My dear sisters, Malo e lelei and ALOHA! What a privilege it is to speak before you today. I pray that the Spirit may touch each of our hearts as we sincerely reflect on our spiritual priorities and as we strive towards living a Christlike life by exercising faith and by helping gather Israel in these last days.

 

The scriptures introduce us to a profound yet sometimes difficult concept—having faith in the Savior to accept His will and timing, even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted. This idea touches upon the heart of our discipleship: whether in joy or in adversity, we choose to follow Christ, to remain steadfast in our faith, and to trust in our Heavenly Father’s divine plan.

 

But what does that mean for us in practical terms? I believe it means that regardless of our circumstances—whether we are in seasons of health or suffering, abundance or lack—we continue to live Christlike lives. This Christlike living is rooted in keeping the covenants of

salvation made at baptism and in the temple. It also calls us to participate in the glorious work of gathering Israel in these last days. Let us take a closer look at how these principles intertwine.

 

Faith to Accept the Lord’s Will

 

First, the essence of living a Christlike life is having faith to accept the Lord’s will. As a young girl, I planned out my life from age 6 to the age of serving a church mission with my spouse sometime in my 70s. In my 6-year-old wisdom, I planned that death would come sometime after accomplishing all of my goals, as if I had a say at what age I will die. My early plan included goals such as getting baptized like Jesus did; complete all the skills in the Boy Scout manual like my older brother, Johnny, did; complete the entire Young Women Personal Progress

program twice; serve a full-time mission as a young adult and as a senior couple; earn my bachelors and masters degrees; be sealed in the temple; start a couple of businesses to benefit my community; share my Polynesian culture and the spirit of Aloha; take care of my family financially; and have a large family with at least 10 kids... or maybe even 20!

 

At that young age, it was extremely important to me to have enough players for two basketball teams at our weekly Family Home Evening activities. Mind you, at that time, I had ZERO clue about how children get from a mother’s womb into the world. Ultimately, I wanted to learn useful skills; educate myself; provide for my parents, grandparents and my large future family; acquire Christlike attributes; teach others financial self-reliance; and help others to fulfill

their divine potential. Ignorantly, I would proudly say, “I think $5,000 should be enough to fulfill

all of my goals.” At age 6, my logic was that $500 sounded rich, so $5,000 was super rich. But in my defense, we did not learn about money values until the second grade, so my numbers were a bit skewed at the time.

 

For insight of our family circumstances growing up, though my dad worked two full-time jobs, my family did not have the money to afford food in the refrigerator at all times. We lived off of state assistance, as well as the bishop’s storehouse here and there. Occasionally we were hungry. On one such occasion, my older brother and I found a moldy slice of generic American cheese hiding behind the drawer in the back of the refrigerator. We ate it quickly, mold and all.

 

No matter the financial difficulty our family faced, I figured that if I simply did all the good and right things—keeping the commandments and helping others—God would help me with my goals. I remembered the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 where it says, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”

 

I also lived by one of my dad’s sayings, that “with God, all things are possible.” In many instances, that was the case. I received sports financial assistance; joined choir and band with fundraiser donations; participated in Arizona Girls State through school sponsorship.  I attended the university with a good-paying job and academic scholarships, and with the help of family, friends, and the money I saved working from eight years old to 20, I served a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and helped bring others to Christ. Through these experiences, I learned that faith in Christ helps things to work out, even when circumstances look bleak.

 

But things do not always work out in the way for which we hope and pray. When I was 29, my dad, who was my best friend, passed away at age 58, just 4 weeks before I graduated with my masters degree and got a major promotion at work. My dad’s passing was an emotional struggle that I still cope with to this day.

 

More trials came up over the years. Through my 19 years of marriage, my husband and I had several miscarriages and we currently have no children. Now I am approaching the age where in vitro fertilization has a much lower success rate. Honestly, it often makes me cry when I think I cannot have the big family I hoped for as a child. Recently I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which has made it difficult to complete even simple daily tasks. I also have another medical diagnosis that is currently being treated.

 

As a younger woman, these trials challenged my faith. Why did my dad need to die when he did? Had I done something wrong that limited my ability to have even a single child? Why was I losing the health and strength I once enjoyed? How come I have these health issues that slow me from doing the many good things I have wanted to do for my family and my community?

 

As an older woman, what I have learned is that faith is not simply the assurance that everything will work out in the way we want. Faith is trusting in God’s wisdom, even when we cannot understand the reasons for our trials. Christlike faith is the willingness to submit, as our Savior

did in the garden of Gethsemane, saying to the Father, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

 

Though I did not understand it when I was younger, eventually I understood that Heavenly Father had more in store for me than the one-dimensional plan I made when I was six. My trials have helped to shape my character for the better, helped me relate to others in an empathetic

way, and even provided amazing experiences I never imagined for myself. Though my dad passed away, I have faith that by the sealing ordinances done in the temple, families are forever and can be reunited after this earthly life.

