The bishop asked me last week to speak on the benefits of serving a mission. What good things come from it and how it can bless my life. To be honest I was kind of perplexed at first, except for the fact that a lot of cute girls like return missionaries. Not only that but the missionaries here have told me that Mormon missionaries were named the sexiest men in uniform by a certain gentleman's magazine, so that was cool. I had heard of a million things of how a mission has helped people. It is a little hard though to recognize or remember them all until you have served. I have spent the last week racking my brain and searching countless talks on lds.org trying to compile a list of all the benefits. It wasn't as easy as it sounds. I finally walked away and got down on my knees and asked for help from Heavenly Father. All of the sudden a million things came to mind. I remember thinking, “Woah! Slow down Heavenly Father, I can't remember all of these at once. Give me a second to write these things down.” That's when I realized that the first benefit of serving a mission would be that you are more in tune to the Spirit. When you have a feeling it comes to fruition or when you get down on your knees to pray you are answered. It was quite an amazing feeling to know that Heavenly Father could hear me and He wanted to answer me so badly because I was preparing to become one of His servants.
After I took a look at the list that I had prepared I was a little confused on how I would organize all of this so that it made sense. I was trying to approach it in an intellectual way like I would a term paper or something and it wasn't working either. I decided to just go with the Spirit and just let things flow. What first came to mind was why I even decided to go on a mission in the first place. It definitely wasn't an easy decision by any means. I had family that aren't members, a car payment that I just can't abandon, and the possibility of a lucrative dream job all hanging over my head here at home. I spent many restless night tossing and turning, trying to decide if I should go or not. I knew that it was a good thing, but wasn't completely sure if it was a good thing for me. I decided that the first step that I would take to help me find out would be to get my Patriarchal Blessing. People had told me that it's like a road map for your life and I figured that a mission would be a pretty big detour in the road so it should be on there. I received it and much to my dismay the Lord didn't just say, “Hey Tucker, serve a mission.” He decided to put it in more vague but equally powerful words. He promised that I will be strengthened in teaching and that I shall have the power to silence the detractors of the Gospel. That was pretty awesome, but I still wasn't sure. At institute the week after I read those words the lesson was on missionary work. I thought to myself, “Oh man the Lord is definitely talking to me tonight.” I decided to say a silent prayer to myself and ask the Lord straight up if I should serve a mission. The second most powerful prompting of the Spirit, after the one that told me the Book of Mormon was true, told me in a very understandable, plain way that I should serve a mission. That's the main reason I decided to serve a mission. To please the Lord. Now there has to be a benefit to doing what the Lord wants you to.
One huge benefit that I can think of is that I wouldn't have the horrible feeling of regret if I didn't go. I have heard many times that I would regret it if I didn't go, but I would never regret it if I did. Regret is one of the most difficult feelings that a person has to deal with and I don't think I would ever want to be there. Especially on a magnitude of not serving a mission. In the April, 1983 edition of the New Era, Elder Loren C. Dunn of the seventy wrote an article entitled “The Case of the Chevrolet.” In it he tells a story of a friend of his that didn't serve a mission. He told Elder Dunn that he had grown up very poor. His family never had real milk, just canned milk that they would add water to to make it last longer. Also he recounted a time when he went to the welfare office with his sister to get some winter coats. The lady behind the counter handed them two girls coats, because all that they had were girls coats. This long life of living in poverty led him to desire one thing in life, a 1947 Chevrolet. One day the bishop asked him and a friend to come into his office and asked them if they would be willing to serve a mission. The other boy said yes without a seconds hesitation and he said, “Bishop, I can't. I am buying a car, a 1947 Chevrolet.” The car was the greatest thing in his life so he didn't give a second thought to his mission. He went on to say, “As the years went on, I used to go to elders’ quorum meetings, and I’d sit next to those returned missionaries. I don’t know if they knew any more than I did, but I thought they did. And I felt a little bit uncomfortable sitting with them in those meetings because I didn’t feel that I knew as much about the gospel as they did. As time went on, I began to realize the bad decision I had made and how it stays with you. It got so that every time I’d see a 1947 Chevrolet it would give me a black feeling inside because it represented to me a decision I made that took me away from the Lord and, in the long run, hurt me. And to this day, I can’t see such a car without remembering that experience, and I ache inside because of it. The car didn’t last. The benefits of a mission go on forever.” I definitely didn't want to have that same feeling, the feeling of not thinking I lived up to my full potential or even having that black pit feeling whenever I saw something that I once loved.
