What the Lord Jesus Christ needs – maybe even more than membership in His Church -- are lifelong disciples He can depend on. And that’s something each of us can commit to, regardless of our circumstances in life. His invitation is firm: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”.
The Lord then gives a warning and a promise: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). I have found that when I focus on the Lord through temple worship and serving others, I find solutions to the problems I am facing. To me that’s how I understand what the Lord meant by losing my life for His sake. He loves us and knows what we are becoming.
In the Africa South Vision Statement, we “invite all to come unto Christ, make and keep sacred covenants, and become His lifelong disciples”. The promised blessings of this are best described in the words from a letter which Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve wrote to me as I was preparing to embark on my new assignment as president of Africa South Area: “Focus[ing] on preparing the people for the blessings of the temple, and the rising generation for missionary service, will do much to bless the Saints for generations to come in this important area of the Church.”
As you read about Sister Vanessa Ann Baldwin, Durban South Africa temple Matron’s path of lifelong discipleship, think of what your decision to become a lifelong disciple will mean to you, your children, and grandchildren; 30, 50, 60 years from now.