I need advice.

[Anonymous]

I like your outlook in this situation:

Quote:

If God desires me to serve a mission for the LDS church, I’m sure he will manifest it. If he doesn’t he won’t.

This is the same advice I would give my own sons.

Mike from Milton.

[Anonymous]

I think the #1 (and probably only) qualification for going on a successful mission is: wanting to go. You have to feel “called” to it. If you go begrudgingly, it will haunt and torment you for two years. Two years is a Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to hate and regret what you are doing 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, no breaks.

I went on a mission. I still think it was a good experience. I was not a typical missionary. I did not fit the profile when I went. Most people at church who knew me were surprised when I told them I decided I was going. I had a very profound religious experience about it, and I felt “called” to do what I did. I still didn’t fit in right the whole time. But here is the key: I couldn’t regret my decision or blame anyone else. I had not been pressured much. It was my decision.

Look. I’ll be blunt. Serving a mission isn’t even on the list of saving ordinances or experiences in the church. Even in the most literal and strict view, it isn’t tied to exaltation or salvation outside of a tenuous connection to “magnifying your priesthood” perhaps. I think it is a really good experience that pushes young people far outside their comfort zone. It teaches a lot of very useful life skills. It is an epic adventure. You can help people come to Christ.

But you can do all that in other ways too.

If you go, make it your decision. If you do not go. Make it your decision.

[Anonymous]

Brian Johnston wrote:

I went on a mission. I still think it was a good experience. I was not a typical missionary. I did not fit the profile when I went. Most people at church who knew me were surprised when I told them I decided I was going. I had a very profound religious experience about it, and I felt “called” to do what I did. I still didn’t fit in right the whole time. But here is the key: I couldn’t blame anyone else for my decision. I had not been pressured much. It was my decision.

I had a similar experience. I had weathered the storm of peer pressure, strangely mission specific Home teacher lessons, and bishop’s life plan interviews and had come out the other side. I was 21 and halfway through a college degree when I read a quote that “every young man should serve a mission.” I started to entertain the possibility for a few days and then I momentarily felt a vacuum or emptiness in my abdomen along with the impression that if I didn’t go there would always be this regret with me. I took that for a revelation (still do) and jumped into the work of getting my papers in order.

The mission was good and the mission was bad. I feel that the “bad” parts were still useful to me in learning to deal with negative experiences. Anyway – I came to my decision in quiet contemplation with my HF/inner self and that for me has made all the difference.

Welcome to the site. :thumbup:

[Author]

Posts