When I first told my mom that I wanted to serve a mission, obviously the first question she asked me was, “Why?” The first thing that came to my mouth was that I wanted to help other people feel the exact same thing I did when I was converted. That helped me understand that the benefits of serving extend past just the missionary, in fact it is mainly for the benefit of the rest of the world. It says in Mosiah 8:18, “Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.” In the April, 2002 Conference Elder Spencer J. Condie of the seventy gave a talk entitled, “Becoming a Benefit to Our Fellow Beings.” In his talk he prays that, “not only will missionaries be worthy to receive ministering angels, but that they may also become a ministering angel into the lives of others” How many of you have prayed for an angel to come to your side in a time of need? I know that in some of my lowest times I would have loved to have that comforting servant of God next to me. Maybe if we are worthy and humble enough we can become one of those angels that can benefit the world.
My father also asked me why I wanted to go on a mission when I told him. I gave him the same response as I did my mother, but also told him some others. I told him that not only will it help me, but it would also bless him and the rest of our family. He asked me how it would bless them and I told him that I simply don't know. I couldn't be 100 percent sure about how, but I was definitely sure that it would happen. Well what do you know, the day after I turned in my papers my brother got a job at Albertsons after trying for about 4 months. Then a week before I received my call my father was rolled over to a permanent employee for the company that he works for after waiting as a temporary employee for about 3 months. They may not think so but I see them as a direct correlation between my serving a mission and those blessings happening. Another example of the family being blessed from having a missionary in the field is the strengthening of testimonies. I asked Sister Hansen how she has benefited from having Justin and Tyler in the field and she told me that reading their e-mails every week about their experience every week has strengthened her testimony. I hope that my family can grow to learn a little more about what it is that I am doing in the field.
Just as Elder Dunn's friend felt that he didn't know as much as other's in the Elder's Quorom I feel that way sometimes as well. Another benefit of serving a mission is the opportunity you have to immerse yourself in the gospel completely. You have the chance every single day to study and learn so many things. Just as Jesus in Luke 2:52 we can, “increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” I always love it when a missionary or return missionary can just spout off 3 or 4 scriptural references supporting a certain topic. I would love to be able to do that someday.
Something I am really excited about is the chance I will have to witness and be a part of miracles. Whether it be the miracle of conversion or some other one that I can't even imagine right now. One such miracle is spelled out in D&C 1:21-23, it says, “That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting covenant 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.” What an amazing thing that young men like me will have the power to preach to kings and rulers. The promises that the Lord gives us are truly amazing. I'm sure that many of you have heard D&C 18:14-16, “Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” Why wouldn't I or anyone for that matter not want to take part in a work that promises such great joy? I for one love being happy, so if the Lord tells me a way to be happy, I am going to do it!
A mission is a good way to help you prepare to be a good people person in real life. You have to spend every single moment of every single day with your companion so you better find ways out to get along. I know that some of the missionaries have had a hard time with their companions because they just simply don't see eye to eye. But as a friend has told me the beauty of the thing is that you know that you are never really going to be with a companion for more than two or three months. Even if you are in an area for about six months there is a very high probability that you will not be with the same Elder for that whole time. They will be transferred. It is a good way to practice patience and to learn to love another human being even if you really can't stand them. You can try and see things from their point of view and grow as a person. Everyone out in the real world is not going to see eye to eye with you and are definitely not going to give you your way all the time. While serving a mission would be a good opportunity to learn to compromise and know that everything doesn't necessarily have to be your way to work correctly.
