Farewell Talk

Good morning brothers and sisters! It is such an honor to be able to be up here to speak to you and also to do so with Ashley Carlson. She has always been one of those girls that I look up to and I am so grateful for her example of going on a mission and I’m so excited to hear about her experience, as I’m sure you are too, so I’ll try to keep this short.

I have been called of the Lord to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints in Pachuca Mexico. I am unbelievably excited about it. Some fun facts are that it is a fairly new mission, opened to boys last July and girls in December. It is at an altitude comparable to Snowbird, so the temperature ranges from 45 to 75, so I’ll be pretty spoiled. I will be eating rice and beans but also with a twist of maggot tacos or ant eggs or larvae or tadpoles and salamanders. So. Uh. Yeah, pretty pumped. :/ haha but really, I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to serve a mission and share the hope and joy this gospel brings to me with the people of Mexico.

Today I was asked to speak on Joseph Smith. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t so sure about this as a farewell topic. Yes, I have a testimony that he restored the gospel to the earth in these latter days and that he was martyred for what he believed but I wasn’t sure how I could make this into a farewell talk. But, as I researched and pondered the things he did it made me realize that he lived. He had a cause and he wasn’t afraid to share it. And this reminds me of the Savior and His life and all He did and what His life represents.

Both the Savior and the Prophet Joseph gave their lives in a divine cause. Yet President David O. McKay once wrote, “I confess that [Christ’s shedding His blood] has moved me less than the realization that in His life He lived for His fellow men” Similarly, I am more inspired by Joseph Smith’s life than by his death. Quoting John Taylor, he “left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great”. It is vital to commemorate the Prophet’s death; we must never forget. Yet his life is a model of one possessed of mighty faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord asked the Nephites, “What manner of men ought ye to be?” and then answered his own question, “Even as I am”.

The Savior performed miracles and taught sermons that defy human expectation. He rose people from the dead, healed the lepers, gave sight to the blind and cleansed those who were polluted. He taught of love and kindness and joy, yet did what some preachers fail to do. He lived it. What a phenomenal standard for us to live up to. Whether or not you believe in this gospel or any other faith or not at all, we can all be kind. We can all love each other. We can all find joy. And I’ve found the greatest example of all these attributes is Jesus Christ.

The beloved disciple John stated simply, “God is love”. Kindness and compassion flowed from the Only Begotten Son’s soul as pure water from a pristine spring.

President Spencer W. Kimball, another great prophetic example of love, taught: One can learn to be loving. If one patterns his life in the mold of love—if he consciously and determinedly directs his thoughts, controls his acts, and tries to feel and constantly express his love, he becomes a person of love, for “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

I have often wondered what our purpose is here on Earth and how incredible it is to imagine that each of us have a divine purpose and God knows each of us individually. It is amazing that we have the knowledge that there is a hereafter and we can live with our families forever. But in order to achieve that blessing we must live our lives worthy and to the best of our ability now. I have always believed this life is about each other. We are meant to build each other up, love each other, and help each other in this crazy journey home. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught our responsibility:

We are all in this great endeavor together… Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in mine. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees”

And so comes the question. Why am I serving a mission? There is a story that really struck me when I heard it and I would like to share it with you. It is about a young man who had a dream as he was preparing for his mission call. It goes as follows: I was in the pre-existence and was awaiting my call to come to earth. In my dream, I was talking to a friend. He was a very 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 it aloud. The letter said: You have been called to earth in a special time and to 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 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. The letter said: You have been called to go 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 fraught with political and social difficulties, which will hinder the word of the Lord. 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, come and find me." This story, one that I heard years and years ago, has impacted my whole life in a way most other stories haven’t. I feel so strongly that I have made the same promise. I know there is someone in Pachuca Mexico that I promised in the preexistence that I would find and share the gospel with. That is why I am going on a mission. The example of Jesus Christ’s life and how he lived and helped his fellow men is awe-inspiring and I want to imitate that. The sacrifice both Jesus and Joseph made of dedicating their entire lives to the spreading of the gospel is immense and makes 18 months not sound too daunting. I know it is going to be really hard. I know I am going to miss my family more than anything in the world. And yet, this gospel deserves to be shared. It has brought me hope in times of darkness, standards in times of unsurety, and joy in all times. I have been so blessed to have this gospel to help me along my way and look forward to the notion of inviting others to experience the same.

