How A Mission Turned Doubt Into Conviction

The hardest part of a mission isn’t always the heat, the long days, or the doors that never open. Sometimes it’s the quiet moment in an airport when you realize you’re about to leave a life that changed you, and you’re scared of slipping back into the old version of yourself. Spencer Hutcheson just returned from serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tucson, Arizona, and he joins me while the experience is still fresh, honest, and emotionally real.  

We talk through the chaos of getting home, the reunion with family, and the line that has stayed with me ever since: “I don’t want to go back to my nets.” From there, we get into what that means for returned missionaries and for anyone trying to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ when life gets busy. Spencer opens up about starting his mission without a strong personal testimony, leaning on his parents’ faith at first, and why he chose to serve anyway because he needed to know for himself.  

We also hit the practical side: work and school after a mission, job shadowing, resisting comparison, and building simple routines that keep spiritual momentum alive like early mornings, scriptures before the phone, prayer morning and night, service, and consistent temple worship. Spencer shares an MTC night he wanted to quit, the prayer that changed everything, and why going “all in” is what brings the deep feeling of accomplishment at the end.  

If you feel nervous about serving, coming home, or helping someone you love who’s struggling, this conversation is for you. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify with your biggest takeaway.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right, everybody. Welcome back to the Jackson Howell Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. On this episode, we sit down with Spencer Hutchison, a recently returned missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As members of the church, we firmly believe in a responsibility and a duty to go out and share the good word of God, to share the gospel of Christ to all four corners of the earth. And so our young men and young women, when they graduate high school and at the age of 18, they have the opportunity to accept that call and to go and share throughout all the world. Spencer received his call to serve in Tucson, Arizona, and he did so for two years. And uh in this episode, we uh talk about some of his experiences, uh, some of the the hard times and the joyous times, and uh we even dive in a little bit on uh those those difficult times when when he wasn't sure if he wanted to be out there or not. Uh it's uh it's a tough call to accept uh as a young man or a young woman to to leave home and to leave family and to leave friends and to really put your life on hold for uh 18 months or two years. Spencer answered that call, and so uh we get to uh hear some of his experiences there. Uh if you are watching on YouTube, you will notice that uh over my right shoulder uh we have a picture of Christ. And as I said earlier, we believe in a a call that Christ gave to his apostles, and we believe that extends to all disciples of Jesus Christ. It comes out of Matthew chapter 28, verse 19. It says, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And up over my left shoulder, you notice a globe of the entire world. Uh, that's a globe that I received from my uh my grandparents, my granny and Papa Howell. I remember sitting down at that globe and looking at it when I was just a little boy. And so on my right, we have Christ, and on my left, we have uh the earth. And so uh I love that representation, that symbolization there. And last but not least, if you are watching on YouTube, be sure and hit that like and subscribe button, leave any comments that you have. If you're listening on Spotify or Apple, be sure and give us a review and rating, and you can also leave comments there as well. If you're watching on Facebook, the same, hit your subscribe button, leave comments, and uh and as always, please share this with friends, family, and anyone that you think that might be interested. It would greatly be appreciated. Enjoy the episode, and we'll see you on the other side. Glad to be here. Uh so you have been home for a week now, a week and a day, or what is it?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Technically just a week.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Just a week? Was it was it Wednesday? Wednesday at five o'clock in the morning. Okay, yeah. A few hours after uh a full week. So um, so how's that uh how's that been for you so far?

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Oh, it's been it's I keep telling it, keep saying it's it's a good weird. Yeah, it's a it's a good weird. Um, you know, a lot has changed. Siblings gotten bigger, right? Cousins have gotten bigger. Um a lot's changed around town. So just been a lot of change.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Yeah, we got a couple wah wahs in town. Yeah, yeah. Uh so I know you had a kind of a little exciting time there trying to get home, had some flight issues and things like that. So just take us through just a little brief overview of getting on the flights and trying to figure all that out.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Yeah, 100%. So it started uh Tuesday morning, okay. Four in the morning. We get to the airport and my flight got canceled from Fort Worth. Dallas was having all kinds of weather problems. It was raining, cats and dogs over there. And uh I so when missionaries travel, we don't have a SIM card like normal phones, right? We just have our our little bricks, right? Um, and I factory reset my phone, so I'd had I didn't have like really anything. I had Gmail, um, but no messenger, no, none of this, none of that. And so I had no way to contact with anybody. But luckily, um a senior missionary was still there, and I took his phone, was calling audibles the whole time, running around, trying to get something set up, and finally uh went back to the gate, scanned my ticket and got it on. And then we fast forward to about 9 40 in the morning and get to the gate, get on the plane. We're heading down the tar mat, and lo and behold, flight is delayed 55 minutes. So we wait an hour and 10, and then the pilot comes on and says, We're gonna have to go redock, and we all get off the plane and start calling more audibles. Wow, taking people's phone, like I call my mom, please. Um and several hours later, about three o'clock was around, I get on a flight uh to Denver and then Denver to Atlanta. Okay, and then 11:40 at night, I wind up in the Atlanta airport.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Okay, all right. So so what was that what was that like uh walking? I I've seen the video. Uh you're coming up the escalator there, and then uh so tell us about that that first encounter with the with the mom, the dad, and the the uh the family there.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Yeah, 100%. So I'm coming up the escalator and I I hear, there it is, there it is.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

And the Atlanta airport has like two ways you can walk, and there's a big jumbotron. And I was like, oh, which way do I go? So I just kept following the crowd, and I saw mom and daddy holding up the sign and gave her a hug and everything, and gave daddy a hug. And you know, I'd been crying so much that day already, I had no more tears, so I just started like just sniffling. Uh and then I get to give Ansley a hug, and I get to Mason, like that gum. Got big. Right. Um, and they get a hug him and uh Caden and uh Aleika was there, one of Ansley's friends, and she was like the videographer for me.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

Right, yeah, because she did a good job.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

She did great.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Yeah. Um, so so talk to me a little bit about uh you said you had kind of you know cried a good bit during the day and everything. So what are what are the what are the emotions there that you're experiencing?

