This Wednesday, we took our 5th missionary to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, where she with 299 other young women and men began their missions. I am surprised that this great training center doesn't just float away very Wednesday on the flood of tears that are shed as 300 missionaries are told to bid farewell to their parents, and prepare to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. I have often jokingly suggested that there is a drainage system that goes from the MTC right into the Great Salt Lake, and that in spite of what geologists say, is how that salty lake was formed.

Who is the Being who inspires these missionaries to leave home and loved ones to serve Him? Our first record of Him was when we lived with Him before the creation of this world, in the residence of God the Father, next to a governing planet called Kolob. The spirits of all men and women lived as individual intelligences of varying degrees of ability and power. "And there stood one among that was like unto God, who was chosen to be the Savior of the world."

This Being was then put in charge of the creation of our world. We also know that not only did he create this world, but with the association of Michael and other great ones, but created worlds without number, as we are told in the Pearl of Great Price. This just boggles the mind, and when Adam and Eve transgressed in what is called the "Fall", this earth also "fell" from its place near Kolob to where it now exists in this galaxy.

Then this great Being became the God of the Old Testament and the God who appeared to ancient prophets and taught them the gospel. He became known as Yaweh, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Great "I Am".

During the meridian of time, or the middle of our earth's life, He was born in humble circumstances and given the name of Jesus. We know more about this period of life when He achieved the great Atonement, and overcame death with His resurrection.

Now we are preparing for His promised 2nd Coming when He will come through the heavens with a great shout, dressed in scarlet robes at the Battle of Armageddon, when "all flesh shall see it together". Then will come the Morning of the First Resurrection, and He will usher in the Millennium during which he will rule on earth for 1,000 years. Satan will be bound, then loosed for a short time, after which will come the Great Judgment Day with the 2nd Resurrection. The earth will be celestialized and the glorious mission of Christ will end as He delivers up the Kingdom to His Father, Elohim.

We cannot even begin to fathom the power and majesty of this Being Jesus Christ. Let us not tend to trivialize Him and limit Him with our human understanding. I once read what I considered to be a statement that diminished His greatness. The Savior was apparently pleading with us to talk to him. The words used were, "I'm lonely to hear from you. I don't want to hassle you, but I just want to hang out with you and be your friend." I do believe he wants us to talk with Him through prayer, but I got the feeling that this made the Savior appear to be a pathetic, wimpy, common man." Also, we have all heard the statement, "I never said it would be easy; I just said it would be worth it." We can agree with the intention of these words, but I have also heard this being given as a direct quote of the Savior's,. It is a great thought, but these words were never uttered by the Savior, and won't be found in scripture. We don't want to humanize the Savior by turning this majestic Being into just a buddy or a pal. At the same time, this majestic, glorious Being does indeed love us, knows us individually and values us. He supports our every breath. We need Him, as the hymn says, every hour. He is our Precious Savior and Dear Redeemer.

May we also be encouraged knowing that great potential we have as one of His brothers and sisters, and that we can strive to lift our lives above the petty, and shallowness we often engage in, and become more like Him, and may we ever try to accomplish this.