"That every man might speak in the name of God"

I didn't grow up listening to a pastor or "holy man" preach every week.  I grew up in a church where everyone was expected to contribute, and everyone was expected to keep the commandments.  In hindsight, it's strange to me when I see others' religious experiences in which they are "normal" and some other figure is "holy".  I don't mean to take a shot at other people's faith, but I know what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Every member of the Church has been baptized.  Through that covenant we all have promised to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, keep his commandments, mourn with those that mourn (Mosiah 18:9), and speak with the "tongue of angels" (2 Nephi 31:13-14, 32:2-3).  We are all disciples of Christ who have covenanted to cast off sin and leave worldly ways behind.  We all serve in the Church, and someone who is a mission president one month is a teacher for young children the next.  We all have the same responsibility to have faith and to repent, and if we do so we are all candidates for positions of service that people outside of our religion might see as positions of prominence.  Despite our weakness we are all saints; we are all Latter-day Saints.

I think sometimes we as members of God's Church don't realize what He wants for us.  We are sometimes too content to let others lead.  The truth is that we have all been called to serve and to lead and to be shining examples of discipleship.  No one is inherently better than anyone else; there isn't a division of groups that are meant to be noble and groups that are meant to be prodded along.  Instead, God desires "that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting acovenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:20-23)

What's more, the breadth of Christ's Atonement itself implies that the glory of God is intended for all of us.  "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.  And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.  And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 9:21-23--a personal favorite)  We all are supposed to benefit from the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and having been given so much we are then all required to do much.  God desires for us all to receive His joy and glory, or as I mentioned in an earlier post, there's "Only One Destination in the Plan".

Last thoughts for now:
We all deserve to have hope, and we all deserve to know the joy of service.  Heavenly Father wants us all to be righteous and holy.  The Church exists to bring the children of God, every one of us a sinner, close to Him.  I hope for us all to better understand Jesus Christ's Atonement and become better servants of the Almighty God.