SAVING THE LAMB THAT IS LOST

What are we willing to do to save one that is lost?

Our Mission President, Brent Belliston, shared an experience that he had about three years ago while driving home to Meridian, Idaho from Salt Lake City. He and his wife were listening to a recorded talk by one of the Church leaders in their automobile as they drove along a sparsely populated section of the interstate highway.

"Suddenly, I spotted a baby lamb beside the fence adjacent to the highway. Having become separated from its mother who was nowhere to be seen, it had somehow found an opening in the enclosure and now stood in harm's way next to this busy thoroughfare with fast-moving trucks and other vehicles. I quickly stopped on the shoulder beside the road and backed up. The only thing on my mind at that moment was that I had to save that baby lamb!"

"Getting out of the car, I walked towards the fence as I recalled the Savior's parable about the ninety and nine sheep. And then just as I drew close to the frightened small animal, the little bugger took off. This is one of those lost ones, I thought. It was a powerful image in my mind as I took off praying and running down the interstate highway after that lamb. I should probably tell you that the reason I had been in Salt Lake City in the first place was to have a medical procedure, and the last thing the physician told me as I left his office was that I was to have no physical exercise for the next 3 to 4 days! So here I was running along that fence line as fast as I could, huffing and puffing as I chased that errant sheep."

"The lamb was finally exhausted (as was I) and stopped trying to escape. Picking up the lamb, I carried it back to the place where we had originally spotted it beside the highway. Placing it gently inside the fence, I did my best to imitate the sound of a bleating lamb as I stared across the empty landscape. In a few moments, a large ewe appeared at the top of the nearby ridge. I then returned to my car trusting that there would soon be a happy reunion."

President Belliston then concluded by telling the missionaries that we have to do our best to find every single person who has been prepared to receive the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that we can bring them safely into the fold.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring,

and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 (John 10:16)