Pre-Mission Talk by Suzanne

Craig’s and my stories are very different. We were not LDS, and my younger brother and I lived with our father. Our mother was an alcoholic, and despite our wonderful father, let’s just say our upbringing was not ideal. We have a half-sister and half-brother through our mother. Our sister was adopted, and I did not meet her until we were adults. I did spend some time with our brother when we were children, but we have a much better relationship now that we are grown. 

 

Because of our family situation I was drawn to the gospel. I had heard that the church valued family, and that spoke to me. Not long after I turned 16, I was baptized. My brother attended, but our father did not, because he thought it was a phase I would outgrow. Surprisingly, my father was baptized nine months later, and he baptized my brother two weeks after that.

 

There are no guarantees that even a temple marriage will survive, or that there will be no abuse, but the probability of a happy family is higher in a temple marriage. I liked the higher odds, so even though I prior to getting baptized did not want to get married or bring children to a world where there was so much ugliness and abuse, I said yes to Craig when he asked me to marry him. I have never regretted that decision. Who knows where, and who, I had been today if I had not accepted the gospel.

 

An eternal family is one of the things I value in the gospel. I love knowing that I can spend forever with Craig, our fantastic children, and awesome grandchildren. It is what originally attracted me to the gospel, and something I am grateful for even today. 

 

What I did not realize when I was baptized, was that the gospel has so much more to offer than that. It took many years before I truly understood the real beauty the gospel had to offer.

 

I thought the Atonement was all about being forgiven for the sins we commit, and that is a very important aspect. But it is so much more than that. I wish I had understood that, when not-so-good childhood memories started popping up, and when I was going through a deep depression when our children were small. 

 

Through His Atonement, Christ heals not only the transgressor, but also the innocent who suffer because of those transgressions.

 

Would this knowledge have helped? I don’t know, but it would have been nice to have had the knowledge and understanding then. Maybe I would have been kinder to my loved ones. What I do know, is that this knowledge helped me tremendously while going through cancer treatments the last couple of years, because even though some things are not brought on by what someone has done, Christ’s Atonement will help us go through these difficult times. Elder Tad Callister said that “Sometimes He removes the affliction, sometimes He strengthens us to endure, and sometimes He gives us an eternal perspective to better understand their temporary nature.” 

 

Sometimes we go through these difficult times because there is something we need to learn, but I believe that most of the time they just happen. Sometimes because of someone else’s agency. However, I can attest that it is possible to feel joy while we are going through difficult trials. This does not mean we will always be happy, but it does mean we do not have to be miserable all the time.

 

Elder Robert D. Hales said that -

“Pain brings you to a humility that allows you to ponder. It is an experience I am grateful to have endured . . . 

 

It is difficult to imagine, but Christ CHOSE to experience pains and afflictions in order to understand us. This is why the Atonement works. We may not choose to endure pains and afflictions, but going through trials can help us gain empathy and understanding for others.

 

One of my favorite scriptures is in

Matthew 9:20-22

It says:

“And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment:

“For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.

“But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

 

It seems this woman understood the miracle of the Atonement even before Jesus suffered in Gethsemane. Her faith must have been enormous. This is the kind of faith I am striving for. It will most likely take more than one lifetime.

 

Last Sunday, Sister Mitchell said that “missionaries are called to a people, not a place.” I believe that applies to where we live as well. Heavenly Father puts people on our path that are helpful in one way or another, or people that need us. We have met so many wonderful people everywhere we have lived, Kimberly is no exception, and are excited to go to Laos to meet even more.

 

We will serve a humanitarian, not a proselyting mission. Laos is a communist country, and does not recognize our church, so as missionaries we will not be allowed to mention Jesus Christ or talk about Him, but, like Christ did, we will be able to serve them. This is why I asked if we could change the words to one of the verses in our intermediate hymn to: 

 

“Because of Thy life’s mission, Lord

I too will serve

I’ll leave the comfort of my home

To teach Thy word

I’ll see Thy sheep who’ve gone astray

And those who’ve never known the way

I will make Thy work my work today.”

 

I cannot wait to meet, and serve, the people in Laos. Heavenly Father wants us there, and although I will miss my family very much, as well as wonderful friends here, I am excited to help and serve, and to learn how to become better and more faithful.

 

I love my Heavenly Father and elder brother Jesus Christ. They have been with me my whole life, even if I haven’t always felt them near me. The gospel is true, and we are so loved by our Heavenly Family.