Ethan's Farewell

Today was unofficially Ethan's farewell at church. Although he doesn't leave until June 23, he will only be in State College for one more Sunday, Fast Sunday in June, so it was now or never today.

It was such a beautiful meeting, and yes, mine is a completely biased opinion. I don't know if many people think of Mother's Day and missionary work together, but amazingly everything came together in the meeting, like it was "supposed" to be. There were two Mother's day talks and the Primary sang a Mother's day song (always a hit). In between, Ethan sang a gorgeous duet with his friend, Randy Hulet, who leaves for his mission to England a few weeks after Ethan. It was called "Write Thy Name Upon My Heart", and Mark played his horn with them. Usually I write my own arrangements for the kids, but with the exception of Mark transposing his music for the F horn, it was already completely and beautifully arranged. I have already had a couple of requests from different people for a copy of them singing and playing together, so as a surprise for Randy's mother (and my friend), we're going to record it in a studio and give it away. When I do, I'll be sure and post it.

There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel. Both of the boys were just glowing with that special missionary glow, and they aren't even set apart as missionaries. It just goes to show that they are prepared for what they will do. There was no better Mother's day gift to me that that.

Then, Ethan gave the best talk I have ever heard from him. It was spiritual and thoughtful and touching. One funny thing about Ethan is that he NEVER cries, no matter how emotional a moment is for him. It drives me up the wall at times, because I think that he's not feeling anything, but it's not that. However, today, when he surprised me, and started talking about me, he got all emotional. I had already accompanied through tears, and by the time he got emotional, I was a crying mess. I know it's not the same to read a talk, but here it is:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

I don’t know if Randy feels this way, but for me, actually coming to the point where I’m going on a mission is kind of unbelievable. I have always known that I was going to go on a mission. It just wasn’t something that ever considered not doing. My friends at school or even my professors would be slightly incredulous whenever I told them. “You’re going to stop going to school for two years to go try and get people to join your church?” was something that I heard a lot, although most people supported me in my decision. However, as these verses showed, missionary work is a commandment called from God, and I know that it is the right thing to do.

This past year has been an amazing year in terms of personal preparation for my mission. Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with opportunities to learn and teach the gospel, and I have received a testimony of certain things as a result. I am so grateful for Ether 12: 6, because it has been an excellent teaching tool and a comfort: "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." There were a lot of things this year that originally were extremely frustrating. However, looking back on those experiences, they really helped me understand the gospel better.

Earl C. Tingey, a former member of the presidency of the Seventy (and incidentally the Washington D.C. temple president) gave a talk titled: “Missionary Service” in the April 1998 General Conference that addressed those who were preparing to go on missions, and suggested several ways in which they could prepare themselves to go on a mission. When I found this talk, I was so excited, because a lot of what President Tingey had to say was very relevant to what I have experienced, and I wanted to elaborate further on some of his ideas.

First, secure your individual testimony of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Know for yourself that you hold the priesthood and that Jesus Christ is your Savior.

This is the first topic that Elder Tingey suggests for a reason. It is the cornerstone of who a missionary is, and much of their success as a missionary hinges upon their testimony of Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in the lessons that you as a missionary are teaching, will you be able to help others come to the knowledge of the gospel? It would certainly be more difficult, if not impossible.

There was a particular experience that happened at school that truly strengthened the way I felt about the Atonement and my testimony of the truthfulness of the plan of salvation. I have a very close friend named Dan who lived across the hall from me. We usually got along really well, and if we were upset at each other, we got over it really quickly and moved on. However, about two months ago he overheard me say something that directly affected him, and as a result he completely stopped talking to me. Whereas before most of my time was spent hanging out in his room, he would leave if I walked in and avoided any contact with me. Only after he had a few days to think about things could Dan forgive me. While this was an extremely rough couple of days, it taught me a lot about the repentance process and the beauty of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us.
Without the Atonement, if we sinned, it wouldn’t matter how sorry we were about what he have done or how much we would want to take it back. What we would have done is wrong, and there is no way that it could ever be wiped away as if it had never happened. Only with the help of Jesus Christ could those sins be forgiven, and be wiped away so that the Lord “remembers them no more.” This strengthened my testimony so much that the only way to return to Heavenly Father is through Jesus Christ. As Jesus told Thomas: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Study and ponder the Book of Mormon to the point where you can declare that it was received by Joseph Smith from the angel Moroni and that the Prophet Joseph translated the book from the golden plates.

