The Worth of One Soul
Shortly after Christ ascended into heaven, his apostles and disciples met to worship and were suddenly all filled with the Holy Ghost. So strong was this manifestation, and so strong was their faith in that power, that they began speaking in diverse languages so that all those gathered in Jerusalem could hear the word of God preached in their own tongue.
This so astonished the passers-by that a crowd began to gather. Some were amazed, perhaps sensing that something remarkable was happening. Others were skeptical and accused the Christians of being drunk. But then Peter, the chief apostle, rose and spoke to the multitude.
Peter spoke powerfully, quoting scripture and testifying of Christ. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'
"Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptizedevery one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for theremission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:37-38)
About 3,000 souls answered the call to baptism and joined the Christian church.
As a young missionary in East Africa, I occasionally had visions of grandure. I would read stories about missionaries like Peter and long to to bring large groups of people into the church. I thought, "If only I could get in front of a large group of people, I could share this burning testimony I have in my heart, and they would desire to come unto Christ." I wanted, more than anything, to help as many people as possible find the truth that I had found.
Fortunately, it never happened the way I envisioned it. Instead, the people I helped come into the church came one-by-one, and I learned that that is the way it is supposed to be.
You see, each of us is an individual child of God, not some mass produced creation. In fact, God's purpose is for each of us to be deliberately and perfectly unique. As C.S. Lewis observed,
"When He [God] talks of their losing their selves, He means only abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts...that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever." (Screwtape Letters)
Therefore, it only makes sense that when bringing His children back to Him, God would want the process to be as unique as the person he is reclaiming. This allows God to have a more meaningful relationship with the individual.
And frankly it creates a richer experience for the missionary too. Partnering with the Savior in this 1-on-1 conversion process allowed me to see a young college student embraced with fellowship only to turn around and provide similar fellowship with others. I saw a mother, hesitant to make the same commitment to baptism the rest of her family had made, soften her heart after fasting and prayers in her behalf. In short, I saw miracles that showed me that God cares about individuals, not numbers.
This is something leaders at all levels can learn from. As a teacher, do you think about your class or do you think about each student? As a manager, do you think about managing your team or do you think about enabling each employee individually?
After concluding a 25 year study, in which the Gallup organization interviewed over 80,000 managers, Markus Buckingham wrote,
"The manager's role is to reach inside each employee and release his unique talents into performance. This role is best played one employee at a time--one manager asking questions of, listening to, and working with one employee."
Even those who lead organizations with millions of people can focus on individuals. In a meeting where youth from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (of which I'm a member) were invited to ask questions to a member of the church's governing board, David A. Bednar was asked what his role as an apostle entailed. Elder Bednar replied that although many people are aware of the administative duties of his position, his real role is to go around the world and help individuals come to Christ. The administrative work simply gives him a pretense to travel and find each individual.
Whether in a position of authority or not, each of us has the opportunity to touch the life of another individual. Whether it is a person you teach, manage, work with, or simply pass on the street, you have the unique ability to make someone's life better.
