Chapter 47: Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

Proverbs 29:18

A new week, new transfer, and a new companion! Many fresh beginnings as is the pattern of life, which was very exciting. Elder Yorgason is a great missionary and I am excited to continue to work with him here in Airdrie. We saw a lot of miracles this week together and have faith that we will see more. God truly is at the head of this work.

One of these miracles is that we received a call from a random man we had never met before, who told us he had got our number from a friend of his who is a less-active member of the church we've been working with. He explained how he's been going through a really hard time and really needed some help.

Naturally, we set up a time to come by later that evening, and as we got to know him and talked to him, he kept repeating a phrase over and over:

"Guys, I just, I want purpose in my life. I need to find purpose."

As companions, this week we talked a lot about vision. With much prayer, council, and thought, we attempted to come up with a focus for the Zone to help us as missionaries best direct our efforts this transfer to find the most success—to help us find purpose. In so doing, this scripture came to my mind quite frequently, and I've been trying to figure out what it even means.

Why do we perish without vision?

In our friend's case, he told us that his life has just been a fear-filled experience of blindly turning this way and that trying to find happiness. With a successful career, and family, a nice house, and more money he needs, he told us how all of these things have fallen apart as of late because he has no purpose.

Nothing to help him find strength to turn away from addiction and fear.

Nothing to ground him.

No vision.

No hope.

Without vision, without a deep sense of purpose and a perspective of the "whys" in life, we simply perish. We give way under the weight of life and the chaos and evil it brings, for we see no grounded goodness. Vision, especially the vision of the gospel (which arguably is the vision the Proverbs refers to) tethers us to the hope of change and growth, whereas the lack thereof leaves us drifting endlessly into despair.

So we shared with him the story of another kind of vision. The account of a young boy named Jospeh Smith, who, in vision, was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and was given a greater a vision and perspective on life he ever could've hoped for. As we discussed with him the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, something deeply changed in him. He spoke with more hope. Within the tone of his voice accepting a Book of Mormon, you could tell there was a desire to have purpose. And that is what the gospel brings to us, purpose and vision.

A vision giving us the perspective which, time and time again, brings us each back to Gethsemane, and our Savior who suffered there to make hope possible.

Come to Christ, and find greater vision and purpose in Him.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

Me and Elder Yorgason

Me and Elder Taggart on exchanges

Devils Pulpit for P-day with the Assistants!