The Lord is in charge. According to His infinite wisdom, He determines the measure of truth dispensed to each nation. It is our opportunity in life to serve as instruments in His hands to bring people unto Him. The Prophet Joseph Smith was specifically called to be an instrument in the hands of God:
This messenger [Moroni] proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation. (HC, 4:536–537).
When we function worthily as instruments in the hands of God and observe the fruit of our labors—seeing His children come into His fold as a result of our service—then we remember His goodness to us. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin reminds us that in our service toward building the kingdom of God we act as conduits for the blessings of the Spirit:
Each of us has the sacred responsibility to proclaim the gospel. The Savior’s commandment applies to all members of the Church, not just to full-time missionaries or to returned missionaries. We each have the responsibility to follow the Spirit when it prompts us to share the gospel so that others can come to follow the Savior.
We must act when the Spirit speaks! When I hearkened to the Spirit, the young man from Germany responded positively to my message. But it wasn’t really my message. It was God’s message, brought to my mind by the Spirit of the Lord. I was but an instrument in the Lord’s hands, led by his Spirit to open my mouth and proclaim the message of the Restoration. In opening my mouth, I became, as the Lord promises, “even as Nephi of old.” (D&C 33:8.) Father Lehi gives this explanation of why his son was so adamant in proclaiming the gospel: “Behold, it was not [Nephi], but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.” (2 Nephi 1:27.) (Finding Peace in Our Lives [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995], 241)
“An Instrument in the Hands of God”
Let us seek to be an instrument in the hands of God to help people repent—for this is our glory and joy. Our opportunity is to help people come unto Christ. This is the thing of most worth unto us (see D&C 15:6).
President Hugh B. Brown confirms this in a story of his mission days in England:
When I think of missionary work—and incidentally it is my first love—I remember the words of Alma, “I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.” (Alma 29:9.)
When I think back on early missionary experiences, there comes to mind one incident which I shall never forget. Fifty-six years ago I was in Norwich, England, on a mission. I had been tracting, and in those days we went three times to every door regardless of the reception. On this occasion I came to a door where I remembered the woman had been particularly antagonistic, and I knocked on the door with the big brass knocker. I knocked as a mature missionary knocks, for I had been there nearly two years. New missionaries, as you know, sometimes knock rather carefully hoping they won’t be heard, but I knocked vigorously and had no response. I looked through the window and saw a woman sitting in the front room knitting. I recognized her, for she had given me a tongue lashing before, and I knew she wasn’t deaf nor dumb. She wouldn’t respond so I went around to the back door. In those days we carried a walking stick. We had those long Prince Albert coats and derby hats. I took my walking stick and knocked on the door so hard that she came out like a setting hen comes off the nest in response to a troublesome boy. I think for several minutes she gave me the worst Scotch blessing I have ever had. But she had an impediment of speech; she had to stop every fifteen minutes to draw her breath, and when she did stop I said, “My dear lady, I apologize for having annoyed you, but our Heavenly Father sent me 6,000 miles to bring you a message and inasmuch as he sent me I can’t go home until I give you that message.” She said, “Do you mean the Lord sent a message to me?” I said, “I mean just that. He sent it because he loves you.” She said, “Tell me the message.” And I told her as best I could the Joseph Smith story. She listened intently, apparently impressed. And then I again apologized for having been rude enough to insist on her coming out and then I added, “Sister, when you and I meet again, and we will meet again, you are going to say ‘thank you, and thank God that you came to my back door and insisted on speaking to me.’”
That was in 1906. Ten years later, in 1916, I was in England again, this time in uniform. President George F. Richards was the president of the mission. He had the flu, and he called me at the military camp and asked if it was possible to get a leave and go down to Norwich and hold a conference for him. I, of course, was very glad to visit my old mission field. At the close of the morning session a woman and four grown daughters came down the aisle.
I was shaking hands with old friends, and as I took her by the hand she bowed her head and kissed my hand and wet it with her tears. She said, “I do thank God that you came to my door ten years ago. When you left that day I thought about what you had said, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I was fighting it, but I couldn’t sleep that night. I kept thinking, ‘God has sent a message to me. But,’ she said, ‘I fought it for three days. I tried to find the missionaries from the address on the tract, and when I found them, you had returned to Canada. We continued to investigate until my daughters and I joined the Church, and next month we are leaving for Utah.’ I cite that as a word of encouragement to you, my brothers and sisters. The joy that comes into the heart of a man or woman who has been instrumental in the hands of God in carrying the message of life and salvation to some soul, be it only one, is a joy beyond anything that men in the world can know. I am sure I need not emphasize that to you for you know it from experience. (Continuing the Quest [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1961], 61–63)