Question
Gramps,
I will soon be serving a mission in the Roseville, California English speaking mission on August 6th. Other than the classic , “forget yourself and go to work”, “the mission is the best two years ‘for’ your life” and all other stereotypical mission advice, what would you tell me? I leave to the Provo MTC August 6th.
Elder
Answer
Elder,
If I knew you personally, I could give you more detailed advice based on what I know of you, your strengths and your weakness. Trying to give you non- stereotypical advice when I don’t know you is very hard, because good advice remains good advice even when it hangs around long enough to become a stereotype.
I will start with this 1991 conference talk by Dennis B. Neuenschwander.
He gives lots of very good advice (I really like the part about obedience).
I am going add to all that “Remember it is all about Love.”
You should be going on a mission because you love your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and want to do their will. You can have other reasons of course but love of your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ needs to be a foundational reason. If not, then you need to get it there as soon as you can.
Then remember to love everyone you work with. Love your companions, love the members, love the investigators. In every way try to be like you know Christ would be with these people. Try to do for these people what you think Christ would do for them. And, of course, realize you will mess up, and you will make mistakes. So also remember to love yourself the way you know Christ would love you.
I promise you that if you constantly strive to do this, the Lord will consider your mission a success.
Gramps