Ballard - The Greatest Generation of Young Adults - April 2015

Elder Ballard says that is use to be tradition of a member of the Quorum of the Twelve to interview each missionary called to church service.  Since the church is so large now, this is not practical but he wants to talk about what that would have been like.  He starts by explaining the process of a member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigning missionaries to their service area.

• A member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigns every missionary to his or her mission. Although this is done without a traditional face-to-face interview, technology and revelation combine to provide an experience that is remarkably intimate and personal. Let me tell you how this happens.
• Your photograph comes up on a computer screen, together with key information provided by your bishop and stake president. When your picture appears, we look into your eyes and review your answers to the missionary recommendation questions. For that brief moment, it seems as if you are present and responding to us directly.
• As we look at your photograph, we trust that you have cleared in every way the “raised bar” required today to be a faithful, successful missionary. Then, by the power of the Spirit of the Lord and under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, we assign you to one of the Church’s 406 worldwide missions.
• No, it isn’t the same as a personal, face-to-face interview. But it’s close.

Elder Ballard asks that we have a personal interview with him right now during conference.  He encourages us to consider we are sitting with him and to ponder our answers to the questions he presents to us.

• I would like those of you preparing to serve missions, those who have returned, and all of you young adults to spend a few minutes with me as though we were having a personal video chat right now. Please look at me for a few minutes as though you and I were the only ones in the room, wherever you are tonight.
  
• It’s time to raise the bar not only for missionaries but also for returned missionaries and for your entire generation. To that end, please ponder in your heart your answers to these questions:
  • Do you search the scriptures regularly?
    
  • Do you kneel in prayer to talk with your Heavenly Father each morning and each night?
    
  • Do you fast and donate a fast offering each month—even if you are a poor, struggling student who can’t afford to donate much?
    
  • Do you think deeply about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice for you when you are asked to prepare, bless, pass, or partake of the sacrament?
    
  • Do you attend your meetings and strive to keep the Sabbath day holy?
    
  • Are you honest at home, school, church, and work?
    
  • Are you mentally and spiritually clean? Do you avoid viewing pornography or looking at websites, magazines, movies, or apps, including Tinder and Snapchat photos, that would embarrass you if your parents, Church leaders, or the Savior Himself saw you?
    
  • Are you careful with your time—avoiding inappropriate technology and social media, including video games, which can dull your spiritual sensitivity?
    
  • Is there anything in your life you need to change and fix, beginning tonight?
    

He says if we find areas where we need improvement, to make those necessary changes right away.

• If you find yourself lacking in any of these simple principles, then I urge you to courageously repent and bring your life back in line with gospel standards of righteous discipleship.
  

He concludes by shares a few thoughts with those that have returned from their mission and are preparing for life after.

• Please use the skills you learned on your mission to bless the lives of people around you every day. Do not shift your focus from serving others to focusing exclusively on school, work, or social activities. Instead, balance your life with spiritual experiences that remind and prepare you for continued, daily ministering to others.

The last line here speaks to me.  Elder Ballard's encouragement to balance life with spiritual experiences is vital to our eternal happiness as well as our daily journey through life.  Spiritual experiences remind us that there is a bigger picture that we need to focus on and not just the daily struggles through life.  Finding a balance of everyday life and mixing it with spiritual experiences will allow us to find peace in this life and encourage our continued discipleship going forward.