Feb 5, 2023

Over the past few years, I’ve volunteered with the Wilford Woodruff Papers, finding inspirational quotes in the writings of Wilford Woodruff. In a talk given on May 15, 1892, he said, 

Whom has the Lord called, from the creation of the world, to do this work? He has 

called, in a great measure, the weak things of this world. You may trace this in the whole 

history of the dealings of God with men. When He wanted a king in Israel, He chose a 

boy—David, one of the sons of Jesse. Who were the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

whom He chose to stand by Him and to preach the Gospel? They were illiterate 

fishermen. Men in this day have been called from the plow, the plane and the hammer, 

and the various occupations of life, and thrust into the vineyard of the Lord. Why have 

they gone? Because they knew for themselves—every man has known who has 

embraced this Gospel and done his duty—that he has had to depend upon the Lord.¹

In Matthew 4:18–22, we read about Jesus calling Simon Peter and Andrew as disciples. Jesus invited them to allow Him to make more of their lives than they could make for themselves. Instead of daily gathering fish in a net, Jesus called them to be “fishers of men.” Their lives changed forever that day. I think about what it must have been like for them. I think about the miracles they witnessed and the ones they performed. I think of the amazing blessings that became theirs because of their willingness to abandon their plan and follow Jesus’s plan for their lives. I think about my own calls to serve in the Lord’s kingdom.

When I was 21 years old, I was led to pray to know if I should serve a full-time mission. To my surprise, the answer was yes. I felt completely inadequate to be a missionary. As an introvert, the thought of leaving everything familiar and serving a mission in an unknown place, among unknown people, and having a stranger for a companion terrified me. It also caused me to completely rely on the Lord for comfort, strength, and direction. I received a mission call to North Carolina. My life changed forever that day. My mission has blessed my life, then and now. The habits of service and righteous living continue to bless my life. I’ve learned firsthand that the Lord can make so much more of my life than I could even imagine.

I have continued to learn that lesson through serving as an ordinance worker in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple. Again, I have had to rely heavily on the Lord to learn and perform ordinances in the temple. My life has changed forever. Serving in the temple has brought me light, joy, and peace that I never thought possible.

I am grateful that God chooses the “weak things of this world,” as Wilford Woodruff said, to serve in this great work.

— Karen Dupaix, Content Team