SPEAKER_01 6:32

Yeah, 100%. Oh, it's a lot of emotion. There's you know, it's gratitude, um, a little anxiety, you know, they just don't know what to expect coming back home. And I wouldn't consider myself uh someone who just like feels a lot of anxiety. I can just tend to brush stuff off. Don't let it bother me, but it definitely was. Um I was anxious to get home and get my life started, but I loved Tucson. I loved my mission, it changed my life, and so it was hard to leave, but you know, it's it's been a it's been great being back. But I think the hardest part for me was when I got to the airport, you know, I'm already tired when you're sleep deprived and you're sitting in an airport and you're about to leave again, leaving what you've known for two years, like the emotions just start coming. And I remember I read the story of uh Peter um the apostles fishing after Christ uh died, and then Christ comes back to the shore, right? And it just hit like a freight train hearing that story of coming back and seeing Peter back at his nets. Right. What are you doing? Right, yeah, dude, like you just saw these miracles and you're back at your net. And it just just hit me like I don't want to go back to my nets. Wow, wow, I like that. It just kind of overcame so much gratitude and just a lot of just a lot of joy. A lot of joy.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Yeah, I I got some chill bumps on that one. I don't want to go back to my nets. That's uh that's a great lesson. So so so talk to me uh a little bit about the the difference of the feelings from getting on the plane to leave two years ago to to cut coming home a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yeah. Completely different. I just missed my mommy and my daddy when I was getting on that plane to go to Tucson. But uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

I'm thinking of just a lot of different anxieties. I mean, you probably felt a little bit of anxiety heading out, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:28

My first time flying by without my mom and dad siblings and going to your mom. Yeah, just right. A lot of unknown. Also, just didn't have much of a testimony. Like I uh leaned on my parents' testimony heavily. And you know, my aunt, my uncles, and my bishops and all those leaders that I had. And so just really like in stepping into the unknown and relying on myself for the first time.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

And that that's natural, uh, leaning on your the the testimonies of your parents uh and grandparents and leaders, which is which is the way it's designed, um, you know, to to take place there. So that's uh that that that that's awesome. I I'm excited to to get into some of the stories and uh things that you experienced uh out there. Um so immediate plans, uh go at kind of going forward, thinking about short-term goals, long-term goals. What do you what what what's in store for Spencer?

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Yeah, so right now I'm doing I'm gonna be doing work and school. Uh just trying to pick up as many jobs as I can. I'm gonna be job shadowing a lot of people, trying to set a lot of those up, you know, trying to figure out where I want to take my future career. Um I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, right? You know, I I've loved like me and Bryson, we had a ton of many startups that we did, and it's always been fun. So I'd love to be an entrepreneur, but you know, that's not the path for me, then need to figure something out, right? Right. So it's where the job shouting is gonna come into play. And going to college is getting my generals first. Um see where we're gonna take the degree.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

So one of the things that uh that I've shared with with Brody, Brody's still out serving. Um, but uh, I mean, I'll I'll share this with you, is that what you'll have a tendency, and and I felt this when I came home, you got your friends that are coming home and returning. And so you're all you're all on this journey kind of together around the same time, and everybody's gonna progress a little differently. Uh, you know, some people are gonna go to college, some people are gonna go straight to work, some are gonna go to a trade school, you know, some are going to get married sooner than others, some are gonna start having children sooner than others. Uh, and it feels like, man, you know, they've already got a job, uh, making good money, they've already, they've already married somebody, they've already starting their family, you know. So don't my my advice is don't feel like you're you're in a race to to get all those things done. Those things will will get done and and will take place uh kind of in the Lord's time. Uh I know me personally, I thought I was going to get married a lot sooner than what I did. I was home for uh over five years before I ended up getting married and uh had a lot of uh different uh thoughts as I tried to figure out what kind of degree I wanted to get in college or you know whether to go to college and things like that. So don't feel like you're you're racing or competing against someone so you can really try and figure out what you're what you're gonna do. That job shadowing that you're gonna do, I think is awesome. That's a that's that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah. No, well, as soon as my dad brought that up to me, I loved it. And my mom and dad have been, you know, biggest supporters of this whole thing because something they always said is like, if you don't have to go to college, don't go to college. Right. Like if you're gonna go to college, get a degree for something. Don't just go to college to have a piece of paper.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Um that's right.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

So and I think that's even more so now, you know, you have these different generations back in in our generation, it was pushed big time. You know, you gotta go to college, you gotta go to college. And um, and I think that was appropriate maybe for that time. Um, but we're seeing now where the that transition has taken place. A lot of the trade works is is is on the rise because of, you know, you got AI that's entering the workforce, literally. Yes. So there's and there's a lot of degrees out there that's I'll just say that aren't useful, yeah. Right for for for ear for earning money. And uh so so just going to to college just to get a degree, uh, that's definitely not the reason to go. So good, good, good job there. So um so how do you plan to stay engaged in the in the gospel and committed to Christ as you move forward?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yeah, so I have been it's it's been a while that I've been getting up at five o'clock in the morning because I knew coming home that you know life's gonna get busy, stuff's gonna get in the way. I'm not gonna be able to sit down and read the scriptures for an hour every single day. That's just unrealistic. Right. But if I can create that time in my mornings or in my nights, then I it's it becomes a little more realistic. And so my plan is just to continue my studies, keep continue to get up at five, try not to get on the phone at first, go straight to the scriptures, just go straight to God, pray, hit your knees before you go to bed as soon as you wake up. Um the little things here and there, um, at least monthly temple attendance, just the little things like that. Yeah. Um, but and serving, gotta serve.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think those are the those are the the great goals to have. Uh, put those on your on your task list and things to do and to to accomplish because it's like you said, it's gonna be easy to start fading a little bit um on those on those things that you're so used to doing. Absolutely. Uh you know, there's a there's a huge expectation as a missionary to to do those things and uh kind of be on to have the spirit with you as much as possible so you can be prepared to teach those that you come in contact with. Um but those principles don't just apply to missionaries, they they apply to uh everyday followers of Jesus Christ as well. But uh, but but it's it's easy it's easy to drop, easy to to let go for sure. Um so what is uh what is important to you now versus maybe what was important to you as a youth and as you prepared to leave?

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yeah. Great question. Um I feel like before my mission, uh you know, I love my family, but I wouldn't say they were quote unquote important. Right? Like it was just like something right there. I show up at home and there's my family. Um home was just a just home. It wasn't, you know, that makes sense. Like yeah, the roots weren't as deep as they should have been, and that's my fault. You know, I had wonderful siblings and wonderful amazing parents, the best parents in the world, in my opinion. But uh like it just wasn't something that I made a priority in my life. I'd prefer to go and do dumb things or go hang out with my friends, go play Fortnite, just pointless stuff. Um that's fun, but it's not as important as family is, right? And so I think the mission has definitely like put a magnifying glass to the bigger things in life, right? No one said that going and hanging out and playing golf is bad, but if you're putting golf over time that you could have spent with maybe your family, like that's when stuff becomes a problem. And just seeing that on a bigger level, especially teaching people and seeing these family issues and how much one someone loves a family member that's falling off, and the family member who's just like going away from the family, it's like they don't care because they don't see the bigger picture. Um, and of course there's gonna be family issues sometimes, but you know the big man's got a way to fight through all that,

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SPEAKER_01 16:07

right?

SPEAKER_00 16:07

Absolutely.

