Screenshot 2025-07-01 150311.png — This is her mission to serve, and our mission to support.

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My sister Christina is about to serve a full-time mission in Tahiti, and there are two words from the Book of Mormon I want her to always remember. They come from Alma 44, verse 5.

In this scripture, Moroni passionately calls for his enemies to stop the great war they’ve been fighting. As he does, Moroni speaks of the “sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children.”

I’ve always loved that truth: the support we give to our family members, especially during difficult or special times, is sacred. And in my experience, that sacred support helps us do things we couldn’t do on our own.

Her Mission to Serve, Our Mission to Support

I want Christina to remember that there isn’t a day on her mission when she won’t have the sacred support of her family. We will be thinking about her and praying for her every day. We want to hear about every success and every setback—all of it is important to us. We may not be by her side as she walks the roads of the Tahitian islands, but we have a role to play in her mission.

We are her sacred support team.

And because we are her sacred support team, she can freely ask us for help. I can’t solve the problems she might face on her mission, but I would love to lend a listening ear anytime. I would love to help research gospel questions or pray for specific people. I, and anyone in our family, will eagerly watch for any chance to help her. We want to do this!

This is her mission to serve, and our mission to support. Both roles are sacred.

The Difference Sacred Support Makes

The support I felt from home made a huge difference during my mission. Christina was just a kid when I served, but her support was invaluable.

For example, during a tough transfer, she sent me a handwritten letter that is now legendary in our family. The letter contains analogies to oranges and Harry Houdini, both of which only relate to my situation if you squint at them, but her words were so full of love and a genuine desire to help that they filled me up inside. I still beam every time I think about it.

Knowing my family was invested in my service and well-being made a huge difference in my ability to keep serving as a missionary. I can remember one evening when I felt very strongly that my family was kneeling in prayer for me. I closed my eyes, and it was like I could see them all gathered in our living room, asking God to help me. Sensing their love was deeply inspiring and motivating.

I want Christina to know she can look forward to feeling that sacred support. I believe we can grow closer to each other in special ways, even when we are separated by distance.

We Will Take Care of You

A prophet in the Book of Mormon told his son, “See that ye take care of these sacred things.” I feel a call to answer that right now, and I know other members of our family do, too. Christina has always been sacred to us, and now she has a sacred calling we sincerely want to do our part in caring for.

As Sister Bonnie H. Cordon said, “When a mission call suddenly finds you a world away from your son or daughter, you may not be able to walk side-by-side with them, but you can still share the spiritual journey. You may not share a meal, but you can still feast together on the word of God.” 

So, as much as we will miss Christina when we leave her at the missionary training center soon, in a way, we are going with her. Our family shares her spiritual journey as we become her sacred support team. I hope that as we do our best to fill that role, Christina will never forget how deeply she is loved by her family, even if we are a few oceans away.