Prophecy: You Heard It Here First

[Cougarbib]

Most missionaries give up the low paying front 2 years of a very long career of 40-45 years.

Actually, they postpone the low-paying front 2 years, and they give up 2 of their highest-paid years at the end of their career.

Umm...ya. I'm still about two years behind in my career progression than my peers.

Exactly. That means when you finally stop working, the years your mission takes away from your overall compensation are the final two years, not the first two. If you work 33 years, you get paid for years 1 through 33, but miss years 34 and 35. You don't come back from a mission and get paid for years 3 through 35.

Exactly. Except the experience gained on a mission often starts you on a higher level and faster track. And even if you take the over simplified assumption that you lose 2 off the back end - time value of money is a ton higher when you lose big bucks off the front end. Even if you ignore time value of money, 2 years sacrificed out of a 40-45 year career is way different than sacrificing 2 from a 5-10 year expected career.

I am not trying to diminish anyone's sacrifice here. I did not serve a mission. Married at age 18. Inactive member at the time. You all sacrificed more than I did........wait.....I wish I had served a mission and I sacrificed that opportunity. My first two sons did not serve - raised by inactive parents. But things changed. I became an active member and changed how I raised my last 3 kids. My daughter married an RM in the Los Angeles Temple, my 3rd son served a mission and will be marrying in the Gilbert, AZ Temple in 5 weeks. My youngest son will return from his mission in July. I value all of those missions. Treasure them.

Young men and women should think long and hard before sacrificing the opportunity to serve a mission. But, let's not shoot them if they do not serve.

I can't think of a delicate way to say this, but a surefire NFL or NBA recruit that is not sure they are going to serve a mission, may choose not to come to BYU to feel hounded and judged about it.



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[snoscythe]

I've said it time and again--I have no issue with people who do not serve missions. I don't judge who is worthy or capable of serving, and I don't pretend to know why they do or do not go.

I have a BIG issue with people who choose to do something other than serve a mission, and then tell the world (and especially young men deciding whether or not to serve) that this something other is their alternative to serving a mission, pretending that there is some exception to "every worthy young man should serve a mission" if you are in the public eye. There is no exception.

If Jabari says, "I'm not going on a mission," all I can say is "I wish he would go," but I won't criticize him beyond that.

If Jabari says "I'm going to play basketball instead of a mission because I think I can influence more people through hoops than a two-year mission," I'll criticize him openly for that. In this instance he hasn't made a single sacrifice, yet he wants to present doing what he would do anyway in the absence of a mission as not just equal to those who obey and sacrifice two years, but to even suggest he will be doing more. It's a bastardization of the call to serve that would esteem selfish choices, and denigrate the selfless choices of the obedient.

Jabari would do well to ask Jimmer and Jake Heaps how their "sports missions" are turning out....

[imuakahuku]

My only advice to Jabari would be that I am sure he would never regret having served a mission. I can't say that he won't ever not regret not serving a mission. (Quadruple negative!)
As for whether he serves or not that is entirely his decision and I make no judgement on it.

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[Gunk]

My grandfather grew up during the Depression. He really wanted to serve a mission but didn't have the funds. He was friends with a somewhat wealthy member of the community. One day my grandfather worked up the courage to ask the wealthy man for a loan so he could go on a mission.

When he got to the man's house, the man was in a rather heated discussion/argument with someone else. My grandfather lost his courage and retreated home, never to serve a mission.

Right before I left on my mission, with tears in his eyes he told me during his 90 year life the only regret he had was not serving a mission.

To echo Sno, I get it's a person's choice and respect it. I'll even defend their right to choose, but doesn't mean I have to agree with it.

IMO, it's about wanting to serve a mission. I take Jabari's comments and actions to mean he doesn't want to serve. But he shouldn't disguise/justify that lack of desire with the "I'll be a better missionary as a professional athlete" argument. He could go to the NBA and the day after he turns 26 injure himself to where he can't play anymore. He'd then be neither a professional-athlete missionary or a full-time missionary.

[frdbtr]

The Lord doesn't ask 18 year olds to go on missions because they make the best missionaries any more than he asks us to pay tithing because he needs the money. The Lord asks 18 year olds to go on missions because it is a sacrifice he is asking them to make. Jabari may go to the NBA and make millions of dollars but he will never be able to make the sacrifice to serve after the fact. The blessings you get for making that sacrifice far out weight the good and influence you think you could have by trying to be a good example as a sports superstar.

[Qman]

The Lord doesn't ask 18 year olds to go on missions because they make the best missionaries any more than he asks us to pay tithing because he needs the money. The Lord asks 18 year olds to go on missions because it is a sacrifice he is asking them to make. Jabari may go to the NBA and make millions of dollars but he will never be able to make the sacrifice to serve after the fact. The blessings you get for making that sacrifice far out weight the good and influence you think you could have by trying to be a good example as a sports superstar.

As I recall it;in my day you turn your papers for a mission from 19-23. I believe this is now 18-23. Just because people turn in their papers as early as possible doesn't mean it has to be that way.

As for Jabari going or not going- I think the part-member family would make for a more difficult decision.

[snoscythe]

As I recall it;in my day you turn your papers for a mission from 19-23. I believe this is now 18-23. Just because people turn in their papers as early as possible doesn't mean it has to be that way.

Your day may differ from mine, but from 2000-02 (the last time I looked at it before today) the cut-off age was 25.

Church reaffirmed 25 as the cut-off when they announced the drop to 18 for men and 19 for women.

https://www.lds.org/church/news/church- ... e?lang=eng" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (see last sentence)

[Gunk]

As I recall it;in my day you turn your papers for a mission from 19-23. I believe this is now 18-23. Just because people turn in their papers as early as possible doesn't mean it has to be that way.

Your day may differ from mine, but from 2000-02 (the last time I looked at it before today) the cut-off age was 25.

Church reaffirmed 25 as the cut-off when they announced the drop to 18 for men and 19 for women.

https://www.lds.org/church/news/church- ... e?lang=eng" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (see last sentence)

Back when I served ('97 - '99) there was a guy on my mission that turned his papers in just before he turned 26. After a mission extension, he was 28 when he left the field. One of the best missionaries I had the pleasure of working with.

My companion in the MTC was also 23. Great missionary.