Peter M. Johnson · Of the Seventy
1Sisters and brothers, thank you for your faithful devotion in coming unto Jesus Christ during these challenging times. You are wonderful; you are beautiful; you are each a child of God. It is my prayer that we will recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost as we become and help one another become truly devoted disciples of Jesus Christ and feel of His joy as we worship in the house of the Lord.
2President Russell M. Nelson declared: “Now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a world filled with dizzying distractions, how can we do this?”
3He provided the answer: “Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. … We come to know Him. … Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple.”
4So how do we become and help one another become devoted disciples of Jesus Christ? We minister to the one. Ministering in the Savior’s way involves compassion, kindness, patience, and love without judgment. As we minister to the one, we invite the one to come unto Christ and to worship in the house of the Lord to receive of His redeeming power. In other words, we help one another become devoted disciples as we minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord.
5We learn from Jesus Christ the power of ministering to the one with love and without judgment. You remember the Samaritan woman at the well. This woman may have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. She may have felt she did not belong. Throughout her life she had five husbands, and the man whom she was living with was not her husband. Others may have imposed unrighteous judgment without knowing her life’s circumstances. This may be one of the reasons she came to the well alone in the hottest part of the day. And yet, she was one of the first to whom Jesus Christ declared He was the Messiah. To Him, this woman was a daughter of God.
6Jesus Christ taught that woman that through Him one can receive eternal life by partaking of the living water. He declared, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give … shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give … shall be … a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
7The woman of Samaria felt of the Savior’s love and received a witness through the Spirit that He is the Messiah. After this witness, she returned to the city and invited others to come and see, and many believed Jesus was “indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” Christ ministered to the one with love; as a result, others became His devoted disciples.
8We learn of the power of ministering to the one with compassion from Christ’s Apostles Peter and John. You remember a certain man, lame from birth, lay daily at the gate of the temple asking for money. This man may have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. He may have felt he did not belong.
9“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have [I] give [unto] thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
10Peter took the man by his right hand and lifted him up, and the man was made whole. Immediately following the miracle, the man entered into the temple with Peter and John, “walking, and leaping, and praising God.” Peter and John ministered to the one in ways that led to the house of the Lord, and this man became Christ’s devoted disciple.
11My friends, there have been moments in my life when I too have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. I have felt as if I did not belong. I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 19 years old. One year later, I accepted the call to serve as a full-time missionary, but there was much I had not yet learned about Church history.
12Early in my missionary service, I learned that there was a period when those of Black African descent were not allowed to enjoy all of the blessings of worshipping in the house of the Lord. Learning this for the first time brought feelings of anger, confusion, doubt, and fear. These feelings were so intense that my ability to recognize the Holy Ghost was lost for a season.
13Fortunately, I had a wonderful missionary companion, Kevin Vick, who ministered to me with love, patience, and kindness. Each night as he witnessed my feelings of doubt and uncertainty, he would simply say to the younger Elder Johnson, “I love you.” After about two weeks, I allowed myself to feel of Kevin’s love. I gained the courage to pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. As I prayed, I was drawn to section 6 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 21–23, which states:
14“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. … I am the light which shineth in darkness. …
15“… Cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
16“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?”
17As I read, I remembered. I remembered the day that I had fasted and prayed to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration. I remembered covenants made in the house of the Lord that connect me to Jesus Christ in such a personal and intimate way. I felt of the Savior’s love, His mercy, and His assurance that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His kingdom upon the earth and is necessary to prepare us for His Second Coming. Because I remembered, I again was able to recognize the Holy Ghost and to understand more fully that Jesus is the Christ and I am His disciple.
18At times we will have unanswered questions and feelings of being unimportant, discouraged, alone, and unseen. However, my friends, we must press forward with faith in Jesus Christ and remember His words:
19“Let not your heart be troubled.”
20“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
21I am a witness to this reality and of the Savior’s promised blessing.
22So what can we do to ensure our ministering to the one in the Savior’s way is most effective? Living the doctrine of Christ will help us. “Living the doctrine of Christ,” as President Nelson described, “can produce the most powerful virtuous cycle, creating spiritual momentum in our lives.
23“As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, … the Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.”
24“[This spiritual] momentum produced by living the doctrine of Christ,” Elder Dale G. Renlund explains, “not only powers the transformation of our divine nature into our eternal destiny but also motivates us to help [to minister to] others in appropriate ways.” Elder Renlund reminds us that “the Savior’s job is to heal [to make us whole]. Our job is to love—to love and minister in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus Christ.”
25Our ability to live the doctrine of Christ will be enhanced by daily studying the Book of Mormon and weekly partaking of the sacrament. President Nelson declared that the Book of Mormon “teaches the doctrine of Christ … [and] provides the fullest and [clearest] understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere.” I love this book. And prayerfully partaking of the sacrament each week will increase our understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and provide spiritual renewal, comfort, and the power of godliness in our lives. Remember, “in the ordinances [of the priesthood], the power of godliness is manifest,” and this power, which comes from Jesus Christ, strengthens our desire and our ability to minister to the one.
26My study of the Book of Mormon and partaking of the sacrament minimizes feelings of discouragement, escalates my determination to minister to the one in the Savior’s way, and helps make discipleship my highest priority.
27My friends, I promise that as we live the doctrine of Christ and minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord, we will press forward with faith in Jesus Christ even amid unanswered questions and feelings of being unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. We will invite the one to come unto Jesus Christ and to worship in the house of the Lord to receive of His redeeming power and love. In the house of the Lord, we will “feel [the Savior’s] mercy. [We] will find answers to [our] most vexing questions. [And we] will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.