The past few months/weeks, I have received lots of questions like, "Joe, what did you get out of your mission?" Or "What is the biggest thing you learned on your mission?" Or "Are you glad you served a mission? Should I serve a mission?" "Is it worth the sacrifice and what have you sacrificed?" As such, I have been contemplating this letter for a long time. So here we go...
As I think about these short two years I have had to be full-time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I can´t help but think of how blessed I have been. Of how changed I have been. And of how different I am. It will be hard to write everything in this letter. If I could use one word to describe all of my feelings right now, it would be gratitude. Words can´t express the gratitude I feel for this time I have had. I will cherish these two years in my heart forever.
When I think and reflect about what the Gospel has done in my life it easily moves me to tears. Good tears. Happy tears. Grateful tears. But still tears! Perhaps that may be one of the biggest things I have learned. Obedience to the Gospel invites God´s hand and God´s blessings into our lives. D&C 130:20; D&C 82:10. I feel so indebted to my creator. Sometimes I feel like I don´t deserve all of the blessings I have. But He just wants our happiness. He loves us unconditionally. He made a plan. Jesus Christ is the center of that plan.
The Atonement. Heavenly Father had His goal. He had His plan. He wanted to exalt all of His spiritual children. He wanted them to be just as happy as He is. He knew that we would have our agency. He knew that He might lose some of His children in this process. It cost him 1/3 of his spirit children in the preexistence. But it was necessary so we could learn for ourselves. But how would this plan work? We would go to Earth, become mortal, imperfect, and essentially being imperfect, we wouldn´t have a way back home to our Celestial home. Every step we would take would be one step further into darkness. That is where the Savior comes in. That is where the Atonement comes in to play. Because of the atonement, we have a way back. We can repent for our mistakes and we can be forgiven. We can become clean to enter the Lord´s kingdom one day. How I am grateful for the atonement. How I am grateful for Jesus the Christ who suffered for our sins. What gratitude I feel in my heart to know that He provides a way back. To know that if I rely on Him, if I repent, if I try my hardest, I can make it back to my Heavenly Father. He overcame the two deaths we know of. Physical and Spiritual death. The resurrection, an unconditional gift. Eternal Life a conditional gift. The Atonement also brings us happiness, joy, and security in our lives. As Jacob says, "Oh how great the goodness of our God.." 2 Nephi 9:10
Covenants. President Nelson taught us that we should have "the end in mind." He is talking about the endowment. Covenants bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. If we are faithful to our covenants we will be immensely blessed. I know that when we choose to sacrifice our will for the Lord´s will, we are blessed. We change our lives. It has been the best decision of my life. Submission to the Lord´s will is humility. It is obedience. Obedience is the first law of the heavens. The sacrament is the renewal of all of our covenants. It is a serious and an important ordinance. An ordinance focused on the atoning sacrifice of the Lord. The only saving ordinance of which we receive more than once. It is how we "recharge our battery."
The Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is what holds everything together. I know that through the Book of Mormon, we can become stronger. It truly fills us with the spirit as we learn in 1 Nephi 1:12. I don´t think it is a coincidence that the Lord teaches us in the very first chapter of the Book of Mormon. One of the first messages. The Book of Mormon fills us with the spirit.
Miracles. I know that God is a God of miracles. As we learn in Mormon 9: 18-19, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He worked miracles long ago, that means He still does today. If we have faith, diligence, and if it was according to God´s will, we can see miracles and blessings in our lives. Fast accompanied with prayer opens and invites the Lord into our lives.
The Savior. He lives. He loves us. With His help, and only through His help, can we become like Him again. Only with him, can we be made clean to enter our Heavenly Father´s presence.
Now to answer some of those questions.
-Yes I am extremely glad I chose to serve a mission. It was the best decision of my life.
-Sometimes I feel like I haven´t sacrificed anything because of how much I have been blessed in return. I feel indebted.
-Serve a mission!! It is a commandment of the Lord. If you are obedient, serve on the Lord´s behalf, and submit to His will, it will change you. Slowly, yet surely.
-The biggest thing I learned......Hmmmmm that is a hard one. Happiness is a choice. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. Obedience to the gospel blesses our lives.
To help me finish my thoughts, I would like to share some lyrics of a song.
"Sitting in this moment, I´m feeling things I´ve never felt before.
My heart is beating in my chest, and I can´t hold back my emotions anymore.
So many times I´ve asked and prayed to know it´s real to feel this way,
And it´s sweeter than I´ve ever imagined.
And I´ll never be the same. I have felt his love, and there´s no looking back.
There´s a fire that will remain, ´cause written on my soul, is a witness of my own.
My faith has taken root, and I have tasted the truth.
My heart´s forever changed, and I´ll never be the same."
Sorry for rambling on so much. I wish you guys could feel how grateful I am for my testimony and for the Gospel and for the short time I have had to be a missionary. I am never looking back. My mission changed my life. I can´t explain how I have been effected, but I can feel it. I have repented. I will repent in the future. We all have repented. And we can be forgiven. Missionaries are called to teach that. And more than just teaching that, I have come to witness that. Jesus is the Christ. He lives. The Atonement is real. God is our loving Heavenly Father. The gospel blesses our lives. The Book of Mormon is true. The priesthood was restored. President Nelson holds those keys. This is the church of Christ.
I might end up recycling a few of these thoughts in my homecoming. So sorry if you have to hear it twice! :) Love you all so much! Not sure if I will have time to write next week because I will have a self-reliance class, so if not..... See you soon!
Elder Nydegger
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