Stake Conference March 2019

Prior to Leaving Hannah was asked to give a talk in Stake Conference.  March 10th, 2019

Hello Brothers and Sisters! I’m so excited to have the opportunity to be here today along
with such amazing speakers. To briefly introduce myself, my name is Hannah Sutton, I’m
in the 7th ward, and I AM a missionary. I have been called to serve in the Adriatic South
Mission speaking Albanian. I have already trained for 9 weeks at the MTC and I even
had my bags packed and everything when I tore my ACL and had to come home for
surgery. The good news is that after 2 months I am a walking miracle and will finally
head to Albania within the next 2 weeks. This trial of mine fits in nicely today because
the topic I’ve been asked to speak on is The Trials of Missionary Work and How they
bring us closer to Christ.
Missionary work is hard. It’s hard for the young adults to learn new languages and leave
home. It’s hard for senior couples to leave their families and meet new people. And it is
also hard for us missionaries here who are buried in work, school, raising families, and
have other trials of our own. But we have to remember that opposition and adversity are
part of the plan and Satan’s most heavy weighed effort is to destroy whatever is most
important to God’s plan. Missionary work can be hard, reaching out to our neighbors can
be hard, bearing our testimonies can be hard, and even smiling can sometimes be hard.
But all these things are hard because they’re important.
My first Sunday in my home ward after coming home, my awesome bishop asked me to
bear my testimony in sacrament meeting but I didn’t have the courage to say yes. That
was a hard thing for me! I was sad and about coming home that I couldn’t bear the
thought about standing in front of everyone. But then on my way home I thought, “I am
absolutely pretty much the worst missionary ever and I just said no to bearing my
testimony. What kind of missionary does that?” And I immediately had regrets for saying
no. I was only thinking about myself and in fact I actually felt farther from my Savior in
that very moment. But I have grown from my hard experience and have learned a lot
along the way, PLUS not long after that I got asked to speak in stake conference so my
advice today is to ALWAYS BEAR TESTIMONY. jkjk so here’s my second chance to
redeem myself.
But, the point is this, doing his work, in whatever ways we can, will bring us closer to
him. We ALL are Christ’s missionaries and he wants us listening to the spirit, bearing
testimony, and loving and ministering to one another because it is POWERFUL. I have
witnessed this power of the spirit dozens of times in the MTC and at home and those are
the times I feel closest to my Savior. All of us face fears and trials. We’ve lost loved

ones, have been hurt, lost, afraid, busy, discouraged, lonely and exhausted. But when we
grab Christ’s extended arm, and engage in his work we rise above those trials.
To put this in visual perspective, it reminds me of eagles. Eagles are able to spot the
Storms as they are coming. Instead of hiding, the eagle will fly to some high point and
then wait for the winds to come. It’s hard and scary for the eagle to fly higher while he’s
battling the winds!! But, when the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so that the wind can
pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle soars above
it. The eagle does not escape or hide from the storm instead it uses the storm to lift it
higher. When the storms of life or challenges hit us we often can’t hide from therm.
However, we can rise above them. Those storms of life and “the hard things” build us
stronger and our works and efforts during the stormy winds are what draw us nearer to
our Savior.
Despite the numberless storms Christ faced, he still was the kindest and best missionary.
There’s no better way to come closer to Christ than by following his perfect example. We
have heard the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” Which is a great motto to follow. But a
phrase I’ve almost liked even better is, “What would Jesus feel?” What did He feel when
He healed the lepers and befriended the sinners? What did He feel when he helped the
poor and taught the weak? He ministered to many and HE loves all. Each day we are
striving to feel as he felt so that we can do as he did. In 2018 Elder Holland said, QUOTE
“Our relationship to Christ will be determined- or at least affected- by our relationship to
each other.”  But we ALWAYS engage in missionary work with the Savior
by our side. In The Book of Mormon it talks about how The Sons of Mosiah had many
sufferings while they preached to the Lamanites. But they prayed and were comforted
and they had courage through the hard things. When we rely on our Savior and do his
work we too can be comforted and have courage and as we grow and love and minister,
we will draw closer to our Savior than ever before. We will rise above the storms and be
built strong together.
I have had my own share of storms in my life, especially as a missionary. I was known at
the MTC as the most excited missionary and then life literally- knocked me down. But as
I have immersed myself in his work both at home and at the MTC I have come to know
my Savior. I’ve learned about his true character, I have felt his love, and I have witnessed
his divine help through my storms. Missionary work is truly marvelous.