Letter to the Young Men

Elder Jensen was asked to write a few words to the Young Men in our ward that could be shared with them on a recent camp-out. I thought it would be a nice addition to his missionary blog! 

How the mission has changed my life:

I've only been out on my mission for a little under 6 months but it has indeed been a huge impact on my life. The reason I went on a mission was because I knew it would be good for me in the future and it would be a great social experience and a great way for me to learn how to use my talents. It's kind of selfish but that's really the reason I came out. But now I've seen a change in the way I look at things. On a mission you devote all your time to helping others come unto Christ. What a great privilege it is to be doing so!

You start to notice blessings and things that you're extremely grateful for that you used to just take advantage of. You meet so many different people who have been raised completely different than what all of you see in your little Santa Clara Utah bubble. And you ask them to change their lives for their Savior. Many of them can't. But there are those out there who you will help do so, and it is the most rewarding way that you could possibly spend this time of your life.

On my mission I've gained a much more solid testimony of the gospel, and especially the Book of Mormon. It testifies that Jesus Christ is our savior and if it's true, that means Joseph Smith really was a prophet. And I know that it is true. Go on a mission. It's hard, but it's worth it. I'm never sad. Never. And I'm working hard and facing rejection all the time. But I'm way happier than I've ever been.

I know that a mission has changed my life and it can change all of yours too. So think on serving one and start preparing now by putting others first and counting your blessings and really trying to understand and ponder on how the gospel has blessed your life. I know sometimes all we care about as priests is how many girls we can kiss in a year but I promise you guys will be grateful if you put in a little time to prepare for your mission. You guys are the future and you're awesome! Your leaders are awesome and your parents are awesome! So follow their advice and you can't go wrong! 

Elder Jensen