Farewell Talk
Jan 15, 1998
“I’ll go Where you Want me to go Dear Lord” violin solo by Erika Rogers and Heidi Shakespeare
Accompanied by Lisha Rogers
Elder J. Clint Rogers
Well I guess it’s my turn. Thanks Lisha and Erika and Tammie for that good music. It has been fun to come and listen to that on Sunday nights when they have gotten together and practiced that. It has been really neat to hear that. I just want to tell my family how thankful I am for their talks and the effort they made today. I thought that I always liked to go to farewells, but now here I am at mine and I am not so sure. I want to thank all of you for coming today, especially my extended family and those of you who had to travel, our family friends that came down from Salt Lake and everybody here. It means so much to me. I am very thankful for your love and support and for this opportunity to share this farewell with you. I really want to thank my scout leaders, my school teachers, my Sunday School teachers, my coaches and all those who have had a big influence in my life. I want to thank my Uncle Curtis and my Uncle Richard for the great opportunity I had to work with them. They taught me a lot of things we worked really hard, it was tough, but we also had fun. It helped me to realize that hard work is important. I want to thank Bro. Wittwer and Bro. Ryan and also Bishop Jennings and the Priest Quorum . I really enjoyed my time there the last little while. I want to thank Bishop Jennings for helping me get ready for this. I want to thank my friends. We have really had a lot of fun times the last little while. It has been fun as I have been preparing. I know that I have some serious stuff to look forward to, but It has been fun to go and do some things with them.
Now I would like to share with you a little bit that I have prepared. These are some of the things that have helped me as I have begun to prepare for my mission. I am talking especially to you future missionaries and hopefully it will do some good and I think it will be good for all of us. As I have begun to prepare there is a couple of things that have really helped me.
The first one is to read our scriptures daily. I have really found a lot of strength in the scriptures. I really enjoy at the end of a hard day sitting down and reading in the scriptures. It helps me put everything into perspective. It helps me to know that everything is OK, that Heavenly father is watching out for us. There is really a lot of great power in the scriptures.
And right there with the scriptures is the second one daily prayer. There is a Seminary master scripture that I learned; D&C 10: 5.
Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.
If we are readying and praying and doing the things that we should then we are going to be able to avoid those temptations that would get us.
The third thing is to obey all the commandments. A lot of times we obey the major ones, but one of the things that has helped me is watching out for the little ones: being completely honest, honoring your parents, and always looking for ways to help others.
#4 for me is regular Temple attendance. There is a lot of power there in the Temple. I had good examples. Some friends got me started right off and they had goals of weekly temple attendance. As I began to prepare for my mission, I kept that goal of weekly Temple attendance.
#5 Accept and look for opportunities to serve. I have really enjoyed being able to go on splits with the missionaries. I have also enjoyed teaching lessons and preparing lessons and helping out with Family Home Evening. These things are all good helps as you are preparing for your mission. They are also ways to practice teaching. I know that you feel good when you do all of these things. You will feel that quiet confidence when you know that you are doing the right thing and you will know that Heavenly Father is pleased with you.
The last little while as I have prepared for my mission I keep repeating in my mind the line from the scripture D&C 82: 3. It is the first line and it says:
For of him unto whom much is given much is required.
I have been blessed with many blessings. I have a great family who loves me, my extended family and my family right here on the stand with me. I have goodly parents who love me and love the Lord. I have good friends. I have a lot of things that I have done and enjoy. I have been given a lot. Now it is my turn to give some back. I can not wait to share the gospel with those who are searching for the truth in Cambodia. I know that this is what it is all about. Everything in my life up to this point has been for this mission. I know that it is going to be a hard thing. It will probably be the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life. Maybe I can feel that or something. I just knew that I was not prepared and that I had to get ready. I know that I still have along ways to go to be a returned missionary, but I feel like I am off to a good start. I hope that I can do well on this mission.
I want to tell my family how much that I love them, especially my good parents, and especially my Mom as she has worked so hard to get me ready both by getting the check list checked off and also just being there for me and always being concerned about what I am doing and what is going on in my life. I what her to know how much I love her. I what to tell my brother and sisters how much I love them. I have tried to take them one by one lately and just do fun things with them; practice basketball with the twins or go on bike rides with Jonny or hang out with Lisha and Erika and talk about cool things and see what is on their minds. I am really going to miss it and I am really going to miss them and I hope they know how much I love them.
I just want to bear my testimony to you that I know that this church is true. I know that the mission is a good thing and that it is important for these young men here and my self and all of us to prepare to go on a mission. I would like to thank all those who have gone on before. All the good friends that are out there serving right now, and for there good example. I want to challenge these guy on the front row to keep working towards it and I can’t wait to get to the MTC. I know that this Church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the Christ. I know that the scriptures are true and that the Prophet is true. I would like to thank all of you for being here today and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Jan 15, 1998
9:10 p.m.
Dear Family,
Word from the MTC! I hope you are well and doing good. I hope Lisha made it home in time for her game.
This place is amazing! There are numerous concourses of Elders and Sisters here, all wearing missionary best and practicing their many languages.
Let me tell you some of my feelings. I was sad, happy, worried, excited, and everything else on that ride up the state. However, as I sat through that opening orientation meeting, I began to feel the spirit, realized that everything was going to be all right, and although I would miss all of you, I am doing the right thing and what the Lord needs of me at this time in my life. Since our parting, I feel as though the Spirit has never left me and I love the good feelings I feel here.
I have a great companion, Elder Hoare. He is from Melbourne, Australia and I really like him. He goes with the flow and doesn’t let much bother him, kind of like me. We pray together, shower together, sleep, eat, study, write letters, everything is done together. Elder Hoare and I share our room with Elder Burton from Logan and Elder Williams from Brisbane, Australia. Elder Burton is headed for the Cambodian Boston Mass. Mission. Elder Williams, Elder Hoare, and myself are headed for Cambodia. There are two other elders in our language class, Elder Woodbury, and Elder Reimschussel, both are headed for the State of Washington.
We have already jumped into our language class. I can greet you in Cambodian and use other phrases and questions but do not know how to write anything yet so I can’t share. We are really busy. So much has happened already today and yesterday that it feels like more time has gone by. Everything here at the MTC is up to you. You decide how much you want to study, what rules you want to obey etc. They do not spoon feed you and everyone is on a different level. This is also the beauty of the system, because each person and companionship must do the best that they can.
Monday we start our real schedule. We have attended several meetings with all the missionaries who came in on the 14th. We met and had interviews with our branch president tonight. We met as a branch, each Elder or Sister stood up introduced themselves, told about their family and bore their testimony.
It was really neat. Then the Branch councilors talked with the group as one by one we each took our turn with the Branch Pres.
Thank you for your letters, cards, and encouragement and love. It was really fun to get the first pile of mail in the MTC, and it really gave me a boast.
I am doing well, the days are long, the spirit is strong, the food is pretty good, it snowed today, the language is tough, and I am doing hard to do my best. The Elders that I share a room with decided that we are going to strive to be obedient. We made a pact of obedience.
I am happy and trying to keep up with all the new things being thrown at me. I love you all very much . Thanks for your cards and notes. Thanks for getting me ready.
My P-day is Saturday, but I will probably get a chance to write again on Sun or Mon. Take care and be good.!
Love your Son, Brother, and Missionary,
Elder J. Clinton Rogers
PS I have seen Elders : Ward, Blake, Andrus, Staheli, Hyer, Bryant.
PS There is an Elder in my room telling us his testimony in Portuguese, wow.