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Choosing to serve a mission or not serve a mission is a choice that many youth face in the Church today. The change in age from 19 to 18 for young men, and from 21 to 19 for young women has had an impact on the number of missionaries serving. However, many youth still struggle to decide to serve a mission at all.
Chase Chesley graduating from High School, with (most of) his family.
Chase Chesley is a young man who is challenged by the promising opportunities of a military career and the decision to serve a mission. After spending time as a leader of the Seminary council for his school as well as being of advanced rank in the ROTC program at his High School, Chase feels some conflict as to what path he wants to follow in his life.
Many face similar challenges with the opportunities that are made available through University studies, or other avenues. Many wrestle with religious commitment and how the sacrifice the time in service at the risk of lost opportunities choosing some other path. Even for those who have considered a mission part of their life plan for most of their life have found themselves conflicted when the time to choose arrives.
Following my interview with Chase, there is a shortened, edited presentation of a devotional given at the MTC in 2011 by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. I have shared this clip with my Elder’s quorum in the past and I am simply taking my edit for that class and passed it on to you, the faithful Latter-day Saint MissionCast audience. I hope by sharing it that you are as inspired as I am by its message. I listen to this clip regularly on my phone. It helps me to feel re-engergized in my commitments to the gospel plan and to the Savior.
Here is the full presentation of Jeffrey R. Holland’s Feed My Sheep Presentation at the MTC in January 2011. (MUST WATCH!)
For those that find themselves in a position of struggle with this question, or for those parents or fellow church members being around those who struggle to make this decision, this episode is an important step towards accepting the discomfort that many experience. I hope you are inspired by its message.
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