How Serving A Full Time Mission Impacts Your Family Forever

How Serving A Full Time Mission Impacts Your Family Forever

by Robert Earl Croft

(written for a Billing Montana Mission Zone Conference Sept - 2013)

I would like to share my story of how my decision to serve a full time mission influenced my family forever.

My parents were married in Nov of 1941 at my great grand parents, Scott Sessions home in Lovell, Wyoming by the Bighorn Stake Pres Frank Brown. Mom's parents were from the Cowley and Sessions families who were pioneers sent here to colonize the Bighorn Basin. Dad's parents were pioneers from Ohio of the Presbyterian faith who came west to homestead the Powell Flat. Having parents of different faiths creates some interesting situations for a family. Mom and Dad were farmers and stock ranchers all their lives.

I was born in May of 1943 in Powell, WY at the local hospital. Having a baby tends to turn hearts to religion for a family. Mom wanted us to be LDS and Dad had no preference. My brother and three sisters joined our family over a few years. In this time period many stake missionaries visited our home in hopes of converting Dad to the Gospel. In fact he knew the various missionary discussion plans better than they did. In those days meeting were held in rented halls of various sorts some good some otherwise. The Sunday meetings were held at various times with Primary on Tuesday afternoons after school and mutual on Wednesday evenings. That's a lot different than what we know today. When us kids were young, mom took us to church with dad going maybe half the time. When my brother and I were teenagers, we tended to stay home with Dad while Mom took her 3 girls to church meeting. Dad's parents were sabbath day keepers and did not work the farm on Sunday so Dad didn't either. The three of us were home together doing various things like horse training, working our oxen to get ready for parades, making horse gear, just visiting together, and fishing once in awhile.

The folks were very involved in local community events, 4H Club and FFA including all our projects and going to the fairs. They were 4H leaders all their lives helping dozens of kids learn life skills!

In 1960 a stake missionary couple from Byron, WY, Wilder and Ella Mae Hatch, dairy farmers, began to call on our family to friendship us. They would drive the 15 miles to see if my brother and I would like to go to church? Some times we would go and other times we had “plans”. They just kept coming each week to extend love and invite. They developed a wonderful friendship with Dad on these visits! They never bugged him about church like the other previous missionaries did. When he showed no interest they never showed up again. Dad called them “fair weather “ friends he didn't need. He knew the Hatch's really cared for he and his family!

I graduated from high school in 1961 and attended the local college, Northwest College in Powell, taking agricultural related classes. I had never attended seminary because there was too much to do on the farm from before light to after dark, winter and summer. I was able to attend institute at NWC which I really enjoyed!

My Bishop while I was in high school and college worked hard to become my best friend! Even though I didn't go to church a lot, he was always there for me. On one occasion in the Spring of 1963 as we were together in his office he called me to serve a full time mission. I had never seen a FT Missionary since in our area we only had stake missionaries. Something happened inside of me that morning (The Holy Ghost bore witness to me) that caused me to say yes to his call!!! He had not served a mission, but had seen elders in his travels here and there especially in Utah. All he knew for sure was that the Lord had inspired him that day to call me. We had never had a discussion about being a missionary before...... I went home that day only knowing I felt great inside and I had told my Bishop I would serve a full time mission. When I announced this to my family Mom was over joyed, my sisters cried knowing I would be gone for 2 years, my brother didn't know what a mission was so had no comment. Dad on the other hand was not so thrilled.....he was confused, upset, frustrated, etc not knowing what I had agreed to do for the next two years. I couldn't say anything other than I knew I had told the Lord I would go. I had dozens of questions in my own mind yet to answer. I worked for the Univ of Wyo Research Station all summer to get my money to go. Bishop said it was $125/month and that the ward could help too. My paper work was done and sent to SLC then the wait began.......several weeks went by before my call came. The letter from Pres David O McKay was wonderful. I was called to the Shreveport LA mission and to report to the SLC MTC in early September. Due to some health issues I was reassigned in November to the Western States Mission in Denver, Colorado.

