Brothers and sisters, "Goede Morgen!"
I love the beautiful tradition that we practice here at BYU-Hawaii, of having a replied greeting from the group or congregation. The same tradition, in one form or another, is present in many other cultures throughout of the world. Accustomed as you are to now familiar words of greeting like "aloha," "mabuhi," "talofa," "kiora," "iorana," "malo e lele," "bula vinaka," or others, I'm sure that when you first heard me speak, you may have thought that I was loudly clearing my throat. But what I just said to you is "good morning" in the language of my Dutch ancestors, and if you were adventurous enough, you said "good morning" back to me in the same language
Although I have lived here in Hawaii for more than eight years, I am nevertheless the son of Celts, Vikings and Barbarians. Like many of you, I am descended from ancient warrior societies, albeit ones from much colder climates - with Russia, Mongolia, and China being notable exceptions. But we have all been called here to the Gospel Family, and more specifically to La'ie by a message of peace. Many of my ancestors were seafarers who plied the world's oceans in search of fortune and glory, or perhaps just looking for a warmer place to live. In this regard, I again feel a kinship with those of you from Asia-Pacific, a part of the world with a rich history of epic voyages, over land or over sea, in search of that which is precious.
The Savior clearly understood the world of commerce and travel because he referenced it in his parables. In Matthew we read: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matt. 13: 45-46) The price of the pearl reveals its great worth in the eye of the beholder, for he was willing to sell everything else that he had in order to possess it. Surely he had been actively searching for a long time for a pearl that was so special, and in the intervening years he had become wise in the ways of commerce and in the value of the many gems that were offered in trade. But this one pearl stood out among all the other "goodly pearls" that he had examined. His well-trained eye recognized its inestimable worth and he willingly sacrificed all else to make it his. This story reveals a very important truth: the knowledge and blessings of the gospel cannot be had cheaply - they will require "all that we have," if we are to possess them. Nothing can be held back in this transaction, and all that remains for us will be this one pearl of great price, with nothing else to distract us.
The history of the human race is a history of explorers, and adventurers, individuals who were brave enough to leave familiar shores and to venture beyond known horizons in search of something better. We are born with an insatiable curiosity and a desire to discover, to learn, and to know. Human history is a tale of movement and migration, of facing dangers and overcoming obstacles. In a very real sense, it is an apt metaphor for our journey through mortality, for we are sent here by a Heavenly Father so that we can learn to walk by faith, to gain experience, and to be proven worthy to stand again in His presence and thereby to receive the rich inheritance that he has prepared for us before the foundation of the world. He does not send us into this world unprepared, every person is born into this world with the Light of Christ that gives us knowledge of good and evil. And if we are faithful, we will be able to hear the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, who after our baptism and confirmation can become our constant guide and companion throughout our life's journey, helping us to discern truth from error, teaching us all things that we should know, bearing witness to eternal truth, and serving as a conduit for essential inspiration and personal revelation.
It would be nice to be able to report that all epic journeys and adventures have happy endings. If this were the case, no one would feel any hesitation when venturing into the unknown. However, too often our paths are fraught with risk and danger. While the rewards are great, the risks are great as well. Before the modern era, many a traveler left the bosom of his or her family, never to return again. With such great uncertainty, departures were often sad affairs. Likewise, homecomings were especially sweet. In the interim the traveler was left to their own devices or the wisdom of their traveling companions when it came to coping with unexpected perils encountered along the way. To have any chance of returning home, it was important that the traveler not give up hope, no matter how difficult the challenges that they faced.
