margaret F. Powers
http://djryan.tripod.com/inspirations/poems/footprints.html.
[6] D&C 84:88