My farewell talk

I have always thought I wanted to serve a mission, I admired the young men I saw leave their families for two years to serve. But I'm going to be honest, as I got closer to the age of a missionary I finally realized how hard it was to decide between school and college life versus serving a mission.  When I was a little boy I dreamed of going to New Zealand on my mission.  Once I even told my mom, “If I don’t get to go to New Zealand, I’m not going!”  When I eventually did put in my papers to serve a mission, I was prepared for pretty much anywhere.  I knew that I would be sent wherever I’m needed most.  Apparently the Lord needs me in the Philippines.  Since receiving my call I’ve learned a lot about the Filipino people and I’m looking forward to serving them.

I’ve been working to prepare for my mission for a long time.  When I was a little boy in primary I sung “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission” and I meant it.  I’ve always felt that it would be a privilege to go on a mission. I believe that it is my responsibility to help others learn what I know.

My preparation for a mission has come from Primary, Young Mens, Scouts, Seminary, my family, and from my friends.  I have read the scriptures, attended family home evening, mission prep classes and temple prep classes.  I have read many books and listened to talks in conference and church meetings.  All of these have helped me prepare for my mission.  These things, along with my mission will help prepare me to be a better son, husband, father, friend and teacher.  These experiences have all blessed me in so many ways.  

In April’s General Priesthood Session, President Thomas S. Monson gave a message titled “Preparation Brings Blessings”  In this talk, he suggested that young men prepare for mission service by living the standards published in “For the Strength of Youth”.  This booklet provides basic standards to help young people make good decisions.  The first presidency has promised us that if we keep these standards, we will have greater wisdom and skill and that we will bear trials with greater courage.  They also promise that the youth who follow the guidance will have the help of the Holy Ghost.  They will feel good about themselves and will be positive influences in the life of others.  They will also be worthy to go to the temple.  These are great blessing that are promised to the youth who keep the standards outlined in the Strength for the Youth pamphlet.  The traits in For the Strength of the Youth include Agency & Accountability, Gratitude, Education, Family, Friends, Dress & Appearance, etc.   

In addition to “For the Strength of the Youth”, I have often used the guidelines outlined in President Gordon B. Hinckley’s book “Way to Be”. The “B’s” includes nine qualities that will help prepare you to be the best you can be.

The first “Be” is, “Be Grateful”. Given that so many of the talks at this last conference focused on gratitude and that this is the Thanksgiving season, we should be especially grateful for all the wonderful blessings that are ours. We should be thankful for the tremendous opportunities that we might have. We should be thankful for our parents, who care so much about you and have worked so very hard to provide for you. In most cases, there are no people who care more about you than your parents. We should thank the Lord. Thank him for his great example. Read about him and read his words. Read them quietly and ponder them.  Our gratitude will encourage others to be grateful in return.

This seems like a good time for me to tell my parents… I love you more than you can know. My parents work so hard to allow me to have anything I could ever want. But I have actually been blessed by the lord with multiple sets of wonderful parents! My friends parents played a huge role in my life and I want to thank them so much! Macy and Breck, you mean the world to me.  Brittney, even though I like to tease you, I think you are amazing and I’ll miss you.  You’ll be a young women when I get home!    I’m grateful for my grandparents.  You all have set an example of unconditional love and service.  Thank you.  To my extended family…. Uncles, aunts and cousins, you’ve taught me more than you’ll ever know.  I enjoy our camp outs and get-togethers so much.  I admire you so much and I’ll look forward to seeing what you’ll accomplish while I’m gone.  I’m especially thankful for those teachers who put up with me in Primary, Young Mens, Seminary and Scouts.  I probably didn’t show my appreciation at the time, but I hope you’ll know that I really do appreciate all that you done to help me. I have many good friends and neighbors that I need to thank.  You know who you are!  Thank you for being there and for your support.  I’m especially grateful for my friend’s parents who treated me like their own.  And for Mandy who taught me and several of my friends mission prep.  Your gift to us missionaries will bless many, many people in the Philippines, Nicaragua, Mississippi, South Africa and throughout the world.  Thank you all for coming today.      

