Sunday, November 27, 2011

My Farewell Talk

Hello all! Like my mom said, I wanted to post the text of my farewell talk on here for those of you that were not able to attend. For those that did, I sincerely thank you for the support you showed me! I'm so thrilled to be serving a mission!
- Justin




Nov. 27, 2011
Good morning, brothers and sisters. My name is Justin DeLong, and I have been called to serve a full-time mission for two years in the Massachusetts Boston mission. I will be speaking Khmer, the Cambodian language. I report to the Provo MTC on December 7th, and I couldn’t be more excited! Scared and nervous, yes, but very excited.
One of my favorites of President Monson’s stories is one that he told a few conferences ago. President Monson said that he received a desperate call one day from the MTC president, who is unsure of what to do. He tells him of a young man in the MTC who is struggling with Spanish and is about ready to quit and go home. President Monson suggested that the young missionary attend a Japanese class the next morning, and asks the MTC president to call him back the next day at noon. The next day, President Monson received a call at 10:00 AM, saying that the young man was then sure that he could learn Spanish.  I’ll probably experience some of those same feelings, since I also have to learn a difficult Asian language. In all seriousness though, I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.
Serving a mission is going to bring many blessings into my life and into the lives of my family members. These blessings come from God, as all blessings do. He has given us everything – our talents, our possessions, our friends and family, our jobs, everything. All He asks in return is 10% of our increase to help build His kingdom here on the earth.
This is more commonly referred to as tithing. That 10% is sent from our local leaders to Church headquarters, where a council consisting of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric decides where these funds need to go. They act according to revelation and direct the money to where it is needed.
In “True to the Faith”, we read: “Tithing funds are always used for the Lord’s purposes – to build and maintain temples and meetinghouses, to sustain missionary work, and to carry on the work of the Church throughout the world.” One of our local missionaries, Elder Maddux, pointed out to me that the current “mormon.org” campaign efforts are being funded through tithing.
Some who are struggling in today’s economy may feel like paying tithing places a financial burden on them, but the Lord has promised us blessings.
“Bring me all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” That promise is found in Malachi chapter 3, verse 10.
 It’s hard to imagine being bestowed with blessings of that magnitude, “that there shall not be room enough” to receive them, but I know and testify that this principle is true, and the Lord will keep His promises.
President Thomas S. Monson taught, “We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. The financial affairs of the Church are being managed in this manner, for we are aware that your tithing and other contributions have not come without sacrifice and are sacred funds.”
As you plan financially to be able to pay tithing, the Lord will help and guide you.
Even if your tithing contribution is small, you will still receive these marvelous blessings. Christ taught us this truth through the poor widow who gave all the money she had as an offering unto the Lord. We find this woman’s great example in Mark, chapter 12:
“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” 
Money may be tight, but I promise you that we can’t afford to NOT pay tithing. 
My parents have shared with me their experiences and blessings with tithing.  When they were first married, my dad was still in school and working a telemarketing job for $5 an hour and my mom was working for $5 an hour as a Salesperson at Dillards. There were bills coming due and my mom would say to my dad, “I don’t know how we’re going to make it!” My dad would always say: “Is our tithing up-to-date?” and when my mom would say “Yes, of course!” my dad would say: “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”  A few days after paying tithing during an especially difficult time, my mom called my dad in tears saying “ASU Financial Services just called.  They have a grant down that you qualified for and you haven’t picked up the check yet.  It’s yours, and they were wondering if you still wanted or needed the money.” Soon after that, my dad found a perfect job in Customer Service with Discover Card, making a considerable amount more than his previous job and having full Medical and Dental Benefits.  My mom was soon promoted several times quickly to a Management position within Dillards Department Stores. They soon made a decision to find an apartment closer to ASU and my dad’s work. The rent was a bit more but the savings on gas and time offset the difference.  More importantly, they moved into a Ward in Scottsdale that was a perfect match for them and gained friends that have provided strength and support until this day.
In addition to being faithful, it is also important that we give willingly; otherwise we are not truly obeying this commandment. Stephen L. Richards taught, “When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed.”
The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people ‘will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them’ (‘Inspirational thoughts,’ Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7). The Lord will also help us grow ‘in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).” – Gospel Principles manual, pg 188.
My dad once said to me that being focused requires sacrifice. For us to be focused on the things of the Lord, He requires us to make choices and sacrifices. Although we have to give things up, we will reap the rewards of following His commandments. President James E. Faust gave a great talk at a CES fireside in 2007, called “Put Light in Your Life.” In his talk, he tells us several ways that we can receive spiritual light from the Lord, such as daily scripture study, sacrament meeting attendance, prayer, singing hymns, and yes, paying tithing. President Faust goes on to say, “we are entitled to increased spiritual and intellectual enlightenment if we first seek ‘the kingdom of God, and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33)… Our faith is not a bundle of beliefs and practices that are too heavy to bear. Those who have come out of the darkness find that their faith carries them. Faith is not heavy; faith lifts and gives us wings to carry us over hard places. As Isaiah promised, ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).”