It is an important part of human nature that we feel bound to cling tenaciously to life, no matter how difficult the circumstances that we face. For this reason, we are buoyed up by stories of survival that illustrate the indomitable human spirit. This "will to live" is essential if we are to pass through the trials that are an essential part of our mortal probation. Necessary as well is a strong drive to take care of our own needs. While we cannot hope for gain if we cling to safety, we also naturally eschew those conditions or circumstances where our life would be at risk. And it is something counterintuitive, rare, and sometimes quite wonderful when someone is willing to lay down their life for another or in the pursuit of a higher goal. But that is one of our noblest human attributes - self sacrifice for a higher purpose. It is at the heart of nearly all deeds of great heroism, and it is also at the core of the atonement of Jesus Christ. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
The call to embrace the gospel fills our lives with hope and purpose. The Savior said "I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). In following his perfect example and his commandments, we are blessed in this life and the next, for "he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (D&C 59:23). With so much to live for, it seems paradoxical for us to be taught that we must lose our life if we are to have any hope of saving it. Before resolving this matter, let us consider further the subject of losing our life.
Next week I will have the opportunity to go to the House of the Lord in order to perform sacred temple ordinances on behalf of a cousin who did not live long enough to complete these for himself. His life ended tragically in the company of a supposed friend early one cold, wet autumn morning, when the car he was riding in careened off the road, hit a telephone pole, and then was literally ripped in half when it slammed into a tree. Members of his extended family would like to believe that my cousin died instantly, since the injuries that his body sustained were too horrific to describe. It was no longer a fit or sustainable tabernacle for his spirit, and thus a merciful God allowed his mortal probation to come to an end there amidst the dead leaves and litter at the side of a road in the hilly midlands of Staten Island, New York.
While I am in no position to judge him, I fear that my cousin was still woefully unprepared when his life ended. He had experienced a very tempestuous and violent youth, and his adulthood was marred by perverse and even satanic practices that he encountered and too frequently embraced when he wandered into "forbidden paths" and became lost. Nevertheless, he and I stayed in touch over the years and we conversed frequently on the phone or via email. I had grown up viewing him as a wayward younger brother, born out of season and out of context, who should have been an heir to the blessings of the gospel had things worked out differently for him. Despite his many incorrect choices, I was not ready to abandon him. As time passed we spoke with increasing frequency about gospel-related topics and about the purpose of our life here on Earth. In small but consistent increments I could see his heart softening, and I was quite confident that one day, with the Savior's help, he would be strong enough to turn away from his sinful past and enter the waters of baptism. I had looked forward to that day, had prayed for that day, and had worked toward that day. When I was a young man, I had made a promise to my grandmother that I would not forget my cousin nor would I fail to stay in contact with him, no matter how troubled he might be or how much trouble he might find himself in. I'd like to believe that I kept that promise while my cousin lived, and by completing his temple work, I shall continue to keep that promise now that he has passed beyond this life.
The Savior taught: "Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; and they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter" (D&C 42:45-47).
My cousin lost his life, based in part on his own choices and, more specifically, as the direct consequence of the driver of the car in which he rode being incapacitated by drugs and alcohol. That man how faces many years in prison as a result of his choices and their tragic consequences. I do not believe that my cousin was ready to leave this life so soon, but I do believe that he had already reversed his fall and was moving with increasing speed in the right direction.
Many years prior to my cousin's death my own life was nearly forfeit as the result of a boating accident. When I was 18 years old, I took part in a white water rafting trip on the magnificent Green River in northeastern Utah. With the river swollen by fresh snow melt and by an icy surge of water released from the base of the Flaming Gorge Dam, it promised to be a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping adventure - just the thing that every young man dreams of!
Unfortunately, the adventure nearly cost me my life. Inadequate training and poor communication between our crew caused us to get badly hung up as we passed through some particularly rough rapids. A series of bad decisions by panicking raft-mates resulted in my suddenly being catapulted from our vessel into the river's 40-degree water. I was immediately caught in the powerful flow of a chute where water raced between two large boulders and then sucked me into an underwater "hole" or "hydraulic" that spun me around until I nearly ran out of breath.
