It’s never been a question for me whether or not I’d serve a mission. Ever since I was little I loved to hear my dad tell stories about his mission to Peru. He loves talking about it all the time. Whether it was great teaching experiences and/or other times where he knew the Spirit was guiding him.
When I was in preschool one day, as a project we were asked by our teachers several questions, including what we wanted to be when we grew up. I proudly told my teachers I wanted to be a missionary. They included that question and answer in a small book, which I still have today.
It also helped me when I was in late elementary school to have a brother and a sister who served missions. I look up to my siblings a lot since they’re all so much older than me, and seeing them go out when I was 8-10 years old has really made me want to be just like them. You older siblings have a much larger effect on the littler ones than you realize and I wanted to thank mine for their examples.
There are many scriptures that talk about missionary work. In Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 (which I know missionaries used to have to memorize the whole thing) verse 3 says “Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work” not unlike John 14:15 when Jesus says “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” If we love Jesus, we keep His commandments, and if we have a desire to serve God, which I think is taking it a step further than simply loving and appreciating Christ, a desire to give back to God for everything that He and Jesus have done for all mankind, we need to take part in this great work, the work of missionaries, if we are able. There are many ways to serve others without serving a mission, but I still strongly believe that especially at this time in my life, if we love God and have a desire to serve Him, that a mission is one of the best ways if not the best way to show that love and devotion.
President Nelson has always emphasized missionary work and pretty much affirms what I just said in his talk in the April 2022 General Conference. He said “Every person who has made covenants with God has promised to care about others and serve those in need. We can demonstrate faith in God and always be ready to respond to those who ask about the hope that is in us. Each of us has a role to play in the gathering of Israel… Today I reaffirm strongly that the Lord has asked every worthy, able young man to prepare for and serve a mission. For Latter-Day Saint young men, missionary service is a priesthood responsibility. You young men have been reserved for this time when the promised gathering of Israel is taking place. As you serve missions, you play a pivotal role in this unprecedented event… Dear young friends you are each vital to the Lord. He has held you in reserve until now to help gather Israel. Your decision to serve a mission… will bless you and many others.”
“All missionaries teach and testify of the Savior. The spiritual darkness in the world makes the light of Jesus Christ needed more than ever. Everyone deserves the chance to know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Every person deserves to know where they can find the hope and peace that pass all understanding.”
I also have always loved Ammon’s story in the book of Alma. Whenever I thought about missionary work growing up, that was the first thing that would pop into my mind. There’s obviously at least a couple differences between what he did to convert large groups of the Lamanites and what we’re asked to do today, but in Alma 17:23-25 says, “Ammon said unto him: I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die. / And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife. / But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant. Therefore Ammon became a servant to King Lamoni.” Just as Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni, we are as missionaries to serve the people in the ward we are assigned to work in. Ammon was offered to be essentially a prince of sorts by marrying one of Lamoni’s daughters, but he recognized that it was against his purpose and simply served as a distraction. He was there to show the people of king Lamoni the power of God, and the best way for him, and for us in our day, to do so is to humble ourselves and simply serve the best we can. His service changed king Lamoni’s heart and in chapter 18 he was willing to be taught.
After we get past more of Ammon’s story like him cutting off the arms of the Lamanite attackers, to many being overcome with the Holy Ghost and falling in prayer as if they were dead, to the great conversion of king Lamoni’s father, the king of all the surrounding land, when Ammon freed his brothers from prison; after all these miracles, Ammon and his brethren did not always see success. There were groups of the descendants of Nephite dissenters living among the Lamanites, the Amalekites and Amulonites. In chapter 23 it says only one Amalekite was converted, and no Amulonites were at all; I realize that a mission at times will be difficult, everyone has their agency. In the header of the first chapter of the new Preach my Gospel, it says our purpose as missionaries is to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel…” That one Amalekite that was converted was probably very thankful that he or she was taught, because they could have easily given up teaching those groups of people when they saw nobody wanted to listen to them. Ammon and his brethren did their job by simply inviting others. I understand everyone has their agency, but I hope that as I teach with the Spirit that I will be able to see many come unto Christ.
