So Long, Farewell!

I had wanted to serve a mission my whole life but never knew when it would become a reality. The verse in Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 that says if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work became so true for me on October 6, 2012 during general conference. Ironically, I didn’t even hear President Monson announce the age change for young women because of some technical difficulties so when my mom called me to let me know the big news during the opening song I was in complete shock. My entire world had turned upside down and I had some big decisions to make. Part of me wanted to start my papers immediately and leave in January and then the other side of me thought that it would be more rational to finish out the school year and leave in May. There were so many factors that played into it and I was overwhelmed to say the least. So even though serving a mission was something I had wanted to do, I still had to take the time to make that decision and figure out if was not only the right thing for me to do, but also when. And it wasn’t easy, and I went back and forth about it for a long time. I weighed the pros and cons and did lots and lots of pondering and praying. I doubted myself a lot and even came to the point where I wasn’t going to go anymore.  I was taking a Doctrine and Covenants class at the time and as part of our supplemental reading we read a talk by Elder Holland. I had read the talk before, but never had it had such a huge impact on me.  He says, “I wish to encourage every one of us regarding the opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose. Don’t panic and retreat. Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. Cast not away therefore your confidence. Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.” And the scripture that goes along with the title of this talk reads, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10: 35-36. Worries of difficult companions, unusual food, disappointment with the work, and inability to be an effective teacher all seemed to dissipate as I realized that I could not doubt anymore. I had received my answer and I knew that the Lord would provide a way for me to be successful. Reading this talk truly was the turning point for me and I’ve never looked back. I raved about this talk and encouraged everyone I knew to read it, especially those who were making big decisions which happens to be quite often on a college campus. Not only that, but anytime missionary work is brought up, or there talk about sister missionaries and the effect they can have, or the future of the church is discussed, the spirit overwhelms me and I get a feeling of peace and confidence and I am so grateful to be a part of this exciting time. I often think to myself,  “nothing can stop me now because there’s no way I could deny what I’ve felt.”

This leads me to talk about the hastening of the work. Elder Johnson of the Seventy said, “All the changes move the church to where it needs to be, where it’s prophesied to be. The Lord knows what the future is, and…this is just one of the many things He is doing to advance that kingdom, to help it roll forth.” Elder Pieper said that all that happened during general conference last October is an invitation for you to come and get engaged in this work. It is the Lord’s time now. We all know that. We all felt it. The Church is feeling it.

These leaders couldn’t have said it better. I got to witness this firsthand being down at BYU. The day the announcement was made girls were already calling their bishops to set up interviews. They were trying to sell their housing contracts, mission prep classes for winter semester had waiting lists of at least 100. And the number of applications submitted to church headquarters each week went from 700 to 4000. It was incredible to be a Resident Assistant in the freshman dorms this year where there is already such an excitement for all the boys that receive their calls. But never before was there such an enthusiasm for the girls as well. About ¾ of my ward already had mission calls by the end of the school year and on my floor of 48 girls, over half made the decision to serve a mission. The bishops and stake presidency were working long hours trying to accommodate all those that we ready to submit their papers. In my building, we even made a Called to Serve map and put it in the lobby, something never done in a freshman girl’s dorm before, and it was so fun to see where all the sisters would be serving around the world.

 This all coincides with Elder Nelson’s talk from this April’s general conference entitled Catch the Wave. “Now an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm for missionary work is sweeping the entire earth. It comes from the Lord, who said, “I will hasten my work in its time.” This wave is empowered by a divine announcement made 193 years ago. It consisted of only seven words: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”…Those seven words launched the Restoration of His gospel.” How exciting that this wave that is rolling the gospel forth started with the first vision and the restoration, the exact message that we, as missionaries, are teaching across the world. He also touched on the role that each member of the church has to be a part of the wave. Young men and young women are preparing to serve missions by participating in the new youth curriculum, parents and teachers are preparing the youth in their homes and at church, stake presidents and bishops are interviewing prospective missionaries, adults provide help for the spiritual, physical, and financial preparation of future missionaries and by serving missions themselves with their spouses, and the ward mission leaders work hand in hand with the full-time missionaries to lead missionary work in the ward. I was just thinking the other day how they often talk about the WML helping fill the missionaries planners with appointments and I was said to my mom, “How awesome would it be if missionaries never had to go tracting because they just had people lined up to teach!” She said “It would be a missionary’s dream!” We each have a part to play in the spreading this gospel.

Elder Zwick said, “The message to parents is ‘Church leaders trust you as parents and trust these young men and young women who are being raised in your homes.’” The new MTC is the home. And I definitely found that to be true in my life. Recently, there has been a lot of council on what parents can do to help prepare worthy missionaries and almost every single one of those things my parents have instilled in us. The most prominent being our daily scripture study where we sit down and read at least a chapter a day regardless of how late it is or what has gone on that day. Also, while I was away at school my parents were studying preach my gospel with my little brothers. How awesome that they are already getting familiar with the manual even though the time for them to serve is still not for a couple years. My mission prep teacher often said that some of your greatest converts will be your own children. I think that definitely speaks to the importance of teaching in our homes. Statistics show that in families where just the dad served a mission the percentage of young men that also serve is 45%. But when both  parents have served missions, that percentage jumps all the way to 97%. I will never forget my stake president stating this and then asking if mothers have an important role and influence in the teaching of their children. I would say they definitely do and I want to be a mother someday that prepares her children to be worthy to go on missions. In addition to the preparation I’ve had in my own home, my life has been filled with opportunities for me to learn more about the gospel and for my testimony to be strengthened. This has come from efy, girl’s camp, Sunday school, my callings, religion classes at BYU, and seminary. In all these places, I have learned gospel truths and been able to grow as a member of this church.