Your marriage will benefit greatly from this as well. Your spouse and you may not see eye to eye on everything either and since you are going to be spending eternity with them you should try and see things from their point of view once in awhile. You don't want to be in the dog house with your husband or wife over something small that could have been solved by being a little more humble. Because missionaries have to be together in fairly small areas they have learned to help each other out and indulge in some of their companions quirks or weird behaviors. They know that giving in a little bit to something small will ultimately help the relationship and make things run more smoothly.
You also learn to be more punctual and persistent while on a mission. It is important to be on time to appointments because most people won't be willing to listen to you with the help of the spirit if they have been waiting around for twenty minutes. They usually tend to get angry and we all know that people never feel the spirit when they are angry. Not only do you have to be on time, but you have to be persistent. Getting doors slammed in your face has to be a hard thing to deal with. I am sure that missionaries get discouraged but they have to learn to keep going because they never know if that next door will lead to a family getting baptized. That family that just got baptized could invite a friend over to FHE and then they could eventually get baptized as well. It shows you to never give up because that next door knock or street contact could lead to so many wonderful miracles. Being punctual and persistent will help in the work force and help your bosses to respect you. These are great qualities to pick up while a missionary.
Like I said before, girls like Rms. There is a reason for that, it's because the mission that they have served has formed them into wise, humble young men that they know will be able to take care of them. If a boy has served an honorable mission the girl knows that he is responsible and a worthy priesthood holder. She knows that he will be able to take care of her and provide for them and any children that they will have. She knows that her needs will be met. Now, I am speaking about this from a guy's perspective, but I know that I look at young women that have served missions and I think that they would make wonderful wives. I know that they have a firm testimony and the discipline to study and tract all day so they will work hard to make our marriage work. Not only that but women that have served a mission tend to have a certain beauty about them that is a little different than most other girls. There is a way they carry themselves that is difficult to pinpoint but I know that I am not the only guy that thinks this since I know many men that have gone on to marry return sister missionaries.
I was really excited about the chance to go to the temple. Because missionaries are required to have received their endowments, pre-missionaries get to go to the temple and receive them. It was such an amazing experience and I will never forget it. I was glad that I had the blessing of going before most young single adults get to go. I have grown to love the temple more than I ever thought possible and I can't wait to go again.
Missionaries always seem to be very powerful and sure of themselves. When they are asked a question they are usually able to answer it. This is because the Lord has promised the power to declare the gospel. In D&C 63:57 it says, “And again, verily I say unto you, those who desire in their hearts, in meekness, to warn sinners to repentance, let them be ordained unto this power.” What I think is interesting about this is that the Lord places a contingency upon us if we are to receive this power. We have to desire it in meekness. The Lord is very wise in that He will not bestow power upon someone who will abuse it and let it go to their head. Also it is very interesting that He says it will be ordained upon us. The dictionary defines ordaining as, “conferring a holy order upon officially.” The Lord makes this an official thing, it's not just a phrase we can take lightly. It is a very special promise.
In D&C 123:12 it says, “For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” I am very excited to help lift the blindfold off of the world. Many people are looking for us, but just don't know where to find us. I remember hearing a talk about a missionary who was walking home at the end of a miserable day. It was dark out and he looked down the street. There was only one house with a porch light on and he decided that they might as well try it out. He had a feeling that he was needed there. They went and knocked on the door and the lady that answered the door said she had just got done praying for a sign from God. She was just about to give up and kill herself, but the missionaries came to the door and were there to help her in her time of need. She was eventually baptized and went on to live a full and happy life. This lady didn't know where to find the truth or help that she needed, but the missionaries were there to find her. I would love to be there for someone in their time of need.
Ultimately, a mission benefits you for the rest of your life. There really isn't any aspect of someones life that serving a mission won't help. Whether it be in marriage, gospel knowledge, or the rest of the world. It's going to be an amazing experience in ways that I can never imagine. I can't wait to get out there and find out those ways.
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