The Farewell

The Farewell

December 8, 2019

The Invitation

Ty's farewell was held December 8, 2019 at the chapel on main street in Washington, Utah. We are in the Washington 1st Ward, and Bishop Kevin Smith is the Bishop, and Kelly Paxman and Kyle Smith are his counselors. This is essentially the ward that Blaine grew-up in, even though back then it was known as the Washington 2nd Ward. About a month prior to Ty's farewell, Blaine called me on a Sunday morning (he was in New Mexico, and I was here in Washington) and said, "I woke up this morning with the feeling that I really want to speak at Ty's farewell." I told him that would be a wonderful blessing, but they don't have the parents speak at missionary farewell's anymore. I also told him that if they let him, then they would have all kinds of parents requesting to speak at their son's or daughter's farewell. I told him it was a nice thought but that it would never happen. Apparently, after Blaine hung-up, he whispered a silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to allow him to speak at Ty's farewell if it was at all possible. Fast forward two weeks later, and I am on my way to teach my Sunday School class (the 16-18 year-olds) and Brother Kyle Smith approaches me and asks if Blaine would be in town for Ty's missionary farewell and if he would be interested in speaking at the farewell. I could not believe what I was hearing! I told him I was certain that Blaine would love to, and that he was in the Gospel Doctrine class right now with Ty, so go ask him. He said he had to take care of some ward business but he would catch him after class. I immediately texted Blaine and told him what had just happened! I was bursting with joy and gratitude. I was so very thankful Heavenly Father had answered Blaine's prayer and granted his desire to speak at Ty's farewell. Blaine couldn't believe it either. He felt very loved and extremely blessed by his Heavenly Father. What a beautiful reminder that Heavenly Father knows the desires and intents of our hearts and He answers our prayers! We were all ecstatic!

Despite encountering the usual stressors and unpredicted stressors (Harmon's not having my order for the dinner that Dallin went to pick-up) that occurred prior to the 10:30 am Sacrament Meeting, the meeting was Spirit-filled and beautiful. Many friends and family were in attendance, and my mama heart was over-flowing with love. Ty was the first speaker. He was very nervous, but did an amazing job teaching us about Christlike service. His tender and loving heart really shined through. Carter then played and sang a special musical number. The first half of it was a song that Elijah Luke Milne had recently written and composed based on Alma 31:31-35 entitled "A Missionary's Prayer." Carter then blended it beautifully with the song, "We'll Bring the World His Truth." Blaine closed the meeting with a wonderful talk also on Christlike Service. He shared the tender story of how when Elder Thomas S. Monson came and gave his dying mother a blessing, Elder Monson turned to Blaine and told him he would be a great missionary. Blaine feels having three sons serve full-time missions is part of fulfilling that declaration. Below is the printed program, Ty's talk, and a copy of Eli's music:

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters…..

I have been asked to speak on Christlike service. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given to study and reflect upon this topic, because I have gained a greater understanding of why Christlike service is so important in our daily lives. Much of what I will share today has been taken from an April 2008 General Conference talk given by Elder Carlos H. Amado of the First Quorum of the Seventy, entitled: Service, a Divine Quality.

As I studied and pondered this talk, as well as other talks and scriptures on Christlike service, I began to realize that each act of service Jesus Christ performed uniquely contributed to our salvation. Amazingly, He was able to perform His redeeming work through acts of service in approximately three years of ministry. Today I would like to highlight three main areas in which Christ offered service while he was upon the earth.

Number one: Jesus Christ’s greatest act of service was undoubtedly His atoning sacrifice. During our premortal existence, we all stood and witnessed our older brother step forward and offer himself as a sacrifice in order to fulfill His Father’s Plan. Only His sacrifice could rescue us from our mortal and fallen state. He came to the world with the specific purpose to give His life, since only His life could give us eternal life. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our older brother who suffered, bled, and died for us that we might return and live with Him and our Heavenly Parents once again. Surely there has never been, nor will there ever be a greater act of service.

Number two: Another act of service Jesus Christ performed was He taught the doctrine that He learned from His Father, which includes the ordinances and covenants of salvation and exaltation. His doctrine is one of love, forgiveness, and mercy. It is the only way to live in peace and harmony among men and the only way to return to live with God. I am so grateful for the doctrinal truths I have been taught, but I am also reminded of something my mom always says, “It is one thing to know and understand the doctrines of salvation, but it is quite another to know and understand the giver of that doctrine. I have a testimony that as we strive each day to live the doctrines Jesus Christ taught, we will truly come to know Him.

Number three: While Jesus Christ was upon the earth, He literally built his kingdom by loving and serving others. He set the divine example of loving and serving our neighbor. He truly mourned with those who mourned, comforted those who stood in need of comfort. He blessed and healed the sick and afflicted, lifted up the hands that hung down, lifted and removed burdens of sin, and performed many miracles that blessed the lives of thousands. And in doing all of this, he set the example for each of us.

Jesus Christ lived to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal all manner of sickness. To teach His doctrine and to serve our fellowmen are two responsibilities that we accepted when we were baptized. This converts us into true servants of Jesus Christ. Our Christlike service should include striving to meet both the temporal and the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters. Through Christlike service we truly come to know the Lord and we ourselves are blessed.

Service makes us strong in our faith and useful in His kingdom. Service gives us purpose and courage in life. It brings us closer to God and helps us refine our divine nature. It teaches us to love and understand our fellowmen, and it helps us forget about our personal desires, eliminating selfishness, pride, and ingratitude. It teaches us to think of the needs of others, which allows us to develop the virtues that the Savior Himself possesses. Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow.

As we serve, we will seek to please God and live in harmony with Him. Then we will be full of peace; we will have a cheerful countenance and a spirit of kindness. As we serve, we will strive to ennoble, build, and lift our fellowmen; by doing so, we will be able to find the good in others, and we will not find reason or have time to become offended. We will develop the virtue of praying for those who criticize, and we will not expect recognition or reward. As we serve, we will soon possess the pure love of Christ, and we will be willing to share our possessions and knowledge at all times, in all places, and with all people. As we serve, even in adversity, we will maintain a living hope of a better future. We will continue to be firm in the midst of a crisis because our hope is in Jesus Christ.

With divine inspiration, King Benjamin declared, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God (Mosiah 2:17). As we serve, we will have greater understanding of the personality and attributes of God.

As we serve with devotion, even when things don’t turn out the way we would like, we will not become easily discouraged, fatigued, or frustrated because the promise of peace of mind and the companionship of the Holy Spirit will never abandon us. This last statement reminds me of my dad. I am constantly amazed at all he is able to do. He works harder than anyone I know, but he never seems to get tired. He claims that what gives him the strength and energy he needs is he knows he is serving his family, and his family means everything to him. I cannot thank him enough for his love and service and for the example of Christlike service he has set for me.

One of my favorite examples in the scriptures of Christlike service is the story of Ammon found in the Book of Mormon. I have always loved the story of Ammon and his missionary efforts with his Lamanite brothers and sisters. However, as a young boy, I liked Ammon because of his amazing sword and sling shot skills. Now that I am older, I’m still impressed with these, but his heroic deeds go far beyond this. Today what impresses me the most about Ammon is the humility, love, and Christlike service he possessed as a missionary. As I approach serving the people of Peru, I hope to be able to adopt these same characteristics and learn from the example he showed. He and his brothers did many things that helped them become incredible missionaries. First, they themselves were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and because of this, they wanted everyone to enjoy the same blessings and unspeakable joy they were experiencing. They had an incredible love for all of God’s children. In Mosiah 28:3 we read, Now, they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. They searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God. They also had engaged in much fasting and prayer, and therefore they were blessed with the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with the power and authority of God, and because of this, many were brought to the altar of God, to call on His name and confess their sins before him. Ammon and his brothers also made many sacrifices. In fact, each one forfeited their duty to be the King of the Nephites, and instead, they went into foreign lands and served and taught among their enemies. Their greatest desire was to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands to bring the Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth and to teach them of the incorrect traditions of their fathers. Ammon and his brothers courageously became servants to the Lamanites, they bore their suffering and afflictions with patience and faith, and in the end, because of their Christlike service, literally thousands came unto the waters of baptism and joined with the saints of God. I am grateful for the example of Christlike service of Ammon and his brothers. Their example motivates me to be a better missionary through loving and serving others.

I would like to close with my testimony.

Eli's Original Music

Blaine's Talk:

I am excited to speak today. I compare my nervousness, excitement, and anxiety to that I would experience before playing in or coaching a big baseball game. Thank you Bishop and bishopric members for giving me the opportunity to speak today, and thank you to all the friends and family who have come to be with Ty for his missionary farewell.

The greatest gift for me to date is getting the privilege of speaking at Ty's farewell. A couple of weeks ago, I awoke on a Sunday morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I am currently working, and I was looking at my family history material I keep by my bedside. As I was pondering my family history, an overwhelming feeling came upon me. I was thinking about Ty's farewell and how it would go. I couldn't get my mind off the thought of how badly I would like to speak at his farewell. As this strong feeling overcame me, all I could do was think to pray and ask the Lord for this blessing. I told Natalie later that day on the phone my desire to speak at Ty's farewell and the prayer that I prayed. She thought that was awesome, but she also reminded me that they don't invite parents to speak at missionary farewells anymore, and that it had been awhile since they had made that change. Nothing more was said. Well, last Sunday when I was home in Washington and attending church with Natalie and Ty, after Sacrament meeting, Natalie went to teach her Sunday School class, and Ty and I went to Brother Gordon's gospel doctrine class. After class, Natalie found us and said, "You can't believe what just happened - Brother Kyle Smith just asked me if I thought you would be willing to speak at Ty's farewell." We both couldn't believe it. Soon after, I ran into Brother Smith in the hallway, and he officially invited me to speak.

Well, you might think, "Why would anyone want to speak in church?" I told Natalie that I wanted to tell the story of how, then, Elder Thomas S. Monson came to our home just up Main Street here in Washington back in 1985 and gave my mother a blessing before she died. As Elder Monson prepared to minister to my mother, he said he felt impressed to include my father and me in the blessing circle. My dad and I each only held the Aaronic priesthood. This kind act made me feel like the Lord was mindful of my dad of me, and Elder Monson left us with a binding promise of extra strength to help us overcome her passing. After the blessing, Elder Monson asked me what I was doing, and then said that someday I would be a great missionary. Well, time passed and my life changed, but through these changes, I never forgot what Elder Monson said that day, and my sister Kimberly never let me forget it either. So in my mind Ty, here we are together at your farewell with this as our backdrop. We get to sit together in this historic chapel in my hometown and both speak about Christlike service.

Ty, you just heard a wonderful example of how Christlike service can bless lives. That story is as big a reason I am here with you today as any. After my mother's passing, I strayed from the covenant path, but my brother Gary, Jaclyn, and my sister Kim kept a close eye on me and lovingly encouraged me to come back to the church. Through the blessing of repentance and the miracle of forgiveness, I was able to get back on the covenant path. I was then blessed to meet and marry your mom who served an 18 month mission in Oklahoma, and to have three wonderful sons.

What a great opportunity for me to share this day with Ty and to speak with him on the day of his farewell. Ty and I have been through a lot already in his young life. In two weeks it will get even more exciting as he enters the MTC to begin his missionary training in the Spanish language, and to prepare himself for service in the Peru, Lima South Mission. I am so proud of him and his decision to serve and his continued effort to prepare. Serving a mission is a great opportunity to not only share the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to also lay the foundation of your future as a husband and father. You will also be blessed to learn the Spanish language. I currently work with four dentists who served in Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Brazil. I marvel as I watch them use their acquired Spanish language with the patients they serve everyday. They love the Hispanic people of New Mexico, and I see the fruits of their missionary service each day I work with them.