Dad was pretty quiet around me for quite awhile as he got used to me being gone for 2 years. One morning he told the family he needed to tell us of an experience he had had repeatedly for several nights. He would see in his dream all his family going into this beautiful temple but they won't let him go in. He finally recognized the temple being the one in Idaho Falls. He had heard of eternal families in all his missionary meetings over the years so he knew about the purposes of temples. He informed us that the Hatches would be coming back to teach him the Gospel. We all enjoyed this time as they taught our family, with Dad being baptized by my brother. I now held the Melchizedek priesthood so I was able to confirm him in May of 1963. Now my relationship with Dad was better than ever before! He made plans for the family to be sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple in July of 1964. On the farm you have to have a lot of help to cover for you when you leave for a day or two. With all of us gone, several folks would have to help do the needed chores.

The summer past quickly and I was with my Grandma and Grandpa Sessions going to SLC to be endowed and trained in the MTC the first week of Sept 1963. To my delight the MTC Pres was Frank and Myra Brown, the same one who married Mom and Dad in 1941, I immediately felt right at home! While in the MTC for only 5 days we were trained by the First Prescy and the Twelve. I was set apart by Elder Spencer W Kimball. We had training from Pres McKay in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple too. Pres Moyle died while I was in the MTC so we all went to his funeral, lining the sidewalk where his casket was pushed into the Tabernacle, then sitting up front near the family.

I was blessed with a wonderful mission experience over those 2 years. My family was sealed in July 1964 in the Idaho Falls Temple. 

Once I got home I was sealed to my parents in the Idaho Falls Temple.

I went to college at the Univ of Wyoming in Sept 1965 where I met Rena, the love of my life. We were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple in Dec 1966. We continued our schooling for 6 more yrs at UW where I received both a BA and MS degree. We were blessed with a son and 2 daughters while there. The Lord blessed us to serve in many callings at college. My patriarchal blessing continued to be fulfilled as I served as a leader in the kingdom.

We moved to Lovell, WY in 1974 and were blessed with another daughter and a second son. Again the Lord blessed us to serve in many callings in His kingdom. We were blessed to have our own businesses in Powell for 38 yrs. I retired at age 70 so we could serve the Lord full time! Our children all have families in the Gospel and now our grandchildren are doing the same! We have sent several sons and grandsons on missions around the world. Three grandsons are now serving!

Mom and Dad served as Stake Missionaries for many years as Dad was able to teach many of his friends and their families the gospel. Most of these men and their families are still active in the church today. Several have left this life for the next!

Dad took care of Mom at home the 4 years before she died at 86. Just a few weeks before she died they ask me to stop by the house on my way home, they wanted to tell me something important. With Mom in her bed and Dad holding her hand he said “ Son have you ever thought where this family would be today had you not decided to serve a mission?” I was 65 years old and had never considered such.............WOW, I can't even imagine living a life in this World with out the Gospel! I know as a family we had been very blessed and continue to be blessed! We have nearly 40 in our family now while Dad and Mom's descendents number near 200. Hundreds of people have been blessed with the Gospel by the missionaries sent out from this family including those taught by our parents! Dad died on Thanksgiving Day 2012 at the age of 94. We were all so excited for he and Mom to be together again! People at his funeral were puzzled as to our joy instead of sadness. This gave us another opportunity to explain eternal families to them.

I often hear youth say I can do what I want because it doesn't effect anyone else............I testify that the choices we make, do make a difference in hundreds of lives! I thank the Lord for helping me make a great choice so many years ago! ! !

Today Sister Croft and I serve as full time FH Missionaries in the “To Turn The Hearts” program in our stake. Our days are long and spiritually rewarding as we work with members and non-members doing Family History! We witness miracles each day in the lives of the people we serve! Our work with the youth is extra special! Our work with you missionaries is always awesome! ! !

Elders and Sisters you will not know for years the impact of your missionary service on you, your family and others!

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He lives, He loves you, families can be together forever, President Thomas S Monson is the Lord's prophet, the Atonement is real and blesses my life everyday in physical and spiritual ways!