Calling All Missionaries

There are two things that I have wanted to do all my life: Serve a mission and attend beauty school. From a spiritual perspective it doesn't seem like the two paths could possibly go in more opposite directions since cosmetologists have earned themselves a relatively poor reputation because of the nature of the industry. Vanity and pride seem to be the core values of most in the profession, and within Utah at least, the typical girls that cosmetology schools attract aren't exactly known for being dedicated to getting a thorough education. For me, I have always wanted to do it because it's something that I thoroughly enjoy and that I'm good at. I get immense satisfaction in making a visible change for the better, especially with people. For the same reason I always took a little pleasure in mowing the lawn, vacuuming, and mopping an especially dirty floor. The change is immediate and dramatic and I particularly enjoy seeing the excited reactions of others upon encountering the beautiful completed project.



As far as always wanting to serve a mission, I have had the examples of 13 older siblings and a father who's mission experiences I have been able to learn from and aspire to. I just knew it was something I always wanted to do, and it was always something looming in my future that I couldn't ever seem to see past. My aspirations for the future only vaguely extended beyond my mission, and I knew that those decisions would become more clear to me as I reached the peak of my service. When it finally came time to put in my application papers, however, I was suddenly unsure because I had neglected to ask the Lord if it was right for me to go. I always just assumed it was right. I got on my knees and prayed fervently for an answer, but none seemed to come. After some time, I still wasn't getting the affirmative or the negative, so I decided to exercise a little faith. In my prayers I finally said, "Heavenly Father, I have decided I want to go on a mission. Please let me know if this is wrong." I submitted my papers and within 4 days I received my call.

In my family there seemed to be a trend as far as where we were sent to serve. All the girls had covered every populated continent except Australia. They went to Quito, Ecuador; Johannesburg, South Africa; Nashville, Tennessee (This one covered the North American continent); St Petersburg, Russia; Dusseldorf, Germany; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. My brothers had all been called to different quadrants of the States. Macon, Georgia; Fresno, California; Cleveland, Ohio; Lubbock, Texas; and Eugene, Oregon. Naturally I hoped to be called to Australia or New Zealand to continue on this tradition, but when I got my call to Los Angeles (even though it was only a 6 hour drive from my home) I was overjoyed.

I was very excited about my call, but I still felt like I had not yet received an answer as to whether it was right for me to go. The following Sunday after I got my call, it just happened to be my best cousin Shawna's birthday. Her family invited me to eat a little family birthday breakfast with them at their home in Sandy and then attend their Stake Conference at which Elder Richard G. Scott was speaking. When we got to the conference our large family laid claim on a couple of rows towards the back and listened quietly as Elder Scott began to speak. Suddenly, in the middle of his talk he said "Can I get Rachel and Laura Stout to come up to the podium, please?" Rachel and Laura were my two cousins, 16 and 18 years old sitting on either side of me. They were as startled and surprised as the rest of us at the request of Elder Scott. How did he know who they were? So they timidly made their way up to the podium and Elder Scott put his arms around them and asked them a few simple questions. He asked them why they decided to be such stalwart examples of living the Gospel. He asked them why they dressed modestly and why they chose to read their scriptures regularly, and then invited them to bear their testimonies to the congregation. As he excused them to sit down he told them he wanted to meet their wonderful family at the conclusion of the meeting. As the meeting ended we all went up and stood behind the podium and waited for Elder Scott to finish shaking hands with the members of the Stake. He then turned to us and went around the circle asking each individual about their lives and their plans. When he finally got to me he shook my hand and immediately my Aunt Linda announced "She just got her mission call!". He asked me where and I told him proudly that I was to be serving in the California Los Angeles Temple Visitors Center, Spanish speaking. As soon as I said it he cocked his head a little and looked at me with sort of a quizzical eye and asked "when did you get that call?" To this I responded, "it was just last week!". Then he said, slowly and thoughtfully "I remember you! I was the one who issued your call. If you don't know already I can bear testimony to you that you are making the right choice. I remember feeling a very distinct impression that that is where you should go and you will have many rich and rewarding experiences while you're there."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Here was the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles telling me that he was the one who issued my call and that he felt very strongly that it was right for me to go there. It was amazing that with the hundreds of applicants they have each week that he even remembered who I was. The answer to my plea was given directly to me by a Prophet of God! This tremendous response to my request played a vital role in my continued preparation to serve my mission. In the 4 months that I waited to leave, a truckload of opposition was dumped right in my path. Because of this experience, however, I was able to refer back to it to remind myself about why I made the decision to go. His final statement proved to be Prophetic. I did have many great and rewarding experiences while I was there, and no experience could have ever prepared me for life like my mission did.

I learned a few things from this experience. I learned that God really does care about us and He is there to answer our prayers. It was reaffirmed to me that there really are Prophets of God to lead and guide us and that they are in direct communication with God to do so. Also, if we are doing everything we can to keep the commandments, God will allow us to be in the right place at the right time to have the experiences we need to prepare us for future events. He really cares about where we go and what we do. The callings we receive as missionaries and members alike are inspired wholly by Him.

