At any rate the myth has been confirmed that the mission can indeed be considered the best two years. It wasn’t the easiest 2 years, in terms of the world it wasn’t the most successful 2 years nor was it the most relaxing 2 years. But it was the best. I look back and see battles won and lost, promptings followed and opportunities missed, lessons learned and lessons yet to be learned. I’ve been by no means a perfect missionary but I feel as though I’ve accomplished more in these last 2 years for my own good and the good of others than the other 18 years of my life combined. It’s been amazing to live the Gospel in a way that before my mission I never even imagined.The MTC, the cities of Neukölln, Stadthagen, Bremerhaven, Hildesheim, Werdau, Schwarzenberg, Tiergarten and Jena will always have a special place in my heart, for the amazing people there and the experiences I had in each city with each companion.
Maybe the best way to express what I learned as a missionary is to use the imagery that Elder Stevenson used during his talk for General Conference. As a missionary I learned to put on my Gospel glasses. I started to discover that rather than just being words on pages that I was supposed to read, the scriptures are filled with people like me, whose experiences I can learn from and whose examples I can follow or avoid. I was able to feel like Elijah did when he felt alone and hopeless, I felt Mormon‘s pain when the people he loved decided not to repent and I felt even if just for a time what the Nephites must have felt after King Benjamin‘s address, having no desire to do evil but to do good continually.
Prayer became more than a chore that consisted of rambling off some desires and hurriedly offering thanks for a few things so that I could get on with the day. It became communication with an all-knowing, all-loving Heavenly Father whose help I so desperately need and who I truly do love. A mission put me in a position where I was forced to accept that leaning only on the knowledge and supposed power of man can’t get you far into the eternities, nor can it bring any sort of lasting joy or true success in this life.
I'm grateful for this time I was able to enjoy as a missionary and I'm grateful for all of you and the positive influence each of you has had on me. Ich wünsche euch alles Gute und Gottessegen bis wir uns wieder auf dem verheißenen Land Amerikas treffen 😁
LG zum letzten Mal von:
Elder Larsen
