A test of our faith

In the last three weeks I have received a number of calls from parents on the phone in the missionary department. There are calls about herbal medicines and herbal immunizations and not wanting to receive immunizations. One particular case was a call from the mother of a missionary who was assigned to go to Micronesia Guam on his mission.  She asked about the immunizations he needed to complete and I responded with a list of immunizations that a missionary needs to go to a foreign mission.  She responded that he was taking alternative immunizations and that they were herbal medicine medications that would immunize him against all of the diseases. I responded that he would need to receive the proper immunizations otherwise his mission would be changed. She continued to argue that the United States was the only country that did not recognize these alternative immunizations.  I transferred her to a different doctor.  I was not going to argue the point. On further investigation, I found that when his application was screened that the doctors that did the screening had recommended that he go his country of origin, which was the United States.

He got his call to Micronesia Guam.  The mother felt that this was a vindication of the fact that she did not believe in traditional immunizations. I looked at this as really a test of her faith. He was called to serve in Micronesia Guam. It was up to her and her son to prepare to serve where the Lord had called him by obtaining the proper immunizations.

Sometimes the Lord tests us to see if we will do everything that he asks us. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that every man, and I will add woman, will go through what is known as the Abrahamic test. It will be remembered that Abraham was asked by the Lord to sacrifice his only son by his wife Sarah. This was to be his posterity and the Lord had told him that he would have posterity greater than the sands of the sea in number, and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed because of his posterity and his Priesthood. He was asked to put that on the altar.

So Abraham took Isaac and put him on the altar. The Lord intervened in Abraham's behalf and saved Isaac.  We have multitude of descendents from Abraham.

Not all the tests, which the Lord gives us, will be of the magnitude where we have to sacrifice our child. Sometimes he just asks us to do what he has instructed his servants to do or do as they instruct us.

Marriner W. Merrill tells the story in his history of a request that came from the First Presidency of the church for members to deed all of their property to the church. He records all of the cattle, property and everything that he had which he signed over to the church.  He later recalls that the church never did come and ask for that property and he said he felt that it was a test of the faith of the people and some people that he knew failed the test.

Sometimes it's just a simple thing like getting immunizations that are required. One caller said that he did not believe in immunizations.  I wanted to respond, ‘what has that got to do with the subject? The brethren have asked that all missionaries be immunized.’ But I said nothing. Sometimes it's a test of a person's time and effort. Sometimes it's a test of loyalty and some people in the church fail that as well.

The Lord will test us and try us to see if we are worthy to do all things and to sacrifice self, our ideas and prejudices and property in order to build up the kingdom of Our Father in heaven.

Do not fail the test, because it will come sometime in your life.  I can assure you of that.

Love,

Grandpa