(Cont.) How A Mission Turned Doubt Into Conviction

SPEAKER_00 16:08

I think I the what you you you bring up family, and uh, you know, there's a there's the proclamation uh on the family uh that came out in in 1995. Uh the family is the central unit of of any successful society and civilization. Uh so that's um but I think I think what you ex what you experience as far as kind of wanting to go hang out with friends, I think that that's a that's a natural thing. I think we we all go through it and that's and and that's fine. But but I think your realization, especially as much as you, you know, you teach eternal families, right? On your mission and as you as you're baptizing individuals, um, you know, family is is is the core, is the I think it's it's the foundation. And ultimately that's what we want to, we want to have families as we as we move forward. Um what uh let me ask you this. So what what excites you uh about having the transition to having your your your own family?

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Yeah, no, it's it's exciting. Um but a lot more pressure, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:15

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Um figuring out how not to only provide for me, but for a lot more people. Um definitely a lot of pressure, but having great influences and role models in my life like doesn't make me nervous for it whatsoever. I'm excited. Um and the whole thing you learn on the mission is like you can do all things through Christ, like literally, you can do anything you want to. And if you keep him at the center of your plans, like it's all gonna be fine. That doesn't mean there's gonna be bumps and hiccups, but it's all gonna end up being okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

That's right. I love that scripture. Uh where's it at? Yeah, right there. I can uh I can do all things through him. Philippians 4 uh 4 13. Yes, sir. Um uh quick story about about that. Um my uh one of my great friends, best friends in high school, uh before as a as a going away gift on my mission. She's not a member of the church, okay, but as a going away gift, she gave me that that stone right there. And so I've had that uh for uh ever since. Carried it with me on my everywhere I went on my mission and everything. And I I've always I've always had it out somewhere. Uh so yep, yeah. Uh Philippians 4 13, that's a that's a great one. Um the the pressure, the pressure that you talk about feeling, that's real. Speaking from experience. Yeah, speaking from experience, uh one of my greatest fears as I began to realize the responsibility that I would have to provide for my family is man, I hope I can make enough money to uh to provide for my family. Absolutely. Uh I had a goal of being a being a single family, not a single family, a single breadwinner income. Um and I I was I was hoping to be able to find someone uh in a wife that wanted to stay home and that wanted to really uh be the uh the care of the home and the the nurturer and everything. And I found that in my wife. Uh and she's she's done a unbelievable job. Okay, I mean uh she she runs this household uh and does a does a phenomenal job at it. And we've got uh we've got an agreement um and it's it's really unspoken. Uh she says, you make sure we got food on the table, clothes on our back, a roof over our head, and I take care of everything else here. And uh and and and that that's the way that that's the way it's been. Have you thought much about about that at all?

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Uh yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

And that doesn't mean that that doesn't have to be your same goal.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

I'm just saying, you know, no, I it it is my same goal for sure. Um it's it's it's what I've seen my dad do, it's what I've you know, we'll see others in my life do. And you know, y'all hit the nail on the head. You know, it's I I gotta figure out how to find that as well. That's right. Um, so yeah, that's definitely the end goal.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

It's it's a good pressure though. It's absolutely pressure's a privilege. That's absolutely yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. CJ Shroud. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Kirby Smart says that too. Doesn't he? Yeah. There we go.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

All great minds think electric.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

That's right. Yeah, for sure. Um let's see here. So, yeah, so just um you've already mentioned um a little bit about you know relying upon your your parents' testimony uh and so forth. Uh, you mentioned a little bit about leaning on on their testimony. Uh so talk to me a little bit about uh about the gospel upbringing and maybe what was the expectation in serving a mission from parents to friends to leaders of the church. How where did you feel it kind of ha ha yeah?

SPEAKER_01 21:03

So being raised in the church, I always saw some missionaries leave, didn't see that many, but knew it was a thing. You know, my dad always talked about his mission, my uncles and my church leaders always talked about their mission. I mean, you knew Las Vegas, Nevada. Right, that's right. Right. And hearing these stories, like I always was interested in it. But going for two going away for two years was definitely uh a bigger pill once it got closer. Um and the expectation was absolutely there. But something my dad and my mom always told me is like, you don't have to go on a mission. This is your life. Like it's up to you. I'm gonna love you the same whether you go on a mission or you don't. And so when they said, Oh, fine, I'm going.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Um You gave me permission to not go. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

That's what I heard. Yeah, that's right. Um, but of course they encouraged me. My dad always bears testimony about his mission. I'd hear him on Thousand testimony meetings and Sunday schools and camp outside I'd always hear about it. And so there was an expectation to serve a mission, but I didn't feel like if I didn't go out there would be repercussions. I felt like it was truly my choice. And it was between me and the Lord, which I'm grateful for. Uh but also like just uh thinking of my cousins and my younger brothers and other k other members of the church, other youth. And I I didn't want them to see the older kid not go on a mission and think, well, why didn't he go on a mission? Right. Maybe I shouldn't go on a mission. Like no, like that's my life. And also, um, everybody had such strong testimonies of the church. I didn't right. I knew the stories, but I didn't, you know, believe not I believe them, but not have a testimony of them. Right. And I figured before I go devote my life to a church or to leave the church or whatever I want to do, I should at least find out if it's real or not.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Where's a better place on a mission? And so that's also what eventually led me to go on a mission.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Was because I I wanted to know. And I had an agreement myself that if nothing happened and I'd come home and leave and do whatever the heck I wanted to. Um clearly that didn't happen.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

But it was a good thing. Yeah. So you you decide you're going to uh you're gonna leave or you're gonna submit your papers. Um, I got a story about it. Okay, all right, yep. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

So we were in the pro so I graduated at 17 years old, and so I had to wait a little bit before I could even leave. Right. And I was dragging my feet about my papers. I wasn't like most uh kids going on a mission, they were like, Let me get it done. I was like, Yeah, I'll do it tomorrow. And we'll give them to what we can. Um, and then uh Bishop Moore, Charlie Moore, just pops her over with his laptop and says, Alright, let's get it done. So we boom, we'll get her done right then, submit them and get them off. Uh so that was pretty funny. And then another thing, like I said, I was 17, and so I wasn't in the biggest rush, which eventually led me to not leave until um 2024 instead of 2023. Right. Because I um just lost my train of thought. Um because once I turned 18, it was football season. That's a crime to leave. Right. The South Football season. Bryson's senior year.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

And you've got you've got your brother, right, senior year.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

And so, and if I left then, I'd miss him for three years. Not ideal. Right. Right. Um, because his mission would overlap mine.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

And and we need to make sure everybody knows uh how close y'all are. Yes. Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

