Having a Vision Toward the Future Is an ‘Act of Faith,’ Bishop Caussé Says

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By Scott Taylor, Church News

To illustrate having a vision of potential and the future, Bishop Gérald Caussé showed a painting by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte — a self-portrait of the artist looking at an egg on a table while painting a bird in flight on his canvas.

The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints followed with a teaching from President Russell M. Nelson.

“President Nelson calls it ‘beginning with the end in mind,’” said Bishop Caussé, speaking at the Tuesday night, January 23, devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center.

He continued: “The question is, are you going to develop that vision that the Lord has for people — first for yourself, and then for the people you meet, and then because of Jesus Christ all they can become through the blessings of His atoning sacrifice?”

Having a vision toward the future “is an act of faith,” said Bishop Caussé, highlighting three specific faiths for missionaries:

• “Faith in yourself, that you can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord
• “Faith in the people you meet, that one day they can be exalted beings, that the Lord is going to bless them tremendously because of their faith
• “And faith in God and Jesus Christ, in particular in His atoning sacrifice”

‘Faith in Yourself’

Bishop Caussé spoke of “the beauty” of needing the Lord and humbling oneself, which wouldn’t be possible if everything was easy. He encouraged missionaries to not see weaknesses as stumbling blocks but rather opportunities to humble oneself and put full confidence in the Lord.

“There is more joy in feeling that the Lord is doing it through you than to say you did it by yourself,” he said. “It is not about us. It is about us being the righteous instruments that God can use. This is what it is to have faith in yourself. Faith in yourself isn’t based on your abilities; it is faith in the fact you can be the conduit for God’s work.”

‘Faith in Others’

Bishop Caussé also cautioned again judging too quickly those the missionaries will meet and teach. “We want to see people like the Lord sees them, with a vision of the future,” he said, adding “Look at the people you teach with that vision. Begin with the end in mind.”

He cited President Nelson’s teaching that missionary work should begin and end with a focus on the blessings of the holy temple. “I hope you’re approaching people with this happy optimism and that you see them in the beautiful way that the Lord sees them.”

‘Faith in God and Jesus Christ’

Bishop Caussé reminded the missionaries that faith is listed first among the Christ-like attributes found in “Preach My Gospel,” and the best way to be a good missionary is to experience the Atonement of Jesus Christ rather than teach repentance theoretically or as a concept.

“To be a missionary, you first have to understand and experience the blessings of your Savior Jesus Christ — repent every day, have experiences with the Lord, feel a closeness to the Lord, receive the feeling of His love in your life,” he said. “And then, because of that, we will be much more of a conduit of the Spirit as we invite people to repent, because you have repented yourself.”

After sharing a concluding testimony, Bishop Caussé played an arrangement of “Come, Come, Ye Saints.”

‘The Perfect Gift’

In a message preceding her husband’s, Sister Valérie Caussé spoke of missionaries teaching the gospel to her family 57 years ago when she was a young child.

Her mother quickly read the Book of Mormon, accepted the doctrine and was ready to be baptized. Her father took several months longer, facing some admitted challenges.

“But what he had was his love for my mom and his family, and he really wanted that love forever, a love that could last forever,” she said. “So step by step, little by little, he grew in his testimony.”

Sister Caussé recalled her last and “best” conversation with her father — a powerful testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ — just days before he passed away.

“He told me, ‘It’s not that I believe, it’s that I know my Savior lives.’ Those last words were the most precious gift he could have given me before leaving this earth.”

She added for her listeners: “This is also the greatest gift you can give to the people you will meet on your mission – your firm, genuine and simple testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

What Missionaries Said

Following the devotional, several missionaries spoke of what the Spirit taught them as they listened to the messages of Bishop and Sister Caussé.

“I learned that we have to have faith in God’s work,” said Sister Eliza Stevenson of Cedar Hills, Utah, assigned to serve in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission. “We have to work ourselves, but we need to have the faith that God’s work will come forth.”

Her companion, Sister Savanna Kearns, of St. George, Utah, and going to the same mission, agreed: “The Spirit taught me that when God calls you to do something, He is going to help you. As long as you put in all the effort, He will be able to make up for the rest, and you don’t have to worry because God is on your side and nothing is impossible.”

Elder Henry Robertson of Sykesville, Maryland, training to serve in the Utah St. George Mission, said that “a big part of our faith is not only our faith in Christ but our faith in ourselves — that we can actually do what the scriptures tell us to do and what God expects of us.”

Elder Dave Oreus of Springfield, Ohio, studying French for his New Hampshire Manchester Mission assignment, added: “The Spirit taught me to have faith in myself, faith in the people I teach and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement.”

And Elder Parker Norman, of Jasper, Indiana, assigned to the Utah Provo Mission, said, “I learned today that that through faith, we can help the people that we teach become eternal families, as we help them to have faith.”

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