The Parable of the Tide Pen

Once while on my mission my companion and I were at a Saturday evening dinner appointment with one of the members of our ward. We were taken to a delicious Sushi restaurant on Sawtelle Boulevard, and while eating I accidentally spilled a small amount of soy sauce on my white sleeve. I had previously been introduced to the Tide pen, which is an on-the-go stain remover that works laundering miracles. My sorely limited and scanty mission clothes were rescued many times by the magic contained in that spectacular little flasket. Without hesitation I whipped it out of my bag and began to administer to the stain which miraculously and quickly disappeared. This was very impressive to the onlooking member of our ward who had never beheld the beauty of the Tide pen, and he began to ask questions about it. I casually answered his questions and how told him how handy it had been in saving me so many times. I carried it around with me wherever I went so I could call upon it in a moment's notice. The member indicated he was interested in getting one for himself, and I affirmed that it would be a good idea. As missionaries do at dinner appointments, we then launched into our previously prepared lesson for the evening: member missionary work.

The following day I was to speak in the sacrament meeting of our ward. My topic? Missionary work and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In my final preparation for the talk I recalled the experience of the day before and noted an interesting similarity between my given topic and the Tide pen incident. In our lesson to the member we were inviting him to more actively persue his responsibility as a member missionary. Many have concerns that there is never much opportunity to bring up such a sensitive subject as religion to co-workers, friends or acquaintances. They feel awkward talking about it or they don't want to seem pushy or aggressive in sharing their beliefs. Well, it doesn't have to be that way.

I discovered that the Tide pen is not only the Gospel, but specifically the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we become more acquainted with Jesus Christ and truly begin to understand our relationship with him, we begin to understand His atonement and how we can more fully utilize it in our lives. As we act and apply it to our own situations, we come to feel the lifting of the burdens of sin and transgression from our backs. Those "stains" are washed completely away and we are no longer laden with the heavy guilt or the shame of wearing a dirty shirt. As soon as those burdens are lifted not only can we stand more erectly (and therefore more outstanding and visible to those around us) but our countenance is brightened and we become "a light unto all that is in the house".

Just like insects, people are drawn to light. We can't help it. It's in our divine nature. We love people that emanate happiness and we aspire to be like them. Real happiness is being free from the burden of sin. The way to "let our light so shine" is to partake of the Atonement, and the more fully we partake of it the more it becomes a part of us. The more we understand it the easier it is to share it casually with those around us without feeling sensitive about the subject.

So in the spirit of this Easter season and the celebration of Christ's Atonement and resurrection, I have decided to choose one specific behavior that I indulge in that interferes with my relationship with Christ and work to eliminate it completely. Not temporarily, but permanently. It may be as simple as not overeating or refraining from watching a certain television show or listening to a certain type of music. Or maybe I'll find a way to help me remember Christ more throughout the day. I will ask myself this question: "What can I change to improve my relationship with the Savior?" I already know this will result in increased overall happiness and a heightened desire to share the Gospel. We all have possession of something infinitely more precious, beautiful and powerful than the Tide pen. Why wouldn't we want to use it and share it?

Dating and Missionary Work: A Common Thread

If you're like me, you are either freshly home from your mission with the sound of your Mission President's counsel to get married ringing in your ears or you have graduated or will soon graduate from your designated school and have virtually no marriage prospects, but are looking for a permanent change in your relationship status. You are fed up with the dating scene and the games one must play to have a chance at doing well in it. Well, I finally discovered that you don't have to play games to win, and of all places to figure out how to thrive in the dating world I learned it on my mission.

In the California Los Angeles Mission (also known as the CLAM), a missionary may encounter the richest of the rich, and the poorest of the poor. I served in an area called "The Jungle" of which has been said is the birthplace of the song by Guns n' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" because of the wild lifestyle of the residents there. It's a little north of Compton, and a little south of Downtown, and very much in East LA. If any of you know anything about Los Angeles geography, you know that it's a pretty rough area. In fact, that area was the dividing line between the Bloods and the Kripps, which meant there was a higher shooting rate in that area than many others in East LA. I'm pretty sure I made up the entire .001% of the caucasian population there, and I even had to dye my blonde hair brown to keep from sticking out like a sore thumb. It was a very educational and eye opening experience as my little chapparita companion, Hermana Garcia who grew up working the streets of Phoenix taught me the harsh ways of life in the deep ghetto. She even taught me what phrases like "ghetto bird" (helicopter) meant. Immediately after that area I was transferred to an area called Brentwood, smashed right in between Beverly Hills and Malibu. Covering the Santa Monica Stake, Brentwood is home to many famous, wealthy and extremely influential people of the world. So you can imagine the culture shock I experienced during this transition period.