Of all of the examples of Christ like love and kindness and goodness, the absolute first person who comes to my mind is my mother. Oh mom, glad I have the tissues. Mom, you are my best friend. You are my rock and my cheerleader, my personal secretary and fellow ice cream lover. Thank you for teaching me to love others. You emanate Christ. From never missing a birthday card or thank you note to making and delivering cinnamon rolls to people in the neighborhood. You love others and you show it. I will miss our long talks where we laugh and cry together. Whenever I get sick, the first thing I want is for my mom to hold me. I don’t have proper command of the English language, well any language come to think of it, to properly express the love I have for you. Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother”, and I completely share this sentiment. Thank you mom, you’re the greatest example I have in my life of how to be. I love you so much.

Dad, you’re my hero. You showed me the importance of having an open mind to everything. You taught me by example to look out for the outsiders or those who don’t have a friend. You teach me everyday to look at the bigger picture and that kindness is most important. Whenever I am struggling with something or someone I know I can come to you and fully and completely speak my mind and you will not only feel that frustration with me but also help me come up with a resolution that will somehow fix everything. Thank you for teaching me to love the outdoors. Your love for the mountains has also been placed in me and given me such a great comfort in times of happiness and in times of sadness. Thanks for being my climbing, kayaking, knot-tying, backpack wearing, long boarding, story-telling, amazing friend. You have done more than the responsibility of being a father figure to me, you have been my closest friend when you didn’t have to. Since we’re family we have to love each other, but I genuinely like you dad. But more than any of that stuff, thank you for loving mom and me no matter what. I love you dad, so much.

I want to thank the neighborhood. The saying, “it takes a village” is completely true. And I’ve had help across the country from Kansas to Texas to California and even Vanuatu and everywhere in between. A special thanks to those who traveled near and far to support me, I truly appreciate it. There have been so many people who have taken an interest in me and been so kind to me that didn’t have to. And it’s not because I am anything special, but because of their genuine spirits and loving souls in helping a little piece of work like me grow up. Thank you so much. Our bishopric is incredible, whether it be a helping hand in getting tables and chairs, doing interviews, or my endless texts trying to figure it all out because I was so nervous. Thank for your patience and love and smiles. Thank you to my teachers, my leaders, my peers, and my friends. I have been blessed over the years with the best of friends. Whether we ran or swam together or are friends through school I am so grateful for our friendship. I am grateful for the many examples I have to look up to of missionary service and those who couldn’t be here now because they are serving the Lord in various countries around the world. I can’t wait to join them. I am also grateful for the people who couldn’t be here today due to college starting up. I wish all of them and all of you who are gaining a further education the best of luck and I know you will all succeed no matter where you are. I am moved and humbled by the immense love I feel as I look out at each of you.

I also want to thank my extended family. My grandma is amazing. Her love and service for her fellow man is beyond my comprehension. She never fails to help someone else, including myself with sewing mission skirts for me. You know, mission shopping is exhausting especially for my mom and myself. We go for a solid 45 minutes then need an ice cream break. My grandma has saved us by doing it for us. She always has a place at the table and a story for anyone who wants one. Thank you grandma. And grandpa thank you for making me feel beautiful. Whenever I go over to your house I get filled with new knowledge and insights about the gospel or what the meaning of life is and leave feeling refreshed and whole. Thank you both for your unconditional love to each other, the family, and myself. I have been blessed with such an incredible family on both sides. Aunts, uncles, cousins – thank you for the laughs and the love throughout my life. Thank you for your examples. I am blessed to have my dad’s sister and her husband serving a mission in Vanuatu right now; I miss them so much but I am so excited to see them when I get back. Maryanne taught me how to smell and appreciate books and laugh and Larry taught me how powerful a testimony can be. I love them and adore their kids. So thank you to all my family, you have been the most important role in my life and I feel so lucky to have been a part of yours. Love you guys.

Well, I would like to end with my testimony…

I know that this church is true. I wouldn’t be going on a mission if I didn’t. I’m grateful for the hope it brings me. I know Joseph Smith restored the gospel here on earth and that President Monson is the living prophet today. I know that he loves us and would never lead us astray. I know the Book of Mormon is true, every word. If you haven’t read it, read it. Pray about it. That’s how we know for ourselves. I am so grateful to live in a free country and have the opportunity to gain an education and have parents who support me in that. I know that families can be together forever which is the biggest joy this gospel brings me, because there is no one I would rather annoy for the rest of eternity. And most of all, I love the Savior. He is my friend. And I can’t wait to introduce him to the people of Pachuca. I love you all, adios for now.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.