3/12/2017
RM: Title or Transformation?Coming home early from the MTC is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life. For the longest time I could barely talk about the experience. I wanted to serve but I know without a doubt that I needed to come home. Since returning I am still often unsure if I can call myself a returned missionary. I feel as though I don’t qualify for the title. Something I have come to learn however, is that though it is valuable to serve a mission it is more important to become a missionary. It’s great to dedicate two years to serve the Lord but what about the rest of your life? What is more important, the title, or the transformation? We place heavy significance on the title returned missionary. Some people wear it like a medal. Some feel ashamed that they didn’t gain the medal others have. We have become fixated on the title of RM, we need to realize what we expect from a returned missionary, understand the importance of returning to continue to be a missionary, and learn to shift the focus from the title to the transformation.
My friend was on Tinder the other day and got a message from a guy asking her to make out with him. She turned to me and said “but he said he was an RM, I trusted that” . What do we expect from a returned missionary? We might not expect them to continue going to bed at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30 or to continue dressing in a white shirt and tie or a dress everyday. But when someone says they are a returned missionary we do expect them to have certain qualities. We expect a sharp young man or young women. We think of someone who is dedicated to the gospel. Someone who exudes light. Someone we can trust. When someone says they are a returned missionary we think of someone who is a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now, some of you are probably thinking of a person that you served with or know who isn’t a very active member anymore. I’m not trying to say that it’s a piece of cake coming home from a mission. I know it isn’t. Because cake is handed to you pre frosted, on a plate, and with a fork. It’s easy and effortless. When you come home from your mission continued spiritual progression is not handed to you. It takes effort. It takes a lot of effort. To be a missionary every day takes work, every day. Elder L. Tom Perry said “I call on you returned missionaries to rededicate yourselves, to become reinfused with the desire and spirit of missionary service. I call on you to look the part, to be the part, and to act the part of a servant of our Father in Heaven.” Why don’t I like the term RM? Because it stands for returned missionary. The term denotes that they used to be a missionary. It is something in the past. A title, not a part of who they are, not a transformation. In high school I played clarinet in band. My band went to Europe and played concerts there. It was a great accomplishment, I learned a lot, grew a lot, and experienced a lot there. I became a more confident clarinet player, practiced a lot for the trip and learned techniques to be prepared for the concerts. I played clarinet better then than I have ever before. The key word being played. Since graduating I have played my clarinet a grand total of 4 times. I still look back with fondness on the trip and still value the experiences I had. But if someone were to ask me if I play the clarinet I would say that I used to. I would no longer say I am a clarinet player. I still love music. I still know the basics of playing the clarinet but I don’t invest the time anymore. I don’t practice anymore. What if returned missionaries treated their mission the same way I treated this trip? If shortly afterwards they stopped practicing and investing their time in it? I am not trying to negate the value of serving a mission. Like my trip to Europe with my band, serving a mission is a learning experience and an accelerated growth period. It provides you with practice and application that helps you to become better. It is not serving a mission that I am against, it’s becoming a returned missionary. I wouldn’t be a useful clarinet player in a band right now because I haven’t kept up my skill. Likewise, if we become a returned missionary we won’t be a very helpful current missionary. In the missionary handbook “Preach my Gospel” the missionary purpose is outlined; it says the purpose is to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.” This is not exclusive to full time missionaries. Elder Quentin L. Cook said “What we desperately need is for member-missionary work to become a way of life—for the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are.” We are all called to help other comes closer to Christ. We are all called to become missionaries. My best friend Katie served as a missionary in Thailand. Often times I feel like I don’t measure up to her and her accomplishments. One day we were talking about missions and she told me that her mission had helped her to become a missionary. She then told me that even though I hadn’t served as a full time missionary I had still become a missionary and that is what mattered most. You don’t need to serve a mission to be a missionary, to love the gospel, or to be a dedicated Latter-Day Saint. There are so many dedicated, hard working, charitable, LDS people who have served missions and there are lots who haven’t. So when did we start looking for an RM and not a strong temple worthy, eternally progressing member? To all the readers who haven’t served a mission, for whatever reason, keep your head up, you can still be a missionary. And to all the readers who have served as a missionary, please do not stop serving as one. Life is not a piece of cake for anyone. Being a missionary takes effort for everyone. The transformation of becoming a missionary is not going to come from sitting and waiting for a piece of cake to appear. Just like never practicing or playing the clarinet will not make me a clarinet player, we will not become missionaries if we do not continue pursue missionary work. It is important for us all to look past the title RM toward the transformation of becoming an EM, an eternal missionary. But while we may be quick to look for this transformation in others, let us not forget to look for it within ourselves. |