The Farewell

This is the talk Elder Wiley gave in church on March 17th. Elder Wiley left this morning for the Missionary Training Center in Madrid, Spain. He will be in Madrid for the next six weeks, and then he will be in Malaga. Elder Wiley would love emails and letters, for the next few weeks he can be contacted by:

Elder Robert Calvin Wiley

Spain Málaga Mission

Spain Missionary Training Center

4a. Planta

Calle del Templo No. 2

Madrid 28030

Spain

 or

robert.wiley@myldsmail.net

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The last time I had to give a talk in sacrament meeting, I was starting to write it the night before, and then I made a deal with my mom that if she’d write it for me I’d go to the stake dance that night; so it’s been a while, and I’m a little nervous being up here.

I’m leaving on Tuesday morning for Spain, where I’ll be training at the MTC in Madrid for six weeks, before I head down to Malaga in the southern region of the country.

The Malaga mission covers the southern third of Spain. When I first read that I was going to Malaga, I’d never heard of it before, but after doing some research I found that it has a pretty interesting history. The region is also known as Andalusia, and has been apart of many great empires over the ages.

One of the most influential empires in that region was the Muslim empire that held much of North Africa and Spain until the Christians conquered them. The Arab influence can still be seen in the region.

In fact, the well-known Spanish term “Ole”, which is chanted during great performances, is actually a derivative of the Arabic word for God, which is “Allah”.

And since I’m minoring in Middle East Studies at school, I’m really excited to see the culture of the area, and even picked up a Book of Mormon in Arabic, and I hope that I can put it to use.

Malaga’s right on the coast of the Mediterranean, and, sorry to make you jealous, the average temperature is about 75 degrees, and it rarely ever gets below 55. I think my parents have already booked their tickets for two years from now.

I have three main goals I hope to achieve while on my mission. They are,

-Baptize Antonio Banderas when he comes home to Malaga for vacation

-Find one of those famous Iberian pigs, which I can turn and sell for $100 a pound

-Try not to gag when I have to eat the cold soup that is common in southern Spain

Although I know I won’t be having the vacation I’ve been picturing in my head, I’m really excited to be serving the Lord in that region of the world.

For my talk, I’ve been asked to speak on Doctrine & Covenants chapter 90, verse 11, along with sharing some of the thoughts and feelings I’ve had as I’ve been preparing for my mission.

In D&C 90, the Lord is calling together the First Presidency, and in verse 11 he proclaims,

“For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

I’d like to break this verse down into two parts. In the first part it says, “every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language”

Now, I’ve stumbled through the study of a couple of languages in school, and recently I’ve been working with kids learning English as their second language, so I’ve had plenty of experience in not having a clue what is going on in a conversation.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide Church, and the Gospel relates to the entirety of mankind. Hearing the truth of the gospel in your own tongue is a blessing that all should be able to receive, and I’m honored to have been chosen to give that blessing to the citizens of Spain.

Ever since I received my call I’ve been pretty nervous about having to learn a new language. I’ve always felt that one of my strengths is being able to understand people’s feelings based on conversation and body language, and so I’m sure that having to adjust to a new language and culture will be confusing and frustrating at first.

But thankfully the Lord has provided a way for those preaching the gospel in an unfamiliar language. In second Nephi, Nephi says, “After ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels. Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.”

It will be difficult adjusting to the language at first. But I know that if I remain diligent, and keep the Holy Ghost with me, I’ll be able to speak with that power of the Holy Ghost, and the tongue of angels will testify to those that I teach.

The second half of this verse says that the Gospel will be heard, from “those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter”

I really like that wording in the second half of this verse. It’s humbling when I remember that the opportunity I have to serve this mission comes solely from my Heavenly Father. And any success I find on my mission will be achieved only through him. Realizing that all my actions for the next two years will represent the work of the Lord can be a little overwhelming. But I’m extremely excited to be able to dedicate all my efforts to helping the people of Spain.

Summer

Now I’d like to talk a little about my decision to go on a mission, and how I’ve felt about it since.

I decided to go on a mission this past summer. I was staying in Utah to take a few classes and continue working. And to be honest it was a pretty miserable summer. I was still semi-recovering from a back surgery and was stuck in Provo with none of my friends there. I was living with two random roommates whom I saw maybe once a week, and never said a word to. I had very little motivation to try and meet new people, or even to reach out to the few people I did know in town. I didn’t seem to care much about school, lacrosse, or anything else I had been passionate about.

I was losing a sense of direction in my life, and didn’t really know how to find it again. I saw that my life could go down two very different paths, and I needed to figure out a way to make sure I chose the right one. I wanted to take some time off from school, and thought about maybe deferring the next semester and trying to find an internship, or to study abroad somewhere.

And then on July 18^th, which I think will be a day I’ll always remember, I was sitting alone in my apartment, and the idea popped into my head that maybe I should serve a mission. And I’ve never had a thought hit me as powerfully as that one did. It seemed less like a suggestion and more of a command. And when I think about it that way, it’s clear that it didn’t come from me, but from my Heavenly Father.

Immediately after that, I remember getting really excited about the prospect of serving a mission, and for the first time in several years I opened up my scriptures for something other than homework. I started by reading the introduction to the Book of Mormon, as well as the testimonies of the eleven witnesses, and the Joseph Smith. I felt the power and conviction of their beliefs strongly as I read.

I continued reading the Book of Mormon with an intensity I’d never had before.

A couple of hours into this endeavor, I felt prompted to speak with Casey Cluff, whom many of you know. He was an old young men’s leader of mine, and someone I greatly admired. When I got a hold of him and told him I was thinking of serving a mission, he invited me to come see him in Nauvoo.

Now, I’ve always thought that Church history was really boring and nerdy, but now I can say without feeling embarrassed that I love the city of Nauvoo and it’s history.

