Words of Wisdom from Elder Chase Jackson (departing missionary)



Elder Jackson & Elder Ram



As a young 19 year old boy, I set out on what was to become the greatest experience of my life. I entered the mission field not knowing before hand what lied ahead in my journey.  Many grand experiences were found that came with a lot of hard work and pain. If I was to know before hand all these experiences would take place, I could honestly look back and say with excitement and joy, "BRING IT ON!" I would do this all because of one man who changed the world.

Oh No You Didn't!

 Certain things just get me all fired up.  It's just who I am and in my nature.  Today someone brought up one of these "fire up" topics and I intend to address it again here.

There is a common stereotype given to the Sister missionaries that has gotten extremely out of hand and is false on so many levels.  Allow me to share with you the exact statement I heard this morning: "The three reasons why a sister missionary serves a mission are 1) They want to and are doing it for the right reasons.  2) They are looking for their future spouse.  3) They couldn't get married."  Oh how lucky that poor child was that I am a missionary and have self restraint.

To share something a little personal, I have been engaged before.  I do not intend to go into detail about it, but know that I was.  At first it was sad, but very quickly I realized what an incredible blessing it was for me!  It would have been a terrible mistake.  The Lord intervened and took me another direction. 

When I first turned 21 and prayed about going on a mission, my initial prompting was no.  So, I didn't.  I continued to work.  But, as I have shared before in my previous post (Why I'm On A Mission), about 6 months later I got the prompting that I should go out and serve the Lord.  A part of me was very apprehensive about it.   Point 3, 'They couldn't get married', was something I didn't want to be labelled.  Thankfully, I listened to my prompting and came out on my mission.  I made that decision and have never regretted it since.  I used my agency to do the best thing I have ever done in my life.

California Santa Rosa Mission Sisters.  Booyah!

Everyone has agency, or the right to choose between good and evil and to act for themselves.  We choose our actions.  This gift is given to everyone.  No one can take that away.  Someone tried once, but he was thrown out.  He tries persistantly to get us to make the wrong choices in life.  Sad thing for him is that he can't force us to do anything.  Silly Satan.  Just never learns.

So, for all you 'nay saying sister haters' out there.  Let me just bluntly tell you that each of us chose to be here.  We weren't forced to come because we "couldn't get married."  We aren't here because we want to "find our future spouse"  It was a conscious choice to come out and serve our Lord and King.  No one took away our agency and kicked us out the door.  This is the best decision I have ever made!

My Attitude Change

Beating the heat with Popsicles

Almost a year ago now I was praying for rain.  I kept looking into the sky and questioning if clouds were really something that existed or just a figment of my imagination.  The hot days of summer seemed like they would never end.  Well, for the past few days (I'd give you a number, but I lost count), it has rained and rained with very little sign of stopping.  The sun has made occasional cameos, but didn't stay around for long.  Most people ask the question "how are you liking this weather?"  To which I respond, "I don't like rain when it's cold.  I'd rather it be snow."  But, the other day I was asked "what do you like most about the rain?"  A simple question that made me look at the rain in a more optimistic way.

In a talk by Jack H. Goasland, entitled "Happiness," he talks about how each of us has at some point asked ourselves "am I happy yet?"  Raise your hand if you've ever asked that question to yourself.  You better believe mine is raised as far as I can raise it!  We all want to find happiness.  2 Nephi 2:25 states that "...men are, that they might have joy."  Happiness and joy are a part of life.  "1 Our yearnings for happiness were implanted in our hearts by Deity. They represent a kind of homesickness..."  It is a desire given to each of us by our Father in Heaven.  He knows how we can find joy.

"Striving for happiness is a long, hard journey with many challenges. It requires eternal vigilance to win the victory. You cannot succeed with sporadic little flashes of effort. Constant and valiant living is necessary....  I am convinced if we are to have happiness in our hearts, we must learn how to preserve it, in our hearts, in the midst of trouble and trial. We can control our attitude toward adversity. Some people are defeated and embittered by it, while others triumph over it and cultivate godlike attributes in the midst of it."

I may not like the rain and I may struggle to be optimistic about it.  But, I can change my attitude and look at the glass half full.  Jack H. Gasland said it perfectly above when he talks of preserving happiness in our hearts.  We can be happy at any time, in any place, and in all things if we choose to be.  Really, we can.  Choose to be happy.  "Just do it." (Nike)  I know that our loving Father in Heaven wants us to be happy.  He is there rooting for us every step of the way.  By choosing to be happy we allow Him to step in and make us even more happy.  Just try it.  I dare ya.

Give up my Stuff?

There are many questions that we ask in life.  Some questions, are ones we ask to ourselves, others are directed at someone else.  While reading in Matthew, it is easy to see that the master question asker is Jesus Christ.  Not only does he ask profound, thought provoking questions, but he also gives some of the greatest answers as well.  The story I would like to share today is found in Matthew chapter 19 verses 16-23.  It begins with a man asking Christ a question.

16 ¶And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have ^aeternal life?  (important question)

 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none ^agood but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into ^blife, keep the ^ccommandments.....

  20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be ^aperfect, go and sell that thou hast, and ^bgive to the ^cpoor, and thou shalt have ^dtreasure in heaven: and come and ^efollow me.

 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had ^agreat possessions.

This man was asked to give Christ all that he had and follow Him.  Not just some, but all.  Elder Bruce C. Hafen said "If we must give all that we have, then our giving only almost everything is not enough. If we almost keep the commandments, we almost receive the blessings."  Do we shrink at the thought of giving all we have?  Do we go away with sorrow in our hearts, putting the treasures of this life behind us?

I love how Jesus emphasizes doing away with the worldly things and focus on the "treasure's in heaven."  That is what matters.  The things of this earth will pass with time, but the things of heaven are eternal.  We should be striving to reach eternal life daily.  It should be at the forefront of our minds.  "We can have eternal life if we want it, but only if there is nothing else we want more." (Elder Bruce C. Hafen)  It is up to us to use our agency and choose eternal life.  If we give it our all, it will be enough.  Put aside the natural man to become something more.