Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

[brianj]

I have never dreamed of returning to my mission field, nor have I returned since my mission. I haven't even flown over the area I served and I haven't really desired to return.

I almost never recall overnight dreams when I wake up, but sometimes I have what I call waking dreams - images that pop into my mind and are sometimes very vivid. I do see myself working as a missionary at some point in the future and having incredible success. Sometimes when I see senior missionaries I get the impression that I will serve with my eternal companion.I desperately hope this really is in my future!

[Alaris]

I have that dream from time to time. Similar, I am called back to serve in Japan, I am my currrent age, but sometimes I am serving alone (wfie left back in the states and no companion) Or sometimes I am serving with a companion, although not quite the same (less mission rules, in fact not a lot of oversight, more of an independent effort.)

Wow. Substitute Japan for Texas and that's me word for word.

[gardener4life]

Wow...

It's interesting that so many people are having this stuff happen. I have had been having these kinds of dreams too. The most recent one I was sent to Vietnam. And about 6 months ago I had a similar one where I was asked to go practice Vietnamese again. Though in actuality, my real first life mission wasn't Vietnamese speaking. I just felt happy to be with other missionaries. In the dream I didn't feel alone but felt the support of other missionaries with me, and we were keeping each other's spirits up.

I don't know if the dreams like this mean 1) future, 2) spirit world, or 3) comfort that our trials in life right now are as if we're on missions and that we're still the Lord's emissaries as if we were missionaries because he sees our hearts. Or perhaps it could be a combination of them.

The thing is one of the times I had these kinds of mission dreams it felt like I was in the spirit world. But I don't know if that meant all of them were like that or just this particular time where I'd noticed it. There could also be a distinction between a future time in the spirit world compared to me being pulled there at that time because in real life I was ill and under tons of stress at the time as maybe a comfort and then me being sent back (?).

I think that some people are having this kind of stuff happen now because you are all pure hearted, and possibly as a comfort. but that doesn't mean there's more than one meaning or reason.

I would like to go back to the mission field and be a missionary again some day.

[samizdat]

I have dreamt of myself serving a mission alongside my wife, though in a distant and strange land. It had the look of Central and Eastern Europe (served and live in Mexico). Probably family history.

[Rose Garden]

I have never dreamed of returning to my mission field, nor have I returned since my mission. I haven't even flown over the area I served and I haven't really desired to return.

I almost never recall overnight dreams when I wake up, but sometimes I have what I call waking dreams - images that pop into my mind and are sometimes very vivid. I do see myself working as a missionary at some point in the future and having incredible success. Sometimes when I see senior missionaries I get the impression that I will serve with my eternal companion.I desperately hope this really is in my future!

Those waking dreams are called visions.

When I was 19 I prayed to know if the church was true. The answer to my prayer was a sort of live picture that popped into my head, of the all the leaders in the church doing their jobs. Later, when I was on my mission, I was telling my companion about this and told her I'd had a vision. She instantly interjected that I had not had a vision. I was embarrassed at first because I thought I had said something wrong, but over time I realized that it was her who was wrong, not me. Visions are quite common, actually, and not a big deal, unless of course it's a vision of Jesus and Heavenly Father coming down from heaven, saving you from death by a supernatural dark source. Then it's kind of a big deal.

[Alaris]

I have never dreamed of returning to my mission field, nor have I returned since my mission. I haven't even flown over the area I served and I haven't really desired to return.

I almost never recall overnight dreams when I wake up, but sometimes I have what I call waking dreams - images that pop into my mind and are sometimes very vivid. I do see myself working as a missionary at some point in the future and having incredible success. Sometimes when I see senior missionaries I get the impression that I will serve with my eternal companion.I desperately hope this really is in my future!

Those waking dreams are called visions.