I spent the next weekend with Casey, Barb, and their kids. It was a whirlwind trip, but one that I’ll always remember. During my visit, we discussed our testimonies, faith, and doubts.

While discussing their testimonies throughout the weekend, Barb and Casey would repeatedly say the phrase, “many things I do not know, but this I know for sure”, and then would share the foundational points of their testimonies. And I remember thinking at the time that it was a nice phrase, but I didn’t put much thought into it.

Since Casey is the Church’s facilities manager in Nauvoo, he oversees all Church-owned property there, and I was able to experience much of the city. We saw the pageant, visited the homes of many of the founding members of the Church, and took a tour of Carthage Jail.

Now, ownership of Historic Nauvoo is split in half. The LDS Church owns and runs much of the property in the city, but The Community of Christ Church, which branched off from the LDS Church, also owns a portion of the city. Casey happens to be good friends with the Community of Christ’s property manager, and the three of us spent an afternoon touring their facilities as well. Casey’s friend seemed to know everything there was to know about Joseph Smith and his time in Nauvoo.

Walking through the city, I began to see Joseph Smith as a man who was called of God to do an immense work, yet wanted nothing more than to see his friends and family succeed and find purpose in their lives. He seemed to be this “larger than life” figure who was adored by anyone who came in contact with him.

Trying to learn more about the Prophet Joseph, I came across a story that always makes me smile, and it exemplifies the characteristics I love most in the Prophet. This story comes from a member of the Church who recalls his time as a boy living in Nauvoo.

“One day at Nauvoo he and another boy were having a fistfight in front of the Mills City Hotel on Main Street. The City Council was in session on the second floor of Joseph Smith's store, which overlooked the street. Joseph, then mayor, was presiding at the meeting. Looking through the window toward the northeast, he saw the two boys fighting. Turning the meeting over to someone else to conduct, he ran down the stairs, crossed the street, vaulted over a fence, and ran diagonally northeast, and arrived just as the two boys had pulled pickets from a fence and were about to continue their quarrel with the pickets. Joseph grabbed both of them by their shirt collars, ordered them to throw down their weapons, and then releasing his grip he asked, ‘Don't you know that no one in this town is allowed to fight except me?’ They sheepishly admitted that they did not know it, and then, with a twinkle in his eye, the mayor of the town said, ‘Next time you feel like fighting come to my home and ask for a fight and I'll fight you, and it will be legal.’ The narrator then continued, ‘that ended our fighting. We certainly didn't want to fight 'Brother Joseph.'”

I really like that story, because it shows what a loving—yet protective—father figure Joseph Smith was for the early members of the Church. He cared deeply for all of them, and my understanding of his caring nature is what anchors my belief that he is truly a Prophet of God, and restored the Gospel to the earth.

Now, when I first told people I had decided to go on a mission, many asked me if I regret not going when I was 19. And my answer to that question has been NOT AT ALL. I can’t imagine serving a mission at any other time than now, and this whole situation has helped me gain a strong testimony of Heavenly Father’s plan for me.

Less than a year ago I was just about as far from wanting to serve a mission as possible. A lot of factors came together in my life at once. My family and friends all acted in a way that perfectly led me to where I am now, and if it had gone any differently, I don’t think I’d be standing here in front of you.

The lesson I think I’ve fallen back on most during my preparation happens to come from a chapter heading. Now I’m not sure if it can technically be considered scripture, but a phrase from the heading of second Nephi chapter 4 is one I think about often. The heading says, “Lehi counsels and blesses his posterity—He dies and is buried—Nephi glories in the goodness of God to him—Nephi puts his trust in the Lord forever”.

Nephi puts his trust in the Lord forever…it’s such a simple phrase, yet it’s so powerful. Here’s Nephi, he’s just lost his father, he’s in a strange land, and now has to stand up to his older brothers. But through all these trials, he just turns to our Heavenly Father, and decides to put his trust in him, forever.

I wish it could be as simple as that, but I know that the Lord blesses us if we trust in him. If we promise to follow his commandments and look to him in all things, we will be rewarded.

Heavenly Father’s timing is perfect, and his plan for all of us is perfect. I can’t express how grateful I am for all those who stuck with me throughout all of this, and I know that blessings will come to all those who put their trust in the Lord forever.

Closing:

On the last night of my visit in Nauvoo, Casey and I went to see one of the Church’s plays put on by the young performing missionaries serving in Nauvoo.

It was titled “High Hopes and Riverboats”, and tells the story of a brash, young logger who comes to Nauvoo for work on the Mississippi during the 1840’s, and falls in love with a young Mormon girl.

Although he initially scoffs at the beliefs of these people, he is welcomed into their town where he witnesses the love that the people have for the beloved Prophet and their faith.

It was a little too much singing and dancing for my taste, but the young logger said something at the end of the play that has stuck with me ever since. As he confesses his love for the Mormon girl he says, “many things I do not know, but this I know for sure: this place has made me better than before”. 

I realized then that I had been missing something vital in my life for many years, and that the Church provides a sense of purpose to all who believe in its principles.

As I’ve spent the past few months living here with my family and the members of this ward, I’ve realized how happy I am to be here. Looking around I see a room filled with great mothers and fathers, who are raising children that have a strength in the Church I greatly admire.

I’m honored and excited to spend the next two years of my life serving the Lord, and I know with all my heart that I wasn’t supposed to reach this point in my life by any other way. I know that this Church provides happiness and purpose to all, and it’s principles can save lives and bring people together forever.

Joseph Smith truly was a Prophet who brought the teachings and organization of Jesus Christ back upon the earth. I know that today we are led by Prophets who speak with the power of God to guide us. I know that Heavenly Father knows all of us personally, and wants us to be happy and to live forever with those that we love.