The Lord spreads the wealth of blessings from missionary
service. He is particularly generous to those family members that are left behind. He grants physical, financial, and spiritual blessings as they are needed. These blessings are truly wondrous and tailor-made for the family, depending upon their needs and desires. There is one blessing in particular
that I want to mention today, and it has more to do with the missionary than the family, although it might be a blessing of comfort to mothers. This a gift offered to all that serve Him: the blessing of forgiveness.
How do you receive forgiveness of sins? My first thought is
to follow the 5 or 6 R’s of repentance and then take the sacrament. More simply, say
you’re sorry, promise to never do it again, and take part in the baptismal
covenant. This is how you gain the blessing of forgiveness from the Atonement.
Although this is the primary way we can receive forgiveness for our
sins, it is not the only way. Missionary work is actually a way to receive forgiveness of your sins. This is where it gets cool.
Elder George G. Richards, a modern Apostle, promised: “In the name of the
Lord I want to promise you that in the acceptance of the mission call and the
dedication of yourself to the work, the Lord will forgive you of past
transgressions, and you can start out life with an absolutely clean sheet.” This
means that every missionary who accepts the call to serve, and strives to
fulfill his or her calling, can be at peace with their relationship with their
Savior. Their slates are whipped clean again, and they are ready to serve side-by-side
with the Lord’s Spirit every day.
I can tell you that as a returned missionary, these words
speak peace to my soul. Although my mission is complete, it is comforting to
know that while I was serving, I was worthy of the guiding power of the Spirit
from day one. My companions and I had to put our trust in God every day that He
would work through us to touch someone’s life. Knowing that He had a
disposition to forgive us because of our service gives me confidence in the
converting power that missionaries have. It seems like Heavenly Father sits on
the edge of his seat, ready and willing to forgive His missionaries and send
them on their way again, rejoicing. I love this imagery of God. He is benevolent,
kind, and most importantly, merciful to His missionaries. He sits ready to move
impossible obstacles out of the way, so that He can be with His children again.
I know, you might
argue that your missionary’s call home for Mother’s Day is the greatest
blessing of missionary service, but I think there is one better, if only
slightly. The blessing is that of forgiveness. It will do more for the
salvation of your missionary’s and those he/she serves than even a pep talk
from mom, although this is more appreciated than you know.
Sincerely,
Chris
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