Should I Serve a Mission?

My story begins somewhere back when I was a child. I remember my family having family home evenings and singing the lyrics, “I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two.” I never actually grew that much, but that is irrelevant . . . Ever since I can remember, my parents have romanticized the idea of a mission. Not only my parents, but leaders as well. I would watch the movie The Best Two Years and imagine myself as a missionary. Afterall, the idea of missionary work is exciting. You get to go to a new place, meet new people, sometimes get to learn another language. You get power and authority to teach God’s word; and hopefully you get to make an impact in people’s lives for generations to come. It’s no wonder missionary work is romanticized. However, as many people come closer to age, the real implications of the matter come into play in the mind of a missionary. I will be behind on my college experience. I will miss my friends and family. I will be out of shape in running track for Southern Utah University (you fill in the sport and school). I will have to give up my savings for college. Or maybe even, I don’t want to give up my alone time.

I know a few of these crossed my mind. I didn’t even know that I would end up serving during a worldwide “pandemic of biblical proportions,” as Elder Holland describes it. I didn’t know that I wouldn’t ever return to Brazil after the pandemic. I didn’t know the irony of the statement: “I never want to be a Facebook missionary for long,” when I said it. It didn’t cross my mind that my sister would get married while I was away, and I wouldn’t get to participate.

Now, this all might sound sad, and discouraging, but my goal is to be real. You miss things, and you sacrifice things that you may not want to as a missionary but let me highlight my some of my experiences in a different light: one from the blessings.

~ “The blessings always outweigh the sacrifice.” – Mission President ~

I was nearing 9 months before I would leave on a mission, and frankly, I was excited, and not just a little bit. It was too far out to be nervous, however that did eventually come. As I was expressing my excitement and going about my life, my dad came to me with a journal in hand. It read: “Mission Journal of Michael Coombs – Bordeaux France.” He told me that he wanted to let me read his mission journals. I was astounded. I remember thinking I wouldn’t have wanted anyone to read my journals up until that point (as much as I kept them anyways; they were probably riddled with junior high crushes, and personal things). I undoubtedly accepted, and the next day, I started to read.

I had my own room in the basement of my house. There was one window with a rock wall window well that opened to the front of the house. I had a wooden desk that we stained dark ourselves when I was in the fourth grade. It was a little in front of the window, but facing towards the door of the room, at the opposite end. Previously, I had set a goal to finish the Book of Mormon before I left on my mission. This entailed studying for 30 minutes every day out of the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel.

I remember one particular January afternoon, I was sitting at my desk, and had just finished my personal study of the aforementioned materials. I pulled out the journal from a drawer and started to read its pages. I had intended only to read for a few minutes, but I was soon sucked into the story. Each week presenting its own challenges and miracles. Some gospel quotes were also included. Looking back, most of the days were very difficult in my dad’s mission. France, at the time, was a difficult country for the work. However, both the difficult and the daily miracles spiritually charged me for the work. I became so enthralled with preparing that I watched each of The District videos with my parents, who inserted their opinions on techniques that were good and a little poor on the missionary’s part.

However, what really helped the most to increase in desire was studying for 30 minutes each morning. Winter turned to Summer, and I frequented a metal deck table daily, which became a sacred place for me. I would feel the warm summer sun on my skin as I sat and studied to learn and to become. Remember, “I [was] a disciple of Jesus Christ.” (3 Nephi 5:13) I wasn’t just going to be when I got set apart. I soon received my mission call to leave on September 11th to serve in the Brazil Porto Alegre South Mission, Portuguese speaking. I did many things to prepare, but of all the things I did, these two simple things—Studying the good word of God in the Book of Mormon and hearing my dad’s mission stories—prepared me the most for what would become the best two years of my life (may I add . . . up until that point).

To tie in the end from the beginning, you will miss out on many things and face many trying experiences, but I invite you to consider 2 things:

Doctrine and Covenants 15:6 – And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:16 – . . . know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

In this blog/podcast I will attempt to bring in many miracles and personal experiences from a wide variety of people. My hope is that the same inspirational effect of stories can help one recognize the magnitude of momentum and testimony a mission provides for the rest of one’s life.

– Zander Coombs