Elder Schomburg's Farewell Talk

Hello everyone!

Today I gave my farewell talk in Sacrament Meeting. I know many of you wanted to be there but couldn't be because of various reasons, so I decided that I'd post my talk here. Now, I just wrote an outline that I took with me to read from, so this won't be exactly like what my talk was. However, it's better than nothing, and it's what I thought I would say. So, without further ado, here goes!

  Good morning brothers and sisters! My name is Andrew Schomburg, and as many of you know I've been called to serve in the Ecuador Quito Mission. This call is actually my second call. I was originally called to the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission, but because of visa issues I was not able to serve there. It's really a miracle that I even received one mission call, and here's a little about why.

  I was sealed to my parents when I was 1. Our family did fairly well going to church, though we were still a bit hit and miss going to church. Once Robby became 1, we really became inactive. I didn't start coming back to church until I was in the second semester of my senior year. I was incredibly reluctant to go to church. I wasn't even sure that there was a God, and because of that I didn't see any reason to go to church. My mom basically had to drag me back kicking and screaming. The friend group that I was involved with at the time wasn't the greatest for me, and I was just in a very bad point in my life all around.

  I won the state championship for triple jump that year, and after I did Bishop Jenson offered to call the track coach at BYU. I politely declined the offer, stating that I was fine with going to Colorado School of Mines, where I had already been accepted and had a track scholarship waiting for me. The main reason I wanted to go to Mines was because of the girlfriend that I had then. Mines was much closer to where she would be, even though I really hated Mines and the town it was in. I decided to at least pay a visit to BYU to see what it was all about and to meet the track coach. While I was there, I decided that BYU was the place that I wanted to go. It was so peaceful, happy, and beautiful that I couldn't pass up that opportunity. I decided to go to BYU instead of Mines.
 
It was at BYU that I really gained my testimony of the gospel. It really helped that I was constantly surrounded by people who exuded the Spirit constantly. It also really helped that I was able to decide for myself whether or not I should go to church. I decided to go, mainly because everyone else was going, but also because I wanted to for myself. I only got happier the more that I went to church. I also took a Book of Mormon class, and that was the first time that I really started to read the Book of Mormon. I didn't finish the Book of Mormon until my second semester, but I already knew that it was true. Throughout my first semester, I was still set on not going on a mission. I figured that I could still be a good Mormon and not go on a mission.

And then I met a girl.

Michelle was the roommate of my roommate's girlfriend, and she is amazing. She was a sophomore math major, in BYU's Women's Chorus, plays the flute, and has such an incredible and strong testimony. Michelle said that she wouldn't date a non-return missionary, so I was a bit bummed by that. But I was patient, and eventually we did start dating. She really made me realize how important it was to go on a mission. I figured that if I ever wanted to marry a woman as amazing as Michelle, I would have to be the absolute best man that I could possibly be, and going on a mission would make me that man. I came back for Christmas break, and that first Sunday the meeting was all about going on a mission. I figured that was kind of a sign that I should go on a mission, so after Sacrament Meeting I walked up to Bishop Jenson and told him I wanted to serve a mission. Since then my desire to serve the Lord has overshadowed my desire to do it for Michelle, but that's still a part of it.

While I was reading the Book of Mormon for the first time, all that I really knew was the words were true. I didn't know why the words were true, or why I felt the words where true, I just knew that they were true. One night about a year later, while I was in Institute one night I finally realized that what I had been feeling then was the Spirit. That experience got me to thinking, "What is it about the Book of Mormon that helps to convert people?" I came up with a couple of ideas.

Reading the Book of Mormon helps introduce a person to the feelings that are provided by the Holy Ghost. While reading the Book of Mormon, at some point you will feel the Spirit. You may not know that it's the Spirit, but as you read more, you will learn that it is the Spirit. Feeling the Spirit while you read will make you want to read more and to learn more. Eventually you will reach Moroni 10:4, which states, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." After you have felt the Spirit while reading the Book of Mormon, you will be able to recognize the power that the Holy Ghost has after you pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is true. You will be able to receive your own testimony of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. Every word of it is true. The Book of Mormon is just as true as the Bible, and it is indeed another testament of Christ. I know these things for a fact.

Once you have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, you will gain a testimony of everything else in the Church. After reading the Book of Mormon, things just start to make sense. You receive answers for all of the questions that you've had. A good example of this is with the Plan of Salvation. It just makes sense to me that we had to have come from somewhere, and that somewhere was with our Heavenly Father. There is a reason that we are on the earth today, and there is a reason that we must return to our Heavenly Father. These reasons can be found in the Plan of Salvation, and the reasons make sense. When you learn new things about the Gospel, they generally make sense. If at first they don't make sense, they are always accompanied by the Spirit to tell you that while you may not understand what you have learned, it is right and you will be able to make sense of it in time. An example of this is the temple. I did not understand a single thing when I went through the temple for the first time; however, I felt that it was right. That could be one reason why you feel the Spirit so strongly in the temple; you need something there to reassure you that everything is okay, even though you don't understand any of it. Even after my third time through the temple, I don't really understand much. I'm starting to catch some of the symbolism, but there is still so much left for me to learn.

Once you begin to read the other works, you will see that they are also true. I had never really been interested in reading the Doctrine and Covenants until I took a D&C Institute class. Now I can tell you that everything in the Doctrine and Covenants is just as true as the Bible and the Book of Mormon. As you study the scriptures, you will gain a desire to spread the Gospel. The more that I study, the more I want others to know the Gospel. I know that no matter how happy someone is without the Gospel, they can be so much happier with the knowledge that can be found in the scriptures, and especially in the Book of Mormon. I'm a fairly loving guy by nature, so when I found something as pure and good as the Gospel, I naturally wanted to spread it to as many as would listen. Also, in all honesty, I like to be happy. Spreading the Gospel makes me happy, and it's because of these two scriptures, D&C 18:15-16; "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" I have the opportunity to receive endless joy from doing something that already brings me gobs of joy! How could I not go on a mission? There is no way that I could not go on a mission. All of these things come because of reading the Book of Mormon.

One of the most important processes in being converted is enduring to the end. A great aid in enduring to the end is reading the scriptures daily. The more that you read, the more you desire to read, and the more you desire to live all the commandments. In a way the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, help convert you for your entire life. I know that this church is true. I know that there is a living prophet today, and that man is Thomas S. Monson. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and helped restore the Gospel on the earth today. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Well, that was my talk. I hope that you all enjoyed it. Like I said, what I wrote here wasn't exactly what I said in church today, but it's very close. Thank you everyone for all of your support. I appreciate all that you have done for me, and I love you guys. Keep reading for more posts, and to follow me throughout my mission. I'll write a few more posts (hopefully) before I'm set apart on roughly the 25th, so stay tuned!

Ciao!