“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Just as in the times of Joshua, we face similar decisions today. As parents, one of the significant choices we make is whether to prepare our children for full-time missionary service.
To understand the profound importance of this decision, let’s consider the words of modern prophets.
President Howard W. Hunter emphasized: “Prophets of the Lord have taught that every able, worthy young man should serve a full-time mission. I underscore that need today” (“Follow the Son of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 87).
President Gordon B. Hinckley stated: “I say what has been said before, that missionary service is essentially a priesthood responsibility. As such, our young men must carry the major burden. This is their responsibility and their obligation” (“Some Thoughts on Temples, Missionary Service, and a Conversational Way of Teaching,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 49).
What would the Lord say today to a young man contemplating full-time missionary service? With words full of love, He said to Orson Pratt when he was nineteen years old: “My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you… blessed are you because you have believed; And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel…” (Doctrine and Covenants 34:1, 4-5). Can you feel the love the Lord has for every young man who answers the call to serve Him?
As parents, we have the sacred responsibility to prepare our children to be worthy and willing to serve the Lord. We are stewards of our children, who have been reserved for these latter days. The Lord has entrusted them to our care, and we will be accountable for this stewardship. One of the blessings of this stewardship is preparing our children to serve the Lord.
I would like to address parents and youth of the Church directly. One of the most remarkable stories in the Book of Mormon teaches us about the influence parents have on their children. This is the account of the two thousand and sixty stripling warriors who volunteered to defend their nation’s liberty. Helaman led them in battle. “And it came to pass that there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds” (Alma 57:25). And why was this so? Because “they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness” (Alma 57:20-21). Helaman then explains the reason for this great miracle: “And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 57:21). And what had their mothers taught them? “…that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, but believed, should be preserved by his marvelous power” (Alma 57:26). Parents, do you recognize the immense power you have in the lives of your children? If you teach them that there is a just God and that He wants every able and worthy young man to serve a mission, your sons will have the essential faith to answer the Lord’s call.
Alt: Book of Mormon illustration depicting Helaman’s stripling warriors, young men with courage and faith, highlighting the influence of mothers in teaching faith and obedience for missionary service.
Bishops, as part of your specific stewardship, you have a profound responsibility to prepare young men for full-time missions. Begin early. Help them understand Alma’s experiment. Plant the seed in the hearts of these young men that will lead them to desire a mission, and then encourage them to ask the Lord if it is a good seed. Then, as you help them nourish that seed, it will grow into the miracle of missionary service.
I will always be grateful that my wife, bishops, and priesthood leaders taught and prepared our sons to serve missions.
How can we achieve a significant increase in the number of young men serving full-time missions? First, parents must understand their responsibility. They should plead with our Heavenly Father to help them know how to prepare their sons for missionary service. This applies not only to those in the United States, England, Mongolia, or Brazil, but to every worthy and able young man in the Church. Bishops, you must follow the same process.
President Boyd K. Packer taught, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior” (“Little Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17). The doctrine that will change the disposition of our young men regarding missionary work is understanding the worth of a single soul. Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by offering His infinite Atonement, which opens the only path for us to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence and live with Him. If parents, bishops, and young men themselves understand this true doctrine, our young men will be prepared and willing to serve.
I would like to share these words from Elder Joe J. Christensen: “The Lord didn’t say, ‘Go on a mission if it fits your schedule, or if you feel like it, or if it doesn’t interfere with your scholarship, or your romance, or your educational plans.’ Preaching the gospel is a commandment—not merely a suggestion. It is a blessing and a privilege—not a sacrifice. Remember… the Lord and His prophets are counting on you” (“The Savior Counts on You,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 41).
There is nothing a young man can do that compares in importance to serving a full-time mission. The good they accomplish as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ will endure eternally.
Currently, we have the largest army of missionaries ever enlisted in the history of the world serving. Do not let your sons miss out on being part of this great army. These young men, foreordained and tested before they came to earth, are not ordinary spirits; they are choice spirits, reserved to come forth at this time.
As we contemplate this great commission the Lord has given us to proclaim the gospel to all the world, I ask that, individually and as families, you plead with our Heavenly Father that each and every one of our young men in the Church will desire to serve a mission and live worthy to do so.
I pray that our Heavenly Father will bless us with the unwavering determination to prepare our young men for missionary service, that the youth of the Church today will be like the sons of Helaman and fulfill every word of the Lord with exactness, and be a light set upon a hill, declaring to the whole world that, like Joshua of old, they have chosen to serve the Lord.
That this may be so, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
