Elder and Sister Joni L. Koch of the Seventy
Tuesday devotional, October 2, 2018
Tuesday devotional, Elder Joni L. Koch, October 2, 2018
- I am a Brazilian. Be patient with me as I speak in your language.
- The process of listening to any speaker is as follows: 1) Think 2) Feel 3) Do!
- We serve because of JOY! We need to have joy and we need to bring joy to the people. Heavenly Father and Jesus are full of joy.
- Do you feel joy? If not, there are three main reasons why not: 1) Sin – confess and forsake now 2) Depression – take you medications if they are prescribed, seek professional help if necessary, and move forward 3) Lack of testimony, see Alma 32:27-28.
- I want to discuss two Christ-like attributes 1) Humility – we show humility when we heed God’s word. Being poor or shy or uneducated does not make on humble. We can choose to be humble or accept humiliation. It takes humility to follow the White Missionary Handbook (see D&C 112:10) 2) Diligence – this is steady, consistent, consecrated effort, taking great care to do the Lord’s will. Work hard in every way and in every circumstance.
- Elder Koch’s mother and father, when they were newly married, went to every church in their community, looking for Christ’s church. None satisfied them. His mother prayed a mighty prayer of faith and asked the Lord to guide them to the true church. A few hours later, on that very day, LDS elders knocked on their door.
- Sister Koch’s mother (Elder Koch’s mother-in-law) wanted to join the church when she was 17. She had asthma but yearned to be baptized. The only available deep water was a cold river in the winter. Her father initially refused to give permission. She begged and pleaded. He finally said yes, but told her that if she had an asthma attack during her baptism in the cold water, or if she had any asthma attacks at any point following her baptism, she would have to renounce her baptism and the church. She gladly accepted her father’s condition, and was baptized in the cold river. She had no attack then, nor any asthma issues for the rest of her life. She went on to have 16 children, all of whom were faithful active members of the church.
- We are in charge of our efforts, not of the results of our efforts.
- My final advice to you wonderful missionaries – be clean, be humble, be happy.
Click here to return to the General Authority speakers index
Click here to return to the MTC index page