Not just another mission story

"The following event took place in a Salt Lake City ward in 1974 It occurred during sacrament meeting, and was told by a Regional Representative of the Twelve, who was in the meeting.

A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in Sacrament Meeting and bore the following testimony:

Brothers and Sisters, as you know during the past few weeks I have been awaiting my mission call. During the time I was waiting, I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and was waiting my call to come to Earth.

I was filled with the same excitement and anticipation that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream, I was talking to a friend, he was a dear friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I’ve never met him in this life…

As we talked, a messenger came and gave me a letter, I knew it was my call to go to Earth, in great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read aloud. The letter said:

“You have been called to Earth in a special time and a special land. You will be born into the true church, and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will be raised with many advantages and many blessings. You will be born in a land of plenty -a land of freedom. You will go to Earth in the United States of America.”

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call and while we rejoiced, the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to Earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said:

“You have been called to Earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be raught with political and social difficulties which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica.”

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “When we are down on Earth , you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me.”

"Then this young missionary, with tears in his own eyes said, “Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call, I am going to Costa Rica.”

There is a sequel to this story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop of this ward received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it. And on that sheet, written in inch-high letters where four words……

“I FOUND MY FRIEND”

THIS is why I'm going on a mission. I'm not going for the exotic locations, the foreign experiences, personal development, or even the testimony building. I'm going because I want to share the gospel with others. I want others to have the temporal AND eternal blessings the gospel brings. Because of the Plan of Salvation, after I die, I can have eternal life and return to live with my Heavenly Father. Every one on this earth, who has ever lived or who will live on this earth has this divine potential. However, we must accept the gospel. What's so wonderful is how much Heavenly Father wants His children to accept the gospel. He wants us to return to live with Him! He loves us that much! He has said, "Behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Everything He does is meant to help us reach this divine potential. How wonderful that a being as powerful and glorious as Heavenly Father has so much love for us. And with such an individualized love! He doesn't just love the human race; He knows each one of us personally and loves us as individuals! Elder Uchtdorf said, "Even though man is nothing, it fills me with wonder and awe to think that 'the worth of souls is great in the sight of God'...This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God."

“Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.” -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

I know my Heavenly Father loves me, and I love Him. And THAT'S why I'm serving a mission.