My Book of Mormon became one of my most treasured possessions while I was at school. Because of the variety of things that were going on around me, often reading my Book of Mormon was one of the best ways to strengthen me spiritually. Also, writing in my journal became one of my favorite things to do. It was a way for me to unwind at the end of the day, as well as record any spiritual experiences that I may have had. Often, one of the best things for me was that I wrote in my journal after I read my scriptures, and could record any impressions I had received. Spencer W. Kimball once stated: “Your private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and wrongness of actions will always be relevant. Your journal, like most others, will tell of problems as old as the world and how you dealt with them.” Even while writing this talk, I looked back to my journal for inspiration. However, returning to scripture study, it is the way through which we can receive the word of God, and through which we can know of the Lord’s will. For missionaries, for whom so much is dependant upon their ability to communicate with God and receive impressions from him, scripture study is vital.

Pay your tithes and offerings so that you can bear witness of this great principle of the gospel. Save money so that you can serve a mission. A mission is not free, and each missionary should expect to financially contribute towards the cost of his mission.

This is something that I think most of us struggle with to an extent. I know personally whenever I look at my tithing at the end of the year, it is usually a fair amount of money that I could have used to but things that would certainly be nice to have. Also, my friends at school thought it was crazy that I gave ten percent of my total income to my church, merely because we were told that was what we were supposed to do. However, I always find the following passage in Malachi to be particularly helpful.
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

The key phrase in this is the word prove me. Heavenly Father is essentially daring the members of the church to pay their tithing so that they can see what comes from following this particular commandment. I have to tell you, whenever I hear that phrase, I think of the Dark Ages with knights and kings. When knights would issue a challenge, they would throw one of their gauntlets at the feet of their opponent. I can just see this knight throwing his gauntlet at the feet of someone and issuing the challenge: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts!” Just as knights issued their challenges to their opponents, Heavenly Father challenges us to pay our tithing to see if he will fulfill his side of the bargain, and pour out blessings upon us that there will not be room enough to receive it.

Having a testimony of this principle as a missionary is so important, because it is something with which a new member might struggle. If a missionary has personal examples of blessings they have received because of tithing, it makes the principle easier to teach and gives the new member support. Also, paying for part of my mission makes it more than just something that I’m doing through the paycheck of my parents. Instead, it is a sacrifice to give up all of that money to serve the Lord, and is a lesson in working hard to do the Lord’s will.

Finally, because it is Mother’s day, I wanted to discuss the importance of mothers in preparing a young man to go on a mission. I went to EFY for two years, and the song that is the “theme song” of EFY has two parts. One is the women’s part, which comes from the hymn: “Sisters of Zion.” However, the men’s part comes from a Primary song: “We’ll bring the World His Truth.” (We have been born as Nephi of old, to goodly parents who love the Lord, We have been taught, and we understand, that we must do as the Lord commands. We are as the armies of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And we will be the Lord’s missionaries to bring the world his truth.) The armies of Helaman were taught by their mothers that if they would never doubt God, he would deliver them. My mother has been the most influential person in my life, and so much of the person I am today is because of her. I have to say, one of the scariest things about the possibility of not going on a mission for me was the idea that I would have to face my mom and seeing the disappointment in her eyes. On the flip side, it is absolutely wonderful to see how happy she is that I am making correct choices. Last week I had the opportunity to go to the temple with my mom, and one of the best parts of the day was how happy my mom was to do family names with me. I am so grateful for her, and all priesthood holders should respect the women in their lives, who do so many things for us that we don’t even recognize.
(Testimony)

After this, the bishop got up and read from Doctrine and Covenants 31:

3 Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare aglad tidings of great joy unto this generation.

7 Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you.
8 And you shall strengthen them and prepare them against the time when they shall be gathered.
9 Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile.

11 Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go.
12 Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward.
13 Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you.

I can't think of more appropriate and more beautiful counsel.

I feel overwhelmingly grateful for the amazing people my children are becoming. They are truly a gift to me from the Lord.