Brothers and Sisters, before I say anything, I need you to know that I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that this is His only true church. I have learned this for myself, through personal revelation, which has come through study, prayer, fasting, and pondering in my heart the message contained in this church, namely the Message of the Divine Messiah restoring through the Prophet Joseph Smith the original truths of the glorious gospel of Christ. Our Eternal Father in Heaven has mercifully manifested to me, through the Holy Spirit, the veracity and validity of all that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to provide and know. I really know that this church is true.
For those of you that I don’t know or that don’t know me, I am Taylor Ashcraft, and I have just returned from serving in literally the greatest mission in the world, The England Manchester Mission. I fully recognize that every missionary claims this for his or her mission, but to one and all I extend the invitation to serve again, this time in Manchester and to come see the light.
I had an absolutely marvelous time and learned so much, about myself, my life, my family, my friends, my weaknesses, my enemies, my testimony, my heart, and my Saviour. These past two years have definitely been the best 2 for my life. It has been such an amazing journey, and I am eternally grateful for the support that each of you has provided to me. It helped me so much. Thank you.
There are so many things that I want to share with you today. I have learned many things in the past two years, and so my object today is to share with you at least a small fraction of the truths that I have come to treasure, most of them having to do with progression in God’s Kingdom. So I pray that the Holy Ghost will be here with us all.
As a missionary, one of the biggest things to guard against was complacency in ourselves and in our investigators. This gospel is a gospel of progression and improvement, of repentance and forgiveness, and as a missionary in the United Kingdom, I found myself in a surprisingly accurate microcosm of our Heavenly Father’s glorious Plan of Salvation, complete with the concept of eternal progression.
Before I left to serve in England, I had a life. And I really loved my life. I was surrounded by people that I loved, and by people that I knew loved me, and all was well in Zion. But, just like everything else in life, change is the mother of growth. And without many changes in my life, stagnation was sure to set in. So I was shown a plan that included me leaving my parents, going to a distant place that was prepared especially for me, so that I could learn and progress and become at least a little bit more of what my Father in Heaven desired me to be. I was assured that if I was faithful, obedient, and diligent, I would be far better at the end of this sojourn than I was at the beginning. I was instructed that “as soon as [I was] departed from” that probationary state, I would be “taken home to [those parents] who gave [me] life,” and “received into a state of happiness.” (Alma 40:11-12) My learning and experiences would continue, and the goal would be to continue to progress forever and ever, never looking back, but rather always looking forward.
During this probationary state, hardships were encountered, joys were found, mistakes were made, and strengths were magnified. But as I said before, complacency was always just around the corner, waiting for contentment and comfort to distort my destiny, drown my dreams and vex my vision of what I was born to become.
One of the many tools that Satan uses is persuading us that we don’t need to improve. As Nephi warns us in 2 Nephi 28:21, he says, speaking of the adversary, “…others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” Unfortunately, much of the world has been pacified. I encountered countless souls on my mission who had adopted this attitude, and said, “I’m a good person. I try not to hurt anyone, I do good things. I think that God will let me into heaven. I’m okay with myself. I don’t think I really need to change anything. I’m comfortable with where I’m at.”
President Harold B. Lee, in a New Era article in January 1971, “There are those who are too comforted and too much at ease and too unresponsive to their responsibilities and opportunities. Some persons need to share with others their material blessings of the earth. Some persons are too comforted and too much at ease in their life style—and they need to become dissatisfied enough to change for the better.”
In other words, complacency comes in the attitude of “I am good enough.” But to all who fall under this unrealistic and frankly immature mindset, I say: You are not good enough. You are not good enough. Nor will you ever be, if you truly think you are. It is only when we realize just how “nothing” we are that we become “something.” If we trust in our own “goodness,” that is exactly what we will be given. And our goodness will give us nothing. But if we trust in the grace and power of God, then the full blessings of the Atonement of Christ will be ours.
In Helaman 4:13, we read of the cause of Nephite defeats in the wars against the Lamanites. “And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.” The Nephites thought they were all that and a bag of crisps, and so the Lord withdrew His power and let them learn the hard way that they were not good enough.
