O That I Were an Angel...

O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! (Alma 29:1) was the statement of the Prophet of old. ¶

I am sure today in our lives many of us wish that we were something other than we are, thinking likely that their lot is preferable to our own. But Alma said further: ¶

Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. ¶

But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. (Ibid., 29:2-3.) I believe that we, as fellow workers in the priesthood, might well take to heart the admonition of Alma and be content with that which God hath allotted us. We might well be assured that we had something to do with our "allotment" in our pre-existent state. ¶

This would be an additional reason for us to accept our present condition and make the best of it. It is what we agreed to do. ¶

We are told in the Doctrine and Covenants that He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. ¶

Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. ¶

Then the Lord says: ¶

All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. (D. & C. 93:28-30.) For that to be true, we had our own free agency in our pre-mortal existence, and whatever we are today is likely the result of that which we willed to be heretofore. We unquestionably knew before we elected to come to this earth the conditions under which we would here exist, and live, and work. So little wonder it is that Alma of old said that we sin in the thought, or in the desire, or in the wish that we were someone other than ourselves. He said further: ¶

Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? ¶

Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? ¶

For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. ¶

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. ¶

(Alma 29:6-9.) I have a conviction deep down in my heart that we are exactly what we should be, each one of us, except as we may have altered that pattern by deviating from the laws of God here in mortality. I have convinced myself that we all have those peculiar attributes, characteristics, and abilities which are essential for us to possess in order that we may fulfil the full purpose of our creation here upon this earth. ¶

Once again, that allotment which has come to us from God is a sacred allotment. It is something of which we should be proud, each one of us in our own right, and not wish that we had somebody else's allotment. Our greatest success comes from being ourselves. ¶

I think that we can console ourselves best by believing that whatever is our allotment in life, whatever is our call in the priesthood, the Lord has been wise and just, and I might add, merciful, in giving to us that which we need to accomplish the particular purpose of our call. ¶

Furthermore, when we are in the full exercise of our faculties, and live in obedience to the laws and commandments of God, that which we do in fulfilment of our call as holders of the priesthood or officers in the Church is all that the people who are thus affected deserve. Otherwise, God could not be just, and we know he is. ¶

If we apply that principle to our lives, practically, does it not mean that when the bishop or the stake president, or the President of the Church, calls upon us to fill an office or to render a service to our fellow men, we should accept that call with an assurance that we possess the essential qualifications given to us of our Heavenly Father in order to properly fulfil that mission? ¶

I think this is peculiarly true of those of us who may be called upon missions to go into the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the highest calling that can come to man, that call which the Savior of mankind gave to his disciples last of all preceding his ascension to heaven, to go into the world and preach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. ¶

I wish we could take to heart the admonition of President Joseph Fielding Smith today and utilize those faculties which God gave us that have been religiously and sacredly allotted to us for our use in the fulfilment of life's mission, that we might be fully qualified through our own efforts, as well as through that endowment which we inherited and received from our Father in heaven to go into the world and preach his gospel to his children who wait in darkness to have truth and light brought to them by men who have been qualified by endowment, and by perseverance, and by their own work thus to accomplish this purpose. ¶

We cannot be satisfied with the fact that we are Latter-day Saints and that we have received the priesthood, and that various calls have come to us. If we have the true perspective of life and of our mission, we would qualify ourselves from youth to meet any and every responsibility that might come to us. That is peculiarly necessary for a people to believe and to practice when they profess to the world that the men who preside over them in the Church and in the priesthood of God have been called of God by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. ¶

If we truly believe the fifth Article of Faith, if we truly believe that we have such a mission upon this earth to fulfil, then indeed will we be diligent in preparing ourselves to meet the responsibilities of life. We shall feel qualified to go anywhere and to listen to any doctrine, whether it be of man or of the devil, and be sure before we go that we will come back firm in the knowledge of the eternal truths that God has revealed in these latter days through his prophets. ¶

We need not fear the philosophies of the world. We will not need any enlightenment or any instruction or any assistance from anyone but the Comforter. For I bear witness to you today that if we accept of the Lord the allotment which he has given to us as our birthright, as our inheritance, and we build upon it as we should, that we will enjoy all through our lives that Comforter which the Savior promised his disciples. ¶

The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26.) I hope and pray, my brethren and sisters, that we will be diligent in understanding and appreciating the eternal truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we will live and not merely exist. There can come into our lives no greater thrill than to be conscious of the fact that we have taken those faculties that God has given us and utilized them as our Father in heaven intended that we should. ¶

I was thrilled beyond measure the other day. I have a little grandson three years of age. I found him and myself in front of a show window. He said: "Granno, buy me something." I looked hastily over the articles, and I thought every article in the window was intended for a little girl, dolls, etc. ¶

I said, "There is nothing there for a boy," but almost in an instant he looked up at me with his big eyes, and he said, "Why, Granno, there is a truck there. ¶

Men drive trucks." ¶

I was thrilled to think in that mind three years of age that that power to utilize the intellect, to think and to reason existed there so early in life, and brought to that young man, at the moment at least, the desired results. ¶

Now I hope and pray, my brethren and sisters, that we will all place ourselves in the position where we can utilize these faculties just as that child did, in every circumstance of life, and have come before us, through our obedience, and through the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost the right answer to all our problems. ¶

May God so bless us I humbly pray in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. ¶

Amen. ¶