Missions

  Now that I've explained why I'm awake at this hour, I will proceed to write shortly on the topic of missions. A mission is an operation where a goal is intended to be accomplished. Particularly enough, missions have an innate concept of accountability in that the mission is to be reported on to someone; a Parent, an employer, or even oneself. Missions cover any genre, whether it's a goal to lose weight, gain weight, live old, die young, or any combination! More important missions I believe focus on things that are everlasting, or eternal, in nature.
  The term 'eternal' is interesting in that it conveys a message of 'no beginning and no end', 'one eternal round', or as I like to think about it, the recycle sign with these parts: Mission Objective, Mission Pursuit, Mission Report. Our growth is dependent upon our ability and willingness to receive missions, fulfill them, and report on the task with anticipation for another mission to fulfill. It forms an expanding helix of development, and without missions/goals/objectives there will be no advancement. As Alice learned from the Cheshire Cat, if you don't know where you want to go, 'then either way will take you there' (well, in her instance, like many of ours oftentimes, her goal was 'nowhere' and that's where she'd end up had she walked anywhere! [or stayed still, because she was obviously in a pretty 'nowhere' place as it was]). Without an intention our actions are futile, like oars turning our boat in circles!(Road to El Dorado...haha).
   To give a few examples, to be short I won't go through the whole Book tonight, though I would like to sometime. Scriptures often are repetitive. Coincidence!? I think not! (The Incredibles). Many times we see the small topics in repetition, but how often do we look at the larger analogies and allegories in play? To mention a few of my favorites!: Nephi!-Lehi is given heavenly knowledge and his mission is calling him to provide his family safety, receive wondrous blessings, and to help his descendants enjoy the blessings he is to obtain. We see that he sets out immediately, not trying to refute the offer. Then that family goes through all sorts of mini-missions (allegories within allegories), returning to Jerusalem to obtain records(1Ne. 3-5). Return and report. Receive mission to obtain Ishmael(1Ne. 7). Return and report. Called to build a bow in dire circumstances(1Ne. 16), this prepared him for future goal of building a boat(1Ne. 18), and even later yet to prepare his people to thrive in industry(2Ne. 5). Every mission was gladly received by the righteous (at the time, even Lehi did murmur, but as mortals we are often blinded by the trees when we're looking to see the forest), and the wicked rebelled against these things. Rebellion caused because of lack of faith. A hope for things not seen which are true. They lacked hope they'd gain from their journey. They lacked hope they could accomplish the tasks! Yet, only by completely the mission was happiness possible, anything shirking the difficulty only leads to misery! (Why not just accept the mission and do it right the first time!?)
  The next example is Jacob 5. Yep, you know that one, all those trees and such... I love Jacob 5! The Lord of the Vineyard working with servants to maintain, protect, and be true *stewards, and husbands of their crop. If you read it studying the way the Lord works with the servants in ways of tasks and reports it really gives a great concept of our returning to account for our labors in our fields of endeavor.
   The next example is the Sons of Mosiah. After their conversion in Msh. 27 they set out (in 28) to teach the Lamanites. Their task fulfilling is discussed from Alma 17-26, which, in 26 is the reunion, and what do they do? They return and report! (This example even shows a cool depiction of Priesthood protocol, because not only was Alma their friend, he was the High Priest over the Church. HINT: DO YOUR PPIs!)
  This is getting lengthy, so I'll close with the mission we are now on. Mortality. After eons of serving missions that helped us prepare for mortality in the spirit form, we have, as mortals, obviously accepted the commission to 'return with honor' back to our Father in Heaven. Now to blend the examples into this one: Like Nephi, our trials will bring us our education. If we decide to accept any challenge, like Nephi, we'll be optimistic in challenges (1Ne. 17:2) or try to shirk the inevitable (because we HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED the commission) and wallow in misery for ourselves (1Ne. 17:20) even though it's the same trial! Yet, as Jacob 5 teaches, the Lord is aiding! We're not on missions alone out here. [Quick note: COmmandments are given to us, never DEmandments. CO means 'with', always referring to a partnership. DE means 'without' or 'remove', and not coincidentally has a strong negative connotation usually. We are COmmanded to fulfill our tasks, even the hard ones (Matt. 5:48/3Ne. 12:48), which means that we are given a 'mandate', or requirement, and we have His partnership to fulfill it. He has never given a DEmandment, where he has a 'mandate' and offers no help in our accomplishment thereof. Never forget that!] Finally as we learn from Alma, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni (and others throughout the Book), if we fulfill our tasks to the best of our ability, we will have joy! Our returning and reporting won't be sheepish or cowardly, or even worse yet, desiring to be covered to hide(Alma 12:14)! We will gladly stand up and accept responsibility and look forward to accounting for the many sheaves we've obtained(Alma 26:5,6)!
  Conclusion: serve missions. Realize that everyone on this planet is a child of heavenly Parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). See others on the path towards the Tree of Life (1Ne.8,11,15) and help them out! Do your best, and return and report! (so often as things occur, I wrote this with myself as the problem-child to fix....haha).