Two years of complete dedication to the Lord is but a tithing on 20 years of life. And so here I am, offering myself as a messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to repay in some modest way the great debt I owe to my God. I can never repay Him though, for His goodness is beyond my comprehension and is continually and more fully extended.
King Benjamin said, "If ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments" (Mosiah 2:21–22).
How great is Christ's love for His children!
Tonight I can already look back on two days of extreme growth and development in the mission home. My spiritual awareness has been opened more fully, possibilities and horizons expanded. To be able to sit at the feet of the prophets of God, to learn of their wisdom, to feel of their spirit is a truly significant opportunity.
The servants of the Lord before us today included President N. Eldon Tanner, Richard L. Evans, Mark E. Peterson, Gordon B. Hinckley, Bruce R. McConkie, Ezra Taft Benson, and LeGrand Richards. I could fill pages relating the information dispensed and the spirit shared by these spiritual giants. It seems nearly impossible to be able to digest so much. As many testimonies were borne the Spirit ratified their validity.
Last night we were greeted by and received instructions from the mission home presidency. President Jaussi presides. These instructions, following dinner in the basement of the Hotel Utah, began at 6:30. After that a Dr. Parmley, who wife heads the Primary general board, lectured and bore testimony on the subject of science and religion. Tonight we met in smaller groups with returned missionaries to work on parts of the first discussion.
In the mission home with me this week are several friends I knew from school last year: Jeff Boswell going to the Samoan Mission, Steve Hill going to the South German Mission, Joe Cannon going to the Irish Mission, Dave LeSueur going to the Franco-Belgian Mission, Dave Babbel going to the Brazilian North Mission, and Evan Ballard going to the West Spanish American Mission.
My companion during the week, also headed for the Brazilian North Mission, is Elder Kent Gale from Salt Lake City. By his suggestion and by my being older by a month, I became senior companion. We are the only two in our room. Some of the rooms are larger and have four elders each.
As President Tanner welcomed the missionaries, all 309 of us, he delivered a message from President David O. McKay. It included the fact that each of us holds a great personal responsibility and that the Savior is very concerned with every one of us. The Prophet prays for us each day. Think of what strength can come from realizing and knowing that.
For the record let me skim ever so briefly over the short days before the beginning of this week in the missionary home. I bid Jerry and Mom good-bye near noon on Friday. With me driving, Dad, Dale, Jackie, and I Volkswagened our way to Bountiful, where I left everyone off at Uncle Marv's home before hurrying south to Provo.
I expected and had great reunions that weekend. I first met Steve and Dave Hart, Mark Smith, Bob Reading, and a few of the new men on second floor right of Stover Hall. I spent Friday and Saturday nights in Bob's room. Sister May was actually the first familiar face I saw as I checked with her about staying for the weekend and reported my mission call. Then it was over to Karen Stockton's for a brief visit before closing time.
Saturday at breakfast I saw Jeff Boswell and Brian Rabe again. We visited for a bit, met with Steve Hill when he came over from where he had spent the night, saw Karen, and rode to Campus Plaza to visit girls in the ward from last year.
Karen and I drove to Tooele for my cousin Curtis Palmer’s funeral services. We reached the Palmer home just before time to go to the mortuary. I was able to see many relatives for a last time before my mission, and Karen was able to meet many for the first time.
The services were particularly moving, filled with hope and confidence in the gospel. Ken and Berniece were taking the tragic and unexpected death of their son in a most marvelous way. After many good-byes Karen and I returned to Provo for more farewells before Dad, Dale, and Jackie left for Ogden, where they would spend the night before returning home to Idaho.
That evening I had the unique opportunity of spending time with Brother Terry Warner. He met with a group of old students and friends, about six or seven of us, in the Stover lounge. If only I could spend more time and room on this particular reunion. After that I spent the rest of the evening with Karen until 2:00 A.M.
Sunday morning found us visiting priesthood and Sunday School in the BYU 22nd Ward. Sullivan Richardson had arrived by now to add to the number of visiting old members. Sulli, Steve Hill, and I ate dinner in Marina Palmer's apartment with her five roommates. Then the rest of the day, from 2:00 onward, was devoted to Karen. It was hard because good-bye hung so heavily over us. She spoke in sacrament meeting. We waited some in Stover lounge hoping to see Evan Ballard and Dorothy Pack but learned later we had missed them by only five minutes. The day with Karen ended at midnight. I talked with Mark Smith for two more hours before going to sleep.
Monday we left Provo at 9:00 A.M. Karen was there to see me off. Sulli drove us to Salt Lake, where we met Dave LeSueur at the airport before checking into the missionary home. After some shopping, I finally saw Evan Ballard again. The nearly four months apart had been a long time, and it was particularly good to see him again. Well, this outlines most briefly the weekend prefacing the beginning of my missionary career.
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