- Joined
- Jan 12, 2017
I was in my family ward today and saw they had recently gotten a new member who happens to be deaf, so she had an interpreter up front (family member or special calling, I don't know) and I was immediately reminded of Russell. Then I had a thought (can't remember if this has been brought up before, I at least didn't say anything).
I've mentioned before that missionaries don't choose their mission calling. In Russ' case, however, he could've picked what kind of mission: to serve a full-time two-year mission (which he did), or apply for a service mission. Service missions are considered part-time missions meaning the missionary's service time is halved but they pick their schedule, and they can stay at home and still use electronics after their shifts at wherever they're called to serve (like a bishop's storehouse or some other church-owned retail centers, some do technical and media support, and others aid in family history), but service missionaries can have the same blessings and opportunities as full-time missionaries. Service missions are typically done by retired folks who don't have current callings but want to do more for the church, but it has become increasingly more accessible for the disabled who are unable to go out into the field.
I don't know if Russell had thought of it before sending in his papers, but he could've made the attempt to apply for a service mission, there really wasn't much stopping him from trying outside of lack of a desire to serve. Maybe he thought about it, but his parents wanted him out of the house or something. Whatever the reason, he went for the full-time mission, and this is what intrigues me. Like I said, missions aren't decided by the missionary, it's believed missions are preordained, so the prophet prayerfully looks at each mission paper he receives and based on revelation gives out the missions which he signs off on. Under the late Thomas S. Monson, Russell was called down to Arizona as an ASL missionary--but my question is why? Surely God is fully aware of his plight, that ASL is heavily depended upon facial expressions, and indeed he had a hard time with it. His surgery wasn't very successful in fixing his face, after all.
I like to believe God has a bizarre sense of humor, I don't think there's much else to that other than to find amusement in His favorite idiot. That, or it's just God going out west to play "Kick the Autistic: Möbius Edition".
I've mentioned before that missionaries don't choose their mission calling. In Russ' case, however, he could've picked what kind of mission: to serve a full-time two-year mission (which he did), or apply for a service mission. Service missions are considered part-time missions meaning the missionary's service time is halved but they pick their schedule, and they can stay at home and still use electronics after their shifts at wherever they're called to serve (like a bishop's storehouse or some other church-owned retail centers, some do technical and media support, and others aid in family history), but service missionaries can have the same blessings and opportunities as full-time missionaries. Service missions are typically done by retired folks who don't have current callings but want to do more for the church, but it has become increasingly more accessible for the disabled who are unable to go out into the field.
I don't know if Russell had thought of it before sending in his papers, but he could've made the attempt to apply for a service mission, there really wasn't much stopping him from trying outside of lack of a desire to serve. Maybe he thought about it, but his parents wanted him out of the house or something. Whatever the reason, he went for the full-time mission, and this is what intrigues me. Like I said, missions aren't decided by the missionary, it's believed missions are preordained, so the prophet prayerfully looks at each mission paper he receives and based on revelation gives out the missions which he signs off on. Under the late Thomas S. Monson, Russell was called down to Arizona as an ASL missionary--but my question is why? Surely God is fully aware of his plight, that ASL is heavily depended upon facial expressions, and indeed he had a hard time with it. His surgery wasn't very successful in fixing his face, after all.
I like to believe God has a bizarre sense of humor, I don't think there's much else to that other than to find amusement in His favorite idiot. That, or it's just God going out west to play "Kick the Autistic: Möbius Edition".