So is we are Irish twins, but you would think we're identical. Not identical or fraternal, whatever it is. Yeah, fraternal. We have twin le twin lepathy. We pick up everything each other on. We did the little twin tests where it's like, all right, hold up a number. We hold up the same number, and we did all it was so we've always been you wouldn't see Bryson without Spencer, and you wouldn't see Spencer without Bryson. That's right, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

And and like you say, the Irish twins 11 months apart. Uh, so it's uh and you've done you've done everything together. Yes. Um, you know, up to uh up to this point to the mission. Yeah, and stuff. So I th uh I think you uh just from the outside looking in, um kind of watching watching you through that process, you know, because uh again, uh kind of feeling the the the pressure and stuff, so to speak, you know, I think, you know, when's you know when when's when when Spencer gonna submit his papers? You know, is he is he is he gonna go? Is he is he just gonna wait until Bryson graduates and they can kind of go together, you know, and and that's basically what what ended up happening. You you know you left him probably a month and a half or so before uh before before Bryson left. Uh what was that uh what did that mean to you as far as kind of being able to go out there really simultaneously and get out there, get out there and serve? Along, along with, and I'll go ahead and bring up the the close-knit cousins that you have, and that you got a couple good friends in there. Uh you've got so it's Spencer, Bryson, Brody, Dalton, Dallin, and uh, and Hayden. Yep. Uh really, really tight group there. The fellas. The the fellas, that's right. The the sons of Mosiah. I mean and and uh every single one of you ended up ended up going. But I but I will say also that I think I think it took one of you to to go um to to really really help out in saying, okay, there's the leader. Now we gotta follow, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Yeah. Like Bryson, he would all we we talk about it, Dallin would talk about it, Brody Dalton and Hayden, we'd all talk about it. And so once I just eventually took that step, right? I was, I remember I haven't journaled. I was like, all right, week four, and Bryson leaves in like two weeks. Really waiting for him to get in the field. That's right, yeah. Because uh, you know, again, it's a first time by myself, like it was hard to leave my parents, but it's hard to leave the brother that I always was with. Right. And me and him, we've we left mom and daddy before, right? We went to football camps or scout camps, and of course, maybe one of them would have been there, but we'd always be off by ourselves. And so that's that that point where we said goodbye was hard. And whenever like I came to terms with that, I mean it hit like a freight train, but then he got in the field too, and now we're able to relate on a whole different level. Right. Now we only talked very few times because the P day is overlapping, but whenever we're able to, you know, it was always like just a breath of fresh air.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Yeah. So yeah, being able to know that you your your brother and brothers uh in Christ are are kind of out there doing the same, doing the same thing uh and stuff. So so yeah, so uh so so talk to me about those about those first few months. Um yeah, you know, did did did you have any any times where you're like, dude, I don't know if I can do this, you know? I don't I don't know how can I do this for two years? Um yeah, so did did you have any of those experiences? And and if you did, what did you do in those circumstances and so forth?

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Yeah, all the time. Yeah, all the time. I thought, like, I don't know, this is for me. Uh but I had an interesting start to my mission. I started in uh uh it's called Fort Thomas, Arizona, and it's it's it's cowtown, everybody's ranchers. And we also covered the um the Apache reservation by us. And so it was a culture shock to go from southeast Georgia to the desert full of ranchers, and then to a reservation where they have their own balls. And it was I remember one of my first days, my trainer, we were out tracting in this it smelled really bad. It was hot, like 115 degrees. Wow, dusty, I'm getting sand in my eyes, and we're out here.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Yeah, you yeah, you left in June. You left in June, so that's the heat of it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

And got there in like July.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

And so, you know, it was beating me, beating my tail, it was winning, it was whooping me. But it it pushed me outside my comfort zone. And you know, as we all know, there's no growth in the comfort zone. The only growth that happens in your life is when you're uncomfortable. I like it. If you're comfortable, nothing's gonna happen. And so being able to push past those boundaries and continue to, you know, strive, right, and look to Christ and allow him to carry me and light the way of those steps when I step into the dark. Um, it was a big growing point in my mission. And I kept it kept getting better and better, right? It was like baby steps, right? I learned to attract and to just get through hard times and allow the scriptures to bring me comfort, more so comfort than Fortnite or all the other stuff that I used to use for comfort, did um and just really pushed me outside of my comfort zone, which I was eternally grateful for.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Yeah. So I mean, uh you've obviously had done, you know, physical, physical labor and everything growing up. You played football, you know, you know, there's summer camps and the weight room and and all that. Uh but that's still not farm work and and ranching uh and everything.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

So yeah, it's definitely not roping cattle and casserading and branding.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

And so you did all you helped with all of it.

SPEAKER_01 31:12

Wow. All of it. Did it all.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

And so how how long, how long were you in that area? Three months. Three months.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

That was my baby area. I was trained there the whole time. Nice. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Um, so so did you ever reach a point where where you're saying, okay, uh, you know, Lord, I can't, I can't do this. I'm uh I'm done, you know, or or did you not get that far and uh and you say, all right, you know, let me ask you this. Maybe a better question is is when did you realize that, okay, I'm able to, I'm able to push forward. I can I can stay out here, you know, I can do this for for for two years. I mean, is that or or is that a process that kind of kind of repeats itself as different challenges show up, you know, through throughout the mission?

SPEAKER_01 32:06

It definitely repeats itself. Um, new challenges, um, same answers. It's always gonna be Christ. Yeah. That's right. Um, but at the beginning, it was the MTC for me. Oh, it was my first week in the MTC, and I was doing not too hot. Not not bad, but like not as well as I could have been. Um and I remember it was the first P Day. I was on the phone, mom and daddy were like eight hours.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

We were always on the phone talking. Like I'd be walking to something, and I just have them in my ear. Um and then we had to go to a devotional. I don't remember the guy, I think it was like the Sunday school president or something. This guy talked about families. Dude, just let me sit there. That's right. What are you doing? And it killed me. It whooped me. And I remember I ran out and my companion was behind me, and he was like, Oh, where are you going? Hello, just give me a second. And I went off and I called my dad. I was like, I can't do this. Mama was in Provo at the time with uh Ansley, Caden, Mason, and Bryson. They were there for a volleyball camp or tournament or something. And I remember I was like, Mama, please come pick me up. Wow. And I know that just shattered my mom. I didn't help with that. And she kind of stayed quiet for a little bit and we just talked about it. Keep in mind it's like eight, eight o'clock, nine o'clock at night. And my dad's like, Well, because I was telling him I want to go home, I don't want to stay here. My dad was like, Okay, well, Switzer, it's eight o'clock, nine o'clock at night. No one's coming to get you tonight. We we can't. He's like, So go home, go back to your apartment, go pray about it. And if you still feel this way, we'll get you on the first flight back home tomorrow. Whatever, fine. And hung up and go back to it. Remember, I just I was with the ball and the whole time in the dorm because I didn't get the answer I wanted. I wanted to go home. Um finally I I would hit my knees and I prayed, and I just remember this this I can't even describe it. It just felt like someone was beside me, like truly beside me. And it was just like we're okay. We're gonna do it. I remember nothing. I went to sleep that night, woke up the next morning, sure. I'm good. You're good. The rest is history stayed out. So I and there's a lot more to it, but that's just uh definitely the basics of it.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

