"You Would Make an Amazing Missionary" ...and a Seed Was Planted

Why I decided to serve a full-time LDS mission

I will always remember the morning of October 6, 2012. That was the morning that President Monson announced the age change from twenty-one to nineteen for sister missionaries. It was my freshman year at a small liberal arts college affiliated with, but not owned by, the LDS church—Southern Virginia University. All my close friends and I watched General Conference in the lobby of my dorm that Saturday morning, in our PJ's with our blankets and snacks to share. I remember as soon as good ol' Tommy Monson spoke the words, there was hardly a dry eye amongst all my girl friends. We were all suddenly the perfect age to begin preparing and applying to serve missions. And somehow it felt like the announcement was made specifically for each one of us. 

Just a few of my college friends currently serving missions (all but two) and me

Now, just to be clear, I wasn't one of those girls who always knew she wanted to serve a mission. Actually, even though I grew up in the church, I didn't even always know that it was true and that I wanted to remain an active member for my whole life. Throughout my teenage years I rebelled against my poor parents until finally they sent me to a wilderness therapy program, and then later to live with my Aunt and her family in Brasilia, Brazil.  It was at said wilderness camp that I was blessed to meet wonderful leaders who told me one day, out of the blue, "You would make an amazing missionary." The sentiment stuck with me, although I deemed it unlikely that I would have the chance to serve, even after I gained a firm testimony my following year while in Brazil.  Twenty-one was still a long ways away for my 17-year-old self (four whole years), and who knew what the future would hold for me?  I had a serious pre-missionary boyfriend who would be back from his mission by the time I was twenty-one, so maybe I’d be married by then.  It sure isn’t uncommon to be married so young in the Mormon World.  No, I reasoned, a mission could wait until later in life as a senior couple.

Roughin' it in Arizona's wilderness with mi madre
(she was there for one night after I was there for 28)

But at the age of eighteen, I certainly couldn’t see myself married anytime soon (I’m still getting used to being an adult!), and serving a mission seemed like it would be the ultimate experience for both personal and spiritual growth.  Besides, my then-boyfriend was still on his mission, so I had time to kill.  It was perfect!

So why exactly did I decide to serve a mission?  Was it because I was surrounded by close friends who were putting in their papers, and I wanted to hop on the bandwagon?  Was it because I felt like the missionary age change was timed perfectly to ensure that I and my boyfriend could be on our missions simultaneously, and therefore have a better chance together?  Or was it simply because it seemed like a cool adventure, a chance to venture off American soil?  My parents definitely wanted to know the answer, as I remember how utterly confounded they were when I called them immediately following the first session of conference.  “You want to do what?” they asked incredulously.  (Finance was a primary concern at the first mention of a full-time mission.)

The increase was blatantly obvious at my school where a majority of the young women applied to serve

I’d like to think my motives are more pure than all that, but I won’t lie and say that none of those factors contributed to my burning desire to serve a full-time LDS mission.  Yes, I did feel closer to my new soul sisters as we shared in our excitement about serving missions so soon.  And yes, it was appealing—since I am nothing if not a hopeless romantic—to imagine myself and my missionary writing love letters to each other between Brazil and Japan (or wherever I’d be serving).  And of course I’ve always been determined to travel and explore the world, one way or another.  But the truth of the matter is that those little perks only magnify my testimony that The Lord knows me; He lives and loves me, and there is nothing I want more than to share that incredible knowledge with as many people in this life as I possibly can.  I was lost before I came unto Christ, but now my life has meaning and purpose and direction.  This gospel is the "most sweet" and "desirable above all other fruit” (Nephi 8:10-12), and I want to share my fruit with all the starving people of the world.  

Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life (Nephi 8) depicted by Jon McNaughton

The life-changing announcement was made just over a year ago.  I watched countless friends and acquaintances embark on missions (and some get married, but that's a different story entirely).  Many of my missionary friends decided to serve after I did, and still they left even before I was able to put in my papers.  I “Dear-Johned” my sweet missionary, before meeting a 21-year-old pre-missionary, whom I proceeded to start seriously dating as I watched him receive his call (to Brazil!) and become my new missionary boyfriend (pretty terrible, I know, but there's more to that story as well).  I went through three agonizing stake president meetings (not to mention another one to which I was stood up).  Needless to say, applying to serve a mission wasn’t exactly easy for me.  But finally, my well-anticipated big white envelope arrived in the mail, and I couldn’t have been happier to rip it apart in front of my family later that night.  And the contents of that letter, addressed to me and signed by a true prophet of God, were well-worth the tremendous effort the letter took to obtain.

"IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! MY MISSION CALL IS HERE!!"

So what’s next for me?  Currently l am simply trying my best to sufficiently prepare myself so I can turn “You would make an amazing missionary” into “You ARE an amazing missionary."

Love always,
Sister Corbett

Want to know where and when I will be serving?  Watch my mission call opening video: