The Farewell

Coming Closer to Christ 

            Good morning brothers and sisters. It has been a while since I have been back in this ward. For those who are new and don’t know me, my name is Jakob Lutze, soon to be Elder Lutze. I was called to serve in the Panama, Panama City Mission, Spanish speaking. I start home MTC on the 29th of this month. I have been asked to share how preparing for a mission has helped me come closer to Christ. In my mind, I believe this to be backwards. In reality, coming closer to Christ is what has prepared me for a mission. I hope you don’t mind Bishop, but I also wanted to include a few thank yous and apologies in my talk.

I first want to stand up here and admit that I do not know the church is true. Like most people my age I have some questions and doubts. However, it is not my knowledge of the church that compels me to serve a mission. As I have faced trials and adversity, it is my faith that gives me strength and hope, which in turn has given me knowledge of the Savior's love for me. A knowledge that allows me to exercise my faith to follow the prophet, share the gospel, and invite others to become members of the church in which I believe so strongly. So it is not a mission call or preparation that has brought me closer to the Savior, but it is coming closer to the Savior that has prepared me for a mission. Let me share several ways coming to know Christ has prepared me for a mission.

Feeling God's Love

                The church has initiated a new program called Love, Share, Invite. It’s no coincidence that the program begins with Love. The Savior taught that the first great commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. From my own experience, I can testify that as you learn to know the Savior personally and about all He has done for you, you can’t help but expand your love towards him. Everything we need to accomplish this, I learned in primary. Thanks sister North. It’s honestly quite simple. Read the scriptures, pray, and obey the commandments. The second great commandment we are given is to love our neighbor as ourself. The savior further reinforces this in John 13:34 where we read, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” The one exception might be pool basketball… sorry President Murphy

This scripture has two meanings to me. The obvious one being that I should always try to have the love of Christ for others. But the second being that I should also look for the love of God in my life through others as well. Everyone I know has helped me feel God’s love, either by God's love working through me, or by His love working through them towards me. In the last year I have surrounded myself with good people whom I love and trust, and who love me back. I feel great love from God through these friends and family. Feeling God’s love makes me happy and warm from the outside in. However, I find that being the vessel of God’s love towards someone else makes me feel warm from the inside out. It fills my soul with light, and a greater understanding of how the Savior expects us to love each other. One of the greatest ways I can do this is through the Gathering of Israel. In 2018, President Russell M. Nelson in a worldwide devotional to the youth stated, “The gathering of Israel is the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on Earth today.” (End Quote)

There truly is no greater love I can have for my fellow man, than by sharing God’s love through the gospel. And there’s no greater way I can come closer to Christ than by being an instrument of His love. Becoming like the Savior means my hands become His; my eyes, my mouth, my feet… my entire body until His whole image is in my countenance.

Service

This leads me to my second point, service. Mosiah taught us, “...When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”

What greater example do we have than the Savior. I know I have drawn closer to the Savior as I have served others. Let me share with you a few examples. Last summer I had the opportunity to take part in a humanitarian trip to Ecuador. The trip was only about two weeks, and honestly, we probably actually slowed the work down by being there. The work was difficult. It was long days of mixing concrete by hand, flinging it on walls, and finishing it with a trowel. But somehow, I just wanted to do more. This may be the first, well actually the only time I felt like working hard without getting paid… sorry mom. The people we served showed such great appreciation for our efforts that I felt like we were serving God, and not just the people of Ecuador. The coolest part was providing service alongside others with the same goal and how it gave us all added strength. About ¾ of us on the trip weren’t even supposed to go to Ecuador. It was the last trip, and we were all thrown in together. No one knew anything about one another, but we were all there to serve and come closer to God. When everyone works towards the same goal it unifies us and creates lasting bonds. I am excited to have that same feeling when I go to work in Panama.

The second example I want to share is the story of me and my cousin Brian. Brian is only about a year younger than me, but mentally he’s only developed to the equivalence of a five-year-old. In fairness I probably quit at about 12… sorry dad. The state has a program to provide assistance to families with disabled children. Two years ago, I was able to become qualified to get a job working with Brian. A little about Brian, he needs to be reminded to go to the bathroom. He also only eats fries, chicken nuggets, meatballs, mashed potatoes, and more mashed potatoes. Basically, he eats exactly what I eat… sorry Brian. I went into the job thinking of all the things I could teach him and help him do. Mentally I was twelve, he was only five, so it made sense. He and I developed a close bond, and I began to introduce him to more and more aspects of my life. He hung out with my friends, we would go on drives together, go swimming, and we even ate mashed potatoes together. The more I served him, the closer we became. From the outside many would look at all the things I taught him over the last two years. As I look back, I realize that it was him teaching me. He taught me that God loves all his children. He taught me about unconditional love. And he also taught me a great deal about patience… thanks Brian… I guess. All of that sounds an awful lot like someone who walked the Earth two thousand years ago.

Service helps us draw closer to the Savior. It helps us create bonds with our fellow man the same way our Savior created bonds with those He served. If my service for my fellow man is serving God, then I am also creating a bond with God.     