That's uh that's some I appreciate you sharing that. That's uh I think that I think other individuals hearing that story, um, I I think it I think it helps, you know, knowing that, you know, you're gonna go through those experiences, look, I don't want to be here. Okay. Um, but I can tell you who else said those same words. Christ, right? In the Garden of Gethsemane. I don't want to be here. Is there any other way we can do this? And uh, you know, but not not my will, but thine be done. Nevertheless. That's nevertheless.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

One of my favorite scriptures is it's Matthew, and then it's like Jesus, he walked away and he fell on his face. And I think that's just like the savior of the world, like the weight that was on his back, he fell on his face and prayed to his father. Like, who am I to think that I can't follow my face and get that same comfort he did, right? Yeah, he was going through the worst pain any of us could ever imagine. His father sent him an angel to comfort him.

SPEAKER_00 36:04

That's right. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 36:05

We were very loving, Heavenly Father, and he understands our issues.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

And I love the fact that that is in the scriptures that an angel came and supported him. You can do this, right? We're we're you you can do this. Yeah, we're ever everybody's dependent on you, right?

SPEAKER_01 36:22

First day in the field, field field, but my trainer picked me up, and our mission present gave us a little devotional. And his uh my mission present's favorite painting was actually a painting of Garden Gethsemane, and it's an angel like hugging Christ when he's going through this pain. And it's just it's very, it's very powerful, especially first day in the field. I will never forget that painting. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 36:47

That's what it's all about, man. Going through those those growing, those trying times, getting out of that that comfort zone. Uh, and I, you know, kudos to your dad for giving you those encouraging words saying, look, you know, we're not picking you up tonight. You at least gotta stay there tonight. You know, go pray. Pray to your heavenly father, and uh, and if you feel the same way, you know, we'll we'll come get you. We'll we'll we'll get you a flight home.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

And uh, but that's uh man, that's that's that's awesome because I think I think there's there's lots of missionaries that uh you know that that experience that and and go through that. And again, I think it's I think I think it's natural. Um so you talked about uh you know being able to communicate with your parents. Um how uh and and not just then, but throughout the mission. Uh that's not what your dad and and and myself experienced, right? It was twice a year, uh Mother's Day and Christmas.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

If y'all got a call, it was something bad.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

So yeah, something bad. And uh we had uh there was one time uh I was on a had a pretty bad wreck on my mission, so we got to call home uh at that point. What didn't mean about that? Yeah, she wasn't excited about that. Uh first thing my dad said to me was, boy, didn't your mama teach you to wear your seatbelt? But uh I could hear Papa saying that. Yep, yep. So how much how much does being able to communicate on a regular basis with the with the parents and family, how how much does that help out?

SPEAKER_01 38:26

Oh, it's it's game changing. Um, you think about uh members get I don't know why members have such are so opinionated on this. They're like, How should I be able to call home? I was like, well, let me put this in perspective for you, brother. When you were a kid and you were going out to play with your friends, what would you say? Hey, mom, I'll be back in dinner.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Because all right, go get them. If I told my mom, hey, I'll be back on dinner, she's like, All right, well, who you going with? Where are you gonna be there? Text me when you get there, let me know when you're on your way back, right? And she's got my location. That's right. We're talking about completely different times. And to have that constant communication, you know, it it just brings a lot of comfort. Yeah. And it it also builds um a lot of builds that relationship, especially whenever you're able to express those hard times to your parents. Um, and not only them, your siblings get to hear it, and your cousins, because it eventually spreads that way, what's happening, and you get to come home and someone's like, Yeah, I heard about that companion of yours, or hey, I heard about that friend you baptized, or this, that, and the other. You know, it's uh you the relationships only get stronger through it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

So and and I'll admit I was when it when I first heard about the about the the weekly communications, I think I was right there with probably everybody else that served during that before then, which was what in the world? You know, we keep making these kids softer and softer, right? What are we doing? Well, what exactly? What are we doing? But uh it and it's exactly what you said. It's just it's just it's a different time, right? We weren't raised, we we left for school, we well, we left out for seminary, and then you go to school, and then you have practice, you know, so you're not talking to your parents until seven, eight o'clock at night when you get back. Yep, right? Uh whereas now, constant texting, calling throughout the day, and so forth. And so this generation is just used to that communication. Um, and I I think it goes probably both ways as well. I think it, I think uh, and I I'll go ahead and say this. I think I think dads probably handle it a lot better, but I think the moms really enjoy being able to to talk with their with their sons and daughters on on a regular basis. But I do believe that if Spencer Hutchison grew up the same time that I grew up, your dad grew up, then then uh you would feel the same way, right? So it's just it's just a sign of the times. I mean, or not a sign of the time, just different times, different generation. Just like my parents, they you know, you you didn't have to experience the stuff that we experienced. You know, that's that that's that's all that's all that it is. And so it'll keep on happening.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

I'm sure whenever I'm my kid goes on a mission and we get to go visit him, or he comes back after a year. I'm like, this is right, yeah. You're soft.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

That's right. Yep. Um the and it's crazy to think, you know, you just say like uh like AI, right? So there's people that that are being born now that will grow up in a world that that that with AI surrounding it, and they look back to us. I mean, it's literally like this the the stone ages, probably almost. Uh you know, when they when they grow up and the AI is just so integrated into everything. It's it's crazy to see what's what what's really coming over the next five to ten years.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

Yeah. No, there's uh the RM. He's got his own little AI now.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Oh, really? Really?

SPEAKER_01 41:56

He helps with like real estate and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 41:57

Yeah. Yeah. Super cool. Yep. So and we've we've kind of touched on it uh a little bit, but uh maybe where do you where do you think you you grew uh the most in your kind of in your spiritual transformation and your maturity and just understanding everything?