Bruised and disoriented, I eventually surfaced many yards from the raft and was again caught by the swift current that violently dragged me through the rocks and obstacles of a long series of whitewater rapids. When I finally saw a chance to escape, I tried to swim for shore; however, my extended struggles and the extremely cold water had completely sapped my strength and caused my muscles to cramp and seize up. Even when I somehow managed to get near the safety offered by the bank of the river, I could neither stand up, nor could I grab onto anything in order to save myself. The river's strong current tugged at me relentlessly and then carried me away again into another series of rapids.
I could no longer swim and only the limited buoyancy of my flimsy life vest now kept me afloat. Many minutes passed with no relief in sight as I tried to find my way through the foaming white water. All the while, I could feel the ice-cold river sucking the life from my body as my core temperature plummeted and I went into hypothermia. "So this is how it's going to end for me?" I remember thinking to myself. Through no fault of my own, it seemed that my mortal life would soon come to a close in the frigid waters deep in that beautiful canyon. Well beyond both shivering and any sense of numbness, I remember feeling very peaceful and sleepy, too tired to fight anymore and too spent to call for help from a raft I saw further down the river.
As the chill current carried me onward, I noticed that the people in that downstream raft had seen me, helpless and motionless in the water, and they had changed course and were paddling back upstream in my direction. Several anxious minutes passed as we neared each other. Finally, when I was right next to the raft but unable to even hang onto its side, willing hands and strong arms reached into the icy river and pulled my very cold and near lifeless form into the safety and warmth of their craft.
My cousin lost his life as he careened out of control down a dark and winding roadway. I nearly lost my life, adrift and helpless in the icy rapids of a raging river. Surely this cannot be what is meant by losing our lives in order to find them. How many people in this world are careening through life, spiritually lost and out of control? How many more are adrift in life's river, their will to hang on slowly slipping away due to the cold indifference of our Telestial world? Where are the willing hands and strong arms that will reach unhesitatingly into the frigid water to pull them out? Where are the disciples of peace who would bring purpose and calm to a life that is directionless and out of control?
Three of the New Testament gospels teach a very unique doctrine of self-sacrifice that foreshadows the doctrine of consecration which is taught more fully in the scriptures of this dispensation. In Matthew we read: "For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. 16:25). Likewise, Mark conveys the same principle with only minor variation: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35). Luke recounts the Savior presenting the same doctrine on two different occasions. In the first instance he teaches: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Later, the same principle is taught again: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Luke 17:33).
While all of these scriptures clearly mention one losing their life in order to find it or in order to save it or preserve it, there is a strong connection between them and the parable of the merchant who gave all he had in order to acquire the pearl of great price, meaning the gospel and its offer of life everlasting. This mortal existence, and the time that it affords us, along with our agency, are really all that we have that is of any enduring value. Yet each of these scriptures tells us that this - all that we have - is the cost of discipleship. If our own life is all that we have to offer in exchange for the blessings of eternity, then it behoves us to live a life worth losing for Christ's and the gospel's sake.
Immediately prior to sharing this doctrine, of losing our life for Christ's and the gospel's sake, the Savior taught "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:24). By exercising self-control and sensible self-denial, and by keeping the commandments on an ongoing basis, we purify our lives and make them worthy of sacrifice as we seek to follow the author of our salvation. In this way, we are giving him our best self, that which worthily shows our everlasting gratitude for his Atonement and for the Father's plan of happiness.
The animal sacrifices offered by ancient Israel were required to be unblemished and without spot (See Numbers 28:9, 11, etc.). They were to be the "first fruits," the very best that could be offered. Only this would be an acceptable sacrifice. This same pattern was followed when Heavenly Father allowed His firstborn and only-begotten son, who was sinless, without blemish or spot, to be offered as the only acceptable sacrifice on our behalf as atonement for our sins.
