Before we can lift another we must be on a higher level ourselves. Before we can save another persons soul we must first work to save our own. When we talk about missionary work we are often focused on another person, but at the same time we over look our own needs for some missionary work. If we spend our every day trying to save everyone else and not working on our own salvation then we will probably come up short.

The Bible teaches that we must work out our own salvation…I am not suggesting that we stop helping others until we are sure that our souls are saved, because that would be ridicules, and not realistic. What I am suggesting is that we spend more time reflecting on our need for some intervention in our own lives.

The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that our joy will be great if we bring but one soul unto God, and that one soul has to be ourselves! It goes on to teach that if we do labor to bring more souls unto God then our joy will increase. Showing that it is still important to spend our days laboring to save Gods children. (D&C 18)

As I was reading in Alma 26 today I found a new meaning to some of the verses there;

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

If we take out one part of this verse ‘Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and’ the verse reads;

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Do you ever get depressed, or maybe overwhelmed by sin? Sometimes weighed down by guilt and sorrow for sins that have been committed? Sure we all do, and sometime we just want to give up, turn back, but the Lord will try to comfort us and if we listen the promise is made that if we bear with patience [our] afflictions, [God] will give unto [us] success.

What is this success that he will give to us? You know I would like to believe that it is success in more then just spiritual things. I am a firm believer that spiritual and temporal go together, there is no temporal blessing that is not first earned spiritually. And if we are obedient then we will be blessed in all things, thus receiving success, both spiritually and temporally.

You see sometimes we just need to be reminded of the comforting promises that have already been made.

In verse 30 we are taught again about the one soul;

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

Do you ever suffer afflictions? What about the pain of trials and temptations? Again, we all do, but we go through our own personal afflictions with the means of saving some soul. That soul is us, our trials our temptations and weaknesses are ours for a purpose. They have been given to us because God knew that we could overcome them, he knew that when we did overcome them, that it would make us holy and pure. Overcoming our afflictions will sanctify us and prepare us for eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Thus, providing the joy that is felt when we are the means of saving some soul. Our own soul!

No one can save us, no one can work out our salvation for us, it is completely up to each of us to save some soul, to save our soul. Jesus made it possible, now the rest is up to us.