Elder Goon's farewell talk

September 17, 2016:

Brothers and Sisters, DANGSIN-EUN JAEMI NAEMSAE! Before you go repeating that to people, just let me tell you what it means. Ever since I got my mission call and people found out I was going to Korea they always asked me either do you already know Korean? And I was like of course not, I’m Chinese, but they also asked have you started learning Korean? Have you started studying and I said, No, I wasn’t planning on it because I strongly believe that the reason missionaries are able to learn whatever language in such a short amount of time is because they are doing Heavenly Father’s work and they have Him on their side. I believe that when I get to the Mission Training Center after being ordained an Elder, I’ll have Angels on my shoulders helping me learn Korean. I have nine weeks to learn Korean, to be able to speak Korean and that’s not long at all. The other day I was talking to a very close friend of mine and he told me that it takes some people nine years to learn Korean and I have nine weeks. Anyways, back to the DANGSIN-EUN JAEMI NAEMSAE! Every time someone would ask Have you already started learning Korean? I’d say no, but I’ll learn but then I thought maybe I’ll learn something. So whenever someone asked me that…I’d say I learned DANGSIN-EUN JAEMI NAEMSAE! If anyone speaks Korean out there I totally screwed that up, I’m sorry. They’d be like Oh, what’s that mean? You know it’s thank you or the next day it’s like where’s the restroom or, but it really means you smell funny, so I’d just say that to them because I was tired of getting that question. Let me just start by saying I do not want to serve a mission. I’m so scared. A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to California with some friends. It was probably the best trip of my life. But I was gone for five days and on the last day I missed my mommy. I wanted to come home because after being gone for five days, I am so scared to leave for two years.  I don’t want to leave my family, or my friends, the people that I love. I don’t want to leave my phone or my TV or my comfy bed or my pantry full of junk food and my mom’s cooking. I don’t want to cut my hair more than twice a year and I don’t want to miss two of Tom Brady’s last five years. But I am going on a mission, not because I want to but because the Lord wants me to. I was reading in Luke Chapter 22 when Christ was going to the Garden of Gethsemane to suffer for our sins. And it says: And He withdrew from them about a stone’s cast and kneeled down and prayed saying: Father, if thou would be willing remove this cup from me, never the less, not my will but Thine be done. And as he appeared, an angel came unto him from heaven strengthening Him.  Jesus didn’t want to die for us. He didn’t want to suffer for all our sins, pains and afflictions, but he did because that is what his father wanted him to do. I don’t want to go on a mission and leave, but I’m going to because that’s what Heavenly Father wants me to do. I was reading a talk by President Kimball and he said: I was asked a few years ago should every young man who is a member of the church fill a mission? And I responded with the answer the Lord has given: Yes, every worthy young man should fill a mission. The Lord expects it of him, and if he is not worthy to fulfill a mission, then he should start at once to qualify himself.  The Lord has instructed, Send forth ye elders of my church unto the nations which are far off, unto the islands of the seas send forth unto foreign lands call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles then upon the Jews. When I read that a couple of years ago, I knew that right then and there I had to serve a mission. So I started preparing and getting what I needed to done and I turned my papers in. But there was one problem, I hadn’t really ever read the Book of Mormon cover to cover for myself and prayed and asked if it was true. I always grew up in the church. I always like knew it was true, I was just taught that. My parent believed it, my leaders and my friends, so I just went along with them so as not to stand out. But then my mission got closer and I realized I don’t want to go so I thought to myself, I’d better find out if it’s true, because I’m not giving up two year of my life for something my parents believe or my friends, or my leaders. I better know for myself. So a couple of months ago, I had a long talk with someone very very close to me and I told them how scared I was and I didn’t know really if the church was true I never really took on Moroni’s promise and we talked for a couple of hours on Sunday’s or Saturday night and we decided we’d read the Book of Mormon together. The very next Sunday, like a couple of hours later, the only thing they talked about in Sacrament Meeting was reading the Book of Mormon and asking if it was true. And I can’t remember the last time it’s every been just what Sacrament Meeting’s about. So I was definitely a little glad I guess. It’s like right after I decide to read the Book of Mormon, the Sacrament Meeting’s on it. But then the following week me and my friend had read the first book of Nephi and we got to a chapter about the war in heaven and I tried my best to explain why we’re here, why we chose to follow Jesus not Satan, but I just couldn’t do it…I don’t know I just couldn’t explain. And that was again on a Saturday, and the very next day in Sunday School and we were learning about Helaman and the people wanting the key. Nothing about the war in heaven but somehow, we got off topic and we started talking about the war in heaven. President Turner explained that basically, Satan’s plan was to have all of us come down here and were forced to do good, and we all get to go to heaven. It sounds great. But one thing I never talked about or ever thought about was the people not so good are down here and the people going to heaven are here and they have to meet in the middle. So if you’re doing bad, that’s great, but if you’re going to heaven, it’s not so good. And that really stood out to me and I felt something that day. So, two weeks in a row something pretty weird, on a Saturday night I was talking about stuff and we talked about it in church. But that night in FHE we were studying Alma Chapter 12 or something, so random scripture and guess what it was about, it was about the war in heaven. And as we read Alma 12 or 13, I don’t know, this indescribable feeling came over me. People describe it as a warm blanket, or you feel hairs on your neck standing up, all of the above happened to me. I can’t describe the feeling to anyone unless you felt it. But I knew at that moment the scriptures were true, the Book of Mormon was real and that the church was true and I had to go on a mission. I know that the church is true, I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that he really did restore the church, that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. Everyone in here whether or not I know you well or personally, or I don’t know you at all, everyone’s had some influence on me serving a mission, because of you being here every week, your example to me whether you ever talked to me you’ve all influenced me. I’m scared to leave, but I know that’s what I’m supposed to do. I know that Jesus Christ loves us more than we can ever understand. When I think about how much I love my mom or my friends, I can’t imagine how much Jesus loves us. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission. I love you all and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen