by Giles Lambertson and Leisa Parsons, Media Specialists
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints age 40 and over are encouraged to watch a special broadcast about Senior Missons. The devotional, held last Sunday, October 30th, is still available until November 13th. The hour-long event can be viewed here: Senior Missions
The devotional was broadcast from the Tempe, Arizona Institute of Religion to the five-states that comprise the North America Southwest Area of the Church. In a video vignette, Elder and Sister Peterson, senior missionaries from the area, shared their feelings about service. Sister Peterson said: “During our missions in Africa, we feel so needed and so wanted. It is a desperate need.” Elder Peterson said, “The reason we went back the second time there was, we knew that we were needed, we knew that we were appreciated, and we knew that we are going to contribute.”
The devotional featured a panel discussion of people who served senior missions, including a widow who was called on a mission with her sister. The panel was moderated by Elder Michael A. Dunn, second counselor in the North America Southwest Area presidency, who presided at the meeting. He also spoke, as did Elder Steven D. Shumway, an Area Seventy.
Elder Dunn used a variety of illustrations to dispel misperceptions about senior missions. Some of the examples were:
• The perception sometimes is that older members aren’t sure if they really are needed in the mission field. The reality is there are 12,000 senior missionary openings each year and only half are filled.
• The perception of many seniors is that they aren’t sure they can work the long hours and endure the restrictions of the mission field. The reality is that senior missionaries have much more flexibility in their mission field standards.
• The perception of some is that “I never had one of those ‘big callings’ in the Church, so I am not really prepared.” The reality is that whom the Lord calls, he qualifies.
Elder Dunn quoted the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, who said: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Elder Dunn said serving a senior mission is that kind of work.
Elder Shumway told the gathering that while serving a mission as adults indeed is a sacrifice, those who serve come to understand better “what it means to give up something to get something better.” The “better” is transformative blessings in their lives. Elder Shumway said: “We should quit asking what the Lord will permit—yes, He permits us not to go on a mission—and ask instead what He would prefer that we do. If you do, you can experience transformative blessings.”
Elder Dunn concluded the meeting by addressing those who might say, “But the bishop or stake president has never said anything to me about a mission.” His counsel: Take the initiative. Ask the bishop or stake president about serving a mission.
For anyone with questions about senior missions, there is a website that can answer the questions. According to Elder Dunn the website is, “…very real and very unvarnished.”: Senior Missionary