SPEAKER_01 42:18

My fifth through eighth transfer. I was in Corona day Tucson, and it was my first time not having a senior companion. Now I was like a DL or a DT, but I had a z I was a companions with a zone leader because they split the zone leaders. So it was a zone leader, me and my trainee. And so I I didn't have to be so primed up because I had the spiritual giant next to me, right? I could just bear, I could just add that testimony, I can have my witness to him too. Right. Right, right. Um and then going from that to just having a junior companion. And it was it was very eye-opening because I remember like everybody's gonna act real nice, right? That first week of the transfer. New transfer, new me, new year, new me. That's right. It's inevitable with whatever you're doing. And so that could that junior companion, you look good. He was getting up at 6 30, he was working out, he was eating good. And then week two hit, and now he's getting up at 6 45, 7 o'clock, 7 30. And just being able to just realize how quickly I was drifting and not wanting to do that. Like it was repulsive. Right. Um to the point where I knew that's not who I wanted to be and not who I was representing. And so I was my studies, that's when I started waking up at five. Right. That's when I started getting my studies right. That's when I started getting my mornings right, um, eating, member work, attracting, teaching. All of it. Like I would study super hard in the mornings to prepare myself for the day we would have. And then my personal study would be able to just revolve around our friends we're teaching or something that I have a question about.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

So uh how long had you been out at that point?

SPEAKER_01 44:14

Not even six months yet.

SPEAKER_00 44:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 44:15

Was that like four or five months?

SPEAKER_00 44:17

Gotcha. Okay. Yep. Um what was it? Was there anything in particular that just kind of that that triggered that and made you think that way? Uh was it just maybe the studying you had been doing, just the the experience you had been having?

SPEAKER_01 44:34

Yeah. I th I th I think what triggered it was seeing the difference in myself and how I felt. Okay. Um just how like if I mean everybody does it. You're in a groove, you're in that flow state where you're just getting able to knock it down every morning, and then you hit a speed bump and it comes to a halt or slows down a little bit. You're you can you can tell a difference immediately. And whenever that spirit of a missionary who was diligent, hardworking, who loved being out here, who had a purpose and was being, you know, just as just doing all the right things, he of course we mess up, we're human, but just doing the best he absolutely could, I noticed the difference immediately. Right whenever it happened, I was able to pick up on it.

SPEAKER_00 45:16

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 45:16

And so that's that was like my light bulb moment.

SPEAKER_00 45:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 45:20

I was like, okay, that's who I want to be.

SPEAKER_00 45:22

So that's I think the key there is recognizing and then acting. Because if you don't act on it, then that that feeling, it will come back, but it may not be you may not be as sensitive to that to that prompting that that you are receiving. Yep. So uh that's I mean that that's key. You know, um I I love the scripture in um uh 2 Nephi 2 about about choosing to act, to be agents unto yourself, right? Uh to not to be acted upon, but to act. Uh I I I love I love that uh that chapter and talking about that. Um let's see. So yeah, so thinking about a missionary service as kind of a rite of passage into what it means to bear the priesthood, uh, to be a servant leader, and then preparation to be a being a husband and father. Uh had you thought about that at all before your mission, like as, you know, this this mission thing that you're going to do, you know, what's what what's your view of a mission from from pre-mission to post mission?

SPEAKER_01 46:42

That's a great question. Trying to remember. Pre-mission? I don't know my dad did it. Right. Yeah. Like so it's I've I've heard of this mission thing before, but I don't really know all the ins and outs to it. I didn't know what a I didn't I didn't know what a mission president was. Okay. I got that in the letter and or in the email or package, whatever I got. And I was like, oh, what does he do again? Um so just like super in the dark, um, and I'm sure my dad probably tried to tell me I didn't care right at the time, clearly. I didn't remember it. Um versus like now, like a mission is the most selfish thing anyone ever can do. Because the return selfless, I think you said selfish. I said selfish.

SPEAKER_00 47:41

Oh, yeah, okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

It is the most selfish thing anybody can do for the purpose of the return of income you get is insane. I don't I just seeing how I used to act and remembering the memories I have of what I would do or seeing videos of it versus like what I want to do now and who I'm trying to become, like is it it's scary. It's going back to your nets. And so, you know, I I it's it's the most selfish thing you can do in your life.

SPEAKER_00 48:17

So I uh it's interesting that that you say that and and put it that way because you know I've often I hear it all the time that missionaries are sacrificing two years of their life, right? And I've always thought you're really not, right? Because of exactly what you're talking about, about the return of the blessings that will just they get piled on top of your service. Um, and so it may feel like a sacrifice at the time. I I agree that that it feels that way, but I think anyone that that takes the opportunity to serve and serves with all their heart, might, mind, and strength, then in the end, they say, that's not a sacrifice at all.

SPEAKER_01 49:02

So even if someone chooses to separate themselves from the church, which happens all the time, they will never say they regret their mission. Never have I ever heard that before.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

I and I haven't either. I have not either.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

That's uh and so the it's it's two years where you get to just really it's it's a it's a detox. Get rid of all of this crap that the world pushes on you, and you're you're able just to be your own man and find God. Right. Sounds amazing. Yeah. Sounds like a retreat. Yeah. That doesn't mean there's not gonna be hardships like you talked about, but I mean life is hard.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

Yeah. Yeah, and I think you know, that's that's getting to that that that rite of passage uh a little bit of really being able to understand what does it what does it mean to to really give of yourself? Uh what does it mean to put others above your own interest? Um, what does it mean to not be out there earning money, right? Setting things aside and so forth. It's uh you're you're ultimately out there for for for everyone else. Um that's as that's kind of that's kind of why why we go. Now, some people I I would say that maybe realize, okay, because we say it, we share it all the time, that look, yeah, I know as a as a youth leader and as a father, you know, I have shared that look, if you if you serve, right, you're you're going to experience growth. And uh, and if you if you if you put put everything in that I that I know that you can, then those those things that are that are available to you uh will show up in one way one way or the other. Um it's truth. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:58

That's absolute truth right there. That's that's something else I learned on the mission that there are there are strictly two options in this life. There's good and there's bad. But there has to be, right? You can't have joy without sadness. There's opposition in all things, and there has to be. That's the way God intended it to be.

SPEAKER_00 51:15

Yeah. That's great. Um, what about uh those that are considering serving, that are maybe uh teetering on not serving, not sure what they should do. What's what's what's your advice to to to those individuals?

SPEAKER_01 51:37

Just do it. Just do it. Like I can't express that enough. Like, there's not this golden ticket that you have to have to go on a mission. Like, you don't have to have like I didn't have the strongest testimony of the Book of Mormon. I didn't know the Book of Mormon was about where it was the record of the ancient Americas who were in the Americas.

SPEAKER_00 52:03

Right.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

That was a what? And you just you just kind of do it. Like at the end of the day, like it's your choice, but like you're you're an hour flight home. That's it. Yeah, yeah. As soon as you want to go home, boom, you're there. I had a missionary one time on exchange, and he was he didn't want to be out here. Everybody has a why for going out, but it's why you stay that's the most important. Right. And so he didn't have his why to stay, and he really wanted to go home. And he wanted to go make money, which is a great thing. But give it a shot, right? And so I told him, I was like, Do you really want to go home? And I I had pre-planned it. And he was like, of course I'll go. And I had our mission present's phone over pulled up. Call present, go home. He sat there. He's like, No, I don't want to go home. Like, why? You just talked about you wanted to go home so bad. He's like, I don't know. He's like, I don't want to go home. Boom. And the the missionary I saw after that was completely different. And just just go have your experiences, go all in. Don't go and try to bend the rules and make it to fit um what you want it to be. You know, you there the standards are there for a reason. Um yeah, just do it.

