In The Beginning

“In The BEGINNING...”

One of my favorite musicals begins:

“The day she came to Camelot...that was the beginning...”

History is a record and compilation of beginnings... and their impact on others...In fact our Christian history began with the words, “In the Beginning...”, and every truly creative accomplishment since that six day demonstration of incredible planning has likewise had a beginning. All great accomplishments BEGIN...

The names of locations on our Maps are often familiar names because people began their history on that spot...and by the time they finish, the spot is famous...The Garden of Eden, The Sacred Grove, Kirtland, Nauvoo, Martin’s Cove, Jerusalem, The Mount of Olives, The Garden of Gethsemane, Calvery, Lexington, Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Plymouth Rock, and Pearl Harbor illustrate the point. Even Waterloo was a BEGINNING – the beginning of the End.

History could be written with some of the following first liners:

“The day Brigham Young came to the Salt Lake Valley, that was the beginning...”
“The day George Washington knelt in prayer in Valley Forge, that was the beginning...”
“The day Lincoln occupied the White House...that was the beginning...”
“The day Eisenhower landed his men on the beaches of Normandy...”
“Zion was just a biblical theory until Enoch began his city...”
“The first day Lance Armstrong came to Paris...that was the beginning...”
“The day He came to Bethlehem...that was the beginning...”
“The day He spent in Gethsemane...was a beginning...”
“The day Joseph went to Liberty Jail...Carthage Jail...were beginnings....”
“The day Orson Hyde arrived in Palestine...began the gathering...”
“The day Wilford Woodruff arrived at John Benbow’s farm...”
“The day the wagons rolled down Parley Street in Nauvoo heading for the Mississippi... that was the beginning...”

The BEGINNING of all the great events in human history begins with someone showing up...and not just ‘anyone’ but the one who was foreordained – or prepared - to make that ‘event’ happen. That scary part of this sermonette is to ponder what happens to that historic event when the ‘hero’ or the ‘all-star’ doesn’t ‘show’ or ‘stand-up’ when his cue card is read? What if Peter had not ‘stood-up’ on the day of Pentecost? Three thousand people joined the church that day – who probably wouldn’t have - if Peter had played the same ‘beginning’ he had played the night he denied the Savior three times. But this BEGINNING was different...Peter was there and he had read the play book and had memorized his part and on cue he BEGAN by ‘standing-up’ and the day of Pentecost is emblazoned in the history of Christianity.

Each of us has been sent to earth with a play book. The first page might read, “The day we come to earth is to be the BEGINNING of a life that has been foreordained to make a significant difference during our brief stay. Many ‘events’ are scripted and scheduled where we are to ‘show-up’ and ‘stand-up’. Our Celestial history will be written based upon whether we do - and whether we are on cue for those important moments.”

“Not every goal will be accomplished and not every race will be won but EVERY goal that is accomplished and every race that is finished will have a ‘beginning’. Not every day will end in victory but ever victorious day will have a beginning and it always begins with ‘getting up’ and then ‘showing-up’. Every victorious race will begin with a decision to run. Every successful milestone in our lives will begin with a goal being set and making the first step forward. We will be measured – and usually rewarded - by our productivity at the end of our journey, but perhaps more credit needs to be paid to the ‘beginning’ of those productive moments. Without great beginnings the successful crossing of the goal line will not happen often.”

In Virginia, we had a lot of Camelot’s, a lot of spots on the map which were pre-planned to ‘become’ spiritually famous, if you will, and their ‘moment’ was timed with the arrival of a certain missionary or companionship. When they ‘showed-up’ and ‘stood-up’ history was made; Hola in Martinsville; Brimhall and Driggs in Buena Vista; Gordon and DuBose in Pearisburg – just to name three of many ‘beginnings’ measured by some ‘show up’ foreordained players – who showed up, on cue and put their ‘spot’ on the Celestial Map.

Marriott Corporation is one of the most successful hospitality companies the world has ever seen. It had a beginning. J. Willard Marriott was the ‘beginning’. He BEGAN his incredible success story when he served his mission to the ‘east’ and began to see his future ‘beginning’ there. As he served his mission he made a decision that nothing would stop him from getting his education and then making his ‘mark’ in life – and he decided to BEGIN making that mark in the ‘east’. The stage was set for another Camelot story...The day J. Willard Marriott came to the East, that was the beginning – and today millions of people – all over the world - BEGIN their day when they arise from a bed that was ‘created’ from a dream and a humble ‘BEGINNING’ of a determined young return missionary. His ‘beginning’ has become legendary.

All the world’s ‘noble and great one’s’ – all the great missionaries of the past and present – all the leaders who have changed their world for the better, have all done it the same way:

‘The day they arrived...that was the beginning...”
And the history books and the maps record the ‘rest of the story’...