Prayer, Scripture, and Obedience

                The third way of preparing for a mission by drawing closer to the Savior is once again the primary answers. It’s prayer, scripture study, and obedience. To me it only makes sense that in order to become like someone, I first have to know who they are. Scriptures have taught me who the Savior is. His teachings, His service, and His love for His fellow man. Through prayer I have received witness that Christ lives as our brother, creator, and redeemer. Shortly after I graduated from high school I was asked a question by Bishop Freeman, “Do you know the Savior”. I wasn’t sure how to answer that… sorry Bishop. I mean I knew who he was, but I knew that's not what he meant. What he was really asking was “Who is the Savior to me?”. My dad, aka the big lake fish, once told me we feel God’s love the most when we need his forgiveness. I don’t want you to assume I’ve done these horrible, awful things, but I knew I needed to make small changes in my life to align me with God's will. Through that process I’ve learned who the Savior is to me and have my answer to the Bishop’s question. He is my greatest friend, my teacher, my example. He is the one who understands me, who will always love me, and is always there with me in my hardest times. We have shared laughs together, we have shared tears together, but He is always there. Prayer allows me to speak to the Savior and have that personal relationship with Him today. I have always felt this deep down. But recently I had a greater witness that these things are true. While pondering the Bishop's question I would pray asking to know the Lord. Eventually, I received my answer. One day I was driving to work at 6:00 in the morning. It was about a 30-minute commute, so I decided to say a little prayer. Once again, I asked to know the Lord. I said amen and immediately I began to cry. For those who know me it is pretty rare that I cry so this took me by surprise and became a very memorable moment in my life. Yet it still didn’t make my journal… sorry again mom. Since I’m apologizing, I must admit the only journal entries I’ve actually ever made are of me schooling my priesthood leaders in basketball…sorry Tad. I’m just kidding…Brother Woolf has a number of entries in there too.

But at this moment while I was crying, I wasn’t crying out of sadness or any negative emotion. I was crying because I became filled with the spirit in a way I wasn’t used to. I knew right then that my savior lives. As for obedience you either are or you aren’t. There is very little room in between.

Listening

                The fourth way I have drawn closer to the Savior may seem a bit odd, but it is by listening. I know this may be hard to believe, but teenage boys aren’t very good listeners. And from what I hear we don’t really grow out of it…sorry future wife. There is an old Ethiopian Proverb that says, “The fool speaks, the wise man listens”.

I can see that in my own life. Sometimes it’s hard to stop talking long enough to listen to what someone else is saying. Especially with God. At times I find myself counseling him in my prayers about what I think is best for me. When really, I should be listening to the counsel that He has for me. It always works out better that way. Spencer W. Kimball in the October 1979 conference counseled us, “It would not hurt us…if we paused at the end of our prayers to do some intense listening-even for a moment or two-always praying, as the Savior did, “not my will, but thine, be done”.

This is one I struggle with a little bit, but I am trying to be better. It was through listening after prayer that I had my witness in the car to know the Savior lives and loves me. It is often easier to listen when we find peaceful, quiet places. Places where we can easily feel the spirit. This brings me to my last point, ordinances in the temple.

Temple

In October 2021 conference President Nelson said, “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants.”

                There's not much I can add to the words of the prophet other than to add my testimony that everything he said is true. I have experienced this firsthand as I have entered into sacred covenants in the temple.

First End

                Feeling God’s love, service, primary answers, and temple covenants are only some of the ways that have brought me closer to Christ and prepared me for a mission. All the ways in which I have come closer to the Savior have one thing in common. Faith in Christ. Faith that has brought me a knowledge and love for the Savior that I will show through serving others.

Second End

As I close my talk, I want to apologize to everyone I didn’t mention by name…. sorry y’all. I want you to know that most everybody here has had an influence on my life in some way, so thank you. If you don’t like how I turned out, then one last apology. I hope I leave with everyone's prayers of support as I go and do the Saviors' will. In return, I’ll leave YOU with my testimony

Testimony

Yo creo en esta iglesia y que es la iglesia de Jesucristo. Yo creo en y tengo fe en nuestro profeta. Estoy muy agradecido por la expiación. He visto como la expiación ha cambiado mi vida. Y yo sé que nuestro salvador vive. Él vive y me conoce y me ama. Yo amo a Jesucristo. Yo sé que él siempre estará allí para mí. No solo para mí,  Él estará allí para todos. Él ama a cada persona. Comparto esto en el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

After church, we gathered in our backyard for lunch! Jakob's friend group was out in full support today. I'm so grateful for his friends. Family and ward friends also shared in his day, plus many  texts to me that wanted to support him, but couldn't make it for various reasons (Sherrene & Paul, Suzy & Tim, Tricia & Ross, Sonia, Brian, & Chris, Josephine North, Michelle & Trent.) He received visits from Emily & Rance Summers and Cameron & Amy Sabin later in the day. Some of our friends from Ecuador came in support ~ Jeremy, Justice, and Hadley. Rose! So incredible to see her. We love you Rose! Raegan, Ken, and Abby Bown stopped by, as well as Lisa. (She helped us get all the food out.) Rob (President Murphy spent a long time visiting with us. So fun to catch up on the Murphys.) Last, but not least, the Millers ~ John, Michele, Joshua, Rachael, Mia, Ellie, Caleb, Lili, and Aubrey. A beautiful afternoon, especially after the rain all day yesterday.