When we lose our life for Christ's and the gospel's sake, we are presenting it as a willing sacrifice. If we would follow the pattern established in scripture, a life worth losing can only be the very best life we have to offer, one that is as pure and as sanctified and holy as we can make it. It is not the left-overs or cast off bits. Were we to liken this to meat, it would be the prime cuts of our time, our talents, and our treasure, not the undesirable, mangled scraps that are usually swept up and made into hot dogs or turned into dog food.
This is the only way that we can truly follow the perfect example of our master, who taught: "Therefore, what manner of men," and I might add, women, "out ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27). This means that his law must be our law, and his values our values. Not only must we be willing to lose our lives in order to follow him, we must also fully and openly reject the corrupting values of the world, since we cannot serve two masters (See 3 Nephi 13:24). This need to make a choice is presented very clearly in the Joseph Smith translation of Matthew, where we read: "Break not my commandments for to save your lives; for whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose his life in the world to come" (JST Matt. 16:27).
The Book of Mormon, in Mosiah 11 thru 17, recounts the story of Abinadi, a faithful man of God who had lived a life worth losing and who was sent among the people to prophesy of their impending destruction unless they repented of their sins. Abinadi's plainspoken condemnation of their wickedness angered the people, as well as their king, who commanded that Abinadi be brought before him so that he could be put to death. However, the Lord delivered Abinadi out of their hands before they could harm him.
Two years passed, and then the Lord sent Abinadi back among the people to deliver the same unpopular but essential message. Abinadi once again trusted in the Lord; however, he must have also known that his life would be forfeit if he was caught because he came in disguise. When the time was right, he made himself known, and moved upon by the Holy Ghost, he spoke with great boldness, urgency, directness, and clarity. The people were again angered and offended, and they captured Abinadi and carried him bound before the king. There, Abinadi withstood their cynical, self-serving questions and accusations and he confounded them in their words, condemning them for perverting the ways of the Lord.
Although the Lord had previously delivered Abinadi from harm, there could be little doubt in his mind that the end of his own life was near. When the enraged king commanded that he be carried off and slain, Abinadi forbid the king's servants to lay their hands on him, for he had not yet delivered his message. They dared not touch him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and Abinadi's face shone with an "exceeding luster," the same as Moses' did when he conversed with the Lord on Mount Sinai. He spoke to his captors, these corrupt leaders, with great power and authority from God, reminding them of the commandments and testifying of their iniquities and condemning them for failing to teach the people.
Abinadi bore witness of Christ and called the wicked king and his priests to repentance. Surely there would be no miraculous deliverance for him this time. The truth of Abinadi's words would be sealed with his death. In keeping the commandments and in fulfilling the mission that the Lord had called him to do, Abinadi had truly lived a life worth losing. One cannot doubt that his sacrifice was acceptable before God, and that his final plea, as the flames consumed him, "O God, receive my soul," would be granted by a loving and grateful Heavenly Father. In being willing to lose his life for Christ's and the gospel's sake, Abinadi had found life everlasting. But it wasn't just his life that was saved. One of the king's priests, a man named Alma, had been moved to repentance by Abinadi's testimony and had fled into the wilderness, there to re-establish the true church and to teach the gospel to all those who would believe.
The prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyram also lived lives worth losing. Having done all they could to "take up their cross" by living the commandments and having done their very best to do God's will in this life, despite persecution and great adversity, they willingly went to Carthage in late June of 1844, knowing their lives would be forfeit. They easily could have fled across the Mississippi River to Iowa, but they chose instead to go peacefully with their captors, like lambs to the slaughter (See D&C 135:4).
Long before his martyrdom at Carthage Joseph had chosen to lose his life in Christ's service and for the gospel's sake. John Taylor would later testify that "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose [the] book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided and in death they were not separated!" (D&C 135:3). He declared that "the Book of Mormon, and...Doctrine and Covenants..., cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world...." And of Joseph and Hyrum he further testified "They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified" (D&C135:6).