Despite not being able to have children of my own, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and influence hundreds of kids and youth as I’ve taught them about my culture through hula and as I served in church callings in Primary, Young Women, and Cub Scouts.

 

Because of the limitations of my health, I have been the recipient of selfless service from countless people. I am grateful for the path I have journeyed and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life that helped me in both times of healing and refining. I know that our Heavenly Parents know me, and each of us, very well. They know what experiences we need in our lives to help us progress, change our hearts, and fulfill our divine potential.

 

Faith gives us peace in times of uncertainty, knowing that all things will work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28). The third verse of Lee Tom Perry’s hymn, “As Now We Take the Sacrament,” fills us with gratitude and invites us to strengthen our resolve to trust in

Christ, come what may:

“As now we praise thy name with song,

The blessings of this day

Will linger in our thankful hearts,

And silently we pray

For courage to accept thy will,

To listen and obey.

We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.

We’ll walk thy chosen way.”

 

This kind of faith shapes how we approach our daily struggles, how we endure difficulties, and how we interact with those around us. We demonstrate our faith and strive to live a Christlike life by exercising charity for others. In Moroni 7:47, it says, “Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

 

To further iterate this, Elder Marvin J. Ashton describes the Christlike attribute in this way: “Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again.... Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having

patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has let us down. Charity is expecting the best of each other” (Ensign, May 1992).  Living a Christlike life is loving and serving others with the same kind of pure love Christ possessed.

 

Faith leads us to action. It is not passively waiting, but actively living gospel principles, anxiously engaged in good causes that bring about righteousness, and inviting others to come unto Christ.

 

Gathering Israel: The Great Work of Our Time

 

Living a Christlike life also involves looking beyond ourselves and participating in the great work of gathering Israel. President Russell M. Nelson has called the gathering of Israel “the greatest cause and the greatest work on earth today.” In these last days, each one of us are

called to assist in this divine work.

 

What does it mean to gather Israel? It means helping our brothers and sisters come unto Christ. It means opening our mouths and sharing the gospel with those who have not yet received it. It means inviting our neighbors, friends, and coworkers to our Family Home Evenings, church activities, and Sunday services. It means offering selfless service to others.

 

It means ministering to the lost, the lonely, and the weary, inviting them to experience the joy of the gospel. It means being willing to mourn with those that mourn, comforting others, and bearing one another’s burdens that they may be light. Personally, because I have many family members, both living and dead, who have not had the opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, to me, the gathering of Israel means being a Christlike example, making time for family history research, and performing vicarious ordinances for my ancestors in the temple.

 

This work is not only the responsibility of full-time missionaries or temple workers; it belongs to each of us. We become instruments in the Lord’s hands to bring others to Him. We teach by example, we serve with love, and we invite others to experience the joy of living the gospel.

 

As we participate in gathering Israel, we are preparing the world for the return of our Savior. We are hastening the work of salvation, and in doing so, we are preparing ourselves and others for the day when Christ will reign personally upon the earth.

 

Living a Christlike Life

 

Now, more than ever, the world needs disciples of Christ who are willing to exercise their faith at all times, in all things, and in all places wherein we may be. Living a Christ-like life is not only a personal endeavor for exaltation, but it is also a divine mandate to help others prepare for that

same glorious future. The Savior Himself has set the perfect example for us. In His life, He

showed us how to love, how to serve, and how to sacrifice. He taught us to have faith in the Father’s will, and to rely upon Him and His power, even when it leads us through paths of suffering. And through His atonement and His resurrection, Christ made it possible for us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. This is the essence of the gathering of Israel—bringing souls unto Christ so that, together, we may enter into the joy of His presence.

 

In conclusion, my dear sisters, let us go forth with faith, trusting in the Lord. Living a Christlike life does not mean we will avoid hardship. But it does mean that through baptism and temple ordinances we are endowed with spiritual strength to endure and overcome hard things.

 

As we focus on living a Christlike life, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Let us keep our covenants made at baptism and in the temple, live as true disciples of Jesus Christ, and joyfully participate in the gathering of Israel. In doing so we will not only bless the lives of others, but also prepare ourselves for the glorious day when we will stand in the presence of our Savior.

 

I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He is our Redeemer, our Guide, and our King. As we follow Him, we will find peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. May we all strive to live a Christlike life and hasten the work of salvation, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.