So seeing as how we are not good enough, how on earth can we become so? Just a few pages earlier in Helaman 3:35, “Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” As we surrender our will to the Lord’s, our hearts begin to be purified. As our heart purifies, we begin to desire what He desires. As our desires align with His, we understand the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how repentance helps us access the blessings of it. Repentance is change, and seeing how change is the mother of growth, repentance is also progress.
Do you see it yet? Without repentance, without change, we will never be good enough. That is one of the many lessons that I have learned on my mission. And so I exhort you, my brothers and sisters, to take the gospel seriously. Take your covenants seriously. This is not a game, nor a social society designed to give us things to do and people to see. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was intended purely to cleanse us, help us progress and become like God.
Now the only way this is possible is because of that great and last sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, known as the Atonement, which I want to talk just a little about. I know that the Atonement is real. I have felt its cleansing power and have been a beneficiary of the grace of God. As hymn 193 echoes the words in my heart, “I tremble to know that for me He was crucified, that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died.” Jesus loves us all so much. No matter where we come from or what has happened in our lives, we can always turn back to the Saviour who opens His arms, running toward us, ever calling us to repent and partake of the sweet joy that comes when sins are remitted. God’s plan is so perfect. Everything is set in place already. In fact, it is so perfect, that the only thing that is out of place is us. That is why progression and repentance are so amazing, because when we change, true perfection becomes not a lofty and far-fetched dream, but a realistic and achievable goal. All through the grace, merits, and mercy provided by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
But as we know from the scriptures, the Atonement doesn’t just save us from sin. It helps us with dealing with everyday life as well, including the persecution that comes from following the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” As disciples of Christ, we will be persecuted. But if we endure to the end, we shall not be destroyed. Romans chapter 5 tells us, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” If we can truly learn to glory in the hard things that come in our lives, especially the persecution that comes in opposition to our faith, then the love of God will be so much more abundant in our hearts.
I don’t know how many of you remember the last time I addressed you, but I spoke much about sandwiches. Hey, I love food. In fact, I love it so much, that often time the people of England would comment about how much I love it. I was serving with Elder Aulenbach in Liverpool, and he was in quite good shape. One day we taught a man who looked at him, and said, “You’ve maintained pretty well. Do you go to the gym a lot?” Elder Aulenbach responded and the man turned to me and said, “You know, you could go for a jog.” Ouch. In my face. In Newcastle-under-Lyme with Elder Jones, we knocked on a door in the evening, and the woman that answered said, “Not now, we’re eating.” So me, being the cheeky devil I am, said, “Great! Well do you have room for two more? We’re starving!” To which she replied, “You don’t look that hungry to me.” Nice one. Pretty good. In Swinton, on exchange with Elder Duran, we were teaching a lesson about scripture study, and had just read 2 Nephi 32:3, Feasting upon the word. Elder Duran said, “Now in America, we have a holiday that we call Thanksgiving. And pretty much Thanksgiving is just a big feast where you want to eat as much as you can. It’s all about eating loads.” Our investigator cut in, “Looks like Elder Ashcraft knows all about that one, doesn’t it?” Haha. That one was pretty good. Clever man. About a minute later, after we all stopped laughing, he added, “In fact, it looks like you ate Elder Duran’s portion as well.” Good stuff, good stuff.
When these jokes first started happening, I was quite astonished. And for a while, they sent me through a big loop. But then I read that scripture in Romans 5, and I have grown such a deep love for persecution. It has been one of the biggest testimony builders of my life. No other organization on the earth is as opposed as our church. Why? Because it is the only true church. If it wasn’t true, missionary work would be easy, and persecution would not come to us. So when your life and your friends and family seem to turn against you, don’t you dare quit. You change your outlook and realize that Satan is trying to discourage you, and if you let Him, you are falling right into a trap that will quickly destroy you. The reason you are experiencing that opposition is because you are on the right track. Don’t leave it. The persecution will stimulate your development and enhance your learning.
In order to handle the persecution though, our testimonies must be strong, and centered in what really matters. Now when I was sent to England, people didn’t give me a lot of high expectations for the food there. Yes, this is where the food comes into the talk. Whoopee. I was told that the food was quite bland, and pretty plain, not super spicy or exciting or anything like that, just food. And in a sense, it was fairly simple food. I ate a lot of meat and potatoes and meals like that, a nice proper roast dinner. But as I continued to eat those roasts, I continued to increase my love for them.