I was never asked, but people always assumed that Brentwood was a more difficult area than the Jungle. It turns out, however, that it actually wasn't, and that was only because I didn't figure out how to be an effective missionary until I actually got into Brentwood. I finally figured out the key to effective missionary work. TALK TO EVERYONE. I never fully comprehended what Preach My Gospel, my Mission President and the First Presidency of the church were telling us when they said we needed to talk to everyone. I knew that we shouldn't pass anyone up, and I tried not to but that didn't stop me from filling our schedule with unpromising visits for the sake of having something to do. Talking to everyone also has a twin brother named "Drop it like it's hot". The combination of both is a lethal weapon for missionary work. Let me explain. 

In my first area, my companion and I worked so hard to get the people we were teaching to keep their commitments. We prayed ferevently that those who were struggling would have a change of heart and a sincere desire to partake of the delicious fruit we were offering to them. We visited them regularly, we served them as often as possible, and we testified our little hearts out trying to get them to see the beauty of the Gospel. We wanted so much for them to want what we had! They would not progress, however. They wouldn't read, they wouldn't come to church, and they wouldn't pray. They would keep their apointments, though. We found that they just really loved our company and the attention we were giving them. This was very frustrating to me. I couldn't understand why missionary work was so hard. I took it as a fault of my own that my testimony just wasn't enough to inspire these people to choose the right. It wasn't until I was transfered into Brentwood that I discovered when to drop people.
Within the tiny borders of the CLAM there are nearly 5.5 million residents. I realized that there had to be at LEAST one person who was prepared and ready right then to hear about and accept the message of the Restoration. If I was wasting precious time with people who were not going to keep their commitments, I would not have that time to find those who were ready. So we dropped them. I learned how to be bold and blunt, and even though I loved these people something fierce, I let them know that I would be waiting for them with open arms when they decided to take seriously what I was trying to tell them. I realized this:

If we as a companionship were to talk to 50 people every day (whether by street contacting, tracting or however), and we could count on being rejected 90% of the time and successful only 10% of the time, that would mean that each day we could count on setting up 5 new appointments with someone every day, or 35 new appointments each week. If only 10% of those people were genuinely interested and wanted to learn more, we could count on 3.5 new investigators coming to church each week. If we had 3.5 new investigators each week in church, that would mean 14 new investigators in a month and if only 10% of those accepted a baptismal date, we would be baptizing 1.4 people every month! At least for LA, those are some pretty good numbers. Now, these are just statistics here. I realize that the more you teach the less opportunity you have to find, and none of this is even factoring in the Spirit, teaching more than 1 person per household, working with the members and getting referrals. So don't take this too far, it's all just to illustrate a point.

So, we freed up our schedule and put into action this new realization. I directed my companionship into the ever-so-painful "finding" mode. I think we visited more homes in those last 4 transfers than I had in my entire mission previously, but I think we also experienced more success in those last 4 transfers than in my entire mission previously. We were on fire. We were seeing miracle after miracle, even moreso than what I had seen before. It worked! In a ward that hadn't seen a new investigator for a very long time, we had sometimes 4 or 5 new people coming each week for church. I was sore amazed that the Lord was guiding us to those people who were ready.

It seems to me that many of us in the dating scene experience many of the same fundamental problems. We all hate being in the painful "finding" mode. It's miserable! It's easy to succomb to feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness. Sometimes there is no one of interest for us to even think about, or sometimes those that we take interest in have no interest in us. Sometimes there is mutual interest, but you have concerns about a certain behavior or characteristic about that person that provokes alarm or disenchantment.

Whatever it may be, I am a firm believer that the best way to progress in the dating world is to TALK TO EVERYONE. There is someone out there that is exactly what you need and want, and they are ready for you right now! Expand the horizons of your dating pool. Break away from your normal group of friends on occasion and try out a new crowd. If you have the option of staying in or going out, ALWAYS go out. You never know who you will meet. If you're like me and you work full time by yourself and attend school every week night until 10 pm with no one but your same gender, find opportunities to attend other activities on the weekends, even if the activity isn't necessarily something you would normally participate in. You might even be so bold as to test the online dating waters. The times are changing and there is nothing shameful about tapping into those resources. It's just another outlet for you to meet new people. The church uses every way in its means to find people who are ready for the Gospel, so why shouldn't you take advantage of every portal to find your spouse? Statistically speaking, the more you get your name out there the higher your chances are of catching the eye of someone you are interested in back. If you are dating someone and it isn't going anywhere, drop 'em like they're hot. Push through the discomfort and loneliness and if they text or call after you've officially broken up DO NOT RESPOND unless it's to wish them a final farewell. All the pain and discomfort of your breakup will be for nothing and you'll be right back where you started. If you don't find what you're looking for, don't be afraid to move on. It may be painful, but I can promise that in the end it will all be worth it. You WILL find them, you've just got to go forth with faith, and faith means action. You've got an eternity of happiness awaiting you, now you need to just put forth the effort to reach it.