10/11/2015 1 Comment Farewell Address: Easy to ForgetA few days prior to receiving my mission call, I had the most bizarre dream... I stood before my family and friends preparing to open the letter that would tell me where I would be spending the next 18 months of my life. I gently, but impatiently, slid the letter out of the packaging and it read:
Dear Sister Wyson, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Spirit Prison Mission... and at the moment I read it, I dropped down dead...So...you can imagine my extreme relief when I opened my call and read France, Paris mission! I am honored to be called to serve the people of France whom I already love so dearly. For Millennia, people have been finding ways to keep some record of their lives. In fact, one of the key characteristics of a civilization was defined by the peoples' ability to write and keep records. Each civilization developed their own system of writing: Ancient Mesopotamian people dug up clay and devised styluses, the Chinese of the Shang Dynasty used bones or turtle shells, Egyptian slaves carved hieroglyphics into stone, the prophets of old kept hand-written records of their lives in books we know as the scriptures, and my Grandpa Wyson who I never had the chance to know, in addition to writing his life history, left behind a wonderful book of poetry. My grandpa Wyson died before I was born. I have often felt sad about the fact that I never got to know him. I have heard so many fascinating stories about him, yet the most fascinating however, is the one he wrote himself. The earliest memories of my grandfathers life began with him hiding behind a stove at the age of five, watching his mother being carried away on a stretcher. He was then dropped off at a catholic orphanage where he would spend the next 13 years of his life. Are you familiar with all those stories circulating around Christmas time of the little children in the orphanage receiving an orange, and how it was their only gift and still it was the greatest treasure in the world to them? I am here to tell you that those stories are true. I know first hand, because my grandfather wrote about it in his life history. He was the recipient of that orange, and yes... being an orphan on Christmas... that orange was indeed the greatest treasure in the world. All those lonely years living in an orphanage led my Grandfather on a personal quest to find God, and to find His church on the earth. As I study my grandfathers writings, I am able to feel a strong connection with a grandfather I never had the chance to know in this life. Though he is not here with me, the knowledge I have gained by studying the record of his life, and his search for truth, is priceless. It has allowed me to build a relationship with him, even though he is not here with me. I know that this is knowledge and a relationship that I will be able to carry with me into the next life. So that when I see my grandpa, I will know him. Without his journal, the vast knowledge and wisdom he gained in his life, would have been mostly lost at his death. What a shame that would have been. The Lord commanded the prophets of old to keep a record of their lives. 1 Nephi 19:1 "And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them, the record of my people..." The records they kept served many purposes. First, they helped them to remember the experiences of their own lives. It allowed them to use those experiences to teach their children and others. What a blessing it is to be able to learn from the experiences of others. It is so much better than having to suffer the same mistakes ourselves. Moroni wrote, "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Countless are the faithful saints in these days who have learned from Moroni and others, and in many ways, avoided making some of the same mistakes his people made. My family has regular family lessons, both on family night and otherwise. For the most part these lessons revolve around a story from scripture - which really are just the personal journals of the prophets of old. I have found that my own writings in my personal journal, as well as the writing of my own ancestors, such as my Grandpa Wyson, have been to me in many ways, personal scripture. They have taught me lessons, helped me feel comfort when I was sad, and given me courage to face the trials of life. There have been times in my life when I have felt lonely. Like many teenagers, there have been times when I have felt like I didn't have any friends. The following passage from my Grandfathers journal describing his arrival at the orphanage has had a profound impact on me regarding these times of loneliness--he writes, "I remember distinctly my first view of St. Francis orphanage and walking up the steps to the main entrance. Although, at the time, I couldn't identify the empty feelings I was experiencing, in later years I recognized them as feelings of loneliness and abandonment. I have since reflected that I felt the same as a dog would feel when being taken to the pound. The extreme loneliness was always there and no amount of activity could substitute for the knowledge that someone belongs to you or that you belong to someone. The gnawing pain that began on the orphanage steps would never leave, and was particularly pronounced on Sunday which was visitor’s day at the Home. I would sit with other boys,waiting, hoping, for someone to visit me. I would watch the cars come up the long driveway hoping the next car would carry a visitor for me, but they never came." I cannot read those words without getting emotional. I cannot read them without feeling grateful for the wonderful life my Father in Heaven has blessed me with. I find similar comfort in the writings of the prophets... Who, in times of great challenge, has not been inspired by the Book of Mormon story of the sons of Helaman? Who cannot sometimes empathize with young Nephi when his brothers are constantly picking on him? Who can read the story of Ammon fighting off the thieves at the waters of Sebus, and not feel that there is a God in heaven who has the power to protect and care for His children? From beginning to end, the scriptures, those wonderful journals faithfully kept by the prophets of old, give us strength, hope, comfort and wisdom. They remind us who we are and what we are capable of. And they offer the assurance of a kind and loving Father in Heaven, and the testimony of Jesus Christ and His atonement for us. As the Lord commanded the saints of old to keep records for future generations, He has asked us to do the same. Luckily, keeping a journal in the 21st century doesn't require as much physical work as it did centuries ago when the prophets carved each letter into metal plates. The Lord also commands that we study the records of those who came before us so that we might gain an understanding of our history and come to know him through reading the scriptures that he has provided for us. Through daily use of scripture, we will not only bless our own lives but also show gratitude to those who have gone before who have left their story behind for us to benefit from. Likewise, we all have a story. We face our own challenges and climb our own mountains. Preserving the stories of our successes-- and yes, sometimes our failures that we have learned from, will bless our own lives in the years to come and the lives of our children and grandchildren who come after us. We are a record keeping people, and for good reason: because as the scripture says, it is out of the records that we will be judged - and furthermore - it is from the records that we can learn many wonderful truths to help us through this often difficult life. I am excited to go on this mission to France, but I have no illusions about the challenge it will be. The French people are good people, but their lives and beliefs are steeped in centuries of tradition. I know I will experience frustration as I try to share the gospel that is so dear to me, often with people who will have no interest in listening. I will have to live with companions I do not know and have not chosen. I will eat food that is foreign and not always cooked by someone as skilled as my wonderful mother. At times I know I will be tired, discouraged and rejected. But I know if I keep my scriptures close, and the Lord closer, my mission will be the greatest experience thus far in my life. I am thankful to those who have gone before me and left behind the records of their struggles, and how they have overcome them. I am thankful also to my Grandpa for his wonderful writings that inspire me to be better, as he went through so much to open the way for the life I enjoy today. One of my favorite of his poems goes as follows: Easy to Forget When the day is long, When things go wrong, I fall down on my knees. I plead with God To spare the rod And minimize the squeeze. When my burden's light, When things go right, When I win on every bet, When I need no aid, When I've got it made, God's so easy to forget. In time of sorrow I always borrow Something from God above. In financial stress I must confess, I need God and His love. He changes my luck, Disaster I duck, Then, when I'm out of debt, There's no more need To intercede. My prayers I quickly forget. Lord, make my day long, Make things go wrong, Make me worry and fret. Give me a loss, Hand me a cross, When life's easy, I forget. -Ulebwise (Joseph Wyson) My grandfather faced many trials but had faith that the Lord was with him and that the trials would bring him closer to his heavenly home. I look forward to the many great experiences of serving a mission. I am also prepared that sometimes things will not always go as I would like, and when that happens, I will gain strength and comfort from those who have left behind records of similar challenges they have faced. I am also committed to keeping my own journal faithfully so the lessons I learn will not be lost to my own Children and grandchildren. Brothers and sisters, through my own personal conversion I have come to know of the truthfulness of this gospel. I know without a doubt that the Lord restored the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Earth through Joseph Smith so that it would never again be lost. I have a testimony of the power of the priesthood and I know that without it, we would not be able to fulfill God's plan for us. I know that only through Christ's Atoning Sacrifice are we able to be forgiven for our sins, through sincere repentance, and receive the eternal blessings of living in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. I testify to you that the Lord loves each and every one of us with a greater love than any mortal mind could comprehend. He is calling out to us with open arms to come unto him so that he can bless us, and we can be perfected in him. I pray that we will heed his call. I say these things, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. Jesus Christ est le fils de Dieu. Je sais que cette eglise est vrai. Pour ma part, j'ai appris que le livre de Mormon est vrai. Je sais que mon Sauveur vit. Et que par son expiation, nous peuvent etre pardonnes de nos peches et ait la vie eternelle. Au nom de Jesus Christ, amen.
1 Comment
Marilyn Winn
10/13/2015 08:03:45 pm
I am so excited for you. I am looking forward to hearing all the great adventures you will be experiencing. I loved your farewell talk you did a great job. You will be in our prayers and thought we wish you the best always. Marilyn
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Tracie WysonI feel very honored to have had the opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the France, Paris Mission. Archives
April 2017
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