Something Important

All of us who graduated high school, heard the same question at one time or another, "where are you going to college?" I heard this question all the time my senior year and if you're like me, answering this question became quite annoying after a while. Now, for those of us who have since graduated, are 18ish, male, and mormon, we must respond to another repetitious question which goes as follows:

      "When do you turn in your mission papers?"

This question makes me want to go on an ovary-punching-rampage! Reasons namely being:

1.  When someone asks me this I feel like the decision I made to sacrifice (an anticipated) 24 months of my life and serve the Lord and His people, is completely meaningless
2. Not only does it undermine a (quite frankly) difficult decision I made, it also belittles how we view and Elder. Asking this question imposes serving a mission is something everyone does; thus, the sanctity of the title is demolished because it's seen as being common or ordinary.
3. The verb is to "submit," not turn in.
4. When I answer this question with, "some time this summer, most likely." There is always a holds follow up question of:

     "Oh. When's your birthday?"

My VERBAL response: "in April." 

My INTERIOR response: "Here we go again! I wish they were only asking so they knew when to get me a birthday present!"

Which always leads to something along the lines of:

     "April? Why haven't you submitted yet?"

This is the moment when hell breaks loose in my head. 

INNER MONOLOGUE: "Quite frankly that is none of your business. If you must know, I'm currently gaining a greater testimony of the Atonement, something you should have experienced but must not have, due to the insensitivity of your question. I will submit my papers when I am prepared for such a task, wether that time is this summer or when I'm 25. I will not submit my papers, like to many do, before I am ready. I will be honest to myself and to God, and refuse to take on the name of Elder until I am prepared. More importantly than my acceptance of such a unique title, I will not enter an eternal commitment such as the endowment until I feel comfortable proceeding to such a sacred requirement and upholding the the covenants therein."

. . .but I usually just respond with a shrug and a pleasant smile.

Which leads me to think how insensitive people are when they respond with:

     "You need to get on that!"

INNER MONOLOGUE: Screw you.

So, what does all this mean to you? Simply: 

• ask someone IF they are going on a mission vs WHEN. 
• be sensitive to the flaws of the natural man
• remember the sanctity of the position and what that requires, it isn't something everyday or common

. . . . . . . . . . 

The following stanzas apply to missionary work and are from two of my favorite songs. They are not often sung because they are the last verses of their respective songs, but each holds a lot of meaning.

I’ll share my Savior’s love
By serving others freely.

In serving I am blessed.

In giving I receive.

I hope that I can share the gospel
With those who want to know the truth.

I want to be a missionary

And serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth.

If you've made it this far in quite an exhausting post, I hope you know how truly grateful for the chance to embark on such a great mission and am excited for the day I get to put on a black name tag. More importantly, I'm excited for the day I am authorized to wear the garment of the temple because that day is one with eternal consequences. I wouldn't be planning a mission or working so feverishly to get there, if I did not know the true and living Gospel of Jesus Christ is on the Earth again. I've read the work, I've studied it's teachings, I've felt the power, and I know it's true. 

The upcoming weekend is one I eagerly anticipate year after year. The world has an opportunity to hear the living prophet speak the Word of God, just like Moses, Noah, Abraham, and other servants did. I offer you an invitation to listen and be inspired by today's living prophet, Thomas S. Monson.