In Doctrine and Covenants section 64, we read, “Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.” I’d say that being spared from the awful destruction of the wicked that will take place at His Second Coming is definitely a blessing! 
I’ve often heard the phrase that “faith is a verb”, implying that true faith requires us to act on our beliefs. When we follow through on the things the Lord asks of us, He is literally “bound” to bless us. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we ‘might have hope.’ Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.” Even though it may seem difficult, we need to have “the infinite power of hope”, as well as the faith that we will be blessed.
Developing a habit of paying tithing helps us to remember to live this commandment. Whether it’s once a month or every Sunday, having that specific time will help us to remember to pay our tithing to the Lord. I get paid every Friday with a direct deposit into my bank account. When I check my account balance each week to ensure that my paycheck went through, I write up a check with the amount I owe in tithing so that I will remember to pay it on the following Sunday.   
The charity aspect of that quote from President Uchtdorf comes in as we are asked each month to contribute a fast offering to help care for those in need. A general, widely-accepted description of a proper fast offering is the amount we would have spent on food for the two meals we’re giving up, as well as whatever we are able to give. The money given for fast offerings is used by bishops to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for those who need it. We, as members of the church, can also donate funds for other church purposes, like missionary work, humanitarian aid, or the Perpetual Education fund.
Everything at we are given is the Lord’s, so Him asking to give back just 10% of what He gives us and a monetary contribution every fast Sunday to help build the Kingdom isn’t asking all that much. In addition, we must give thanks to Him and “acknowledge His hand in all things”, as we were taught by Pres. Bowden and Bro. Goodman last week. “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” This verse from Doctrine and Covenants section 59 is quite appropriate for this time of year, as we just celebrated Thanksgiving this last week. However, we shouldn’t be thankful only on Thanksgiving – we need to acknowledge the Hand of the Father in our lives each day, and thank Him for the many blessings He sends us.
As I mentioned before, everything we have has been given to us by the Lord. The only thing we have that’s truly ours to give Him is our will. Aligning our will with His is truly the only offering we can legitimately give to Him. Yes, the Law of Tithing is a commandment, and He is pleased when we contribute our 10%, but He is most pleased when we offer up our hearts to Him.
He said, “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood…and your burnt offerings shall be done away…and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19-20).
This means that as we turn over our hearts to the Lord, we also “offer deep sorrow for our sins as we humble ourselves and repent of them” (Gospel Principles manual, pg 151). When we do this, He has promised: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).  
I know these things to be true, and that we are blessed in abundance, both physically and spiritually, as we pay tithing and offer up our hearts unto the Lord. This quote from True to the Faith perfectly illustrates the main point I’d like to make today:
“Remember that paying tithing is not as much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith. Trust in the Lord. He gave the commandment for our benefit, and He made the accompanying promise. Seek strength in the faith of Nephi, who said, “Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth” (1 Nephi 4:1).
We always hear the cliché of the fact that since missionaries are usually about 20 years old, that a mission is like paying tithing on your life. Even though it’s a little over-used and cliché, I believe that to be true. This is me paying my 10% on the life that the Lord has given me.
To close, I’d like to share a story from the Book of Mormon. It’s not very well-known, and it’s very short, but it has become one of my very favorites. It’s found in chapter 19 of Alma, and it’s about a woman named Abish – her name is mentioned only once, but her story is powerful. She was present as Ammon preached the gospel to King Lamoni, and she witnessed the king’s conversion.
“And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father –
Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she know that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people…
And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice, saying: O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!
And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy…” (Alma 19:16-17, 29-30)
I have the same joy and excitement about the gospel as Abish did, and just as she saw that it was her chance to proclaim the truth through the streets, this is my chance to declare the “good news” of the gospel on a mission.

(I then went on to bear my testimony)

Farewell and Open House

Justin did a great job on his talk on tithes and offerings in sacrament meeting today.  Thank you to all who attended.  He will be posting a copy of his talk soon.
We also enjoyed hosting an open house for him this afternoon.  Once again, thank you to all who came and showed support for him.  He is SO excited about going on his mission. A bit apprehensive as the time approaches, but still sure he has made the best choice for his life at this time. 
<3 Mom