The Mantle of a Missionary
Dear Elders and Sisters:
This week Sister Clark and my full-time missionary
experience will draw to a close. Leaving you, leaving Fresno with its
wonderful Saints, and removing our name tags will be one of the most difficult
things we will ever do. When you come to the end of your Missionary
service you too will be released and it will be time to leave the great CFM
with its wonderful Saints and you will remove your name tag as well. It
will be a very bitter/sweet experience. When you were set apart you
probably didn't feel a lot of change in or to you. Sure, Mom and Grandma
were crying, your Father probably shed a little tear as well that he was trying
to cover up, and your brother/sister smiled because they were about to get your
room and maybe some great clothes. But when you are released it will be
very different. You will feel something very profound, as if a weight was
lifted from you. It is the "Mantle of a Missionary" that was
placed upon you that will be "released" from you. It will be
significant, profound, moving, and spiritually unique. When it was placed
there, it was simple and nascent but as a result of your service you have made
it significant, profound, meaningful, weighty, and spiritually unique.
This significant and profound experience is not the spirit withdrawing but the
Lord bearing witness to you that what you did as a missionary, how you served,
how you exercised faith, exactly obeyed, loved your fellow man, and sought to
always have “His name on your lips” was significant, profound, meaningful,
weighty and important. It will have been life changing for many and this
especially includes you. I bear witness that as you serve this way the
Father and the Son will be very “well pleased” with you. You will feel
something of how much they appreciate your service in the significance of that
event. And you will hear and feel those wonderful, approving words of the
Savior; "Well done my good and faithful servant! Well done!"
And that utterance will be yours forever!
In our final interviews, you shared with me how you were
changed and some “Doctrinal Diamonds or Discoveries” that have and will affect
your life. Please continue to discover the doctrine through meaningful,
daily scripture study accompanied by prayer. It is how you “hold fast” to
the iron rod of the gospel and how the Spirit will be invited into your life to
be able to teach, comfort, reveal truth and ultimately sanctify you.
Also, I encourage you to remain close to your “My Plan” (when the time
comes for this) and challenge you to review it after you have arrived home.
Continue to refine it but most importantly to follow and live by it.
It will become something of an additional "Patriarchal
Blessing" to you as you do so.
I strongly encourage you to choose to ACT rather than
allow yourself to be acted upon. Be a servant and disciple who learns
correct principles and then governs self. Many are those who must be
commanded in all things or compelled. Please choose today to be one who
will ACT and choose to bless the lives of others as you continue to focus on
how you may best serve and love others more than self. This also has
something to do with your character and I will hope you will remember my recent
teaching on “The Transforming Power of Faith and Character” (Elder Scott) as a
guide to your life. Please note the central word in CharACTer (ACT) and
then “go to work so there is something for God to help you with” (Elder
Christofferson)
Lastly, set goals and make plans! You have learned
this and I promise you it was not just meant for your in-field experience.
It is a life skill that will be a great blessing to you – eternally if
you allow it to be. Consider setting an "Eternal Life Vision"
that will be your eternal goal. This will serve to dictate much of your
behavior and even serve to pre-determine the other goals you set and seek to
accomplish. My Eternal Life’s Vision” was exaltation no matter what and
once set, it became the guidepost and the standard that determined so many
other goals and behaviors in my life. Your Eternal Life’s Vision will be
a guidepost and a standard. It will have already determined where you
will marry, what kind of people you will date, what you will do with your
free time, what your commitment will be to the temple, the church, your family,
etc. It will become a filter to dictate what you watch and don’t watch on
TV and what movies you view and don’t view. It will determine where you
navigate on your computer and those things you will choose to absolutely abhor
and avoid. I promise you as you stay focused on the eternal nature of
your life and the divine nature of your origin, you will be guided, directed,
and prompted to be doing things that help you get where you desire to go eternally
and become who you are divinely appointed to become. Remember: "You
become what we want to be by consistently being what you want to become"
(Elder Scott). And most simply (I believe), always Worthily Obtain and Use a
Temple Recommend and you will receive Exaltation!
Sister Clark and I have absolutely loved serving with
you. It has been our pleasure, our blessing, and our honor to have been
here in the great CFM with you. We truly hope you will stay in touch and
keep us posted of all the great things you are doing and accomplishing as you
work through your Eternal Life's Vision. And most importantly, we invite
you to reach out to us if there is ever anything we can do to help you in your
journey back to Heavenly Father.
With all our love, esteem, respect, and admiration to
each of who for truly serving with No Regrets,
Sister Bonnie J Clark
President Jeffrey D Clark
