https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1978/10/the-worth-of-souls?lang=eng
“Yeah, this guy has a few screws missing in his brain, for sure” I thought to myself while making this sort of face…
One thing that I’ve been taught by missionary service is the worth of the soul. As a youth I participated in a split with the missionaries, and as I walked with them, one beautiful young woman passed by us, and the Elder next to me asked: “What do you think about her?” And the young me answered, “she’s cute, and gorgeous”. To my surprise, unbelievably leaving me in a state of absolute confusion, the Elder continued, “I know right? Can you imagine see how imaginably stunning she would be dressed in the whitest robes ready to enter the waters of the baptism? I do”.
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“Yeah, this guy has a few screws missing in his brain, for sure” I thought to myself while making this sort of face:
The poor young me, wasn’t able to understand what that faithful missionary had taught me. But I have never forgotten it… I’d love to meet that Elder again… I was probably around 12-15 so around 2009-2012, the Elder was serving at the Pinhais Centro ward, at the city of Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil.
This teaching helped me a lot with my own missionary service, because unlike him, I wasn’t called for a teaching mission, but rather a Service Mission. And that experience I learned in my mission, the worth of souls unto the Lord is much greater, and it overshadows every other aspect or past of any human life. Brothers and Sisters, your soul has much more worth unto the Savior than any mistake you’ve done, it is the only thing the Savior’s looks at, your external beauty is irrelevant to the Savior.
My bishop had shared with me his desired qualities that would qualify a woman to be his future wife. Among other things, he shared: if any woman, had completed her “For the strength of Youth” she, regardless of appearance is qualified to be my future wife and the mother of my children.
My father also shared: that his desired future wife qualities were: a hardworking woman, that would not shy away from work. A worthy woman, that he could marry with and make eternal covenants in the temple. A respectful woman that would treat her body with respect as s vessel, and a temple as well as other’s. And finally, a woman that didn’t have a weird laugh that he could endure listening for eternity. ahahha
But I digress. My goal is to expound my thoughts and explain, the worth, yee, even the real worth of a soul, yours, your family, and all those in your ward, Stake, city, state, country and even the whole world that you live at.
“22 Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.
2 Nephi 6:22-25
23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over—and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over.
24 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments […]
25 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down […] loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”
The Lord pleads with all of us: awake, awake, don’t sleep into iniquity, for those that sleep still when the Lord shall come again, shall awake no more. Brothers and Sisters, loose the cords and chains that the enemy of your souls has bound you with, in lies and deceptions, even with iniquity, and put on your beautiful garments of righteousness and holiness, in purity of heart, body and soul.
We all have our differences, and more often than not, these differences produce conflict and what’s worse, racism. The Lord puts all souls in the same level of worth unto him, and none is above high or below. And all deserve to be loved, cared, and even to be shared with the gospel of Christ, be it in words, or through service.
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https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1978/10/the-worth-of-souls?lang=eng
One other thing that I have been taught by that missionary, through the worth of souls, which I further received understanding during my service mission, is that there is no greater work unto or Savior, than to serve him.
Do you want to know how many people I baptized during my work as a service missionary? At least several dozens of them. Or how many have I taught the gospel of Christ during my 5 months mission so far? About the same number. You want to know how, and what, I did to accomplish such great success in my mission? It’s simple, I served in the House of the Lord, the temple. And that’s because all flesh is esteemed as one before the Lord, and the worth of souls is much greater in the eyes of the Lord. When I pass on this life, and achieve what is deemed worthy by the Lord, I have faith, firmly believe, insomuch that it’s almost as if I could see it. The many people, in their own resurrected flesh that will shake my hands, that will hug me, and thank me for all my devotion in serving the Lord, unto baptizing them after they have already passed away, for they had died before knowing the extension of the greatness of this gospel. For having done for them, the ordinances that they could not have done at the temple. I am greatly thankful for revisiting those feelings in my heart, mind and soul. For remembering once more, that you are my beloved brothers, and my wonderful sisters, even my one and true family through the gospel of Christ regardless of not having blood ties, but we are all linked and eternally bound together through Jesus Christ.
So I plead with you, my brothers and sister, yes, even my family in Christ, awake, awake, and remember, remember who you are, that is, a Child of God, that received the promise to be Kings and Queens in heaven, receiving much more rewards, blessings, riches, happiness and joy than you could ever find on earth, even more so if you have been lost as result of your own decisions. I call upon you to remember that you are loved, and welcomed once more into this Gospel, even this church. And the Lord said, “for I will contend with those that are against thee, and make thine enemies my enemies, and the earth and heavens shall be against those that brings you harm or sorrow. I, even I, will be against those that don’t receive you, and I’ll embrace you in the arms of my love. Only if thou should remember that I am the Lord, thy God and thine Savior. Only if thou should remember the covenants you’ve made, repent of your sins, and strive once more, and there will be none, and even if the world is against you, then I’d be against the world, for you.” This words, this message, can extensively be found in the scriptures. I gave it my own little spark, but essentially that’s what He says all throughout any of the scriptures.
So come, come unto Him, learn of Him, and follow Him. For He will show you His greatness and that He is a God of miracles even to this day, let Him prevail in your life, have Him walk before you and prepare the way, do not falter, for if you don’t give up, His angels shall be around you with flaming swords against the enemy of thy soul, that he should have no power over you henceforth and nevermore. He loves you. And these are all the words and teaching and messages that you will find in the scriptures, and I relay them to you, my brothers and sisters, with great love. In the name of Jesus Christ, our beloved brother, amen.
Kindly; Elder Santos, Service Missionary.