Both Joseph and Hyrum were ordinary men. But through faith, repentance, by following the commandments and with God's help, they had done many extraordinary things. They forgot themselves and lost themselves in the service of the Lord and the gospel and eternal shall be their reward.
Losing our life, for Christ's and the gospel's sake, is the only way for us to find life eternal. Though Abinadi, Joseph and Hyrum literally gave their lives, in the end, to seal their testimonies, the less dramatic but even more compelling part of their examples is what they did day-by-day, in putting the Savior and the gospel first in their lives and in laying aside their own self-interest. This is a pattern and a type that each of us can follow as we give up our lives that we might know the Lord, and as we follow his commandments and his perfect example of service and selflessness.
The Joseph Smith translation of the New Testament sheds further light on the importance of not just losing our life for Christ's and the gospel's sake, but also of being willing to lose our life while at the same time living the gospel through service to our fellow man (see Mosiah 2:17). Luke 9:24 reads: "For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (JST Luke 9:24, emphasis added) Likewise in Mark we also read: "For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; or whosoever will save his life, shall be willing to lay it down for my sake; and if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall lose it. But whosoever shall be willing to lose his life for my sake, and the gospel, the same shall save it (JST Mark 8:37-38, emphasis added). The power of this principle lies not only in our losing our lives for Christ's and for the gospel's sake, but also in our willingness to do this, whether or not that ultimate sacrifice will be required from us.
Through personal revelation and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, we can know what the Lord would have us do in his service as we willingly surrender our agency and subjugate our will to his. In this way, we lose our life in his service, day-by-day as we act as worthy instruments for good in His hands.
Sometimes we are called to serve in small and simple ways. As we learn to hear and to be responsive to the whisperings of the Spirit, and as we learn to discern between truth and error, we may sometimes face circumstances where following the inspiration we receive might seem inconvenient or even counter-intuitive. Nevertheless, if we would truly lose ourselves in the service of the Lord, we cannot fear man more than God (D&C 3:7) and we must press forward with faith and diligence in obeying his word.
I recall many times as a young missionary in the Netherlands when I would receive a prompting from the Holy Spirit to strike up a conversation with someone on the train or on the street corner. Sadly, I too often doubted the inspiration that I received, and I feared men more than God and kept silent. On one occasion, the Spirit quietly told me to talk with a man who was sitting next to me on the tram. I doubted this inspiration, and thought in my mind "If this is really the Holy Spirit, then what should I talk to him about." To this I was given the answer, "Ask him if he has a son named Tom." Again I doubted, and fearing embarrassment and humiliation, I remained silent. In quiet reflection later that day, I was ashamed of my lack of courage and faithlessness and I saw how my efforts to lose myself in the service of the Lord had suffered as a result.
Then something happened one cold winter night when my companion, Elder Kruger, and I were looking up referrals in an old, badly run-down neighborhood near the harbor in Amsteram. As was our custom, when the referral turned out to be a dead-end, we decided to do some tracting for a little while so that we could count the time towards our 20-hour-per-week proselyting quota. Since I was the senior companion, what happened next falls squarely upon my shoulders. I approached a door and was ready to ring the bell when the Spirit clearly told me "Do not go to that building; leave the area immediately." I was frustrated by this, because we were already behind in our tracting hours and without knocking on a few doors, our trip to this far-away part of town would not count towards our quota. Again, I doubted my ability to receive personal revelation and I feared man more than God. In this case, I worried that the Zone Leader would be upset that we did not reach our quota. So I ignored inspiration and rang the doorbell. It was my turn to run to the top of the narrow, unlit stairway to give the door approach, while Elder Kruger waited on the stoop below. We were never out of sight of each other, and we were only a short distance away. I had been in many ancient, unlit hallways as a missionary, but this one filled me with a strange unease. At the top of the steep flight of stairs I turned to my left and saw a figure standing in a dimly lit doorway down the hall. I introduced myself and said that we had a message about Jesus Christ. The man spoke just two words to me: "Get out." But they were said with such darkness, evil and malevolence that my blood ran chill. I said "OK." Once again the Holy Spirit spoke to me, with great force and urgency. It said: "Run." This time I listened, and I needed no further encouragement. I literally flew down the stairs, surprising Elder Kruger when I hit the bottom. "Run," I said. And that's exactly what we did. He did not question my command. We ran for nearly a mile in our heavy coats that bitterly cold night. When we finally stopped, wonderful, obedient Elder Kruger asked, "What happened back there?" I related to him my impression and disobedience, and then the Spirit's clear command to "Run!" Elder Kruger said that one second he saw me at the top of the stairs and then next I was at the bottom. And he also saw a man coming right behind me, chasing after me! This I had not seen, since I was too busy flying down the stairs.
