To become an instrument in the hands of God is a great privilege and sacred responsibility. Wherever we live, whatever our circumstances, no matter our marital status or age, the Lord needs each oneof us to fulfill there unique part in building His kingdom in this final dispensation. It is my testimony that we can know what the Lord wants us to do—and experience “the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.” 1 My desire tonight is to share part of my very personal journey of coming to understand how we become such instruments.
I start where my journey ended— “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,’ … are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!”
I bear witness, my beloved brothers and sisters, that in order to truly be an instrument in the hands of God, in order to fully have that blessing bestowed upon us in “the day of this life” in which we “perform [our] labors,” we must, “finally submit ourselves” to the Lord.
The refining process in my life that led to my testimony of this principle began unexpectedly when in my mid-20s, I received my patriarchal blessing. I had fasted and prayed in preparation, wondering in my heart, “What does the Lord want me to do?”
I hate to admit it, but I was disappointed and troubled. I has turned my back on God. I thought I could do things on my own and not wait for the Lord’s time and had pride issues at the time. I had slipped far from God and was on my last lag. I had no where else to turn but to God. He pulled me out of the pit. I asked God for forgiveness and rededicated my life to Lord.i felt His forgiveness. At that point in my life, I had barely read the Bible from cover to cover. Without question, I was unprepared to serve the Lord. So I put my patriarchal blessing in a drawer. I did, however, begin a serious of scripture study each day as I started to
focusing on God.
Over subsequent days I pulled out my Bible blessing and read it again and again, searching for deeper understanding. Even knowing I was going to live out a promise I had received from the Lord decades earlier did not alleviate my concerns.
In my quest for peace, I redoubled my efforts to serve the Lord. I pondered the meaning of my covenants in a way I had never done before. For me, at this defining crossroads in my life, my temple covenants served as a foundation and catalyst. Yes, I feared, but I realized I had chosen to make personal, binding, sacred commitments I meant to keep to our Father in Heaven. When all was said and done, this wasn’t someone else’s service to perform. This was my to serve, and I determined to serve. By start seeking the Lord first and for most. Making Him the center of my life.
“The Lord thy God has called thee by name out of the heavens. Thou hast been called … to the great work of the Lord: to do a work in this generation which no other … would do as thyself, in all things according to the will of the Lord.” The Prophet Joseph was called to his unique part of “the great work of the Lord,” and as overwhelmed and unprepared as I felt, I knew I was called to my portion of the work, too. This insight was helpful and gave me courage to do the Lord’s work.
In my constant prayers I continued to ask, “Father, how can I do what Thou hast called me to do?” As I sought solace in a quiet place, these words came clearly into my mind:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
Realizing in a most personal manner that the Lord would be with me and help me was just the beginning. I had much more to learn aboutbecoming an instrument in God’s hands.
My first lesson in the process of becoming an instrument in God’s hand had been to search the scriptures, fast, pray, attend the temple, and live faithful to the covenants I had made in the house of the Lord. My second lesson was that in order to “boldly go forward,” I needed to rely completely on the Lord and seek earnestly for personal revelation. In order to receive that revelation, I would have to live worthily to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with me.
My last lesson was precisely. In even the smallest details of each day, I submitted my will to the Lord’s, for I so needed His help, His guidance, and His protection. As I did, gradually my relationship with my Father in Heaven changed—in profound ways—that continue to bless me.
My life’s journey is different from yours. Each of you could teach me much from your experiences of submitting your will to the Lord’s as you earnestly seek to know His will for you. We can rejoice together in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, gratefully acknowledging the blessing of having a testimony of the Savior and His Atonement for each of us. This I know—our individual efforts to become instruments in the hands of God have not been easy and have stretched us spiritually, enriching our mortal journeys in the most personal, glorious ways.
Today I would like to say my heart is more at peace today. The Lord and made my heart a love and caring heart. I am a prayer worrier and know the Bible more and continue to seek His Word. I’m so in love with God I cannot stop reading His Word and serving him in showing love to others around me. And I give all the credit to God for turning my life around for the best. And it all started with me by giving it all to God by trusting him and having faith.
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord bless each of you in your personal quest to know His will for you and to submit your will to His. I testify that our individual will “is the only possession which is truly ours to give.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My Beginning. My Forever. 