Having the
Vision to Do
O. Vincent Haleck - Of
the Seventy
If we are to
prosper rather than perish, we must gain a vision of ourselves as the Savior
sees us.
Like all good parents, my own parents desired
a bright future for their children. My father was not a member, and because of
unusual circumstances that existed at that time, my parents determined that my
brothers and sisters and I should leave our island home of American Samoa, in
the South Pacific, and travel to the United States in order to go to school.
The decision to be separated from us was a
difficult one for my parents, especially my mother. They knew that there would
be unknown challenges as we were put into new surroundings. However, with faith
and determination, they pressed forward with their plan.
Because of her Latter-day Saint upbringing,
my mother was familiar with the principles of fasting and prayer, and both of
my parents felt that they needed the blessings of heaven to help their
children. In that spirit they began to set aside a day every week to fast and
pray for us. Their vision was to prepare their children for a bright future.
They acted on this vision as they exercised their faith by seeking the Lord’s
blessings. Through fasting and prayer, they received the assurance, comfort,
and peace that all would be well.
How do we, amidst the challenges of our
lives, gain the vision necessary to do those things that will bring us closer
to the Savior? Speaking of vision, the book of Proverbs teaches this truth:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs
29:18). If we are to prosper rather than perish, we must gain
a vision of ourselves as the Savior sees us.
The Savior saw more in those humble fishermen
whom He called to follow Him than they initially saw in themselves; He saw a
vision of who they could become. He knew of their goodness and potential, and
He acted to call them. They were not experienced at first, but as they
followed, they saw His example, felt His teachings, and became His disciples.
There was a time when some of His disciples departed from Him because the
things that they heard were hard for them. Aware that others might also depart,
Jesus inquired of the Twelve, “Will ye also go away?” (John
6:67). Peter’s response reflects how he had changed and had
caught the vision of who the Savior was. “To whom shall we go? thou hast the
words of eternal life” (John
6:68), he responded.
With that vision these faithful and devoted
disciples were able to do hard things as they traveled to preach the gospel and
establish the Church after the Savior had departed. Eventually, some of them
made the ultimate sacrifice for their testimonies.
There are other examples in the scriptures of
those who caught the vision of the gospel and then went out to act upon that
vision. The prophet Alma gained his vision when he heard Abinadi boldly
teaching and testifying before King Noah. Alma acted on Abinadi’s teachings and
went about teaching the things he had learned, baptizing many who believed on
his words (see Mosiah
17:1–4; 18:1–16).
While persecuting the early Saints, the Apostle Paul was converted on the road
to Damascus and then acted by teaching and testifying of Christ (see Acts
9:1–6, 20–22, 29).
In our own day many young men, women, and
senior couples have answered the call of a prophet of God to serve missions.
With faith and courage they leave their homes and everything that is familiar
to them because of their faith in the great good they can do as missionaries.
As they act on their vision to serve, they bless the lives of many and, in the
process, change their own lives. In the last general conference, President
Monson thanked us for the service we give to one another and reminded us of our
responsibility to be God’s hands in blessing His children here on earth (see
“Until We Meet Again,”Liahona and Ensign, Nov.
2011, 108). The fulfillment of this charge has been heartwarming as members of
the Church have acted upon his vision.
Before the Savior departed, understanding
that we would need help, He said, “I will not leave you comfortless” (John
14:18). He taught 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). This is the same Holy Ghost who can empower and
motivate us to do the things that the Savior and our modern-day prophets and
apostles teach.
As we put into action the teachings of our
leaders, we gain a deeper understanding of our Savior’s vision for us.
Throughout this conference we have received inspired counsel from prophets and
apostles. Study their teachings and ponder them in your hearts while seeking
the Spirit of the Holy Ghost to help you catch a vision of these teachings in
your life. With that vision, exercise your faith in acting upon their counsel.
Search and study the scriptures with a mind
to receiving further light and knowledge of their message to you. Ponder them
in your heart and allow them to inspire you. Then act on your inspiration.
As we learned as a family, we act when we
fast and pray. Alma spoke of fasting and praying as a way of receiving a surety
when he said, “I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these
things of myself” (Alma
5:46). We too come to know how to handle the challenges of
our lives through fasting and prayer.
We experience hard things in our lives that
can sometimes diminish our vision and faith to do the things we should. We
become so busy that we often feel overwhelmed and unable to do any more. While
each of us is different, I humbly submit that we must focus our vision on the
Savior and His teachings. What did He see in Peter, James, and John and the
other Apostles that prompted Him to act to invite them to follow Him? Like His
vision of them, the Savior has a great vision of who we can become. It will
take the same faith and courage the first Apostles had in order for us to
refocus on the things that matter most in bringing lasting happiness and great
joy.
When we study the life of our Savior and His
teachings, we see Him amongst the people teaching, praying, lifting, and
healing. When we emulate Him and do the things we see Him do, we begin to see a
vision of who we can become. You will be blessed with insight through the help
of the Holy Ghost to do more good. Changes will begin to come, and you will
bring a different order to your life that will bless you and your family.
During His ministry among the Nephites, the Savior asked, “What manner of men
ought ye to be?” He replied, “Even as I am” (3 Nephi
27:27). We need His help to become like Him, and He has shown
us the way: “Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it
shall be opened” (3 Nephi
27:29).
I know that as we gain a vision of ourselves
as the Savior sees us and as we act on that vision, our lives will be blessed
in unexpected ways. Because of the vision of my parents, not only was my life
blessed by educational experiences, but I was placed in circumstances where I
found and embraced the gospel. More important, I learned the significance of
good and faithful parents. Simply put, my life was changed forever.
Just as vision led my parents to fast and
pray for their children’s welfare and as the early Apostles’ vision led them to
follow the Savior, that same vision is available to inspire and help us to act.
Brothers and sisters, we are a people with a history of vision and the faith
and courage to do. Look at where we have come and the blessings we have
received! Believe that He can bless you with vision in your life and the
courage to act.
I bear you my witness of the Savior and His
desire for us to return to Him. To do that, we must have the faith to do—to
follow Him and become like Him. Throughout various times of our lives, He holds
out His hand and invites us:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Just as the Savior saw great potential in His
early disciples, He also sees the same in us. Let us see ourselves as the
Savior sees us. I pray that we will have that vision with the faith and courage
to do, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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