Farewell Address

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." A quote by Mother Teresa.

I have thought about this quote and asked myself, "What do I spend my time doing? Do I spend it judging or do I spend it loving?" There is not room for both.

Leviticus 19:18
  Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the Lord.

So, the Lord teaches us that we must love our neighbors... and not just to love them, but to love them as much as we love ourselves.

This is a big part of why I have chosen to serve a mission --- So that I can show a Christ like love to the people of Washington D.C. So that I may show them charity.

Charity is the pure love of Christ. A love that is meant for all of us. One in which our Savior, Jesus Christ, was willing to sacrifice his life to show that love. To give us the opportunity to draw closer to Him by using the atonement. Not only for when we sin but also to help us be strengthened.

Isaiah 53: 4-5
    Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
   But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

God is a God of love. And he loves you. He knows your hopes and desires, He knows your disappointments. He loves each of you individually and constantly. He cannot forget you.

Isaiah 49: 15-16
    Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
    Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

God will not forget us, even when we forget Him. But let us not forget him, let us show him our love... let us show him charity.

Mosiah 2:17
    And behold, I tell ye these things that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

How can we show Him charity? By showing charity to our fellow beings.

I would like to read an excerpt from Thomas S. Monson's address in the last Women's conference:
"I consider charity --- or "the pure love of Christ: --- to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. However, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.

I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.

There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.

Needed is the chariy which refuses to find satisfaction in hearing or in repeating the reports of misfortunes that come to others, unless by so doing, the unfortunate one may be benefited. The American educator and politician Horace Mann once said,  "To pity distress is but human; to relieve it is godlike."

Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize other.

In a hundred small ways, all of you wear the mantle of charity. Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing their best to deal with the challenges which come their way, and may we strive to do our best to help out."

May we strive to do our best to help out. We will never be able to understand someone's situation completely. To quote the same talk by President Monson; "There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment "Judge not."

I have worked at a treatment facility for eating disorders for about a year and a half collectively. During this time I have had the privilege to meet many great women - both co-workers and clients. At this time I would like to focus on the clients. I have heard these girls talk about the judgements that have been made about them. Judgements about their weight, both big and small. Judgements about their abilities. Judgments about their intelligence. Judgments about others. The list could go on. These judgements are directed to amazing women... women who have so much to give to this world, but the world has made them question their self worth. Many of these women have come to a point that they would be willing to give up their lives because of their lack of self worth.

Please, be the people who strive to make those around you to feel worthwhile, to feel cared about, to feel truly loved. That is what Christ did. He showed His love by healing the sick, by raising the dead, by not condemning those who had sinned, by pleading, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

How powerful that statement is. If Christ can forgive those who crucified Him then we can surely forgive those who offend or hurt us. And we can surely forgive ourselves.

I have run into family members, friends, and sometimes myself saying, "I am not good enough." Show charity to others and to yourself. Realize that because we are human we do have shortcomings, we do have weaknesses and we will not overcome them overnight.

Ether 12:27
   And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
 
Again, this weakness to strength will not happen overnight. It is a process. It will take time. Do not be discouraged. Discouragement is not the Lord's method it is Satan's. Satan emphasizes your weakness; The Lord, your ability to overcome. Satan urges immediate perfection to make you feel inadequate. The Lord leads you toward perfection.

Mosiah 4:27
    And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.

This last Christmas my mom gave each of her children a book called Believing Christ. Believing Christ had a touching message about how believing in Christ and believing Christ can be different things. I can believe Christ walked this Earth, that he lived, that he was crucified and that he was resurrected. That would be believing in Christ. Believing Christ would mean that I believe what Christ taught. I can choose to believe Christ by believing

Matthew 11:28-29
    Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
    Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

The Lord wants to give us rest from our heavy loads. Believe Him.

Also within this book was the parable of the bicycle. To paraphrase this, a little child asks their father if they can have the shiny bicycle in the store window. The father says to his child, "If you work really hard and save all of your pennies then you can buy it." The child went home that day and began to work. After saving for a period of time the child goes to the father and says, " I have worked very hard and saved all of my pennies. Can we buy the shiny bicycle now?" The father takes the child to the store to buy the bicycle. When they get there the little child's face falls when they see the price tag. " I do not have enough." The father asks the child how much they have. The child shows the father and the father tells his child that they did what was asked saving all of their pennies and working very hard. So, for a hug and a kiss plus the child's coins the father offered to make up the difference.

The Lord wants to make up the difference. Believe Him.

All that is required is our best.
Romans 5: 6, 8
    For yet when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
    But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Christ suffered in Gethsemane and died for us because he loves us. So that we could always have someone who understands what we are going through; that we may always have someone to lean on. That we may never be alone. Believe Him.

God loves each one of us. He knows our desires and what we want, but more importantly he knows what we need and what is best for us.

This reminds me of a time that one of my nephew wanted to touch a curling iron. He was very young and his mother explained to him "No, hot." Still, my nephew tried again with the reprimand of, "No No No, its hot!" Again my nephew tried --- this time he managed to grab ahold of the curling iron before his mother could interfere. It burned and blistered his little hand. His mother helped him to cool the burn under cold water and then continued to care for the burn, that day and the days to come until it was healed.

So it is with us. Our loving Heavenly Father gives us commandments and cautions, "No, hot." However, as His children we have the agency to choose to follow or break those commandments and cautions. We can touch the curling iron. If we choose to touch it we can be burned. But the Lord will let us come to Him with our wounds and He will help us to heal.

Alma 7: 11-12
    And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
   And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

The Lord wants to give us succor. Believe Him.

The Lord needs our help in the succoring of His children. I remember reading a visiting teaching message that said; How wonderful to have our prayers answered and even more wonderful when we are the answer to someone else's prayers.

Let us find ways to serve one another, to be the answers to someone else's prayers, to show the pure love of Christ --- even charity to those around us. Even when someone does not appear to be doing everything they should. Remembering first, that the whole need no physician and second, that we cannot know the heart, the intentions or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we don't agree with.

Have mercy on others and hope for mercy for yourself. We all need it.

We are called to lift one another up.

Mosiah 18: 8 - 9
    And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called_ and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called His people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.
    Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; ye, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.

John 15:12
    This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Moroni 7:47
    But charity is the pure love of Christ and it endureth forever and whosoever is found possessed of it at the last day it shall be well with him.

Mosiah 4:26
    And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you --- that is, for the sake f retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God --- I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief both spiritually and temporally according to their wants.

John 15:9
    As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

I bear witness that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. That he loves all of His children. He wants what is best for us and he wants us to help our fellow beings. You all have beautiful souls and I love you. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.