Jack's Farewell Talk

Jack’s Farewell Talk July 19, 2009 – He had no notes for the talk he just spoke from his heart, this is what we recorded him saying. (it was 9:25 in the morning so this shows he was a little nervous!)

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters, as Brother Bradford said, I will shortly be leaving to serve The Lord in the Baltimore Maryland Mission. I report Aug 5. For those of you who don’t know me, My name is Jack Deaton and if you don’t already know me you probably won’t get to know me because I’ll be leaving soon. Last week Brother Bradford approached me and asked me to speak and at that time right before he approached me I was sitting there thinking to myself with a nice big grin on my face, they forgot I’m leaving so I’m not going to have to speak, this is pretty cool. And right as I went to walk out of the building he grabbed my shoulder and shook my hand and as I said Hi he didn’t release it or let go he kind of held on and I knew, yea he got me.
This talk that I stand before you to give, I’ve not only been thinking about for the past week, but for my whole life. Since I joined the church, I’ve always wanted to serve The Lord. And to me, two years wasn’t that big of a deal because of all that He has given to me, two years is something very small. Throughout my life I’ve seen, oh I don’t know, at least a hundred missionaries go out and I have been able to have the privilege to serve with hundreds of missionaries and have them in our homes and feel their spirit and to go out and teach others with them. Many years ago, just like the Prophet Joseph Smith, my family had a few questions and because of those questions the missionaries showed up at our door and brought us the answers, it was the gospel. I’ll be eternally grateful to those two elders who gave up their time to serve their Lord to bring that message to me. If you read in James, chapter one, verse 5 and 6, it is a very familiar scripture to me, it reads: If any of you lack wisdom, Let him ask of God that giveth to all me liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be give him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
That scripture brings great meaning to my life, knowing that if we ask in faith, unwavering, that the answers will be given to us. I stand before you this day testifying to that, because I too have asked, as did the Prophet, many questions of the Lord and have received my answers. So it says to ask in faith, not wavering, but what is faith? We flip over to James chapter 2 verse 17 it says “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” And continue on to verse 26 it says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
So we come to this earth knowing that if we have faith without works we are dead. So as we see, Faith needs works. Without work, it doesn’t show that we have faith, it doesn’t show The Lord that we believe in His commandments, knowing that if we do them we can return to Him, believing in the Lord himself, Our Savior Jesus Christ, knowing that if we walk in His footsteps we will not only become closer to God, but be a happier person in general. As we turn to the Articles of Faith, some of the many things we learned from the Prophet Joseph Smith are in these great words. Article of Faith 4, as many of the primary children have memorized and know, reads: We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
These four principles, brothers and sisters, are some of the strongest things you will ever hear in your life. Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ is one of the biggest things that people have in our days. Throughout regions, throughout religions, throughout the world, they believe in The Lord himself in many different ways, but unlike other churches, repentance and baptism by immersion and the gift of the Holy Ghost they do not have, as we have these principles and the great priesthood in our church, ladies and gentlemen, we have the true living gospel in our hands. As I prepared for my mission I found out that opening your mouth can be one of the hardest things there is, but if we do it with faith in The Lord and the Holy Ghost guiding us, it can become the easiest thing that we will ever do. When you let the Holy Ghost take over and use your body as a vessel you can easily open your mouth. If we turn to D & C 60 verses 2-4, I have found some great peace in this scripture myself. It reads:
But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have. For I, the Lord, rule in the heavens above, and among the armies of the earth; and in the day when I shall make up my jewels, all men shall know what it is that bespeaketh the power of God.

I found this scripture at EFY, my last EFY last year when our director Brother Chang challenged us on the first day to write down a question and seek out the answer throughout the week. I found my answer one day when I was reading in section 60 and I asked myself a question, what could I do to better open my mouth? Well this scripture here answered it for me because I wondered to myself, am I the type of person who would not open my mouth and will have the talents which the Lord has given me taken away? Or will I be one of those jewels that He has chosen in the last day to stand as a witness before men, to preach unto those that would not hear? Just like the prophets of old and the prophets of the latter days, they have all stood before men preaching the gospel and teaching repentance. I am so very excited to go to Maryland and be able to do the same as they have, to stand before anyone and everyone and teach unto them the gospel that has been brought to me.
In D & C 59:8 we read: Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
In this principle here, we learn that the greatest sacrifice we can give to The Lord is a broken heart and a contrite spirit, throughout my life in this church I have heard that many times, but I have often wondered what is a broken heart and contrite spirit. To me I feel that a broken heart is one that is completely submissive to The Lord, we have given up the worldly items and don’t care about that anymore, all you care about is The Lord and what He holds, above everything.
As we read in Moroni 10: 3 through 5 it read: Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
When the missionaries came to our home and we received the Book of Mormon, they asked us to read this scripture, knowing that through it we will know. This scripture has great meaning to me, because I have come to do with it, as Moroni has asked, and I have prayed upon these things and I too have found that these are true. The words of The Lord have been given through many prophets in many ages and at all times and they still stand true today. If we would only read these things and ponder them in our hearts and have some faith, The Lord will show us what is true in all things. The Spirit is a great thing brothers and sisters, it not only can comfort us in time of need but it can strengthen us in the time of our weaknesses. I find great strength in The Lord knowing that He is always there with me. I’d like to end with my testimony, that I know this church is true, I’ve come to find it for myself. I know that the Prophet Joseph Smith was a true living prophet, I am eternally grateful to him and the many things he has taught us and shown unto us and brought us. In D&C 135 verse 3 we find:
Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.
I am so grateful that Joseph Smith prayed and did as The Lord asked and came unto Him with those questions for if he did not I would not be here today. I love this gospel with all my heart and I am so grateful for it and I can’t wait to share it with the people of Maryland. I know, if you just pray, and let the Spirit enter into your heart and surround you, you will find peace with anything you struggle with. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.