Hastening the Work.......

(I forgot to post this letter from Cody)

Friends and Family,

I am so sorry about how long this has taken to write this; despite my best efforts to slow down a bit and smell the roses the work still seems to be moving even faster.  The paradox that states the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days is definitely true about missionary work.

Roswell has been treating me well.  A few months ago the stake here fasted for rain, and now I think we will have to fast for it to stop.  Roswell has received more rain this year than in the past 10!!  Some of the crops have started to rot and the mud is horrendous, but it has provided a lot of great service opportunities for us, so hey, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Every new area and every new transfer I learn something different, and for these past couple months I have learned a lot about our purpose in this work.  “Hasten the work of salvation” has become the new rally call for the church, it looks good on missionary plaques and Relief Society chalkboards, but what does it really mean? 

Look up the word “hasten” in the index at the back of your scriptures (seriously do it, don’t take my word for it J).  What do you see?  Skim through the scriptural references it lists.  What do you notice about them all?  The word “hasten” seems to be portrayed as a negative thing in all of the scriptures, except for one passage, Doctrine & Covenants 88:73.

“Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.”

We learn two valuable lessons there.  First, whose work is it?  It is His, the Lord’s, and no one else.   Second, and most importantly, who will do the hastening?  “I will”, the Lord, not us.  We are not hastening the work of salvation, only He can do that, and He is doing it now, now is the time.  So, if we aren’t hasteners, what are we?  What is our purpose?  We read in the following verse of D&C 88….

“Assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean”.

That is the purpose.  The hastening is happening, we don’t have to worry about that, the Lord has that taken care of.  We are to prepare and sanctify ourselves so that we can keep up with the hastening.  We should be constantly asking the Lord what we can do to help Him in His work.

Whether that’s through Ward Council, Family History work, Home and Visiting Teaching, or a full-time mission, there are so many things in the church that we can help hasten.

Remember whose work it is and who is hastening it.  Think of at least one thing you can do in your own life, something you can hasten, and then be prepared to keep up with the Lord’s work.  Don’t delay, it’s getting late!

I am so very grateful for this work, especially what its done for me.  Thank you for your prayers, I really can feel them.  Never be complacent, and always ask the Lord what you can do more to keep up with the pace.  All is well.

Love,

Elder Cody Backus