2 Nephi 25:26 says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” 2 Nephi 29:1 says, “But behold there shall be many–at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel.” I believe that missionaries and all those who intentionally or not spread knowledge of the church are those partaking in this marvelous work, now, to prepare the world for the Second Coming, as it also says in the Aaronic Priesthood theme: “I will help prepare the world for the Savior’s return by inviting all to come unto Christ and receive the blessings of His Atonement.” This is all describing the missionary purpose.
My 4th great-grandfather, Simeon Adams Dunn, was living in Michigan in 1838 when his brother James came as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was baptized by James in 1839, and, wanting to meet Joseph Smith himself, Simeon decided to walk 500 miles to Nauvoo, Illinois. In his own words, “on June 20th, 1840, I arrived in Nauvoo, and for the first time in this life, mine eyes beheld and acknowledged a prophet of God. On June 22nd, I visited the first patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Joseph Smith Sr. He blessed me with a father’s blessing [a patriarchal blessing] and explained to me the history of Abraham from the scripture. On July 10th, I started and returned to my home in Michigan, bearing my testimony of the everlasting gospel, going and coming with much rejoicing.” He left his farm and possessions and on June 20th, 1841, exactly one year after he first arrived in Nauvoo, went with his family and settled in Nauvoo to gather with the saints. He was sent to serve a mission in Canada in 1841 and to again to his birth state of New York in 1844.
When I had just turned 15 years old, my parents and I took a short trip to church sites in Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois. Nauvoo was great, I did baptisms in the temple there and saw where my pioneer ancestors, including Simeon Dunn, lived.
When you walk onto the grounds for Carthage Jail, the path brings you right in front of a statue of the prophet Joseph Smith next to his brother, Hyrum. And this was the first time I had really thought about it, but these were real people. They probably were the best of friends as brothers could be. God uses regular people as His servants. If God could use a farm boy like Joseph Smith to do the great work he did, imagine how God could use us, now, in our modern day. Even though they were regular people, they both were part of a tremendous work, and they were willing to die for it. It was there that the Spirit testified to me, and I gained my testimony and knowledge that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. Then we were taken into the actual jail, past a living area where a family resided, into the room where they were held prisoners, the room where Willard Richards nursed John Taylor back to health after miraculously leaving the scene unscathed, and finally, when we were all brought back outside to where Joseph Smith’s body landed after he was shot and killed trying to jump out the window. At that point I was holding back tears, and when we got back on the road my Dad told me never forget this experience. And I haven’t. I know the Church is true, the Book of Mormon is true, that through Joseph Smith the priesthood authority was restored. And above all else, Brothers and Sisters, I know that I am a child of God. And He wants me, and all of you, and all those I’ll meet on my mission, everyone, to return to live with Him.
And because I have a strong testimony in this, the true church, I am obligated to share it as a missionary. And as the sons of Mosiah said shortly after they were converted in Mosiah 28 verse 3, “They were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.” As it does me.
I know that no matter what doubts enter my mind, whoever comes at me trying to dissuade my belief, I cannot deny that I know the Spirit told me what I know. It’s okay for us to have doubts, but I know that as long as I remain righteous by keeping my covenants, that as I live and learn throughout the eternities and receive all that the Father has, that will include all the answers to my questions.
I know that we have a living prophet in President Nelson. I know that Jesus Christ lives, that He came to earth to set a perfect example for us. I know that He suffered and died for each and every one of us that if we repent we will be forgiven and have the opportunity to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus again. I know that if we are faithful our families can be together forever because of the sealing ordinance in the temple.
I would like to thank all those who have influenced my life and helped me make this decision to serve the Lord. I want to thank my friends, family, and church leaders who have been great examples for me. I love the gospel, and I’m absolutely thrilled for the opportunity to share the message of the gospel and the hope it brings with the people of California.
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Conner did an amazing job and many people came up to us and him to tell us about it. The Sacrament meeting was transmitted on Zoom and many family members who were far away were able to watch. Parker recorded it but we could only see it and not heard so I took this picture from the recording.
