followHIM - Called to Swerve • followHIM Favorites • June 30-July 6 • Come Follow Me

Episode Date: June 26, 2025

SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC227ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC227FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC227DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC227PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC227ESYOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/B-5_nraugE8FREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookWEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletterSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorIride Gonzalez: Social Media, Graphic Design"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we are in sections 71 through 75 this week. I know there's a lot about mission calls in section 75. You've told me you have a story that fits. Yeah, I do. Right at the beginning, in section 75 verse 6, William McClellan is called to go to the Eastern countries. Then the Lord says in verse 8, no, go to the South countries. Yeah. I like how Elder Bednar has clarified that you're called to serve and then you're assigned to labor and those are different things. Yeah. We got really acquainted with that here in the 2020s, didn't we? I was in my home ward.

This return missionary gets up with his first sentence. I thought, oh, wow, this kid gets it. Elder Cole Forsythe, he said, I had the privilege of serving during a worldwide pandemic. Hmm, the privilege. Yes. Elder Forsythe's mission began in South Africa. Then the pandemic hit, he was transferred home where he could do nothing but wait for four and a half months, Hank. What do you say in your prayers? Am I done? Do I go out? Can you imagine? Yeah. Four and a half

months of what do I do? He worked as a security guard and began training as an EMT, completely unsure if he would be recalled. Finally, a new call came. Farmington, New Mexico, which is a lot like South Africa, which now is a different place where he served on a native American reservation. Cole said he was amazed at how helpful the training he received at home had helped him in his new area as an EMT. Didn't see that coming.

Just as Elder Forsythe was getting comfortable and feeling capable in New Mexico, he was told pack your bags. You're heading back to South Africa. His experience was topsy turvy. didn't make much sense to him, wouldn't make much sense to an outsider. But his last line in this beautiful homecoming talk, my mission was not what I expected, but it turned out more beautiful than what I had planned. Elder foresight. That's a great line. Yeah. Isn't that nice? I'm like, oh my goodness,

I got to write this down. So I did. And what an example, because many young people over the last five years have had modified missions. Perhaps they might be thinking, well, wait, I thought I was called here. Am I really called? Yes, you're really called. But what does the Lord look at you are willing to go you submitted your name, you're really called, but what does the Lord look at? You are willing to go. You submitted your name. You said, Bishop, here's the papers. Call me. Call me on a mission. I'll go where you want me to go. Yeah. Even if it's to South Africa, then to EMT training, then to Farmington, and then back to South Africa.

Oh, man. can you imagine? That is spiritual whiplash. We do that all the time with students at BYU. Did you serve a mission? Yeah, I did. Oh, where'd you serve? Well. Do you have a minute?

Sit down. Yeah. But I love that his perspective, it wasn't what I expected, but it turned out more beautiful than what I had planned. Amen, Elder Forsythe. Good job. I love it. We Elder Forsythe, good job. I love it. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast.

It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We are with Dr. Rosalind Welch this week. What she did with these sections really changed the view of them for me and I know they did for you as well, John. We hope you'll join us there. Then come back next week. We'll do another Follow Him favor.