The second “Be”, is “Be Smart”.  We need all the education we can get. Sacrifice anything that is needed to be sacrificed to do the work of the world. The world will, in large measure, pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field. Train your mind and your hands to become an influence for good as you go forward with your life. As you do so, you will bring honor to yourself and to your family. Be smart, don’t be foolish. Be wise preparing for what lies ahead. It matters not whether you choose to be a businessman, a professor, a carpenter, a computer programmer, a doctor, or to follow any other honorable vocation. The important thing is that you qualify to be useful to society. It is so easy to become a druggie or dropout but On the other hand, it is so challenging and so satisfying to become a producer or builder-of not only building or careers, but lives. You don’t have to be a genius to do great things. The important work of the world is done, for the most part, by ordinary people who do their work in an extraordinary way.

The third “B” is "Be Involved".  When I say be involved I mean be involved in good works. Or, in other words, be willing to work. Most of us tend to be inherently lazy. We would rather play than work. We would rather loaf than work. A little play and a little loafing are good from time to time but it is work that spells the difference in the life of a man or woman.

In this book President Hinckley shares a story of when he was serving his mission in England. He and his companion have doors slammed in their faces, dogs chase them and they experience numerous other distractions.  President Hinckley began to think his time and money would be better spent working back at home. He wrote his father a letter with his concerns and his father wrote back a simple letter. It read. “Dear Gordon; I received your letter. I have only one suggestion- forget yourself and go to work.” ..I know there will be times I feel like this as well but I will try to use Pres. Hinckley’s fathers advice.

The fourth “Be” is “Be Clean”. Everything is better when it is clean. And that includes the way we live our lives. Sometimes it may be hard to maintain a clean atmosphere. Dirt is in movies, it is on TV, it is in the radio, it is in popular literature. We cannot afford to watch or listen to it. Avoid it. We can’t watch or listen to degrading things without expecting them to affect us in destructive ways.  

The fifth “B”, is “be true”. Be true to who you are. Be true to the parents. Be true to the family.  Be true to your friends. But most of all be true to yourself.  President Monson said “whenever a difficult decision must be made, never ask yourself “what will others think”, but rather “what will I think of myself?” 

The sixth “Be” is “be positive”. Wise is a man or woman who can acknowledge mistakes and become better as a result. Don’t always be looking for the dark side of life. Look for the good. There is so much of the sweet and the decent and the positive to build upon. Cultivate an attitude of optimism. Know that god is watching over you, that he will hear your prayers and will answer them, that he loves you.

The seventh “Be” is “be humble”. I’m sorry to my friends, they wont like this section but I have to read it! If we are without conceit and pride and arrogance we can be taught. What greater thing could we ask for? I learned much about humility while playing sports.  I learned that being humble does not mean being weak, it means being teachable.  Being humble doesn’t require us to be trampled upon. It means acknowledging where our strengths and abilities come from. It also means recognizing that we are not here on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much of a difference we can make in the lives of others.  I have also learned about humility from the examples of Bishop Bennett, Bishop Bundy and from Brother Kurt Nelson and Brother Bri Leavitt.  I’m grateful for your humble service and I hope that someday I’ll be able to serve others like each of you serve. 

The eight “Be” is “Be Still”. The world is so noisy. There are voices everywhere trying to influence us. We all need time to think. We need to drown out the clamor and noise and just be quiet. We need time to ponder, and to contemplate the deeper things of life. Sometimes our lives are just so busy, we run from one thing to another. Get up from surfing one more web site, from watching one more TV show and spend a little time reading and thinking and simply being still.  My dad has taught me to love the lakes and mountains.  To love wildlife and to experience nature.  I find it easy to “Be Still” when I’m in the mountains. 

The last “B” is “Be Prayerful”. We cannot do it alone. We need God’s help. We all come to realize this as we experience trials. We need to live so that with a good conscience we can speak with God. We can thank him and express to him our desires.  Prayer will change your life and bring you peace. It will give you direction and guidance. I like to think of prayer as having a conversation with my father.... only this conversation is with my father in heaven.

President Hinkley in his book “Way to Be” and President Monson in his address to the General Priesthood session both emphathsize that preparation brings blessings.  I can testify that I’ve been blessed when I’ve followed these simple guidelines. Happiness comes from living the way the Lord wants you to live and from service to God and others.   

D&C 64:33 states:

“Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing for ye are laying the foundations of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”

It is my prayer that we will each be adequately prepared for what lies ahead.  That we will use the essential standards our Heavenly Father has given us to guide our lives toward good.  That we will be worthy of the blessings promised us.

Testimony