The MTC

In many ways coming to the MTC inspired feelings of déjà vu within me. Especially on the first day when all the senior missionaries were brought into a large meeting room. A speaker congratulated us for making the sacrifice to spend nearly two years of our lives in the service of the Lord. While he spoke, I felt the Spirit so strongly that I was moved to tears, very reminiscent of my first days as missionary more than 40 years ago. The vast majority of the senior missionaries in our group came from here in Utah, but there were many from other parts of the country. We were all introduced and they asked each of us to say where were headed on our missions. Virtually every place in the world was named, from China to the Ukraine, from New Zealand to Sweden, this even though there were only 53 of us. Another couple was going to Mexico City.

The young missionaries, more than a thousand young men and women, add to joy of being here—so full of youthful excitement and energy, and brimming with the innocence. There is hardly a door that Sister Fink and I go through that is not held open by a young elder or sister. Many smile and greet us as we pass them by in the myriad of walkways and hallways in this place. I love joking with them and thanking them in exotic ways, such as calling them my heroes, said in jest but with a deeper feeling of truth.

Most of the teachers are every bit as youthful, excited and full of the spirit as the missionaries they teach. The senior missionaries were divided into districts of four couples and assigned two teachers. One of our teachers was a vivacious young woman whom we nick-named Tinkerbell, partly because she asked each of us describe our spouse by naming a Disney character. During the week we were asked to participate with volunteers in scenarios which replicated teaching situations in the mission field. These volunteers played their part so well that we were half way convinced that they really weren’t members of the Church. Though Sister Fink and I were nervous going into these scenarios, we quickly relaxed as the Spirit burned in our hearts, helping to find the words that would inspire and lift those whom we taught. This week was like a spiritual boot camp.