I know it's been awhile since my last post and many of you were probably wondering when I was going to make the last post about the third missionary farewell I attended on that Sunday over a month ago. Well, have no fear for this is it. I saved the best for last, and that's why I took me so long to actually get this post up. This post and the subject it covers means more to me than anything else, so I wanted to get it perfect. I can't tell you how many times I had this post ready to go and then decided to scrap it because it wasn't good enough. I finally feel confident enough about this one for all of you to read though.
This mission farewell was the second of the three I attended that Sunday, and to be honest, I had forgotten about it completely when I woke up that morning. If it wasn't for my friends reminding me, I would have missed it completely. How grateful I am that I didn't miss it because the lesson I learned meant a lot to me. Now I'll be honest as he got up to start his talk, I had no idea what to expect, but I can honestly say that I was forever changed by the things I heard in that sacrament meeting. He stood up and gave a very good talk, but the thing that shocked me was when he stopped for a moment and began to tell the congregation about how he had never originally planned on serving a mission. I was speechless. I know there are many people out there just like him, but I didn't think he would ever be one of them. Then again, many of you know that a mission was not in my future plans originally either, and yet here I am with a mission call to the New York Utica mission. I can't explain the feelings I felt when I heard I wasn't the only one who had gone through most of high school with the idea of serving a mission already basically dismissed in my mind. I felt a sense of peace and comfort knowing I wasn't the only one who had struggled with this situation, but even more than that, I felt my testimony being strengthened.
Now before you write me off on this one, hear me out. My testimony was strengthened because here was another living testament of the miracles God can work in ordinary people when they put all their trust in him. I don't know all the details of just what made this young man change his mind about serving a mission, but I know without a doubt that God's hand was working hard in this situation. I know this because it was the same for me. I allowed myself to trust in God completely, and He showed me the way. Now, this is where the title of this blog comes in. I know this young man and I are not the only ones with doubts about a mission. There are many people out there with doubts, and I want all of you to know there is no doubt in your mind that God can not help you with. You just have to trust in Him completely, and He will show you the way just like he did for me and my friend.
What I'm about to give you is one way to help rid yourself of doubts and put your trust in God. I've decided to call it "The Bronson Prayer Challenge" naming it after one of my best friends in the whole world who was the one who originally presented this challenge to me when I admitted I had doubts about a mission. The challenge itself is quite simple. The difficult part comes in truly believing that it will work. Here's how it works.
The Bronson Prayer Challenge
#1) Take your doubts about a mission and get on your knees. God knows the hearts of all men which means he already knows you're having doubts, but He can truly help you once you come to Him for help. Present God with your doubts. Explain everything to Him. He's there to listen, and that is what He will do - listen.#2) Tell God the desires of your heart. In other words, make up your mind, and give him a clear cut answer. We've been told many times by general authorities that this gospel is not for "fence sitters," and the same is true for this challenge. It is much harder for God to help you if you are "wishy-washy" on the subject. Be honest with Him. I told God: "A mission is not for me. As of right now, I am preparing my future plans, and a mission is not included in them. If I'm supposed to serve a mission, I have the faith that you will show me the way." Present Him with your choice, and if it's the wrong one, He will help you make it the right one just like He did for me.
#3) HAVE FAITH. There's an important line I wanted to highlight in step two which is why I had it italicized. "I have the faith that you will show me the way." In my opinion, this process draws many similarities to that which people go through when they seek to know for themselves if the Book of Mormon is true. The end of Moroni 10:4 reads: "...and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." Those who desire to know the truth of the Book of Mormon must have faith that God will show unto them, and the same applies to you looking for your answer. God can only truly show you the way when you have faith.
#4) I can think of many times when I have heard that this gospel is not for the faint of heart, and neither is this challenge. I said earlier that the difficult part comes in truly believing that it will work. This comes from having faith but it also comes from continued diligence in seeking your answer. Once is never enough, and neither is twice, thrice, and so on. In other words, getting on your knees once isn't going to do the trick. God will see the strength of your faith through your continued diligence in searching for an answer. We're supposed to do our best to pray to God every day both morning and night, and there is nothing wrong with including something as important as this in every prayer you offer up to God. The more you pray to God about something, He will recognize and acknowledge your diligence. Don't get discouraged. Don't become fainthearted. Don't give up. God may decide to test your diligence like He did mine, but as long as you never quit praying, He will reward your diligence.
I have a testimony that this process works, and I can't stress how much I believe in this process with my whole heart. When I overcame the barriers in my life and truly believed that this would work, it did. I got on my knees and told God about all of my doubts concerning a mission; I was completely honest with God and showed him the desires of my heart; I had faith that God would show me the way; and last but not least, I exercised diligence and never gave up. I know I quote her in almost every single one of my blogs, but this quote fits too perfectly not to use it. "We are blessed from our efforts of trying. Not perfection." - Al Fox. I know that this is true. God doesn't expect perfection in anything including this process. If He did, I wouldn't have gotten my answer. God gave me my answer because I tried. I truly believed God would give me an answer, and when I merely tried, God blessed me for it. This challenge isn't unique to just me. If you have doubts about whether or not a mission is for you, or doubts about anything else for that matter, I challenge you to just merely try "The Bronson Prayer Challenge," and I promise you God will bless you for trying.
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