Sabbathought: "My job is not to succeed . . ."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was once asked by a news reporter, "Do you think, given the enormity of your work, that you will ever succeed in abolishing poverty in Calcutta?"

Her answer came quickly: "My job is not to succeed; my job is to be faithful to my mission."

Elder Richard P. Lindsay of the Seventy used this response from Mother Teresa some years ago in his capacity as public-affairs spokesman for the Church. A reporter had asked him if the Church's stance on teen abstinence was realistic in this modern day, and questioned whether the Church would succeed with such a position.

"Our job is not to succeed," said Elder Lindsay, citing the setting of Mother Teresa's response, "our job is to be faithful to our mission."

[Elder Lindsay, father of Salt Lake City's KSL channel 5 news presenter Bruce Lindsay, passed away last month.]

Consider how relevant and correct this response is for all parents, leaders, and teachers within the Church. I used to use this illustration with noisy and restless new seminary students in September when they pleaded for candy or a video or a game. My job was to be faithful to my mission given me by the Presiding Brethren of the Church, to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ by the Spirit to this generation of young people. The students soon got the message.

Now please do not misunderstand: Mother Teresa, Elder Lindsay, and I were not saying our job is to fail, we were showing that the Lord would bring the success --- He would give the harvest --- if we stayed true to our mission and commission as His agents. It is a profound truth.

I think it is possible that the error of Judas Iscariot was partly in thinking that if he betrayed the Master then Jesus would step forward and show Who He really was and win the day. Perhaps Judas sought in part to force the issue and make the Lord reveal Himself in power. If this is the case, Judas overlooked a basic truth of eternity: "It must needs be done in mine own way . . ." and "My ways are not your ways . . . ." It is a profound issue of truth.

Judas's job was to be faithful to his mission as a chosen Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. In failing to do that, he was led into deep and dark sin.

Your job and mine is to be faithful to our missions as Latter-day Saints in these Last Days.

The big question is, What is that mission? What is it from the Lord's point of view? The answers to these questions are found in the revelations and imply a deep understanding of the plan from the revelations if we are to be true to that mission. Then the Lord will give the harvest, in His own time and in His own way and after His own purpose.

Our job, for instance, is not to succeed by entertaining our students, by "teaching" them on their own terms. Our job is to be faithful to our mission.

Your comments, thoughts, and insights are encouraged.

Steve