When I was 19 I prayed to know if the church was true. The answer to my prayer was a sort of live picture that popped into my head, of the all the leaders in the church doing their jobs. Later, when I was on my mission, I was telling my companion about this and told her I'd had a vision. She instantly interjected that I had not had a vision. I was embarrassed at first because I thought I had said something wrong, but over time I realized that it was her who was wrong, not me. Visions are quite common, actually, and not a big deal, unless of course it's a vision of Jesus and Heavenly Father coming down from heaven, saving you from death by a supernatural dark source. Then it's kind of a big deal.

It's quite possible to have a vision and not know what it is. I had a vision of a brief glimpse into an event in the premortal life.. A memory really, but I didn't realize it was a vision for years until I received more. I had just thought it was a picture in my head I had formed myself when trying to understand feelings that tie me into who I was.

[LDS Physician]

I've had multiple dreams of being called back to my mission (which was a treasured experience for me -- I'm sure like for others -- both good and bad things happened). I even recall one quite vivid dream where the prophet (President Hinckley) called me on the phone and asked me to go back for 6 months because "we really need experienced Elders". I was so excited in the dream that I immediately agreed to go, even with several children at home.

I'm willing to bet that these weren't prophetic dreams, just expressions of my inner love for my mission experience and a longing for similar experiences.

[Rose Garden]

I've had multiple dreams of being called back to my mission (which was a treasured experience for me -- I'm sure like for others -- both good and bad things happened). I even recall one quite vivid dream where the prophet (President Hinckley) called me on the phone and asked me to go back for 6 months because "we really need experienced Elders". I was so excited in the dream that I immediately agreed to go, even with several children at home.

I'm willing to bet that these weren't prophetic dreams, just expressions of my inner love for my mission experience and a longing for similar experiences.

My take would be that they were symbolic dreams, with a message from the Lord given to you in symbols. What did being called back to your mission represent? What did being called by President Hinckley represent and what does the church's need for experienced Elders in the mission field represent? I would bet that the answer to those questions would lead you to understand a heavenly calling that the Lord has for you in this life that can be fulfilled right now, even with several children at home.

[LDS Physician]

I've had multiple dreams of being called back to my mission (which was a treasured experience for me -- I'm sure like for others -- both good and bad things happened). I even recall one quite vivid dream where the prophet (President Hinckley) called me on the phone and asked me to go back for 6 months because "we really need experienced Elders". I was so excited in the dream that I immediately agreed to go, even with several children at home.

I'm willing to bet that these weren't prophetic dreams, just expressions of my inner love for my mission experience and a longing for similar experiences.

My take would be that they were symbolic dreams, with a message from the Lord given to you in symbols. What did being called back to your mission represent? What did being called by President Hinckley represent and what does the church's need for experienced Elders in the mission field represent? I would bet that the answer to those questions would lead you to understand a heavenly calling that the Lord has for you in this life that can be fulfilled right now, even with several children at home.

Thanks so much for your advice. With a little thought, I can see what you are saying. I think that it is something to do with the fact that I'm needed and have things to do, even after serving as a missionary.

It's such a unique time: no job, no girlfriends, no school...just 100% free time to serve. There will likely never be a time just like that again for me so it's so special. I serve now whenever asked. I look forward to the retirement years when I can don the badge again but this time with my eternal companion!

[schwing]

I envy those of you who seem to have positive dreams about your missions. I have dreams about mine several times per month and they are never pleasant. I returned from Germany back in 1994 and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was worthy to serve and did my best but came home feeling defeated.

We had something like 150 elders in our mission and there were 3-5 baptisms per month. We basically knocked on doors or street contacted all day every day. That is what my dreams are about. It is like I wake up, I am back there getting ready to go tracting and know that I am not going to be able to do it that day.

I really don't want to be negative but there really is no heaven you could promise me or hell you could threaten me with to convince me to do it again.

[Durzan]

I haven't been on a mission... yet.

I had a strange dream (strange in the sense that much of it was following dream logic) a couple months back that involved me visiting a symbolic version of North Korea and befriending Kim Jong Un. His parents were still alive in the dream and were polite, but somewhat threatening... and yet I was unafraid.

