Kia Ora Koutou
Ko Nga-toki-mata-wha-o-rua te waka
Ko Nukutawhiti te rangatira
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko tawapuku te awa
Ko Omapere te moana
Ko NgaPuhi raua ko Ngati kahungunu nga iwi
Ko Awarua te marae
Ko Wihongi te Whanau
Ko Barney Wihongi raua ko Barbara Mckinley oku tupuna
Ko Jason raua Candice oku matua
Ko Wiramina Wihongi toku ingoa
No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa
What I just said was my Pepeha, which is a customary way for the maori people to say where they came from. The one I said is from my father’s side. It tells what canoe my forefathers came to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in and describes the land they settled, the tribe I’m from and the names of prominent ancestors such as my grandparents, then my parents and me.
I was called to serve in the Hamilton, New Zealand mission. I’ll be leaving on the 28th but won’t be reporting to the Auckland MTC until January 3rd. So I’ll have a few extra days to spend with family there. My father was raised where my mission home is, in Temple View. And his first cousin is a counselor in the mission presidency. My grandpa lives in Hamilton, my mothers dad. And my mum also has a sister living in my mission area. Basically, I’ll just be seeing a lot of family and extended family wherever I’ll go, and I don’t know if I should feel blessed or anxious about it. Probably both. It was really exciting when I received my call because I kept hearing the words, “Congratulations! You’ve been called home!”
I am eager to serve the Lord and to bring others unto Christ. I've always had a desire to share the gospel, and the more I got to know my savior, the more I wanted others to feel his comfort and love. He has done so much for me and I can't imagine how it feels to live without his peace. I hope to lift the hands that are hanging down, to give them faith, hope, and encouragement in living the gospel. I know I still have a lot to prepare for, but I will try my best to serve with my whole heart, mind, and soul. I love my Savior so much and all that he has done and will continue to do for me. I truly wouldn't be at this point in my life without Him and His Atonement.
The topic I’ll be speaking on is the First Principle of the Gospel, which is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let me remind you what faith is, Apostle Paul taught that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Alma made a similar statement: “If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true” And how do we gain faith? How do we gain evidence of our Savior, whom we have not seen? Well, The answer is that we gain faith just as we gain any other attribute. We must first establish a foundation (in this case our foundation is the belief in Christ), and then need to cultivate our thoughts and actions in ways that strengthen our Faith.
Faith is just like a muscle. If exercised, it grows strong. If left immobile, it becomes weak. I will be telling you three simple ways that can help strengthen and increase your Faith in Christ as it did with mine. The first, is through Earnest Praying. “Prayer is vocalized Faith”.
There was a point in my life where I struggled so badly with my self-worth. And I wasn’t on the right path of where I was supposed to be. I made wrong choices that would damage my view of myself even more. I was in this low state for a couple months and within those months I distanced myself from family and friends, and I just felt so alone. It came to a point where I even felt unworthy to Pray. Silly, I know. But Satan knows Prayer is such a strong tool in strengthening our Faith that, Sometimes, he will try to convince us that we are not worthy to pray—that our Father in Heaven is so displeased with us that He will never hear our prayers. This is a lie.
The loneliness I felt drove me to wonder if Christ really suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane, and if he truly felt the pain and heartache I was feeling at the time. This curiosity would torment me for days, that I eventually pushed aside Satan’s lie of me being unworthy to pray, and I fell on my knees asking with genuine sincerity, “Heavenly Father, Did Jesus Christ Atone for my sins? Did he truly suffer for me?” The second I finished my prayer, the answer came to me instantly. I felt a burning warmth inside my chest that was so overwhelming, I was brought to tears. The spirit confirmed to me that Christ’s suffered and died for us and That His Atonement is true. I know undoubtedly that Christ loves us, and made a way for us to return in his presence with our Father in Heaven. Because of praying, I know of surety that our Savior knows what we’re going through and my faith in him has increased.
After receiving an answer about the Atonement it led me to Repentance. Which is the second way that you can use and strengthen your Faith in Christ. It is also the second principle of The Gospel.
Since I knew of surety that Christ’s Atonement was true, I prayed again, confessed, and asked for forgiveness for the wrong choices I’ve made and for hating myself because I knew it saddened Him. I then used the faith I gained to start making changes my life. I started to read my scriptures more, continued to pray day and night, and reached out to family and friends more. Overtime, I didn’t feel any guilt or sorrow anymore & I no longer had a desire to give into old temptations. In Alma 34:16-17, it says
“Therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you” After returning onto the right path and repenting, I felt forgiveness for my sins and my faith in Christ and his Atonement strengthened because of it.
The last way that can strengthen your Faith in Christ is, to me, the hardest one. But also an important one. It is to Endure.
When I think of a prophet who faithfully endured in the scriptures, I think of Moses.
Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He demanded the Pharaoh to let his people go but the Pharaoh wouldn’t. Because of this, The Lord sent many miracles of plagues and famines to the Egyptians, but the Pharaoh continued to refuse Moses’ request, until his firstborn son was struck dead. Finally the Pharaoh called for Moses and said “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; Take your flocks and your herds and be gone”
And so six hundred thousand Israelite men and about one-and-a-half million women and children left Egypt on foot. “The Lord went before them … to lead … the way”
But by the time they had reached the Red Sea, Pharaoh had changed his mind. He wanted his six hundred thousand slaves back, so with a host of chariots he pursued them. With the churning and impassable Red Sea in front and the thundering army coming from behind, the Israelites were paralyzed with fear. They forgot, in the terror of the moment, who was really in charge of their future. They forgot the miracles they had already seen and that God knew them. They forgot their faith. And they cried out to Moses: “It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness”
Brothers and sisters, how many times have you seen faith slip away from others or even yourself when times get too rough? When we are given trials, whether it’s not passing a final last week or experiencing death of a loved one, don’t be afraid. Instead think of the words Moses said unto his people. He said,
“Fear ye not, stand still.
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace”
The Israelites then remembered their faith. & You know the next part of the story, with the Power of the Lord Moses was able to part the sea and they were freed. Thus the Lord saved Israel.
It is extremely important to faithfully endure and remember our Savior through problems in our lives. No, He will not take away all of our trials, but He will ease our burdens and fight for us. And just like Moses, the lord will give us power to overcome our obstacles and our faith in him will grow. Apostle Neal A. Maxwell taught that “one’s life cannot be both faith-filled and stress free.” Also, a dwarf named Gimli also taught, “Faithless is he that says Farewell when the road darkens.”
Since New Zealand is the home of Lord of the Rings, I thought it was appropriate. Anyways,
Brothers and sisters, I invite you this Christmas season to increase your Faith in the Savior. Whether it be praying, reading your scriptures, or putting your trust in Him. I promise you that you’ll feel Christ’s joy, love, and peace. “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, endure to the end, and ye shall eternal life”.
I know this is the true and restored church. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and was translated by Joseph Smith. And that he and President Nelson, who’s the prophet of our church today, was called of God. I know that our brother Jesus Christ atoned for our sins and that He and Heavenly Father loves each one of us.
I know that if you hold onto your Faith till the end, and continue to live righteously, when the time comes to be in their presence again, you’ll hear the same words I got when I opened my call, “Congratulations, you’ve been called home!”
And I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.
