Elder John B. Dickson

Nobody Said That It Would Be Easy
October 1992
While presiding over the Mexico City North Mission in the late seventies, we decided to open the work in an area called the Huasteca, where there was only one Latter-day Saint family in a vast area with several communities and small cities. After two years there were five hundred members of the Church in five branches and an organized district. This was done by a handful of nineteen and twenty-year-old faithful missionaries and two wonderful couples, who gave of themselves to see that others of Heavenly Father's children might know and understand.
After the missionaries had been in the Huasteca for about three weeks, we received a phone call from one of them, and we could tell that he was slightly discouraged, not having yet received any mail, being in a hot area with high humidity, and learning about a culture that was new to all of us. After we had talked for a minute or two, I reminded him that we had talked about the fact that it wouldn't be easy. He said, "Oh, that's right, President; that's right. It wouldn't be easy. I knew it wouldn't be easy." Well, he went ahead with great enthusiasm and concluded his very successful work there and was released to return home.
A couple of months later, while he was at BYU, he and some of his former companions called Sister Dickson and me at the mission home in Mexico City at 2:30 in the morning, waking us from a very sound sleep. After a short conversation, I mentioned the fact that it was wonderful to talk with them but that it seemed a little late at night to be calling. He said, "I know, President, but you knew it wouldn't be easy."
Brethren, life is not intended to be easy, but I promise those that labor faithfully in the service of their fellowmen, and with determination handle every challenge properly and under the influence of the Spirit, that they will be blessed with feetings of happiness which will permeate their whole souls. And these, my brethren, are blessings that mold and build us and that can never be taken away.