New Player in the League
A league longed for new players—fresh strength, new heart, new hope. So the scouts brought in a young athlete whose stride was sure and whose desire burned bright. He had never played this sport, but he carried a spirit that made the whole locker room lift. The team rejoiced as he entered, the way heaven rejoices over “one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:7), and they spoke of his potential the way the Lord speaks of the “worth of souls” (D&C 18:10). In his first game, he ran with courage but not yet with understanding. He followed the rules he knew, but not the rhythms he had never been taught. He ran “with zeal, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). He cut left when the team curved right. He stepped out of bounds without knowing the boundary was there. A veteran muttered, “You don’t belong,” forgetting that disciples are commanded to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which han...