After my papers were submitted I knew that it would be about a week and half until I got my call. Mission calls usually come on a Wednesday but because of the extreme number of calls being assigned it was taking a little longer. I had planned a little get together at my aunt and uncle’s house but when it didn’t come that day, we just decided to do it on the weekend. So on Thursday, my busiest day of the week when I had class from 12:30-2 and then from 4-7, I thought I would still go check the mail on my way to class and I was talking to my dad on the phone and I walk into the building and I see a guy holding a white envelope. So I told my dad I would call him back. I asked the front desk if mission calls had come today and they said yes! I just saw yours. Keep in mind that there was a huge stack, and one like that got delivered to Heritage Halls every single week. So I have it in my hand and I have no clue where I’m going and I have to sit through an hour and a half long class. I immediately called my dad back and he’s like, so…and I’m like it’s in my hands! And I’m pretty sure I was shaking haha so we decided that I would open it at 3 because that’s when the boys would be home from school and I said I would just have to talk to him later because there was no service in my class. So I’m sitting there trying to pay attention, and trying to text all my friends and family that I wanted to be there, sitting my phone on the corner of my desk trying to get as much service as possible and it was working! Seriously the only time I could ever send texts in that class the entire semester. I came home and had a whole hour to wait with it just sitting there. I printed out some maps for people to guess where I was going and then just waited. And there was never a time that I believed more in the tender mercies of the Lord than now because there is no way that everything could have just worked out by itself. We had my family on skype, a friend from Washington on a different computer, and then all the friends and family I invited in Utah could all come. It was a miracle! I wouldn’t say it was the most spiritual experience but it was definitely exciting and my dream of going to the south is coming true!

And so, because of all of this I couldn’t be more excited to go serve the people in Alabama. It has been confirmed over and over to me that this is the right thing for me to do and I found the song I chose to play today extremely fitting because I never would have guessed that this is where I would be called, but I’ve accepted that call, and I know that there is a reason I need to be there.  And because I have this knowledge it’s been easy to dismiss the fears and misunderstanding of coworkers who don’t get why you would go be in the heat and humidity instead of being in the pool with them all summer, or a grandpa is who is worried that you won’t finish your education, or all of your RM friends in Provo who feel there aren’t any girls left to date down there.

 I’ve been thinking a lot about the purpose of missionary work and how bringing others to Christ and sharing the gospel is one of the most amazing things we can do in this life. All that I am and all that I’ve been blessed with in my life is because of the gospel and if I can make a difference in just one other person’s life, then it will all be worth it. How awesome will it be to see change in those I teach and to find success, even if it’s just planting seeds. And even if it doesn’t feel like there’s much success, you can always find comfort in your own growth. My mission prep teacher also reminded us to be our best selves on our missions and for me, that is the joy that is a part of my everyday life because I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve heard the saying that it won’t be the best 18 months or 2 years of your life, but it will be the best 18 months for your life. Yes, missions are hard and it’s called work for a reason, but the effect of it will last through the eternities. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity that will prepare me to be a better wife, a better mother, and a better teacher and to use my talents to bless the lives of others. I have a desire to serve, to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, to strengthen my testimony, to gain more knowledge of and become more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, whose name will be right alongside mine on that black nametag.

The scripture I chose to put on my plaque is Alma 13:28-29 which reads… I chose this scripture because to me it really signifies what a mission is all about and that as we humble ourselves and have faith we will be able to receive eternal life. I really internalized it and decided that this is what I want to become while I am serving the Lord. There are so many blessings that we can receive if we obtain humility and create a relationship with our Heavenly Father through prayer. And I am looking forward to accomplishing this more fully while on my mission. I have had so many great examples of missionaries in my life both family members and sister missionaries in this ward that I looked up to as a little girl, and more recently, all of my friends from school that left on missions last year. It has been so fun to see their growth and to hear their testimonies and to hear about their experiences and to get letters from all around the world which really testifies that the gospel is universal and that the message is the same regardless of where you live, what language you speak, or the culture you belong to. It has been so influential in my life and I want to be a part of this great work because I know this church is true.

I know that the Lord has a plan for each of us individually and for His gospel. I know that families can be together forever. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet that brought forth the restoration of the gospel. I know that strict obedience and being worthy to teach by the spirit will bring the most success in the mission field. I know that the temple is the house of God and I am so grateful for the opportunity to make covenants there and to feel the peace that comes only from being in the temple.

Church leaders agree that the Lord is hastening His work and that the youth of the Church have been called to action. I hope that we can all rise up as members of His church and do our part to take the gospel to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.