Monday, October 15, 2007

Elder Uncle Sam

There are a few different kinds of Mormon boys.


Type A: These are the boys with testimonies who, step by step, make the choices that get them onto to their missions right around age 19, hopefully ready and worthy to serve. (I'm married to one of these, and am grateful for these kind of men).


Type B: These are the boys who basically decide that they don't believe the Church is true enough to change what they need to change or sacrifice what they need to sacrifice and they never go on missions.


Type C: These are the boys who know the Gospel is true and, little by little, fix their lives, allowing Christ's Atonement to work and change them, as they become men with knowledge and a burning desire to go on missions despite great personal sacrifice.


Guess what kind my brother Sam is?


I am deeply proud that he is my brother. I am humbled by his example, as he has shown us that progress is progress and that Heavenly Father doesn't care when we get there...as long as we do. He has shown me that Christ can change our hearts and our lives, if we let Him.


He enters the MTC on Wednesday and will serve in the Ventura, California mission for 2 years. We have no doubt that he is ready and will be a valient missionary. We will be excited to learn from his experiences as he bears witness that Christ's gospel has been restored to the earth.


We love you and we will miss you. Thank you.

18 comments:

Celia Fae said...

Is this a quiz? I choose C. Do I get a prize? How about a really cute brother? You seem to have one of those already. I think I need to go on a mission to Ventura California also.

I gave up on the generic. It was too hard.

Jessica said...

Celia, stay away from the mission...I've heard what you do to men on missions.

Nortorious said...

Umm, A? Or was he naughy before he decided to go? I don't think B, because he IS going. So A or C. I guess. I'm bad at this.

Hollyween said...

K. I'm guessing C. What a sweet tribute to him. I had a step-brother who didn't go until he was 27. Isn't that the cut-off? He still says it was the best experience of his life. He's a cutie!

Brown Sugar said...

Thats Sam! all I remember about Sam is the time my sister(Allison) babysat him and he bite her. He is a stone fox!

Penny said...

That's really exciting, you will have to keep all of us informed on how he is doing.

Carie said...

I married a C myself. (he went on his mission when he was 20.) And let me tell you, he was a rockstar on his mission because he was there for ALL the right reasons.

Best of luck to Elder Uncle Sam, no doubt he will be an amazing missionary.

D-dawg said...

very cute! i love missionaries and think they are strong people cause I know I could never have served a mission when I was younger. Maybe when I'm older. Anyway, good luck to him!

Ilene said...

I remember your brother bearing his testimony at church while you were away. He was so excited to get going that it made me want to turn in a mission application too.

I have a brother with a similar type of turnaround and it just makes me want to hug him with pride every time I see or think of him and where he is today. Don't you just love the gospel?

Jill said...

That was a sweet tribute. Sounds like your brother will be fantastic missionary with alot of experience to testify of the happiness it brings him. I'm so grateful my hubby served a mission too, and made that a priority in his life. It's so important for these men to serve! We need valiant missionaries. Good luck to him!

Summer said...

Awww what a good guy. Good luck, Sam!

marta said...

Love the photo!!! Good for him. I love missionaries who get their act together and serve for all the right reasons.

Paige said...

Jessica, he is adorable and I'm so happy he is going! How great for your kids. My husband is a C too, although no mission due to the convert thing.


What about D? Raised in the church and taught the truth, then was horrible and rotten to the core so rejected all truth and lives a life of hedonism? That would be MY brother!

Jessica said...

Wow, Paige, that's B to the extreme.

Adrianne said...

YEAH SAM!!! I can't believe how OLD he is, or how good looking!! He seriously is a young version of your dad.

Lorena said...

Yes, Uncle Dorrie (as my kids call him), is awesome, grown-up, and so ready to go on a mission! I loved getting to hear his "farewell" talk and getting to spend his last week at home with him.

If only he was good-looking! Is it inappropriate for his aunt to say that?

Tammy said...

Sam is hot. I know that disturbs Jessica perhaps, but he is so cute! and I am proud of his progress of course, too. Just call me a cougar!

Anonymous said...

I totally forgot that sam is your brother! I ran into him a little over a year ago down at byu. That's so great he's on a mission! He's going to do so good!