“Will You Answer the Lord’s Call?,” For the Strength of Youth, June 2022.
Come, Follow Me
Will You Answer the Lord’s Call?
The Lord will call you to do great things now and in the future.
Thousands of years ago, a boy named Samuel was learning his duties in the temple from a priest named Eli. One night, as Samuel was falling asleep, he heard someone calling to him. At first, Samuel thought Eli had called him, so he ran to Eli and said, “Here am I; for thou calledst me” (1 Samuel 3:5). Eli hadn’t called and he sent Samuel back to bed.
Samuel heard the call and went to Eli two more times, with the same result.
After Samuel heard the call and went to Eli the third time, Eli perceived that the Lord had called Samuel. Eli told Samuel to go back to bed. If the Lord called again, Eli told him to say, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9).
The Lord called again, and Samuel obeyed Eli’s counsel. The Lord then revealed His will to Samuel (see 1 Samuel 3:11–14). Even though Samuel was young, the Lord knew him and had a work for him to do.
Like Samuel, you have the opportunity to learn, understand, and know the Lord and His word so His will can be revealed to you. The Lord will call you to do great things now and in the future.
Will you answer?
Illustration by Robert Barrett
Be Willing to Act
Before Samuel’s experience with the Lord, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him” (1 Samuel 3:7; emphasis added).
I love the word yet in this verse. Samuel may not have known the Lord, but once he answered the Lord’s call, he “grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of [the Lord’s] words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19).
I like to connect Samuel’s story with Doctrine and Covenants 107:99, which says: “Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence” (emphasis added). We learn and grow by doing, not by standing on the sidelines. Let us learn what the Lord would have us do and then act!
Praying to know what to do is important. You should always pray, but you should also be willing to stand on your feet and do something. The Holy Ghost can help you more easily when you’re on the move.
Small Things Prepare You
When I was a deacon, I passed the sacrament and collected fast offerings. And I set up chairs for meetings and took them down again. These duties seemed small to me. As I look back now, I can see that they were the start of my service in the Church. These small things prepared me for the day when the Lord would call me to do more.
Sometimes we think that spiritual experiences or promptings have to be marvelous or happen in a huge, remarkable fashion, like having a dream or hearing a voice. But most of the time, at least for me, experiences with the Spirit have been small thoughts and ideas to do something or to reach out to someone. More experiences with the Spirit will come when you act on those promptings. So, if you get a little nudge to do something good and positive, do it! The Lord won’t give you big things to do until you can listen and act on the small things.
The Lord Trusts You
While I served as a bishop, I watched a young man in my ward progress as a deacon, teacher, and priest. He then prepared to serve a mission. He was shy and quiet, and he came from a family that wasn’t very active in the gospel.
The Sunday he was going to speak before leaving on his mission, I asked if his talk was prepared.
“Yes,” he said. He opened a manila folder and showed me his talk.
“That’s wonderful,” I said. “But I want to do an experiment. Will you speak from your heart instead?”
“You want me to do what?” he said.
“I trust you,” I said. “Just speak from your heart. I know you will do great things in this meeting. I’ll be right next to you if you need me.”
He gave me his talk. I’ll never forget how nervous he was as the other speakers spoke before him. But when it came time for him to speak, he got up and gave a powerful message. The whole congregation was captured by this shy boy who had become a spokesman for the Lord.
The real miracle came after the meeting. Three of his friends who had previously told me they weren’t going to serve missions came up to me with tear-filled eyes. Each of them said, “I want to go on a mission.” This young man’s testimony convinced them that they needed to serve. All three of them served successful missions. This young man is now a father and is still engaged in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has also helped bring many members of his family back into the Church.
This experience reminds me that the Lord trusts the youth of the Church. The Lord has given you more ways than ever before to prove that He trusts you. I wasn’t even close to being ready for the opportunities you have when I was your age! But I know you’re ready to help build up the Church wherever you live.
Illustration by Ben Sowards
You Will Never Be Alone
As you answer the Lord’s call throughout your life, you have the promise that you will never be alone. The Lord will guide you. You may need to grow a little older, as I have, to see how the Lord has guided you. For example, the Lord guides you through the prophet and apostles. The voice of the Lord is no stranger to them. He also guides you when you read the scriptures.
You have been blessed with gifts, talents, and abilities to do great things. This should give you the confidence to answer the Lord’s call and become what He knows you can become.