The time has come for you to pack up and leave home. Perhaps it’s still a week or two out from your departure. But sooner or later, you will get the phone call from your bishop, asking you to speak in sacrament meeting before you go.
In years past, whole sacrament meetings were devoted to the young man or woman who was leaving. The program was made up entirely of members of their family, their mothers often told funny stories about their childhoods, and the missionary’s favorite musical numbers were performed. Afterwards, the ward would converge on the missionary’s house to have lunch. It was a going-away party on a ward level.
In recent years, the Church has asked that we keep the meetings focused more on Christ and on doctrine. Now just the missionary is asked to speak, on an assigned topic. It’s not fifteen minutes of rambling about how nervous he is to go or how much he’s looking forward to it—rather, it’s a talk given to bring people closer to Christ. While some people have expressed that they miss the old mission farewells, the new policy does keep the focus of the meeting where it belongs—on Christ, not on the missionary.
Sometimes, missionaries feel more nervous about their farewell talk than they do about leaving on the mission itself. It’s scary, standing up in front of the entire congregation. But there’s no need to feel hesitant about it. The room is filled with people who love you and are there to support you as you head out to serve the Lord. And when you return and give your homecoming talk, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve grown in your confidence over the time you’ve been gone, and you’ll find that public speaking is no longer the challenge it once was.
Families may still choose to hold a meal at their homes after the service, as they generally have had relatives travel in from a distance to attend the meeting that day. This is still perfectly all right. But if you go to sacrament meeting hoping that Uncle Bob will recount the story of the time Timmy got stuck in the tree, you’ll be disappointed.
For you senior missionaries, let your children be in charge of any meals you choose to put on. Keep it simple, with salads and sandwiches, or something that can just be thrown in the oven. You want to spend your day with your family, not worrying about a meal that has to be timed just right. In the end, it’s the memories of you your family will cherish, not memories of the fabulous meal you served them. Keep the focus on the important aspects of the day, just as the sacrament meeting service focuses on the Savior.
Related Blogs:
The Need for Senior Missionaries
How Will You Know if You Should Serve?