Assisting in the Work of Salvation

July 14, 2013

The weather is stormy and typhoony over on the Hong Kong Island. The rain can be very sudden sometimes, nailing you like a wall. I sassed my companion today by telling him I was an Eagle Scout when I helped him remember something he'd forgotten, and then I choked on my sass when we got off the bus and I was the one without the umbrella.

 

The Bishops of the Chai Wan and Causeway Bay Wards have gotten together to organize the members and missionaries in providing several free classes at the 13 story Wan Chai Chapel. They gave us the fliers, the street displays, and a boot kick out the door followed with a shout, "Go get people to attend." So we went out with a few members and four 8 ft. displays and started inviting. On Saturday, it was amazing to see the Ward members out with us handing out fliers. The Ward surrounded a main park in Chai Wan and Elder Young and I remained in the center, and nearly everyone who passed by was already holding a flier that was given to them by a member. In about an hour and a half, we'd handed out all the fliers we'd brought, and the members came asking for more. When a member approached me asking for more and I responded that I didn't have any, she jokingly asked me where my faith was. That same member got the number of a woman she met who was more interested in church than activities. All in all, the whole experience was a testimony to me of the power that members have when they take even short portions of their time to do missionary work.

 

Speaking of, there was an amazing worldwide broadcast recently that talks all about member missionary work, and how members can be more effective in participating in this great "hastening of the work". I invite all to go to www.lds.org and click on the opening link to "We Rejoice in Christ", and then look for the link to "Special Broadcast" about the Work of Salvation.

 

I know that as members of this church, we are all responsible and accountable for the way in which we choose to assist the Lord in this great work. According to both our faith and our deeds will we be judged of the Savior, and it is our responsibility to reach out to those spirits starving for the truth. I have never been more impressed by the sight of spiritual degradation and starvation than I have in my service as a missionary here in Hong Kong. The Adversary's work is the work of starvation, but I testify that this work, the Lord's work, our Savior and Redeemer's work, is the work of Salvation. Obedience to the Lord, as I seem to learn every day, is and should be the result of the faith that we exhibit in Jesus Christ. Because this is His work, we are not alone. Because this is His work, we will have success. Because this is His work and we are His disciples, we must do it together.

 

Love,

Elder Hazen