Good Morning!
Fair warning, I have been planning this and the next two emails for most of my missionary service. This will be a powerful opportunity to reflect on what I've learned as a missionary and share some of those thoughts with you.
To start off, I want to share a few memorable highlights from this week!
I had my final Zone Conference and I'm very proud of the testimony I bore. As a departing missionary this transfer I was given the privilege of sharing my testimony right before lunch. I made it through without crying, but I could feel the emotion and spiritual weight I'd been carrying for the last 2 1/2 years very acutely. Those were some of the longest 3.5 minutes of my life. But overall it was great to see a bunch of missionaries and watch them continue to grow!
We have a housing lead in Minersville, and I think it's going to work out. We might move in there next week, which means I might be packing one week earlier than I expected.
And I've officially been in two vehicle wrecks! This is what we sent Sister Staples because of all the miracles we experienced.
"After Zone Conference we were finishing a lesson in Minersville and headed to our next lesson in Beaver, about 20 minutes away. About 2 minutes into our drive we enter a shallow, winding canyon. We make one of the first bends just to find a small herd of deer crossing the road! We are unable to stop in time, totaling the front end of the car and killing two deer in the process.
"Thankfully the Lord placed a wonderful family in our path. They helped clear the road, take care of the deer, and even gave us a ride to our next appointment! Everyone was very understanding and our ride gave us plenty of tips on how to avoid deer in the future. We even picked up the brother of the girl we were teaching in the lesson! Tender mercies were very evident in this experience, despite our hardships. Trust the Lord to always watch over you!"
I hope my unfortunate recent driving record doesn't carry over after the mission! We'll just have to wait and see, but for your information I was not the driver in either circumstance. Hopefully that has some bearing.
Richard was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! The baptism experience for everyone is always different, yet I feel that in recent months I've had the privilege of participating in some very interesting baptisms. Allow me to explain.
Our first lesson with Richard began with him stating that he doesn't believe in religion. Yet by the end he'd decided of his own volition that God needed him to be baptized. A week later we set him on-plan (partly for consistency and partly because he got sick) for March 30th. We were fairly confident he would make that date.
For privacy reasons, I won't share some of his struggles. Just know that Richard has been through the legal system a lot and has finally settled down some, and changed a lot of his life around. When we teach people we run through various commandments, each of which can be a struggle for the friends we teach. Yet every time we brought one up, Richard would seek to understand it, and then as we continued discussing the gospel the Spirit would just speak to him, and he'd agree to live everything we shared. I was impressed by his dedication.
One commandment was more of a struggle for Richard, and it wasn't one I was expecting. After our discussion last week Wednesday (the 20th) I wasn't sure if Richard was even going to be baptized. But we helped organize people to assist his mother as she moved from St. George to Cedar City, and told Richard to reach out to his Bishop.
At some point in the 45 minute discussion Bishop and Richard have, the decision is made by Richard himself to accept the commandment and move forward. His words were "Bishop, I want to be baptized but I just don't know how I'm supposed to live this!" His sincerity is a lesson for all of us on the focus of our lives. Despite challenges in our way, if we choose to follow Christ and do what's right, he can help our challenges and concerns become bearable, "that even you cannot feel them upon your backs" (Mosiah 24:15).
Richard passes his interview just fine, and is ready for Saturday. The only catch is he shows up about 25 minutes late and the person doing his baptism is 200 miles away on a family emergency! So Bishop calls another one of Richard's friends in the ward and he shows up 20 minutes later. Also, none of the jumpsuits were larger than an XL, so we improvised! This was one of those experiences where we had to take it step by step, otherwise it could be very easy to overstress.
Also both Richard and us as the missionaries were almost late to his confirmation. But it's okay! That worked out as well. It's impressive the miracles the Lord can work in our lives, even when we aren't sure how He will accomplish everything. This past weekend was definitely a faith promoting opportunity for me.
You hear about having a white Christmas all the time. Yesterday Beaver had a white Easter, but Minersville & Milford just had a wet one. I guess you could add that to a bucket list?
Now for the thought provoking portion of my email.
I usually don't mention why I choose specific titles for my emails. Often I'll leave the determining factor up to you as the reader and let you see the hidden themes. Today I am choosing to focus on questions that have strengthened my vision as a missionary, and a few individuals (though this list is by far incomplete) who have changed my missionary efforts for the better.
So I suppose these are some of my own Forgotten Carols.
