Talk given in some ward or stake setting 31 October 1993

I’m impressed with how little we know.  As Paul said, “We see through a glass darkly.”  We’ve received some good hints about what life after mortality is like, and what life before mortality was like; but every time I read the scriptures I’m impressed with how little we really know.  We have the fullness of the gospel, meaning that we’re in possession of all the knowledge necessary to get us back into the presence of God; but how much do we really even know about God?  We don’t even know ourselves.

Just to illustrate, let’s each of us install a video camera, or maybe our own personal Urim and Thummim, in our minds.  We’re going to do some pretty rapid traveling back and forth in time.

I’d like you first to focus your camera in on a young man living in a city called Ur of the Chaldees about 4,000 years ago.  He’s living in a very wicked, evil society of idolaters.  Even his own father is an idolater.  The people around him are worshiping gods called the god of Elkenah, the god of Libnah, the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash.  Perhaps because of his righteousness he’s very nearly offered as a sacrifice on the altar of one of these gods.

The young man, Abraham, is delivered from his peril, and moves.  I want you to tune your Urim and Thummim in on him in his new home in a tent on the deserts of Palestine.  Do you see him?  He’s a shepherd.  Are you impressed?  He looks pretty ordinary, doesn’t he?

Now zoom your camera back to the pre-earth existence to that great council of the noble and great ones.  Do you see Abraham there?  (Abraham 3:22, 23).  He’s very impressive now, isn’t he?  You even feel like falling down and worshiping him.

Now readjust your camera and find Abraham in heaven right now.  That’s him sitting on a throne, having already entered into his exaltation.  (D&C 132:29).  Once again you see a person that you feel like falling down and worshiping.

Now focus your camera in on yourself in the present.  Study yourself over good.  What do you see?  You see an ordinary person with problems.  You’re living in the midst of a society of idolaters.  The gods are the exact same gods Abraham’s peers worshiped, only they don’t go by the names of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, and Korash anymore.  Now they’re called money, pleasure, recreation, and status.  More than once you’ve narrowly escaped being offered as a sacrifice upon one of their altars.

Now refocus your camera back on the pre-earth existence and find yourself there.  Are you in the council of the noble and great ones?  I really can’t tell.  Tune your focus a little and zero in on the war in heaven.  Do you see yourself there?  That’s you there on the front lines.  Notice how shiny you are.  Do you feel like falling down and worshiping?  That shininess is a result of your righteousness and valiancy.  See the difference between you and those unshiny people on the other side?  They won’t even get a chance to come to earth.  Notice, too, that you’re not in the back ranks.  You’re right out there in front.  That’s why you were privileged to come to earth as a part of an LDS family or to have had the missionaries teach you the gospel.  There’s a reason why you’re where you are right now.

Now fast forward your Urim and Thummim to the life after this one.  Find yourself.  That’s you with the Father and the Son.  They’re saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”  If you’re having trouble deciding who is who there in that picture, that’s you there to the right of the other two.  You look an awful lot like them, don’t you?  That’s because the Father has just given you all that He has (D&C 84:38), and you’ve finally realized your destiny of becoming like your Father.  What an impressive being you are!

See those millions of people behind you and off to the side there?  Do you know who they are?  They’re your children and grandchildren.  That’s only a couple of dozen generations of them.  Do you know what they’re doing?  They’re rising up and calling you blessed.  What for?  For enduring!  The Father is honoring you for being a good home teacher or visiting teacher, and for always trying to give the best Sunday School lesson you were capable of giving.  He’s saying, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things.  I will make thee ruler over many things.”  (Matt. 25:21).

See that other group of several million or so people there on the other side?  They’re there to thank you for making their salvation and exaltation possible.  You did the temple work for them or for their parents, or helped in the conversion of them or their ancestor, or took a loaf of bread to them at just the moment when they were feeling worthless and unloved, or gave some counsel or a helping hand that changed the course of their lives or of their grandparents’ lives.  You had no idea that your influence was so far reaching, did you?

You may turn off your Urim and Thummim now.  Look around you.  What do you see?  You see a world full of ordinary individuals—ordinary, struggling, problem-laden individuals—but individuals of promise.  The video you just saw gave you a hint of the great potential each person possesses.

God knows every one of those individuals around you.  They’re His children.  He knows you.  He knows what you can amount to.  He wants you to become like Him.

Julia Ward Howe once went to a senator of the United States and told him that she was concerned about a particular individual.

“Julia,” the senator said, “I’m so busy that I can’t be concerned about individuals.”

“That’s remarkable,” Julia answered.  “Even God hasn’t reached that point yet.”

Joseph Millett was a little-known, early member of the Church.  He served a mission to Canada, settled in Utah, and raised a large family.  Times were very, very hard.  Food was scarce.

One day one of his children came home and said that the Hall family had nothing to eat.  Joseph Millett divided his flour, and put some in a bag, intending to take it to the Halls.

Just then Brother Hall knocked at his door.

“Do you have food, Brother Hall?” Joseph asked.

“We have none,” Brother Hall answered.  I’ve asked several people to help me, but no one has anything to spare.  I went into the woods to pray, and the Lord told me to come to you.”

Joseph took the bag of flour and handed it to Brother Hall.  “If the Lord sent you for it, it’s yours.  You don’t owe me for it.”

That night Joseph Millett wrote a significant line in his journal:  “You can’t tell me how good it makes me feel to know that God knows there’s such a person as Joseph Millett.”

God knows you, and He knows your potential.  He has sent you here for a purpose.  What is that purpose?  That’s what you’ve got to find out.  When you’ve learned your purpose, and then live for it, your life will be a success.

I’m going to tell you the reason you were sent here.  Living up to it will be up to you.

The purpose of life is to save souls—those individuals we’ve been talking about.  (D&C 18:10).

The first soul we must save is our own.  (D&C 18:15).

Secondly, we’re commanded to bring forth children and to save them.

Thirdly, we’re commanded to love all men—all of Heavenly Father’s children—and to help Him bring them back into His presence.  (D&C 18:16).

The 15^th chapter of Luke talks about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a prodigal son.  The Savior was telling us there how people become lost , and how we should find them.  The prodigal son “came to himself” and returned home.

Is it not our purpose in life to help people find themselves, to help them realize who they are so that they may return home?

If I can help James Kerns realize and reach his potential, I will have accomplished a great work.  My life will have been successful, and pleasing to my Father in heaven.

If I can help James Kerns’ kids to catch the vision of who they are, and teach them that they’re special, valued, and can make a real difference in the world, my life will have been eminently successful.

If I can lead others around me to realize that they are children of God, yearned for and loved by their Parent, and put them in communication with Him so that they can reach their potential, my life will have fulfilled what Heavenly Father sent me here to do.  He’ll then say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”—And I’ll experience joy.

In this life we may “see through a glass darkly,” but enough glimmers of light have made it through to let us know that we’re important.  You’re special.  You have potential.  You’re going to make it, and your kids and grandkids will make it; if you just keep trying, endure to the end, and be faithful in the few tasks the Lord has given you.