Father's Blessing

 ENTERING  MISSION

FATHER'S BLESSING

August 17, 1994

given by Ernest Martin Chamberlain, Jr

Sister Sandra Fay Chamberlain, by the power of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood and in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I lay my hands upon your head and give to you a Father's and a Priesthood Blessing as you get ready to go into the Missionary Training Center this afternoon.

Sandi, your mother and I love you very, very much and we're proud of you.  We're proud of your attitude, we're proud of your dedication, we're proud of your spirit, we're proud of your dedication, we're proud of your personality and the excitement that you bring people.  We're proud of the grace and culture that you portray.  We love you as a person and we are very, very pleased with you.

Now I ask our Heavenly Father to bless you with a blessing to suit you for the needs that you have while you are on your mission.  Your Heavenly Father is very, very pleased with you Sandi. If all of the missionaries that went into the Missionary Training Center had the desire that you have and were as prepared as you are, His work would be able to go forth at a tremendous rate, but each must do their part according to the level of spiritual growth that they are at at the present.  No one should criticize any missionary for the level he is at so long as he is trying to grow and reach out.

Sandi, I bless you with a kind heart and a loving mind, that you may be able to reach out to people, both in the church and out of the church, with a true christian charity.  I bless you that you will be able to spread influence, that our Heavenly Father will be proud of you because of the example that you will shine forth.  The Sermon on the Mount indicates that as Saints we are to be examples.  We are to be the "light unto the world" and the "salt" unto those that taste the truth.

Sandi, I bless you that you will have our Heavnly Father's protection.  That as you go out into the mission field, that at those times that it is necessary that you will have guardian angels to protect you.  Now that doesn't mean that you should put yourself at risk nor that you should put yourself at danger.  Because of your free agency, your Heavenly Father cannot protect you from situations that you purposefully enter.  It is just like Joseph Smith and the golden plates.  As long as he protected them to the best of his aility, our Heavenly Father could protect them with divine power.  If he had been careless, the plates could have been lost. 

Sandi, I bless you that your mind will be active, that you will be able to learn the discussions, but better than that you will be able to give the discussions in ways that the person that you are teaching will understand.  They will be able to understand the important parts.  You will beable to share forth testimony in a spirit that will awaken the spirit in others.

Sandi, I bless you that you will be able to have positions of leadership as much and as far as young women in the church are called to do.  I also bless you that you will be an example to the missionaries as well as to those that are not of the faith and to the memnbers in the area.  I bless you that you will be comforted.

Sandi, I bless you that you will find that you can get answers to your prayers and that you will recognize them.  I also bless you that you will be able to understand the meanings of those answers.  Now remember as you are getting closer and closer to the spirit and as you are getting more spiritual experiences, there will be times when the spirit seems to leave you.  There will be times when you just don't seem to get answers that you have been use to.  This does not mean that you are not in favor with God or that God is looking down on you.  This does not mean that you are sinning.  It does not mean that you are out of tune.  Remember when Christ was on the cross.  He cried out, "Oh, God, why hast though forsaken me?" There are times in everyone's spiritual development when they must feel the weight of the burden that they may lift themselves so that God may lift them tot he next plateau.  Everyone has it, even the Savior.  So when you feel  that, rejoice in your heart, for you know that great growth is on the horizon.  You need not fear it.  This is time, though you will never be alone, that you can exercise your faith to a greater degree so that you can carry the burden, that you can shoulder the responsibility that growth may come.

Sandi, I bless you with the gift of tongues.  You may not feel that the gift of tongues would be important in an English speaking mission.  But you will find that you will have the gift of tongues in a dramatic, suprising way.  And it will be a blessing to you and to those you serve.

I bless you that you will be able to manage your finances, your time, your affairs ---do your packing --- do your organizing.  It will start out slow---by the time you get to the end of your mission it will be a strength that you will have ---it will be a blessing you will have throughout the rest of your life.

Remember the meek and the humble.  I bless you with the power of discernment.  Remember, there are also liars, there are cheats, there are those who are intentionally trying to deceive.  I bless you that you will be able to see them, that you will beable to discern them, and that you will know appropriate actions to deal with them.  It is not meet to cast pearls to swine nor the bread of children to dogs.  Therefore, there are those that are not spiritually ready, but it does not mean that God doesn't want them.  However, it means that there are those that are to be avoided and left until they make enough spiritual growth that they can ome unto Him, to look for the truth honestly. Therefore, I bless you with this discernment. 

I bless you also that you will not be confused by outward appearances.  You may find a man or a woman that is shabbily dressed, that is unkempt, that is not in outward appearances desirable.  I bless you that you may be able to reach inside, figuratively, and touch their spirits.  I bless you that you may discern whether or not they may be someone who is spiritually ready to grow and to cast off that filth and step out into life as a child of God.  It will be an interesting experience for you to distinguish those that are ready and humble from those who are lying and cheating and hoping to deceive.

Now, Sandi, I bless you agian, even though the Stake President has blessed you, I bless you with health. This does not mean that you won't have sickness. This does not mean that you won't have problems. What it means is that you will be able to control them.  You will learn better and better how to deal with them.  And that by controlling them and dealing with them - -  at times they will be a discomfort, but they will not be a stumbling block to the work - - they will not get you depressed, get you down, or get you discouraged where you can't remember that our Heavenly Father has a purpose in all things.

I bless you that you may be able to see the hand of the Lord in all areas where He is working and that you will be able to see the works of God.  I bless you that you will be able to tell the differences between  the workings of God and the workings of men and the workings of the Devil.  I bless you that you will be able to discern truth and light and righteousness from evil, lies, and darkness, and that you will be able to lead the Saints of God to the light.

I bless you with these things and I bless you with all other things that you stand in need of that you may go forth as a mighty Ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ and a servant of your Heavenly Father, and that you will do so with dignity, with grace, with power, and ability.  I say these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.