As I begin, let it be clear that I love and revere every one of my companions. Each has been a powerful influence in my life, and taught me more about the gospel and myself. Yet the companion I continue to reference throughout my missionary experience has been Elder Bailey.
Elder Nelson Bailey finished his mission in October 2022, and I was only his companion for a brief 6 weeks. During the first week or two I was very aware that he would be setting the trend for the rest of my missionary labors. He did a fantastic job of setting me straight and establishing a vision for me. I don't remember much of what he said, but the feel that he was focused, driven, and knew how to work will stay with me forever. Here are a couple quotes I've reflected on.
"You can't have high love w/o high expectations, and high love w/o high expectations is just a waste of time." - Elder Bailey
"You've got two years to do this full time. Every word you don't say you won't get back and every word you do say prepares you for the next." - Elder Bailey
While both are true, I have without a doubt seen the validity in that second quote. I learned that as I spoke and taught the gospel, it prepared me for the next contact and lesson. As I refrained, my abilities as a missionary would begin to stagnate. It is from Elder Bailey that my desire for constant and never ending improvement began to really take shape.
Elder Carter Garland is a missionary that I wish I'd spent some more time around, yet I'm grateful for the time I had with him. He was the Zone Leader in my first transfer, when I was going through all the emotions of learning I'd be sent home.
I still remember being at a Zone Gathering on Christmas of 2021. I was standing on the edge of the Ephraim Institute common room and watching everyone enjoy the celebration. Elder Garland approached me and invited me to join him and his group of people. I don't remember what we did, but what stuck with me was the feeling I had of being included, and loved.
Later, in my second transfer back in the mission, I was present for Elder Garland's departing testimony. I don't remember many exact quotes, but I have a clear recollection of his devotion to the love of God and his enthusiasm for that Christlike attribute. His love opened my eyes to ways I could, and needed to, grow in my love for missionaries, the friends we teach, and the members we work with.
One could say that I learned high expectations from Elder Bailey, and high love from Elder Garland (and a number of missionaries after him, including Elder Tommy Eskelsen, Elder Jackson Dearing, and Elder Adam Mason).
Sister Brooke Hales is a missionary I served around during my first transfer as a District Leader. For me, it was an honor and a privilege to serve near her because she began her mission the same time I did, and because of her wonderful wisdom. She has been home for exactly a year next week-ish. I was a part of her email list for her last few months as a missionary, which helped me gain some insight into her life. I must say, her reactions and feelings towards heading home are very similar to my own.
I find myself reflecting on her third to last email. It was titled "Weeks are going fast" and sent on 3/20/2023. This is one quote I will borrow from her email.
"It's the most desperate times when we listen for His voice the most."
- Sister Hales (04/09/23)
A powerful skill I've learned is the importance of heeding the Spirit. As I've done so, I have been blessed. If I was aware of the missed opportunities I had because I ignored the Spirit, then I'd likely be a lot more hard on myself. Regardless, I know that when I listen to the Spirit I am blessed, and those around me are blessed even more. His influence is powerful, even irreplaceable, in the process of conversion.
Sister Hales is on this email list. I pray that she will permit me to use some of her own words to express my own thoughts:
"I've been a great instrument in the work of God.
I've been so sad to leave.
I've been ready to go.
I've been excited to move forward.
I've realized this journey is almost through.
"This has been my life.... and I wouldn't change it for the world.
"When I got on that plane to fly here I did not realize or even comprehend the friends I would meet, the places I would go, the hard companions that I now love, and the memories I would HOLD ONTO FOREVER."
I can testify to what she's shared. These experiences are shared by most missionaries, yet are individual and personal in nature. I share her words because I don't know how else I would appropriately express myself. She continues with;
"In 5 years it will be someone else's mission, someone else's friends, someone else's life, and I joy over the fact that they too will have the experiences that they need. But mine, mine continues. And I don't know where but I'm so excited to find out.
"Now I'm sure that weeks after returning home I will miss this. I will wish it was back, I will want to be there in those moments again. I'm not saying I'm totally ready, but I have been prepared for a very long time to come to know my Savior as I do now. And I will continue to learn Him and His ways even more as I continue on this path He has for me."
Her certainty is my certainty. Her carol, along with Elder Bailey and Elder Garland, will be treasured forever.
My final missionary carol I will share comes from Elder Neal Beaudette. I was never companions with him, yet I feel a special bond. We served together significantly for a solid 4 transfers, and I had the opportunity to go on a number of exchanges with him. His sincerity and joy regarding missionary work has been such a strength for me. I'd always seen him from afar in the mission universe, yet when I finally came to know him I was very impressed by his strength of character and integrity to the gospel.
