“I Will Go and Do”

Early this morning, Sami left for Tennessee. This week, she is attending FSY with our new stake in Knoxville. For Strength of Youth Camp, or FSY, is a summer camp run by our church where large groups of youth gather together for a week to attend classes, devotionals, games, dances, a talent show, and other fun activities. The people in Knoxville, who we haven’t even met yet, have been so kind to include Sami and invite her to participate. So Sami flew out today, arriving in Tennessee a week before us so she can attend this camp that starts tomorrow. We admire her courage and are so grateful for her willingness to go.

In the beginning pages of the Book of Mormon, we are introduced to a prophet named Nephi, Nephi is asked by God to do some really hard things…things that took him way out of his comfort zone. But his response was powerful when he said:

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them (1 Nephi 3:7).

Nephi’s belief was that whenever God asks us to do something, He will always prepare a way for us to accomplish what He asks if we are willing and act in faith. Our willingness is an expression of our faith. Willingness becomes especially powerful when it results in us sacrificing things we want for what the Lord wants.

Sami is sacrificing a lot, but our prayer is that her willingness will lead to great blessings that come to her in return.

Last week, Samantha spoke in our worship services about her feelings of going to Tennessee. While all three of us spoke, Samantha was the MVP. The things she shared were powerful. We asked her if we could share her talk here and she has included it below.

Thank you Samantha for your example of willingness. We love you!

Talk given by Samantha in Westland 9th Ward Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

My name is Samantha Barlow and my mom and dad are Sister and President Barlow. I’m 15 and I’m moving to Tennessee with my parents for three years while they serve as mission leaders.

When my parents first told me and my siblings the news that they were being called to serve everyone in my family seemed like it wasn’t a big surprise. They all had felt a feeling or an impression in the months before that something like that was coming.

But for me it was a huge shock.

I was just getting used to high school life. I had made so many new friends and was having and amazing year already. I was a little upset when they told me in a few months we would be moving to a different state or even a different country country.

For the next couple of weeks I struggled to figure out why my parents had to be called now. Couldn’t the mission wait for me to at least graduate and finish school with my friends? Why was it important for me to go to Tennessee too?

I really thought about this for a long time and it made me feel sad to think that I would have to start all over again and meet new people. I constantly stressed that I might not be able to make new friends or I won’t fit in.

But one day I remembered one of my favorite primary songs. The song is called “Nephi’s Courage” and its lyrics describe the trials Nephi (a prophet in the Book of Mormon) went through such as getting the plates or building a boat. But even though the Lord is asking Nephi to do these hard things, Nephi always replies with, “I will go and do the thing the Lord commands” (see 1 Nephi 3:7).

The third verse of the song goes like this:

The Lord gives us commandments and asks us to obey.
Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way.
When I’m discouraged, and think I cannot try,
I will be courageous, and I will reply:

“I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.
I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.”

I believe the Lord has given my parents a commandment to head to Tennessee to share His word and bring back His lost sheep. I’m not sure why yet, but He has a reason for me to go with them. The best I’ve decided to do is to say I will go and do what the Lord commands because I know He has a plan for me, and even though I don’t understand His plan now, I’m sure I’ll understand at the end of these next three years.

Last night I was reading a talk by Elder Carl B. Cook titled “Just Keep Going with Faith”. In this talk he says:

Elder George A. Smith, an Apostle, received counsel from the Prophet Joseph Smith at a time of great difficulty: “He told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap at last.”

Tennessee is definitely not the lowest pit of Nova Scotia but it is still, even now, something that I’m nervous about. But I believe in Elder Smith’s words that as long as I exercise faith and keep on the covenant path, the Lord will guide me and bless me for my sacrifice.

Later on in this talk, Elder Cook describes an experience where he is repeatedly called on to speak at the same stake conference with nothing prepared in advance. He was repeatedly called up to speak straight from the impressions from his heart and the Spirt. After he had talked several times throughout the meeting, he was relieved it was over. But even then, he still said:

Do you know what I am grateful for? That I didn’t give up — or resist. If I had given in to my desperate desire to escape from those meetings, I would have missed an opportunity to increase my faith and receive a rich outpouring of love and support from my Heavenly Father. I learned of His mercy, the miraculous enabling power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost. In spite of my weakness, I learned that I can serve; I can contribute when the Lord is by my side if I just keep going—with faith.

Regardless of the size, scope, and seriousness of the challenges we face in life, we all have times when we feel like stopping, leaving, escaping, or possibly giving up. But exercising faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, helps us overcome discouragement no matter what obstacles we encounter.

Sometimes I wish I had a way to escape my parents new calling, but then in a way I feel like this also is my own calling and I can also be a missionary while I’m there. I realize that this experience will bring my faith to a greater strength than it has ever been, but it will also test it and it may be hard in the beginning.

I know the lord loves me and that he has a plan for me. I think that something is waiting for my family in Tennessee and even though we are leaving so much behind we will be blessed with even more.

I love this ward so much and I’m not sure I would be able to go if it wasn’t for so many of you amazing people. Thank you to all my leaders in primary, young women, activity days, …. , and many more for teaching me about the miracle of our gospel and helping me strengthen my testimony enough to be willing to leave my home with faith that everything is going to be ok, if not better than it was before. I will miss so many of you and I love you all. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.