Mission Farewell: Elder Carson Bishop

Mission Farewell

Hello everyone. For those who don’t know, I’m Carson Bishop. I’ve been called to serve in the Albuquerque, New Mexico mission, starting on July 3rd. Last week, I was assigned to give a talk on feeling and recognizing the Spirit for my mission farewell. Now, since this is the last talk I will give in this ward for two years, I knew that I would have to start work on it as soon as possible. It’s no secret that I have a tendency to procrastinate until the night before when it comes to pretty much anything, so I am very proud to announce that this time, I only procrastinated until the morning before to actually start work on this talk.

At first, feeling and recognizing the Spirit felt like a weird topic for me to cover. I didn’t feel like I had a lot to say about it. But as I watched conference talks and prepared this talk, I realized I actually have a lot to say on this topic. The Spirit is wonderful, and the blessings it can bestow are boundless. I have a deep and personal testimony of the effect the Spirit can have, and even though I may not always be the most in tune with it, that doesn’t mean I don’t have experience with it that could be helpful for others to hear.

In a talk he gave this past General Conference, David P. Homer said (quote) “The Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and He may speak to the same person in different ways at different times. As a result, learning the many ways He speaks to us is a lifelong quest. Sometimes, He speaks to our “mind and in [our] heart” in a voice that is small yet powerful, piercing “them that … hear to the center.” Other times His impressions “occupy [our] mind[s]” or “press … upon [our] feelings.” Other times our bosom will “burn within [us].” Still other times He fills our souls with joy, enlightens our minds, or speaks peace to our troubled hearts.” (close quote)

I’m kind of stubborn, so in the past I’ve had trouble with feeling the Spirit. I have a tendency to think, “I can do this on my own, I don’t need help.” I often do this to try and prove to myself that I’m capable of doing things without any assistance, because most of the time I can’t. It was difficult for me to accept that I just didn’t have the capacity to make it on my own, so this led to a cycle of me convincing myself I didn’t need the Lord’s help, messing up, and then feeling bad about it. I lived in this cycle for years, and it’s only since I went off to college that I’ve realized that I was lying to myself. It was only when I admitted to myself that I was weak and humbled myself before God that things started to change. And I am forever grateful for those changes. Before going to BYUI, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to serve a mission. It had always been a goal of mine, but I’ve had experiences that have shaken my testimony and for a very long time I had no idea if I would ever achieve that goal. Going to college was kind of like a slap in the face- I realized that if I wanted to serve a mission, I had to deal with the misgivings I had immediately.

I started praying daily again, because I hadn’t actually been doing that for a while. And as soon as I did that I started to see the blessings. I felt happier, I was able to motivate myself to do my work, and a mission started to seem like a viable option. I started feeling the Spirit again, and when you’ve gone a long stretch without the Spirit, it is so refreshing to have it reenter your life. Something I didn’t fully realize was how important it is to be following the teachings of the Gospel. You don’t have to be perfect, but you have to be putting in the effort. In the talk that I mentioned earlier, Elder David P. Homer says, (quote) “The more diligently we seek his voice, the easier it becomes to hear.” (close quote) If you are seeking out guidance, seeking out the Spirit, it is imperative that you dedicate yourself to righteousness. You can’t expect to receive revelation when you’re half-heartedly going through the motions. You have to open yourself up to the Spirit and be willing to listen to its voice. This may mean different things to different people. For some, it could mean reading the scriptures a bit more. For others, it could be more drastic- it depends on your situation. What matters is having the desire to do better, and transferring that desire into action. Take it from someone who languished in spiritual stagnation for quite some time- action is key. It can be difficult to take that first step towards bettering yourself, but once you do, the next steps come so much easier.

