Why didn’t some of the General Authorities serve missions?
Question
Gramps,
Why didn’t President Monson go on a mission as a young man? What other apostles have not gone on a mission and why not?
Pam
Answer
Pam,
When questioning why our Prophet and some of the apostles did not serve a full time mission, one must think of the time frame they were born.
Many of these men were young men during the time of wars such as WWII and the Korean War. At the time, military service sometimes took precedence.
President Monson didn’t serve a mission as he served in the Navy during WWII.
Apostles that didn’t serve were:
Boyd K. Packer – After graduating from high school, he served as a bomber pilot for the U.S. Air Force during WWII.
Russell M. Nelson – Served in the Army during the Korean War.
Dallin H. Oaks – Because of his membership in the Utah National Guard, the threat of being called to serve in the Korean War kept him from serving a full time mission.
Robert D. Hales – Served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force
While they may not have served a full time mission as a young man, many of them did go on to serve as mission presidents.
All of them have gone on to dedicate their lives full time to service in the Church.
Some of the information above is inaccurate and church pushes the same false information, especially regarding Thomas S Monson and why he didn’t serve a mission. President Monson didn’t serve in the Navy during WWII. The war was over before he joined and he was released from the Navy after only six months in early 1946. At that time he could have easily served a mission as the missionary program was back in full operation at that time, especially when he turned 19 in August 1946, but he alone chose not to serve and enrolled in college instead. So not serving a mission was his choice and had nothing to do WWII or military service. A false picture has been painted to make it look like he wasn’t able to serve a mission. The truth is that he was able to serve but simply chose not to.
The same would be true of Dallin H. Oaks. Serving in the National Guard to avoid being drafted in the Korean War, as many did during the Vietnam War as well, was a choice he made instead of serving a mission. Again, he wasn’t prevented from serving a mission, he simply chose not to.
If serving a mission while eligible for the draft, your draft is deferred until you come back from your mission. With the exception of Boyd K Packer, all of those mentioned above could have easily served missions but simply chose not to serve. Any other portrayal is done to mislead and misinform which unfortunately is often the case on many issues throughout the history of the church.
phew!….. the fact that many of these GA’s served as Mission Presidents doesn’t equate to serving a full time mission? Biased response from an obviously disaffected member. In fact serving as a GA is serving the church in a full time capacity, which is probably more important than serving a proselyting mission as a young man, though this would be great preparation for any young male member if they had the desire to serve.
No, serving as a mission president or GA does not equate to serving a mission at 19 or now 18 years old. They are completely separate callings and come at different times in life. Serving a mission as a young person involves making a chose to serve, whereas mission president or GA callings come without putting your name forward to serve. There is certainly something hypocritical about constantly pressing forward the expectation for others to serve by those who chose not to serve themselves.
Labeling someone as a disaffected member for simply stating the facts and an accurate record of why these general authorities didn’t serve is yet just more of the typical misinformation that the church uses to paint a false picture and so many members are brainwashed into believing. I am not a disaffected member, am a convert to the church, chose to serve a mission myself just one year after being baptized, have been active in the church since I was baptized at 18, and currently serve as Sunday School president in my ward.
I, like thousands of other church members, simply want the truth to be told and not falsehoods when it comes to church policies and church history. The church’s record in this area is abysmal and it’s keeping millions of people away from the restored gospel and causes the church to be perceived as a cult instead of a legitimate church by many. Until the church comes clean on so many issues in church history and more transparent on policies and finances, millions of God’s children will be kept away simply because of the backwardness and dishonesty that exists within the church regarding this. I can look past the many shortcomings of the church and to the perfection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but many others cannot and won’t give the church a second look because of it.
You may very well be searching for the truth, but it’s more than likely the way you come across in searching for it that’s rubbing me a little wrong. No biggie though, not your concern.
Let’s say you are right in what you have stated. Why such hostility? Why the sharp worded comments. “There is certainly something hypocritical about constantly pressing forward the expectation for others to serve by those who chose not to serve themselves.”
Because I chose to drive like a crazy man when I was younger it’s being hypocritical to tell my children to obey traffic laws?
Or I got my girlfriend pregnant out of wedlock in high school so I shouldn’t tell the youth in my ward to keep the law of chastity?
“I can look past the many shortcomings of the church and to the perfection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but many others cannot and won’t give the church a second look because of it.”
Act or be acted upon. If you, or anyone else, allow others to dictate how you think, or dictate what you CHOSE to do, who’s is really suffering or losing out? Just, as you say, the GA’s chose not to serve a mission these “millions” also choose how, and what, they will believe and do.
If I remember correctly, didn’t Alma the younger serve his own type of mission? One I’m almost certain the Lord wasn’t too happy about. And I believe he was blessed by being translated. Interesting.
I do love you dearly, good brother, but your self-righteousness might just be getting the best of you. You literally bring up finances “transparent on policies and finances” as a sore subject. What little faith you must have in the Lord to believe he would allow his apostles to misuse HIS money without answering for it. The Lord will be “transparent” to the gentiles when, and if, He sees fit.
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
As you are seeking what you consider to be true, maybe you should skim over The Blind Men and the Elephant a time or 12.
8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In summary, if you don’t have full faith in the Lord to call His servants and to oversee His church, then it’s time to build your house upon the rock! If ya smeeeelll….wait not that rock. Have a great night, Brother Thomas. Catch you in Zion!
You are so right, Brother Thomas. Stay true to the truth!!