SPEAKER_00 53:27

Yeah. And we don't always understand those those little standards, those those little rules, you know, feel like maybe they get in the way. And they're they they do change or are different from mission to mission. Absolutely. You know, uh slightly. You've got the main You got the white Bible. Yeah, you've got the White Bible. That's right. Uh, you got the White Bible, and uh, and then the of course the mission president can make some adjustments and institute some things and and it is different uh with each mission. Well, so you you mentioned about you know people finding their their stay, right? You know, not ever you know, you have your reason of why you go, and then why you stay may end up being completely different.

SPEAKER_01 54:14

Uh it should be. Yeah, you should grow. That's right. It should change all the time. I love bringing bringing people to Christ, but I hate knocking doors sometimes. Right, yeah. And sometimes I love knocking doors. Yeah. Sometimes I don't want to go to church. Sometimes I love going to church. It fluctuates.

SPEAKER_00 54:30

Yeah. And that will continue, right? There, there, I mean, there are times that that that I haven't wanted to go to church, you know, but uh, but you you go anyway.

SPEAKER_01 54:40

Fun story. First Sunday back. Wasn't my homecoming talk yet. But I wake up, church is at nine, it's 8 30. It's like, oh, looks like we're gonna miss this. And we did it, but that's just that thought came to me. I was like, dang, that's funny. That's right. Mason was still asleep. Oh comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 55:00

Yeah, you're like, you're like, we're definitely back home. I'd be in church right now. That's right. Yeah, yeah. That's hilarious. Um, whenever I had the I moved from Athens, I'd graduated from college. I'd moved to Athens. And and when I lived in uh we had a place called the House of the Brethren. H O B. That's right. And I mean, we're all we were all returned missionaries, all very active, and uh, and we all went, you know, basically every Sunday. Um and then I graduate and then I moved to Atlanta to take a job. Uh and I'm moving into a a family ward, and I was in a student ward. And uh so I'm moving into a a family ward, and there's nobody knows that I'm even there. That that that's a member of the church, right? And uh Sunday comes around, and there's nobody else, there's no house of the brethren where everybody's getting up and getting ready to go. You know, I'm like, dang, I don't have to go to church. I I literally had this the this thought process, and uh and I thought I'm like, well, if I missed this Sunday, then I'm gonna increase the chances of not going next Sunday. And and I'm not I'm not gonna do that, you know. So I'm like, I'm gonna go. Showed up at this family ward, you know, start introducing myself, and I talk to the clerk, get my records transferred, and before I know it, I'm the ward mission leader. Bang! Gotcha. We got a young RNA. That's right. Yep, yep. So uh, yeah, um, what about what about advice for parents that may have sons or daughters that that may be struggling to stay out there?

SPEAKER_01 56:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:54

What do what do they say? What do they how do they encourage uh my mission president?

SPEAKER_01 57:00

He gave me uh, I guess you could do like a parable. Okay. Not really parable, but just uh just something he has noticed from his kids is from the ages, or you know how rockets take off, right? You know, mission control, they shoot the rocket off, lands on the moon, do their stuff, and then to get back to Earth, the rocket has to go around the moon and then get enough uh speed, right, yeah, momentum to shoot off.

SPEAKER_00 57:27

That's right, to come back home.

SPEAKER_01 57:28

Yeah, kind of slingshot itself. Yeah, you slingshot it. And he told me when you when when that rocket gets to the back side of the moon, mission control loses contact completely. It goes dark. He said, kids from the ages like 14 to 18 are on the dark side of the moon sometimes, and sometimes you lose contact. But it at the end of the day, all you can do is love them and set that example for them. Love them for who they are. They're gonna make mistakes, understand that. But they st you they're still your kids, right? And how much you want to control what's going on, how much mission control wants to keep that contact, sometimes you're gonna lose it. And sometimes you can really help, and sometimes there's nothing you can do. And when you understand that, and you're able to just uh not accept it, um, just keep setting that standard, but just know it's normal. Don't freak out. Like it's gonna happen sometimes. Yeah. There were times on my mission that maybe like I guess like I didn't want to be out there, and all I did was like, oh, we love you. If you want to come home, you come home, but go pray about it.

SPEAKER_00 58:40

Right.

SPEAKER_01 58:40

Right. So it's the best advice I can give them. Haven't really crossed that bridge yet. Right.

SPEAKER_00 58:47

Well, I think it's I think coming from a a perspective of where you were in those shoes of really wanting to come home, right? And and having that uh your parents I I think what was key is that they they never took that choice from you, right? Now, literally they can't take the choice from you, uh, but but they could say, you know, you're not coming home, right? Or or they could say you're going to go on a mission, you know. If you come home, then you ain't got anything you're for. That's right. That's right. Yeah. And no matter how bad that the parents may may want to say that, they can't say that. They shouldn't say that.

SPEAKER_01 59:31

It'll it'll show uh it would if my dad would have looked at me that or on the phone told me, like, no, you're gonna stay your tail out there, like, well, I ain't talking to my dad about it anymore. Dad gone. Yeah. Like it it shuts you down, makes it makes you clam up.

SPEAKER_00 59:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:43

Yeah, you put your guard up.

SPEAKER_00 59:45

Right, right. Not not not willing to open up. So forth. So yeah, that's uh that's uh that's good. I think uh keeping those those lines of communication open. Um I love that analogy of the going on the on the back side of the moon there, kind of losing, losing contact and communication there for a little bit. But uh as the scripture says, I don't know what scripture it is, um, but scripture that talks about, you know, raise a child up unto the Lord while he is young, and when he is old, he will not depart from it, right? Doesn't it that doesn't say that uh that he won't he won't stray some, you know, and take a path here or take a path there. Uh, but when he is old, he will not depart from it. And you see a ton of times where children that they do stray, but then they they eventually return because of what they were taught when they were young. Um, and I definitely think that that is a scripture that has been uh a prophecy fulfilled in many, many families' lives. Um so I'd love to hear some uh a couple of a couple of favorite scriptures of yours if you if you have some.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:57

I absolutely do. Okay, all right. Uh Second Thessalonians. Um Thessalonians three ten. I have the hard copy.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:11

I'm gonna try and uh try and pull this up here real quick. I'm not used to hard copy second Thessalonians Thessalonians, what now? Uh chapter three, verse ten.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:28