I think the best way to understand Christlike service is of course to study Jesus Christ - His life and the things He taught. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we have all received, and we need to think of Him everyday. Think of the many names He has been given: Emmanuel, Jehovah, Counselor, The Great Physician, Master, The Son of God, The Prince of Peace, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Savior and Redeemer. The Savior always led by example, and He taught the gospel everywhere He went. I love the parables He would share. They teach us how to behave and conduct our lives. The different events of His life teach us how to give Christlike service. Allow me to share with you some of the parables and events of Christ: Can we ever forget Christ's response to the woman caught in adultery? How he cast out a legion of devils from a tormented man? How he scolded Peter for cutting off the ear of one of the Roman soldiers who came to arrest him at Gethsemane, and then how he reached out and healed the soldier's ear? How he taught us to forgive our brother, not just seven times, but seven times seventy? Jesus Christ was always teaching forgiveness and how to remove bitterness from our lives. He knew these things would heal and bless our lives.

Some of my favorite parables of Christ include: The man who fell among thieves and the Good Samaritan, the parable of the talents, the rich young ruler (which is actually a true story), the laborers of the vineyard, and the prodigal son and the love shown him by his father. Ty, remember that on your mission, adversity and difficulty will come in many ways, shapes, and forms. It will help if you can remember the parable of the sower. Some seeds were sown by the wayside and the fowls of the air came and devoured them. Some fell on stony ground and the seeds could not take root. The heat of the sun scorched them and they withered away. Some seeds fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them, so they yielded no fruit. Others fell on good ground. These were the ones that sprang up and increased - some brought forth thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred. Ty, you will find those whom the Lord has prepared for you to plant these seeds on good ground.

Another story from the Savior's life that I think will help you Ty is this: Christ and His disciples were safe and resting peacefully along the shore one day, and Christ told them that they should pass to the other side. The disciples must have wondered "why?", things were going just fine where they were, plus, the other side was far away, it will take a long time to get there, and it could potentially be dangerous. Nevertheless, they were obedient and prepared the vessel. They all went aboard with Jesus and headed for the distant shore on the other side. As they journeyed, a great storm arose and the waves crashed into the ship. The ship was filling with water, and the disciples were afraid. Christ, meanwhile, was sleeping peacefully in the hinder part of the boat. The disciples awakened Him and cried unto him saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" The Savior arose and rebuked the wind and said, "Peace be still." The wind and the waves ceased, and there was a great calm. Christ then said unto his disciples, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" The scriptures then tell us that the disciples feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" Their ship finally reached the opposing shore and they all came out of the ship. The scene had been set for another miracle to take place.

The Savior and His disciples came upon a man who had an unclean spirit. He was raging out of control and even cutting himself with stones. But when the man saw Jesus afar off, he ran to him and worshipped him. This man was tormented with a legion of devils. The Savior cast out these devils from this man and the devils entered into a herd of swine grazing nearby. These swine ran violently down a steep slope and perished into the sea. Afterwards, this same man was seen fully clothed, in his right mind, and peacefully resting next to the Savior.

Ty, this is a story I want you to remember as you serve in Peru. Satan knows your ambition to teach and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Peru. The adversary will send his winds, his rain, and his storms and anything else he can use to discourage you and keep you from sharing your message. It is during these times of great trial that the Lord is preparing for something very special to take place, so it is important to keep your faith and to keep your eyes on the Savior. I would like to close with my testimony.

The Dinner

Unfortunately, I did not get many pictures at the dinner because I was too busy preparing and serving the food. We held it at the clubhouse for Green Springs Heights. We served sweet pork and chicken burritos, salad, fruit, cilantro lime rice, chips and salsa, and cookie sundaes for dessert. A special thanks to Kate Dalley and Lisa Ruud for helping me in the kitchen, I couldn't have done it without your help. We also had a special visit from Santa. He handed out cute little treat bags. Here are a few of the pictures I managed to take: