Acts 21-28

Paul continues to be a great example of the best missionary we can all aspire to become one day. He literally took his conversion and calling and "ran with it", maybe quiet literally, because his served three missions that took him to so many different lands and peoples, and he never lost focus of what his mission was, and who he was serving.

The most touching of those lessons was toward the end of Paul's life, when he was prompted by the Holy Ghost to return to Jerusalem. Paul did not appear to hesitate and set to return to Jerusalem, and in fact, after the prophet Agabus prophesied Paul's imprisonment, Paul boldly declared his intentions to being ready to even go as far as giving his life to the cause (which we know he ultimately did).

Today we are not called to travel great distances and put our lives down, but the Lord still asks hard things of us that He knows we are capable to accomplishing if we put our trust in Him, as Paul did.

Upon Paul's return to Jerusalem, he went to the temple to worship and was arrested and taken to prison, and while there Paul appealed to the Roman authorities. Once again, Paul took many opportunities to not only be set free, but while doing so he also preached and shared his testimony of the experiences he had had. As the great missionary is was, Paul took every single opportunity he had to share what was valuable to him. Paul once again reminds me of a modern-day prophet Wilford Woodruff, who in 1897 was given the chance to speak into a device that could record the sound of the human voice (something almost unheard of at the time). Out of all the things he could have spoken into the machine ("hello", perhaps), he choose to bear testimony:

I bear my testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, ordained of God to lay the foundation of His Church and kingdom in the last dispensation and fullness of times. This is my testimony spoken by myself into a talking machine on this the 19th day of March 1897, in the 91st year of my age. Wilford Woodruff.

What I learn from Paul is that he had made a commitment to the Lord and he had been doing all that he could to do his part, but there were many reasons for Paul to have given up. All of us face the same choices (albeit in a less deadly way), in that we have made commitments and promises to be better and follow the teachings of the Savior, but unfortunately there are many distractions that keep us from reaching our goals. Paul never wavered from his commitment to the Savior, and we can learn to follow his example.

There are many opportunities for us to bear testimony and help strengthen others, and all we have to do is be ready and be willing to follow the whisperings of the Holy Ghost who will guide us to those who are to receive our testimony, so seeds can be planted, just as Paul planted many seeds whose influences are still felt today.