PROVO, Utah — A hummingbird recently found its way into Bishop Sean Douglas’ home and got trapped flying up to a window near the high ceiling. Because of the speed it flaps its wings, a trapped hummingbird will eventually die of exhaustion, said the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.
He climbed a ladder and reached with an extendable duster in an effort to direct the bird outside. But to his surprise, the tired hummingbird landed directly on the duster.
“You are beating your wings as fast as you can,” said Bishop Douglas in an Aug. 25 devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center. He testified of what Jesus Christ offers, saying, “In your exhaustion, you can land on Him, and He will always keep you safe.”
Bishop Douglas and his wife, Sister Ann Douglas, spoke to training missionaries about how they can seek the Savior and share His light, despite their imperfections.
‘He will never abandon you’
Like the tired bird, “you have to be sustained by the Lord Jesus Christ.” Bishop Douglas added: “Don’t forget who the Rock of the work is. Don’t put your trust in the arm of flesh. Anchor yourself completely on Him.”
He read a quote from the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, who as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in 1997: “I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when He finds that His people do not feel confident in His care or secure in His hands or trust in His commandments.”
Just as the hummingbird was confident it could rest on the duster, “you should have total confidence that Jesus Christ will always be your strength,” said Bishop Douglas. “He will never let you down. He will never abandon you.”
The weak made strong
Despite the missionaries having served in their callings for only a few short weeks, “looking out upon you tonight, I see anything but weak,” Bishop Douglas said. That’s because their righteousness, obedience and focus on their missionary purpose give them power, he added.
Their strength is in Jesus Christ, he said, quoting Doctrine and Covenants 50:16, 26: “He that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong. ... He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.”
He reassured that though missionaries may feel inadequate, they are sufficient for what the Lord wants them to do. “The Savior has very high expectations for us, but those high expectations are matched and even exceeded by His infinite love and His atoning sacrifice for each of us.”
Bishop Douglas encouraged: “Because you love Him and wish to serve Him with all your heart and strength, He will consecrate your efforts, weaknesses, shortcomings, trials and all your missionary experiences for your gain and for His work and glory.”
God’s plan requires effort and exercising faith through difficulty, said Bishop Douglas. “His work is not only to have us live with Him again; it is to become like Him.”
With Heavenly Father’s help, “there is no wasted effort in missionary work. Every little thing you do to radiate and reflect the Light of Christ in your lives will make a difference. God will magnify you and what you do.”
‘Here I raise my Ebenezer’
In her remarks at the devotional, Sister Douglas quoted lyrics from “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”: “Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come.”
In 1 Samuel 7:10-12, the Ebenezer, or “stone of help,” was a stone monument, a memorial of blessings from the Lord, said Sister Douglas. Today, she added, it can be anything that builds testimony by reminding someone of Heavenly Father’s and the Savior’s love and blessings — a scripture, a painting, a remembered experience.
After missionaries build that testimony, they can share it with others. “The testimony that you’re developing shows in the light of your life, and it shows up when you teach your friends. They will feel your spirit and your light.”
She closed by encouraging listeners that they can be great missionaries, even though they make mistakes. “You just have to show up and never give up. Just give it your all, and the Lord will amplify your abilities.”
Missionary reflections
Having been at the MTC for only two weeks, one companionship said they were touched by the Douglases’ messages on finding strength in Christ. Elder Weston Rawson and Elder Parker Smith, both assigned to the Brazil Florianópolis Mission, are seeking that strength as they learn Portuguese.
“We are imperfect beings, but through God, we can exceed our expectations beyond imagination,” said Elder Rawson, from Visalia, California. “We are the Lord’s army, and we are called to serve. We have to rely on God’s power to do the work that we are called to do.”
Elder Smith — from St. Louis, Missouri — said he is grateful for the Savior’s Atonement and the opportunity He gives to become more like Him. “Without the Spirit and without Christ, we can’t accomplish very much. But through the Spirit and through the power of God, we can become so much more than we were before.”
