I'm sorry that I have to put a damper on the holiday, but our car got towed last week and I need your help to pay about $275. We were parked on a street that needed to be street swept an hour into our two hour limit; the traffic here is awful!! It was so bad, we finished writing last Monday, and walked out to the street that we were parked on, prior to parking there, the street was stuffed full, and after, the whole street was empty. I just sat there and was like, "That makes sense, I do these kindof things":0 I know I haven't earned even a small amount of what I've spent on my mission, so I'm sorry and willing to work off this stuff as hard as I can after the mission!!
I have to say in response to XX not going on his mission, that a mission is a revelatory experience. So many expreiences were witnesses to me that I should serve a mission!! Dad, our family, everyone who was a positive influence in my life encouraged me to serve a mission. I tear up to hear your pleading questions, they show the purity of who you are; and that desire is the key to this service. A desire to know, things as they are, as they will be. truth. You want to help those around you to see the happiness in your life. As we live obediently, we have the ability to store up these truths in our thoughts.
At the beginning of my mission, I had desires to serve God, and I knew there was a need for my service (D&C 4)3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are calledto the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo,he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
But these desires weren't complete, because these were the beginning of serving a mission. I had a desire to declare the word of God, but I didn't realize that I didn't know it as the Lord does, or as missionaries do. Which isn't important to know everything, that's what faith is; acting on what we know is right or correct, even though we may not be complete. We need to be able to see the light of the Gospel.
D&C 11
21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.
22 But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation and then shall all things be added thereto.
As I was reading in 1 Nephi: 1-3. I saw how people are prepared to preach and serve God with their hearts. There is a pattern of having a witness of the Gospel, having a righteous desire from that, and acting on it, receiving your own witness that you later grow a desire and act upon. The consequence and impression that God has on us is powerful. His word enters in our heart faster than anything, than anything. It is His word, and it is compared to light! Light is fast. Lehi, in a vision, saw One descending from heaven, who prompted him to read a book. As he read the book, he was filled with the Spirit, and with Light. He goes and preaches to the people in Jerusalem as a result, even leaving the city and having more visions. He shares these visions with his children, and Nephi in (1Ne Chapter2) hearing these things, prays to understand his father's word. He prays to believe these things. He then gets an answer, and is prompted to read the scriptures. He moves on to preach to his brethren.
I simply went on my mission when I did, unaware of the relationship of my actions and desires; but I prayed, and knew that for sure, I could not stay any longer. The spirit called me and let me know that I would grow more and more as I humbled myself. Just as that simple prayer I said in the MTC, as I prayed for clarity, and committed to work my hardest, the Lord helps us see who we are! I would say that for (anyone) to prepare or to serve a mission, would be to invite him to read the Book of Mormon, and ask how I can know this is true. Missionaries that have been the most effective have had a deep testimony of the Book of Mormon! I have grown so much in my testimony of the BOM.
I know a lot of this doesn't make sense, but invite Aaron and Samuel, all those preparing to serve a mission to read the Book of Mormon daily, and pray about it. It could be for a minute, and it could be just one 1 Idea. But if they are sincere, the Lord will answer them!