I place this focus on Elder Beaduette because of the energy he provided me, and because of what I've learned. He's become a very dear friend, one who I'd trust to carry a lot.
Allow me to now share some hidden forgotten carols that come in the form of questions. I've been suitably impressed by these thoughts over the course of my missionary experience and I'm grateful for the motivation they provided me.
What changes do I see from serving a mission?
What vision do I now have?
Who did I become?
I will reference Elder Kevin W. Pearson: I learned that I am not just a baseball player (or in this case a writer) who is doing missionary work. I learned that I am and have become a disciple of Jesus Christ, engaged in the most perfect work of all time. My personal joy is to be the best instrument in the hands of God that I can be. I have come to treasure opportunities to serve God's children.
What kind of home life do I expect to have, and how will I incorporate my missionary skills to enable it?
My desire is to focus on personal scripture study and learning, and be engaged in service to my Father and His children. I love the art of planning, discipline, and organization. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to counsel with another child of God, to not only teach but to learn from every interaction.
If you were sent home from your mission right now, what would you regret the most?
This comes from Diego Bradley, a member who I came to respect a lot during my time in Ephraim. At the time I said I'd regret going home, because I've been through that and know that I have so much more potential to accomplish while out. Now, with a broader perspective, I feel that my answer has changed. I'd regret not taking more time to understand how the Spirit speaks to me, both in daily life and through the scriptures. A mission is a rare opportunity in life to serve God with everything I have. It's the perfect time to learn how to Hear Him as well.
What's the 1 or 2 things I've learned as a missionary that I want incorporated into the rest of my life?
What will I do to ensure I don't lose these things?
This comes from President Wankier, a counselor in the mission presidency. I've given some thought to his questions and what they mean for me. Here is my reply:
1. I want to retain a consistent study of my scriptures, and by default better maintain a love for learning the gospel.
I plan to accomplish this by setting reminders to read the scriptures, as well as planning my days so that I have even just 15 minutes to do so.
2. Establishing a focus is powerful! It provides needed direction and helps mark goals to enable one to progress, spiritually and temporally.
My current plan is to take some time on Sundays and ponder on the previous week, and the coming one. As I do this I want to make sure that I track goals to move forward in my life, and that I can evaluate my spiritual growth. I desire to continue seeking constant and never ending improvement.
“Live your life such that when you need a blessing, you can approach the father in righteousness instead of mercy and he will bless you!” - President Gordon B. Hinckley
This is a quote President Staples, my mission president, shared with me during interviews after Zone Conference. In short, I believe it is powerful to seek repentance and change in one's life. Yet it is perhaps more powerful to live a righteous life and seek the Father's aid. As we keep the commandments, we are promised blessings for our obedience and we can count on those to come, whether in this life or the next!
I suppose, in closing, it is time to focus on a forgotten carol of my own. This comes from my final email sent from home, before I jumped back into my missionary experiences.
"Farewell, and off to St. George! Thank you for all your support, I'm ready and won't be looking back for a long time. I've worked too hard for this opportunity to waste it now."
(Email titled 'Once Upon the Stars', 5/9/2022)
I have lived these words to the best of my ability, and then some. I can confidently say that I have not squandered my time as a missionary, but have rather chosen to utilize it in every way I knew how. I've grown tremendously for the past 2 1/2 years. Now that the time to return home is fast approaching, I am beyond grateful for this time the Lord allotted me to serve in His vineyard. I testify that this work is true, missionary service is the most powerful opportunity I could have chosen to participate in thus far in my life, and the gospel truly heals the wounded soul.
Perhaps now you have a stronger glimpse into the character of my soul, and the longings of my heart. I know that whatever happens in life, I cannot leave my testimony, this growing conversion, of Jesus Christ and His gospel. There are hundreds more forgotten carols than the ones I've shared here. I trust the Holy Ghost to bring them to my remembrance throughout my life.
- Elder Williams
Pictures:
1. This is the car after it kissed 2 deer. Compare that to the deer after it kissed a car.
2. Elder Jakobsen!
3. Elder Bagley!
4. Richard at his baptism!
5. Saturday night visits with Coburn Bradshaw!
6. This truck was so close to a beautiful name.
7. Zone Conference Lunch.
8. The Zone Conference picture!
9. Lunch at Zone Conference!
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