Verse ten. And it just says, for even when we were with you, this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat. And that meant that scripture right there was also when I was in Corona Day too, son. I read that. And it's pretty plain and simple, right? If you don't work, you're not gonna eat. And that applies to everything. That doesn't literally mean food, that means spiritually, that means physically, emotionally, mentally. If you're not gonna work, and you know, God God loves effort. You know, we see that time and time again in the scriptures. Um, you have to put in the work to eat.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:06

I like that. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat. That is that is true, man. That is a true principle for sure. I think Russell M. Nelson also says that, you know, the uh, or he said that the the Lord loves effort.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:24

That's good. I I don't doubt that for a second from Russell M. Nelson. Um all right, I'm uh go to another one, Mosiah 4, uh verse 10. And the part that I really love about this is the very end of the scripture. Okay. Um it says, and again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourself before God and ask in sincerity of your of heart that he would forgive you. And now, if ye believe all things, see that ye do them. And you know, that's that's the gospel truth right there, to humble yourself before God and to ask with a sincere heart um for forgiveness. But the very end, and now if you believe all things, see that you do them.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:18

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:19

Like if you believe it, then go do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:20

Go do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:21

Yeah, don't just it's one thing to say, another thing to do, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:24

Yeah. It's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:33

Um about you. So anything delicious to you recently?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:40

Yeah, uh well, I tell you what, I will pull up the scripture of my have you seen my little 60-second scripture sessions that uh that that I've done over. It was Judges. Judges. Yeah, so I'll uh I'll pull that one up here real quick. Um, and this one two night, Judges 2.19. This one hits home because I've I do this all the time, I feel like. But uh, you know, this is the children of Israel, they've been in the promised land, Joshua, he's led, but he's now passed away. And as generations do, they begin to fall away. And uh it says, and following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them, they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. Our stubbornness gets in the way all the time. Yeah, we are we are stubborn people, we we become prideful and we uh we think we know best. We become uh ever learned, but uh not knowing the the the the knowledge of the Lord that he that he has for us. Uh yeah, so that when I was reading that this morning, um that that one came across, I'm like, yep, that's uh that's gonna be my 60-second scripture session right there. That's a good stuff. So yeah. Don't be stubborn. Don't be stubborn. Don't yeah, be be humble. Get get get rid of that pride.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:09

There's a reason we're commanded to be submissive and meek. Yep, for sure. That doesn't mean to be weak. That's right. I'll I'll give you one more. Sounds good. Um, just because I love the scripture so much. And it's super, I'm gonna take it away that I don't know if many people take it. It's gonna be Genesis 1.3.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:28

Genesis.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:29

And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Right. Um, but the reason I love that so much um is because of my favorite name of Christ is the light of the world. And I think I'm biased, of course, but I think that's the best name for Christ. Because without light, this earth wouldn't exist, right? You know, we know from science that it would just die. Right. Um, we wouldn't be able to walk around here, we wouldn't have been able to make this technology. And these cellular devices, right? And I relate that to our lives. You know, God said, Let there be light, and there was light. God said, Let there be Jesus Christ, and there was Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, the only thing that can light our darkest times is Christ. No matter how much we want to try the worldly things, they might be an illusion and create very temporary happiness or joy or light. But at the end of the day, Jesus Christ is the light and the way and the truth of the world.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:29

Very good.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:30

So I love that scripture.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:31

That's great, man. That's a that's a great uh great testimony there. Um for the for the missionaries that are still out there serving, that will have the opportunity to hear this. Uh, what do you what's your what's your message to the to the missionaries that are out there still serving? Go eat. Okay, yeah. If you believe it, go do it, go eat.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:53

Don't, no regrets. That's something our mission president's wife always said. You know, don't don't look back on your mission and say, I wish I could have done this. Go on your mission and just be able to feel of how powerful it was and how much work you left out there. Leave it all out there. Yeah. Right? I you want to be wheeled back onto that airplane. You want to just be beat. Yeah. So just go all in.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:18

I love that. Uh I know that when I went when I served, uh, that was we s we uh we show up and we have our uh we have our sit-down, our first interview with our mission president. And uh, you know, he's kind of he's interviewing us, he's and the purpose of the interview is to get us to know, get to know us obviously a little bit, and he's he's deciding who he's gonna put us with, what what trainer uh uh will we be assigned to. And uh I wanted my mission president to know from day one that he was not gonna have a problem or he's gonna have to worry about worry about me. And so I told him, I said, I said, look, president, I said, uh, you know, I've signed up for two years. I said, I know that you sometimes have issues with missionaries trying to bend the rules and things like that. I said, you will not have a problem with that with me. I said, I'm here to serve. And uh and and that's and that's what I did for 24 months. I went, I went all out. And uh now it come 24 months. I was ready to go home. I put in my time.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:29

That's a God-given feeling.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:31

That's right. You gotta go. Yep. Uh so you know, I was uh had the opportunity to extend a month, but I I turned that down. Um I signed up for 24 months and I did 24 months, and uh some of the uh most most committed, most uh spiritually rewarding time. It's the only time you have that you have in your life where you don't have other responsibilities. Uh now you've got other responsibilities, you've got other pressures. Yeah. And uh line.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:04

I yeah, it's I just cherish it.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:08

Yep. Take advantage of that time for sure. Absolutely. Be selfish. Be selfish. I like it. I like it. Uh well, do you have uh have anything else? Anything else you want to share? Any closing, any other closing thoughts or anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:23

No, I'm grateful. Grateful this opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:26

All right. Well, thank you so much for uh for coming on and uh sitting down with me here for a little bit. Uh I think you've done a uh a wonderful, wonderful job. I think the the Lord says, uh, well done, thou good and faithful servant. And um I'm excited to see where you where you go from here and the things that you will uh accomplish as you move forward. Uh grateful to be a part of your life and uh look forward to seeing you at the family reunions and all that all that good stuff and Bulldog Saturdays and everything else and stuff. So we're very good, uh Spencer. Um appreciate you. And uh for everybody else, y'all keep on striving.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:27

I just want to let y'all know from the bottom of my heart that you are entitled to a feeling of accomplishment and that the Lord has accepted your work after your mission if you go all in. That feeling doesn't come if you just lollygag and drag your feet throughout your mission. That feeling comes whenever you put it all out on the line and you're diligent and you're obedient and you just be the missionary that your mom thinks you are and the missionary that your the Lord needs you to be. And because I felt that in the Tucson Airport, I was watching planes go by. That's when I broke down, that's when I had my moment. And I know all of y'all are entitled to that too. And I want y'all to chase that and remember that feeling for the rest of your life. You know, it's a feeling I will never forget. I journaled about it immediately. I've got pictures for when it happened. So go all in and cherish and be selfish of your mission. It's your mission, not anybody else's.