When I awoke, I was left with the impression that the current dictator of NK is actually fairly similar to King Lamoni... this is what led up to the threads where I encourage us to pray that NK receive the gospel and that war be avoided. Ever since then, I felt the Spirit nudging me towards viewing NK with compassion instead of disgust or hate, to the point where I vowed I would go there to preach the gospel if given the opportunity and if I was commanded by the Lord to do so.

I think the Lord is setting us up for one last hurrah before the times of the Gentiles end.

[gardener4life]

I envy those of you who seem to have positive dreams about your missions. I have dreams about mine several times per month and they are never pleasant. I returned from Germany back in 1994 and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was worthy to serve and did my best but came home feeling defeated.

We had something like 150 elders in our mission and there were 3-5 baptisms per month. We basically knocked on doors or street contacted all day every day. That is what my dreams are about. It is like I wake up, I am back there getting ready to go tracting and know that I am not going to be able to do it that day.

I really don't want to be negative but there really is no heaven you could promise me or hell you could threaten me with to convince me to do it again.

Maybe it will be different this time? You know a lot has changed now. They are emphasizing not running more than you have strength for. There are missions where people live at home still, missions where disabled people even go; that means letting them go at a pace they can manage. They also have a lot of missions that let you interact with other members and missionaries better. There are family history missionaries and for family history centers and temple missions. You could be one of those. And you could pray that if it does happen that it can be something that you can do and that you can feel happy doing. There's a reason there are people have time like that. They are trying to make it so people can be still effective but not for it to be so hard.

Those time periods before partly why it was harder I think was that we didn't have a lot of the technology yet caught up for us to do everything we can do now. Even missions in the 90s we thought tracting was all we could do. Now its becoming easier. My dad told me when he went to Brazil he felt sick for most of his mission. I think if he'd have gone now it wouldn't even be a bit like that. And maybe he could have worked something out if he'd prayed about it with the Lord. He told me he just kind of sucked it up and trekked forward but maybe he could have pleaded with the Lord for a light duty or something he can live with? That absolutely is allowed.

[gardener4life]

I've had multiple dreams of being called back to my mission (which was a treasured experience for me -- I'm sure like for others -- both good and bad things happened). I even recall one quite vivid dream where the prophet (President Hinckley) called me on the phone and asked me to go back for 6 months because "we really need experienced Elders". I was so excited in the dream that I immediately agreed to go, even with several children at home.

I'm willing to bet that these weren't prophetic dreams, just expressions of my inner love for my mission experience and a longing for similar experiences.

My take would be that they were symbolic dreams, with a message from the Lord given to you in symbols. What did being called back to your mission represent? What did being called by President Hinckley represent and what does the church's need for experienced Elders in the mission field represent? I would bet that the answer to those questions would lead you to understand a heavenly calling that the Lord has for you in this life that can be fulfilled right now, even with several children at home.

Just a comment here too. I think that dreams do mean something too. I don't always understand what it means. But even so, I do think missionary dreams absolutely do mean something. I can't help but wonder if some of them are about something we'll do in the spirit world. When priesthood holders end this life, they continue that service in the spirit world. (And it's a place of joy for those that are good. We won't suffer or be unhappy when serving.) One dream I had of serving as a missionary again, I felt strengthened by the other missionaries around me and I didn't feel alone. It was comforting. It wasn't hard, and there was a feeling of more unity and closeness with the other missionaries, and of bearing one anothers burdens.

I think why some people haven't felt as much joy about missionary service is because we haven't learned fully how to bear one another's burdens as Zion people yet. If we do learn to bear one another's burdens better I think people could have happier missions, even those that felt like it was hard for them. I also recognize that people had hardships on their missions sometimes on things that weren't their fault like health problems, etc. I feel now I could do better to help them than I did in the past. We absolutely need to bear one another's burdens better.