When I was a kid, one of my favorite tv shows was Mission Impossible. Yes, for you younger viewers,
before the movies it was a TV show. It was always exciting to see the special mission delivered,
usually in a creative way. I used to hope that I would get a secret mission and be a part of
a plan to save the world. While you and I probably won’t receive a self-destructing
tape-recorded message anytime soon, I’ve learned that God does have a mission for each one of us,
and it’s part of His plan to save the world. We can see a clear example of this principle
in the teenage life of Joseph Smith. About three years after his First Vision, at the age of 17,
Joseph Smith was praying to know of his standing before God.
In answer to his prayer, he saw a bright light, and the angel Moroni appeared to him.
Joseph Smith recounts, “He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from
the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do…”. Let’s
pause right there and think about two eternal truths that are embedded in this experience.
First, God knows your name. I love that Moroni didn’t just say, “hey kid,” or, “hey you.”
He called him by name, Joseph. If Moroni knew Joseph’s name, it stands to reason that God
knows my name, and he knows your name. Second, Moroni said that God had a work
for Joseph to do. Just like God knows your name, God has a work for you to do.
Take a moment and really think about these truths: God knows your name and He has a work for you.
Do you know what work God wants you to do? Just as the angel Moroni told Joseph part
of what God’s plan for him was, I believe that our Heavenly Father will reveal parts of His plan, His
secret mission if you will, for each of us. Often, God reveals what He wants us to do line
upon line. So, I’m not saying that He’ll unfold every detail of your life the next time you pray,
but I do believe that as we reread recent General Conference talks, study our patriarchal blessings,
ponder, and spend time asking God what it is He would have us do, flashes of insight come
to our mind that help us fulfill the work God has for us. Elder Richard G Scott explained,
“Find a retreat of peace and quiet where periodically,
you can ponder, and let the Lord establish the direction of your life.
Each of us needs to periodically check our bearings, to confirm that we are on course.
Sometimes soon, you may benefit from taking this personal inventory.
What are my highest priorities to be accomplished while on earth?
How do I use my discretionary time? Is some of it consistently applied to my highest priorities?
Is there anything I know I should not be doing? If so, I will repent and stop it now.
Put first things first.” I know God knows your name, and He has a
work for you to do. As we ask the questions Elder Scott suggested, and seek additional revelation,
we will come to better understand what it is God wants us to do, what His purpose for us
really is. There’s a related message from Moroni’s initial words to Joseph. Moroni told
Joseph that his name would be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues.
Think about how unrealistic that may have sounded at the time. In 1823, when this vision occurred,
Joseph was an obscure, 17-year-old boy living in a small town, and a citizen of a fairly new country.
What is the probability that years into the future, people around the world would have heard
of Joseph? Pretty close to zero. But in our day, Moroni’s prophecy has been fulfilled.
The book Joseph brought forth has been translated into more than a hundred languages. Thousands of
speeches, articles, and books have been written about Joseph Smith. I was once traveling in
a country where the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not officially recognized.
I was at a park one afternoon, and happened to strike up a conversation with a local resident of
the town where I was living. He asked me where I was from, and I said “Utah, in America.” He smiled
and said, “Oh yes, Utah, Joseph Smith.” I couldn’t believe it. Moroni’s prophecy was being fulfilled
right before my eyes. As you pray to Heavenly Father and tap into His vision of what He wants
you to do and become, some of what you hear might surprise you. Maybe Joseph was surprised when
Moroni said his name would be known throughout the world. Whatever your age might be, you might
be unprepared when the Holy Ghost nudges you to do something that feels beyond your capacity.
But just as God gave Joseph Smith the strength to fulfill his divinely appointed mission,
God will help you accomplish the work He has prepared for you to do.
With the Lord on your side, there’s no such thing as a Mission Impossible.