Sometime during my first semester of college at BYUI, I had to sign up for classes for the Winter semester. As I was looking for classes, I saw that I was locked out from registering for any classes. Before this point, I was not aware of the track system that is used there. When you are accepted into the school, you are given a ‘track’ and what that track is dictates when you can take classes. I did not realize that I had been placed on the Spring-Fall track, meaning that I could not sign up for classes in the Winter semester. This was my fault, I should have been educated on the way the school works, but it happened nonetheless. I started to panic, because not going to school was not part of my plan. I had already signed a lease for my apartment, and could not back out, so I was going to be living in Rexburg regardless. For a few days I was consumed with worry, and did not know what to do. It was only when I kneeled down to pray that I was able to figure out what to do. I found an option that would allow me to take classes in the Winter semester, but now the possibility of working in Rexburg for a few months while preparing for a mission was open to me. I had no idea which option to choose, so I spent the next few days mulling it over, praying often to receive an answer. Eventually one came to me, and I decided to enroll in classes. Throughout the semester, I was unsure of if this was the right course of action or not, because as soon as the semester started I realized I did not want to be in school, I wanted to be on a mission. It became hard for me to do my work, knowing that I could be focusing on a mission instead. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and in the moment I didn’t feel like I was doing the right thing. It was only after the semester ended that I realized why I needed to take classes. I ended up learning a lot about myself, and because I had no motivation to do my schoolwork, I learned how to do work even when I was telling myself it was meaningless. I discovered new interests, and at the end felt more sure of myself than I did at the beginning of the semester. My point here is that sometimes it takes a long time to fully realize the lessons the Holy Ghost is teaching you. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, (quote) “How do we know the things of the Spirit? How do we know that it is from God? By the fruits of it. If it leads to growth and development, if it leads to faith and testimony, if it leads to a better way of doing things, if it leads to godliness, then it is of God.” (close quote) The thing about development though, is that it normally takes a while. While you’re still growing, it may seem like you’re wasting your time, but if you follow the Spirit and prayerfully ponder what to do, you will be blessed in ways you may not even realize.

The Holy Ghost is in constant competition for our attention. There are worldly distractions, and there are temptations, and all manner of things that take our attention away from the Spirit. Satan will try his best to distract us from the Spirit, because he knows the blessings we receive when we follow its guidance, and he desperately doesn’t want us to receive those blessings. He will use any means necessary to try and get us to point our thoughts elsewhere. It’s important to be able to discern the Spirit from the distractions and temptations Satan will throw at us. If you’re ever unsure of whether a thought you have is from God or not, do not hesitate to pray. Satan will try to get you to think that prayer isn’t important, so the best time to pray is when you feel like you don’t need to.

Spiritual growth is only possible through the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father will use the Spirit to help push you forward, as long as you are ready and willing to move forward. I have grown so much in this past year, and this is thanks to the power of the Holy Ghost. At college, I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, each of whom helped impress upon me different ideas that helped me to progress. One of my roommates, Landon, is essentially the reason I’m going on a mission. I had a lot of fears about the mission, but perhaps the most prevalent was the time commitment. I was not ready to give two years of my life to serve the Lord. But throughout my first semester, Landon and I had many talks about the Gospel, many of them relating to his mission, which he served in the Phillipines. During one of these talks, he said something along the lines of, “You have two years to miss the rest of your life, but then you have the rest of your life to miss those two years.” This was such a powerful statement to me, and it helped me to realize I needed to serve a mission no matter what. There is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father used his Holy Spirit to impress upon Landon to say what I needed to hear. The Spirit can be used in this way; to help you know what to say to be most effective in helping others. The Lord uses his Spirit to fill our hearts with love and our minds with knowledge.

I am so thankful for the loving power that God provides with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Without it, I would be lost, but with it, I finally feel like I have a purpose. I know with all of my heart that this church is true, and I have always known this. Even when I struggle, even when I stumble and fall, I know that God is always willing to help me back up again. His love for us has no end, and if we strive to follow his teachings we will be blessed. I have personally seen these blessings in my life, and it is my hope that this talk has helped anyone who may be struggling themselves right now. I know this church is true, and I owe my life to its Gospel. I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.