So a typical roast dinner consists of a nice roast meat, lamb is really nice, but chicken, beef, gammon, whatever, they are all wonderfully simple, and simply wonderful. Mashed potatoes, Roast potatoes, roast parsnips, along with some steamed veg, the Yorkshire Puddings, maybe some pickled beetroot, and of course, gravy over everything. Can’t beat it. A simple meal, a plain meal. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t award winning or eye-catching, but it was good food that fulfilled it’s purpose and understood what really mattered, nourishing me after a long day of hard work.
The mashed potatoes were usually the foundation of the entire plate. A nice heaping pile that underpinned everything that came out on top. In a sense it was what the rest of the food could build upon. The wise chef built his roast upon the mash, the gravy came tumbling down, and the roast on the mash stood still. The roast potatoes and parsnips were there, a bit firmer than the mash, a bit crispier as well, and the mash just seemed to create in you a need to eat the roasties. The meat was usually sliced and placed next to the mash so that when you put both on your fork together, the synergetic effect created by the harmony of meat and potatoes produced a result similar to what is known by some as “bliss.” Now the steamed veg was great, whether it was carrots and suede, or cabbage and peas, it was moist, warm and in a way cleanses the palate as you eat. As funny as that sounds. The Yorkshire Puds were gorgeous, risen to perfection and just the right crunchiness. Pickled beetroot played its part well, adding just a hint of a vinegar-y zing to the rest of the meal. And finally, the gravy poured over it all unified the dinner in beautiful simplicity.
So how on earth? Roast dinners? The gospel? Well, my good friend Nephi gives us the answer. “I glory in plainness; I glory in truth;” Plainness, and truth. That is what the gospel is. It is plain. It is truth. Rather than the differential calculus of religion that is taught in most other religions, which can confuse even the very elect, the plusses and minuses of the true gospel of Christ can be understood by a child. Rather than a complicated and recipe with spices of every kind, secret ingredients, and specially made tools to prepare it, the gospel is simple, like a roast dinner, with outlined steps and no complicated procedures. Just simple, plain, and precious food. It is those plain and precious truths that help us progress toward our eternal goals. My invitation to each of you is to build your roast dinner with the things that matter most in the gospel.
First on your plate, you put your mash, or in other words, your foundation. Christ needs to be that foundation. Your faith in him will hold the rest of your life together. Faith can get you through unbelievable things. I want to tell you about Isha. Isha was one of our investigators in Liverpool, and she came from Gambia. Her family was mostly Muslim, but deep in her heart, she always knew that Jesus was the Son of God. As a young girl in Gambia, she would sneak away from home during the day to go to the Christian church without her father knowing. Each time he found out about her going, he would beat her. But Isha, and her incredible faith, would get up the next day and run away to the Christian church again, knowing full well that she would be beaten again. That is faith. Isha watched one of her twin sons killed right in front of her, and was threatened time and time again with her very life. But she never stopped trusting the Lord and believing in Him. That is Faith. If we truly trust in God, we will be guided through the raging tempests that come in this life and onto the sweet serene shore of simple salvation. If and only if we have faith in the Lord Jesus.
As a complement to your faith, like the roasties to the mash, put on your plate repentance. Your repentance must be the action that happens as a result of your faith. It must be firm. Sincere repentance requires a true forsaking of the sin and a firm and resolute decision to change and improve. It is a happy thing to repent. You are bringing yourself more in line with God’s will and can therefore enjoy more of the blessings that come from obedience to His commandments. Another one of my investigators had a really rough past. She had been involved in all sorts of things that as Latter-day Saints, we know God wants us to avoid. As we taught her, I could watch her desire to change increase. That desire then turned into action and she was able to overcome those things that had been stifling her progression. It was amazing to watch the transformation that took place over the course of her teaching process. I could see the light in her eyes getting brighter. Her faith in Christ kept her repenting daily.
Next on your plate needs to be the meat, which is a slice of prayer, a slice of scripture study, and a slice of church attendance. These three things will do more than most others in keeping you progressing on the path to perfection. There is a reason why the prophets and the Lord have always counseled us to do these things. These things are what keep your faith strong. This meat is what makes your mashed potatoes even better. And likewise, your mash makes the meat better. When we pray with faith, our prayers are answered and our faith grows. When our faith grows, we pray with more faith. The same with church and study. If you stop doing these things daily, your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ will weaken, no matter what other commandments you are keeping.
