At a stake conference, a returned missionary spoke on the subject of preparing for missionary service. He used the analogy of a father saying to his son, “I will be happy when you play in your first basketball game so you can learn to dribble and shoot the basketball.” The young man compared that example to a father saying to his son, “I will be happy when you go on your mission so you can learn to be a good person and learn and teach the gospel.”[1]
In 2006, Brother Daryl Garn of the seventy told the following story in General Conference.
When Bro Garn was a young boy, his greatest desire was to play basketball. Fortunately, he had a father who was anxious to see that his son’s desire was met. His Dad would practice the basics of passing and dribbling the basketball hour after hour in their small kitchen. He would listen to college basketball games on the radio and dream of playing college ball someday. Serving a mission was far from his mind at that time; he spent very little effort in missionary preparation. In an attempt to ensure some balance in his life, his dad—who had not held a Church calling in many years—accepted the call to serve as his Scoutmaster. Due to his father’s diligence, Brother Garn and some of his friends became Eagle Scouts. Brother Garn mentions that he now realizes that Scouting is great preparation for a mission.
His boyhood dream came true when he made the basketball team at Utah State University. During his second year at Utah State, a returned missionary befriended him. Because of this friend’s example Bro Garn began looking at his friends at school, including those on the basketball team, and realized that the people he most wanted to be like, were those who had served missions. With the kind and loving mentoring of his good friend—and, as a result of his mother’s prayers and good example—Brother Garn’s desires changed. After his 2nd year at Utah State, he was called to serve in the Western Canadian Mission.
Three months into his mission, a new missionary from Idaho was assigned to be his companion. They had been together only a few days when he realized something very significant: his new companion knew the gospel, while Elder Garn only knew the discussions. He wished that he had prepared to be a missionary as hard as he had prepared to be a basketball player… His companion had prepared for his mission throughout his life and was immediately a valuable member of the team. How important it is for fathers and sons to work together on “the basics” in preparing for a mission.
I believe it is appropriate to compare the game of basketball or other sports to missionary work. The game of basketball or any other sport includes not only the time you compete in games with another team on the court, but also the hours of practice and training. Saving souls is not limited to the two years that you serve a mission but, rather, requires (1) years of righteous living and (2) preparation in order to meet the standard for full-time missionary service.
Elder Sanford – The Secret Weapon
Just over 10 years ago, I served in the jungles of Northern Argentina. Elder Sanford was my first junior companion. When he came to me he was struggling with the language and struggled in social situations. He was very tall and skinny with large glasses. He had been in a very difficult companionship prior to coming to my area. For the first week we were together, he would respond to any conversation I tried to make with him with a shrug of the shoulders, and if I was lucky I could get a 1-2 word response to a question. He had given up. He was seriously considering going home. He wouldn’t participate in discussions with others and would sit quietly while I talked with people in the town where we served.
Over the next few weeks he began to open up and talk more. As weeks passed, he gained confidence and began to actively participate in discussions with investigators. I soon learned he had taken missionary preparation very seriously. Maybe too seriously…
One year prior to leaving for his mission, he moved his bedroom out to the shed in his parent’s back yard to have the opportunity to study the scriptures, Ensigns and anything he could get his hands on about the church for hours each day without interruptions. While he may have lacked some social skills, he was a wealth of knowledge, and he KNEW the gospel.
When in a teaching situation he was able to draw on his knowledge and examples to touch others. He could always find answers to questions posed by investigators in the scriptures. He was the secret weapon every missionary wants to have as a companion. By the end of his mission, this Elder who was on the brink of giving up and going home, had become a district leader and an extremely effective and successful missionary.
Music Insturments – Becoming an Instrument in Lord's Hands
I've found the word instrument in the scriptures in 121 locations.
I was able to find 31 references to “instruments” and “hands” together, most of which refer to being an “instrument in His hands” or "an instrument in the Lord’s hands."
One dictionary definition defines an instrument as “a means by which something of value is transferred, held or accomplished.”
Some synonyms or words used to describe the word instrument are: a tool, utensil, device, or musical instrument.
Over the years, I’ve learned to love music. Learning to play a musical instrument can be applied to the gospel, a mission or even our own lives.
When someone has worked, practiced and invested hours of time into learning to play a musical instrument, they can do great things with the instrument. However, as the bishop knows, if a guitar string is out of tune or broken, it doesn’t matter how great the guitar player is, the music won’t come out right. It’s the same with a piano. If Beethoven were to perform on an out of tune piano, it wouldn’t be “great”. It could be downright bad. The musician can only do so much without a good, in tune instrument.
No amount of practice or preparation will make up for an out of tune instrument.
A few of my favorite scriptures about instruments are:
Mosiah 23:10 (Alma driven into wilderness by the people of King Noah)
"Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth."
Alma 17:11 (Sons of Mosiah as they were leaving on their missions)
"And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."
Alma 2:30 (Alma – The son of Alma)
"And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people."
When the scriptures make reference to being an “instrument in the Lord’s hands”, I want you to think of your favorite musical instrument. Christ is the “Master Musician”, the “Virtuoso”, or "Greatest Piano Player”. We’re his musical instruments. We’re His piano or His guitar. If we’re in tune, prepared and willing to allow the Lord to guide us, he can do great things with us.
If our instrument has strings that aren’t in tune, there are limits to what he can do with us as an “instrument in his hands.”
Whether you are preparing for a mission or just trying to be a little better each day, I encourage you to make sure your own spiritual instrument is well tuned. We never know when the Lord will need to use us. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands.
Letter from Jared Hancock Prior to Leaving on my Mission
My friend, Jared Hancock, wrote a letter to me before I left for the MTC that had a profound impact on the way I approached my mission. He compared a mission to being a soldier in the military. He went on to explain that our work as soldier’s in God’s army was the most important battle ever to be fought and for two years, we’re given the opportunity as missionaries to serve and be on the front line.
For those of you reading this…. don’t miss your opportunity to serve on the front line.
It’s not easy. At times I’m sure it’s a lot like serving in the army. There are a lot of rules. You have to work hard. Sometimes you’ll be hungry and thirsty. Sometimes your body will hurt and you’ll feel so tired you’ll want to sleep for a week. You might spend Christmas Eve sleeping on a bench in the chapel. You may even spend a few nights in Northern Argentina sleeping on a hard, freezing cold cement floor with your scriptures as your pillow, while large bugs crawling around you.
But I can tell you from personal experience it’s worth it.
Don’t miss your opportunity to serve on the front line… and once you are on your mission, don’t waste time. Work hard, and squeeze the most out of each minute, of each day… because before you know it, your mission will be over. Make sure you have no regrets when you come home, and remember it’s the Lord’s time, not “your” time.
And once you return from your church mission, live life with the same urgency and hard work, and squeeze the most out of each minute, of each day, because before we know it, our mission here in life will also, be over.
Prepare now so that when the time comes that the Lord needs a well tuned instrument, you KNOW the gospel, and can BE, the “secret weapon” every mission companion, every spouse, or every family needs to win.
Make sure your own personal, spiritual instrument is well tuned and the Lord will be able to, and will do great things with you.
[1] Daryl H. Garn, “Preparing for Missionary Service,” Ensign, May 2003, 46
