Sentimental

The other day I wrote a heartfelt letter to my future children encouraging them to serve a mission.  Tonight I wanted to share a slightly edited excerpt from that letter.  I apologize to any I may offend by my comments, but they are according to my beliefs and I cannot deny the feelings I know to be true.  I think it safe to assume that the majority of my reader pool will share some beliefs in common with me or else interest would have waned early on. 

The most important teaching you learn from a mission is that none of us can make it back to Heavenly Father alone. Christ was the perfect example of this because He paid the ultimate sacrifice for each of us.  Jesus states in Matthew chapter 16 verses 24-25: “Then said Jesus, unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Clearly we cannot afford to be selfish our entire lives and I can testify to the happiness that accompanies a life of service to others.  A mission is the first real opportunity that one has to truely devote oneself to service.

When I began my mission I was 19, and when I finished I was 21. I’ve often thought about why we are asked to serve our mission at such a young age and at a time that seems so critical to our future. Serving a two year mission at the age of about 20 brought to mind tithing. It just so happened that I served what was then 10% of my life. For me it meant that I was putting aside the appropriate time for God in my life. Of course that age is critical to the future. Many of life’s most important decisions are made around that age. I chose a career, how and where to further my education, who I should marry, and how my money and time would be spent for the rest of my life. If you can afford to give 10% of your life to God at such a critical time in your life then you are on the right track to succeeding along God’s path of happiness. Just think about it, in a time when your priorities are being set God asks you to put Him first. I did; I put God before my career, before my education, before money and time, and even before a spouse. If you can make that choice and continue with that choice every day after that, then you will have set yourself up for a mortal life of happiness and eternal exaltation.  Nothing can compare or compensate for the things that are learned through missionary service and the blessings that inevitably follow.