Now take a couple spoonfuls of steamed vegetables on your plate. Warm and soft, just like the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a still small voice, sometimes described as a warm feeling or a “burning in the bosom.” Just like the vegetables that cleanse your palate, the Holy Spirit cleanses and sanctifies us as we repent and are worthy of His constant companionship. Just this past weekend, one of our investigators in Swinton, Sally, was baptized and confirmed. It was such an amazing experience. She said that she felt like a burden had just been lifted off of her, and she felt so warm. Last Sunday, we took her to a fireside at the mission home, where a few recent converts were going to tell their conversion stories. About halfway through, Sally leaned over to one of the members there and told him that she wanted to say something. So he went and told our Mission President and he invited her up to speak. So she got up there and bore testimony of the truths that we had just taught her. It was such an amazing moment for us to see. After the meeting, she told us that something was just telling her that she needed to get up. So she did, and she told us that she didn’t even know what she said. She said that it didn’t feel like it was her speaking. I know that it was the Holy Ghost, which gift had been bestowed upon her earlier that day. Because of our worthiness, we can always have that feeling with us. It’s entirely up to us, and how hard we are willing to work to keep it.
Then come the Yorkshire Puddings. So good. They are nice and crispy to give a little bit of a crunch to the meal at hand, just like Charity. Charity doesn’t always come in big, bouncy, noisy packages, but oftentimes charity is overlooked as one of the great doctrines of this gospel. Sometimes, being charitable just means picking up something that someone drops. Holding the door open for people to go inside. Charity doesn’t have to be a big announcement or things like that, but just a small crispy act like Yorkshire puds. Yorkshire puds don’t do a ton. But they do something. And that something helps a lot. A little charity goes a long way. One of my companions was so charitable to me, and I will never forget his example to me. He taught me the importance loving everyone, no matter what happens. Charity.
Alright. So I won’t lie to you, when I left on my mission, I didn’t really like beets or anything like that. So you can imagine my disgust when I went to eat at a member’s house and they pulled out these pickled beetroot jars. Uh-oh, I thought. This is not going to be good. But, being the adventurous man that I am, I tried the beetroot, and have since then fallen in love with it. But something that I noticed about the beetroot was that it would turn literally everything else on the plate a sort of magenta-ish purple-ish red. No matter what it touches, everything gets affected by that beetroot. At the end of the roast dinner, your mash ended up pink, the place was magenta, the pink stains on people’s faces. Everything is affected by it.
As members of the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our responsibility to be beetroots in this world and not simply carrots or potatoes. We must affect the world around us. It should be a better place for us having lived there. Our example should touch the hearts of those whom we meet. In order for us to be good examples to everyone, we need to be enduring to the end. We need to be keeping the covenants that we made at baptism. As we continue living the lifestyle that comes with being a Latter-day Saint, that is when our example will have true power in the lives of others. So as you put your endurance on the plate, always keep in mind that if you can change the roast dinner, one potato at a time, you can change the world, one person at a time.
Last but not least, the gravy must be poured all over the dinner. That gravy is the waters of baptism. Without being baptized, by the proper authority, you cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. That is why we do missionary work. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks says in Preach My Gospel, “We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this.” Baptism is so key. It is an ordinance that makes a promise with you and God that you will give him all that you have. Gravy covers all of your potatoes and meat and veg. Everything. But the waters of baptism cover your life. You have each promised that you will do your best to progress along this mortal journey and become something more than what you are. That it what it’s all about. Progression.
As you go through your life, and focus it on these things, I promise you that your testimony will be anchored in the things that God truly needs us to know, not the mysteries of the Kingdom, which have little or no effect on our salvation. Stick to the truth. Stick to the plain and precious things: that is how you become like our Father in Heaven “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”
Brothers and Sisters, I want you to know that this church really is true. Jesus Christ stands at the head and He guides and directs us through Thomas S. Monson, who is a living prophet for our day. I know that Jesus Lives, and that He performed the Atonement out of love for us, so that we would be able to progress past this life, and not be complacent in our eternal pursuit of happiness. May we all focus our lives on moving forward, and not spiritually stagnating, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