The idea of what could have happened to me and my wonderful companion, for whom I was responsible, struck me like a heavy blow. As I have prayed to understand that experience and to learn from it, I have no doubt our lives may have hung in the balance. I resolved then and there to lay aside my fears and my foolishness, to stop trying to "save my own life," from embarrassment and inconvenience, and to no longer fear man more than God. I repented of my faithlessness and I resolved to both seek and follow the inspiration that is to be had through the Holy Ghost, both while I was serving as a missionary and from that point onwards. This does not mean I was suddenly perfect. I was still a young man beset by many of the challenges and imperfections that all young men are subject too. But my resolve to forget myself, to truly lose myself, to not fear men more than God, and to follow the Spirit as I served the Lord and my fellow man was resolute.
To live a life worth losing in the service of the Lord means to lay aside worldly values and cares and to take up our cross and follow Him. It means that we repent, follow the commandments, and deny ourselves of all ungodliness. It means that we trust in our Heavenly Father, that he knows our needs and will care for us if we follow his counsel and do his will. It means that we resolve to learn to listen to the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit and to follow the personal revelation we receive via that divine conduit. It means that we cannot fear men more than God, and that we consecrate our time, our talents and our treasures in building up the Kingdom of God on Earth. To live a life worth losing means that we place our Heavenly Father first and that we place our implicit trust in him as we seek to do his will.
As my wife did in her introduction, I would like to express my gratitude for the faithful and selfless service that is rendered to the prophetic mission of this great institution by faculty, staff, and administrators who daily give consecrated service to the Savior by serving their fellowman. Many of them have training, experience, and qualifications that far exceed what one would typically find at an institution of this size. If you ask them, they will tell you that they felt divinely called to come here, and therefore they lay aside other much more lucrative and prestigious opportunities to heed that call. This sacrifice is too often unnoticed and unappreciated, but that is not what they are after. Rather, they have willingly chosen to forget themselves, and to lose themselves in selfless service to the Lord and the gospel.
To you students who will one day graduate from Brigham Young University - Hawaii, I offer a challenge: that if you have not already done so, resolve today that you will strive to forget yourself and to live a life worth losing. Troublesome times are to be visited upon this Earth and it will take a strong testimony of the gospel to resist the ways of the world, including the temptation to try to save our lives by faithlessly seeking for worldly riches or for a life of ease that is devoid of higher purpose. It is not for me to say what your lives will bring, but I promise you that in follow the Savior's admonition to take up your cross and following him, and by resolving to lose yourself in His service, and in the service of the gospel and your fellow man, it is then that you will truly find yourself, and that your life and the life of those who are dear to you will be saved.
I testify to you that God lives, and that He is mindful of you. I testify that he can make so much more of your life than you can ever do on your own. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the savior of the world, and that his gospel has been restored in its fullness in our day through the prophet Joseph Smith. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that this institution is led by prophets and apostles who would seek to have us use the resources placed at our disposal to accomplish the great mission that was foreseen at its founding, even the training of men and women who cannot be bought or sold, genuine gold, who will wisely and selflessly work towards the establishment of peace internationally. This is my witness in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.