Grant's Mission Report...

This last Sunday was Grant's (formerly, Elder Herron/Herron Choro) mission report in church. Besides the people who normally go to our ward, around 50 of our family members and friends were in attendance. It was also a missionary farewell - Elder Cori Harker was leaving to go to Brazil for two years. Cori mentioned Grant in his talk - which I thought was great. He said he's always looked up to Grant and admired his ability in understanding scriptures, and whenever there was a scripture chase, he wanted to be on Grant's team so he could win! Hee, hee! We wish Elder Harker all the luck in the world!

Grant was assigned to talk about "The Only True and Living Church". Grant did a good job. He was a little hesitant in speaking, not because he didn't know what to say, but because he hasn't spoken English much at all for 2 years. He stumbled over a few words, but every returned missionary does that. It's endearing. It's fascinating. I love to hear the accents these Elders have when speaking English after they return. Grant's accent is already starting to disappear. The best way to describe it is that whenever Grant is explaining something, it sounds like he is asking a question - his voice goes a little higher at the end of each sentence.

Grant spoke about a 3-step process to knowing for ourselves whether the LDS church or true or not:
1. Desire to know
2. Follow the Commandments
3. Pray

Grant explained that as missionaries, they spent their time trying to get the people they came in contact with to have a desire to know about the truthfulness of the gospel. Why must we desire? In the Book of Mormon, Alma 29:4 teaches that God will grant unto us according to our desires. If we desire to know, then he will show us the way to act, and how to be. He gives us commandments.

Grant taught his investigators that commandments aren't just rules. If they were just rules, they would be an end in themselves. However, commandments, unlike rules, have blessings attached to them. If we follow a commandment, God blesses us. If we don't, then there will be no blessing.

Doctrine & Covenants 130:20-21 reads...
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated - and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

Doctrine & Covenants 82:10 says...
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

So, if we desire, then that desire leads to action. The appropriate action is following the commandments and getting blessings. Every commandment has a special blessing attached to it, and those blessings help us to recognize that God fulfilled His promises.

John 7:17 -
"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Lastly, even though we might feel like we've received our answer as a blessing, we need to pray. Praying to our Heavenly Father will help us to confirm our witness of the truth.

Grant talked about an investigator he had - a 16-year-old Korean boy. He read and read the Book of Mormon and prayed about the truthfulness of it. He got his answer - a burning in his chest. Grant said that he was so happy to hear about this young boy's experience. He knew it was true. But that wasn't the best part of it all. He didn't ask only once... he asked 5 times! Every time he read, he asked again. Every time he asked, he got another answer. He had great faith and had a wonderful experience. Grant learned a lot from him. He learned that no matter how phenomenal the answer or how sure we are, Heavenly Father will still answer our prayers if we desire to know. Grant talked about a few other experiences he had as a missionary in Japan. Then he bore his testimony. He said each phrase in Japanese first and then translated it to English so that we could understand what he was saying. It was incredible!

Grant was a great missionary. He learned so much and taught others. He bore testimony of the Savior to people in a country that isn't really Christian. What a hard, challenging thing to do. I so grateful that he was up to the challenge. He will always have a special place in his heart for the people of Japan. I can't think of a better blessing than having one of your children serve a mission.

Called to serve Him, heavenly king of glory... chosen ere to witness for his name... Far and wide we tell the Father's story... far and wide His love proclaim...