"It is Not Requisite that a Man Should Run Faster than He has Strength"

We live in a culture that often pushes people to do things quickly; "Hurry up and get married," or "Hurry up and have lots of kids."  And now, with the recent change in missionaries ages, there may be some who are saying "Hurry up and go on a mission."  I read last week about a young man who was about to leave on his mission, his farewell was scheduled for this Sunday.  Instead of a farewell, however, his family had to prepare for a funeral.  Apparently the pressure of going on a mission was too great, for this young man took his own life.  A family that was preparing to say goodbye, will never see their son or brother come home.

One of the reasons I started this blog is my belief that too often we do a lousy job of preparing young men and women to serve missions.  Too many missionaries quit and go home early because they were not prepared to handle the rigors of a mission.  Too many missionaries quit but stay in the field, wasting their time and their parents' money.

I had a companion tell me that he wrote to a friend back home that if he didn't like the MTC that he should go home because it wasn't going to get any better.  I wrote to some friends that "It gets better or worse depending completely on your attitude."  While that is true, our attitude may be determined by how adequately prepared we are when we enter the MTC.  As the saying goes, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."  If we fail to prepare adequately, we may only be prepared to fail.

Missionaries should go into a mission with their eyes wide open.  Serving a mission is difficult; it may be one of the hardest things you ever do, but it may also be the best thing you ever do.  The work is often hard, and sometimes seemingly unrewarding.  There will be some missionaries, including some companions, who will be difficult to get along with.  There will be days or weeks when you will feel that you are being stretched to the limit.  If you have the right attitude, it will all be worth it as the rewards for the faithful servant are many.

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18:15-16)

I have called my mission the university of my life.  I learned more about life in those two short years than I have in all the years before or since.  I faced many trials and persevered.  I worked hard and when I was done I felt to say as Paul did that I had kept the faith and finished the race.  I look back now and recall as the best times those when we were working hard, even when we were having appointments cancel on us left and right.

The news about the change in missionary ages was wonderful, but don't feel like you have to hurry up and go.  Don't let anyone, even your parents, put too much pressure on you.  Parents, don't push your kids to leave before they are ready.

If the age for young men had been 18 when I graduated from high school, I could have left that summer, but I was not ready to do so.  I was attending an excellent missionary prep program, and during the month of August I felt that I could do nothing right when teaching mock discussions or role playing objections.  The adversary was working on me hard, trying to discourage me from going on a mission.

As we read in the Book of Mormon, there is opposition in all things; you can expect some opposition as you prepare to serve.  you certainly don't need the people around you, at home or at church, to put even more pressure on you.  In the end, this is between you and your Father in Heaven, and if you can be satisfied that you are working hard as you prepare, at your own pace -- within reason -- then you can tune out the voices that are telling you to hurry.  You can also tell the adversary to "Get thee hence."

It is important to remember that while they changed the ages for missionaries so that some can leave sooner, young men can still leave as late as when they are 25 -- there is no limit for young women.  So, as long as you are not dawdling or otherwise wasting time, you can be assured that you have plenty of time to prepare to serve.  If you're not ready at 18, that's okay, maybe next year, or the one after.  But be careful that you don't wait too long.

There was an elder in my mission who prepared to serve at 19, he put his papers in and received his call -- to the California San Jose Mission.  But he balked; as a small town kid he felt that he could not handle serving in a big city.  He asked to be released from his calling at that time, and this was granted.  Then, at age 25, staring the age limit in the face, he put his papers in again, and was called to . . . the California San Jose Mission.  He might have been a little nervous, still, at the idea of serving in a big city, but he answered the call and served his two years faithfully and well.

As King Benjamin said, we do not need to run faster than we have strength, but we should not take a casual approach either -- we should at least be running. Remember the tortoise and the hare, "Slow and steady wins the race."

 We should always ask if we can do more, and then we should stretch ourselves to do it.  We may not reach the goal, but we will have made the effort and gained from it, and maybe the next time we will reach the goal.  If we continue to fall short we should humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father, and exercise faith in Jesus Christ, then might we be lifted up to do more than we thought we could, because His grace is sufficient to make weak things become strong.