PRAIRIE GROVE -- Young men and women with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serve on the mission field to help others, show their love for their heavenly Father and share Christ's gospel news.
That is the message from two young men who have been serving on mission with the Latter-day Saints church in Prairie Grove.
The Church of Latter-day Saints calls its young men who serve on the mission field "elders," which is another term for teacher. The young women are called "sisters."
Elder Grant McMullin of Salt Lake City, Utah, served in Prairie Grove for about seven months before receiving a new mission call to go to Aurora, Mo.
Elder Tanner Crosby of St. Johns, Arizona, has been in Prairie Grove for about three months and will stay in the community until he receives a mission call to transfer.
Crosby said young people in the church make their own decisions whether they want to go on mission as young adults. Elders have to be at least 18 years old and serve for 24 months. Sisters have to be at least 19 years, and they serve for 18 months.
The mission starts with about a month of training and then the elders or sisters will receive their first mission call. Every six weeks, the missionaries receive a call about their next mission field. They may stay in place or move to another location.
"We have to be prepared to move," Crosby said.
McMullin added, "We pretty much live out of our suitcases for two years."
McMullin said he decided to serve for many reasons.
"I've seen how much Christ's gospel has helped me and how much joy it brings me," McMullin said.
Crosby said serving others gives him the opportunity to "show our love for our heavenly Father and to show love for my savior."
Both Crosby and McMullin expected their first mission field to be overseas, but the covid pandemic changed their plans. McMullin opened his mission call and he was to go to Lima, Peru. Instead, he went to Springfield, Mo., for six months before coming to Prairie Grove. He is about 15 months into his 24-month mission journey.
McMullin just received word that he is going to be able to go to Peru for the remainder of his mission journey.
Crosby's first mission call showed he was to go to Madrid, Spain. Instead, he came to Prairie Grove and joined McMullin. Another missionary, Elder Taylor Sullivan of Mesa, Ariz., is serving with Crosby now in Prairie Grove.
On a typical day, the elders will get up in their duplex in Prairie Grove at 6:30 a.m., and spend about an hour studying the Bible and the Book of Morman. A day may include working on service projects, meetings, teaching classes and sharing their faith.
They have casual, work clothes they usually wear while doing service projects. But most days, the two, both with a clean-cut look, can be seen in a more formal attire: dress pants, white dress shirt (now blue shirts are allowed), a tie and nametag. This day both had pink-colored ties.
During a normal, non-covid year, the missionaries would spend time one-on-one visiting with others. Because of covid, they are using more social media to share and communicate with others. They do not have a TV or watch television so that they can stay focused on their mission.
The two are open to almost any kind of service project and already have mowed yards, cleaned out gutters, helped to build a deck and helped people move their furniture and other belongings. They volunteer at LIFE Ministries in Farmington and Prairie Grove and GRACE Place in Lincoln.
They encourage people to contact them to help with projects. Their service area mainly is Prairie Grove, Farmington, Lincoln, Cane Hill area and the Winslow area.
The Prairie Grove church is part of the Arkansas Bentonville Mission, which includes parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, and is in the Springdale zone, which includes Siloam Springs, Springdale, Prairie Grove and Huntsville. The elders said they meet periodically with about 30 other missionaries in the Springdale zone.
Both already know they will take their experience with them throughout the rest of their lives.
McMullin said living a simple life has impacted him.
"There's a whole bunch of benefits," McMullin said. "Life skills. It teaches you responsibility. It helps you grow spiritually, as well."
Crosby said his "take away" will be human interaction and how to talk to people.
"It's such an art," Crosby said. "That's all we do is talk to people."
They have found many people do not know about the Book of Mormon and how it came to be. Crosby said the Book of Mormon does not replace the Bible but is a word given to the American people..
"We teach people to know the Book of Mormon," Crosby said, adding they encourage people to read it and then pray to God and ask if it is true.
"We invite people to read it for themselves," McMullin said.
McMullin said he's found Prairie Grove to be a very accepting and welcoming community. When he finishes his mission, he plans to attend college in Utah but is not sure yet what he will study.
Crosby also plans to attend college but is not sure where he will go.
