Mission Blessing

 Matthew Nance Jackson, in the name of Jesus Christ and by the authority of the Holy Melchizedek priesthood which we hold we lay our hands upon your head and set you apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints called to labor in the Canada Montreal Mission and bestow upon you all the rights, privileges, gifts and powers that will allow you to accomplish all that Father in Heaven has in mind for you. 

Elder Jackson this opportunity is a response to your commitments made in the premortal realm.  You’ve kept them well to this point in your life.  You’ll keep them well going forward.  We bless you that you will turn to the Lord, as you rely on him, as you come even closer to Him through your prayers, through your scripture study, through teaching the gospel and realizing that He will put words into your mouth and will teach you and help you to understand principles of the gospel that will become readily apparent to you only as you teach them.  We bless you as you do so you that will feel the great appreciation and love that Heavenly Father has for you as he develops and molds you, as he adds to what you already possess, to creating you the instrument that He needs throughout your mission and throughout all the rest of your life.  He will help you. He will bless you. He’s so mindful of you and He desires to making you all that He needs you to be.  This is a process that can be painful at times, just understand that any trials you have with companions or with investigators that drop you or that you may have other issues that will cause frustration or concern on your mission, know that all of these things are known of the Lord, He has a prepared a way for you to be successful in every circumstance, as you turn to him and exercise faith in Him through your obedience and through your love of the people. 

Elder Jackson you have great examples in your brothers, in your grandparents, in your parents.  Look to those examples. Know that the greatest exemplar is obviously the Savior Jesus Christ.  Study his words, understand His ministry, learn to teach from the scriptures, use the Preach my Gospel resource to come to understand your Savior to be able to testify of his Atoning sacrifice to those who are if are aware but not fully understanding of it and as you begin to fully understand as your testimony becomes richer and deeper you will be able to teach the simple precepts of the gospel in ways that will be stirring and helpful and impactful in the lives that of those you come in contact with.  Learn to get along with your companions.  Bless their lives, lift them, seek a spirit of unity.  Avoid the spirit of contention which is of the devil which will drive away the spirit of the Lord.  Always seek to maintain a relationship of unity and oneness with your companions and with other missionaries so that you can be fully able to be worthy of and to follow the promptings of the Spirit.  

Elder Jackson we bless you with health and strength. We bless you from freedom of injury or illness that would cause you to miss any of your missionary service.  We bless you to know that your obedience will qualify you for the very ministering of angels to protect you and guard you in every circumstance so long as you are striving to be obedient.  Heavenly Father will bless you with angels to bear you up, to prepare a way before you as He has promised, to give you answers to your prayers, to put you in situations that might see uncomfortable at first but through your love of the people and through your testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ you will be able to proclaim the gospel to gain the ear and the hearts of people who may have been angry or estranged from the Savior and as you begin they will come to understand His love for them from your words and example.  We bless you as you go through the course of your mission you’ll have the opportunities to watch the mission president and his wife.  You’ll get to know them and follow their council as ones who hold the keys for the work of the Lord in this area of his vineyard.  Follow their instruction, implement their programs that they present to you, be faithful and determined in doing all you can to follow the commandments and guidelines that are set before you.  As you do so that obedience will be blessed by wonderful miracles, with putting you where you need to be, in places to be a Savior on mount Zion in delivering the message of the gospel to those who are in darkness.  We bless you that as you think of home and this wonderful family you’ll be blessed by them, also be a blessing to them.  They love you, you know that.  They will be difficult to be away from them, but as you use your love of them and turn it to be love for those among whom you serve, including other missionaries, you can overcome any homesickness, you can know that the Lord will bless you, He will help you to extend that love to increase your capacity for love and to be able to teach the gospel of the Savior, of the God of love, to those who will so desperately want to hear it.  

Now we bless you that you will be wise in the use of your time.  Always know that each day is a gift and as you use it properly as you seek to be effective that you will be able to retire each evening knowing you have done your best.  Always leave room for the spirit of the Lord to direct you, to divert you from maybe plans you had in place to a better plan as you feel his promptings.  Know that when things are going wrong with respect to your schedule or appointments that often times the Lord is just putting you and moving you into position to be a blessing to someone else.  

Now we bless you as you as you move forward you will continue in prayer, in your scripture study, to learn and to hunger and thirst after the principles and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can become a master teacher.  

We bless you that you will learn the French language and that you will become proficient and will come to understand the colloquialisms, all the manners of speaking that will allow you to deliver the message in French in ways that will be powerful and it will teach these principles in ways that will be a blessing to all you labor among. 

We bless you in the wards and branches that you will serve that the members will see in you someone they can trust with their family members and friends and associates, that you will be able to teach those people in member homes and thus strengthen all involved.  

We bless you that you will be strong and determined in all that you do.  That the principles that you have implemented thus far in your life you’ll take forward in righteousness and in a spirit of and a desire to serve your Heavenly Father and your Savior Jesus Christ.  They will be added upon with additional gift that you will become aware of, additional abilities that will bless your life and will set you in a position to be a great husband and father and a great disciple of the Savior Jesus Christ as you go throughout the rest of your life.  

Now we give you this blessing with love and appreciation for you and you are dear to us.  Elder Jackson we love you, we want you to know how treasured you are of the Lord, of your family and of your leaders and we know you will be successful in things that you endeavor to do.  And we give you this blessing in the sacred name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.