Recently my family was preparing to send my brother off on his mission to preach the gospel for two years. He went through the struggles that probably all missionaries do, wondering if he could do what needed to be done. During this time, I was reminded of many of the discourses I had read from Wilford Woodruff in which he discussed how the Spirit will help us say and do what is needed. I briefly reminded my brother that the Spirit would help him. Not long after this, I came across a discourse given on June 12, 1863. Wilford Woodruff said:
When people attempt to preach the Gospel without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they are under the necessity of studying or of writing their sermons, thus presenting the cogitations of their own hearts in support of the doctrines and tenets of their particular sects. When the Lord sets his hand to perform a work, and to build up his kingdom on the earth, his servants whom he calls to do this work are obliged to trust in the Lord their God and to lean upon his arm for strength, for no man can tell what the will of God is unless it is revealed to him by the revelations of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost.
As I read this, I was touched, not only because it gave me comfort in knowing my brother would have the help he needed as he relied on God and the Spirit, but also because of what it meant for me. God wants each of us to come to Him and He will show us the work He has for us to do. This doesn’t just apply to missionaries, but to all of us, whether it be . . .
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