Years past people would take pictures and videotape mission calls, only to put them away in storage. As with just about anything these days, cameras and smart phones are used to capture the event. Then when put up on the Internet it becomes the property of the world. After watching a lot of them by following a rabbit hole of links there are several similarities to all the videos. A particular ritual has formed organically out of the process of opening up the paper delivering a destination. Not every video covers the full process, but they all contain an element of it with the assumption the rest happen off camera. Here is a “perfect” example. Try to list all that happens that can probably be found in others:
To compare the list
— The excitement of finding the call in the mail
— A long wait before actually received
— More than one use of “oh my gosh” expressed
— overlaying the video with music
— Treating the call like a special gift
— Showing the received call to others before opening
— Having a map for guessing the mission location
— Food and treats set out for guests
— Family and friends gathered around
— ripping apart the package
— carefully reading the first call lines
— crying during the reading
— gasps and happy screams
— “I told you so” or “I thought/never would have guessed”
— Lots of hugs and and congratulations
— A testimony the calling is of the Lord
Any parts that might have been missed? Here are a few more. Be prepared to get emotional.
This one has two brothers:
Triplets open theirs:
Here are brother and sister:
Even older couples get in on the fun:
Another approach is to surprise parents:
One more fun one that covers almost every mark:
Don’t hesitate browsing the Internet for others. Some great and spiritual moments can be found.
Great thoughts! Thanks for making me think about this differently. “The Restoration will be Posted” indeed, and we’re only seeing a drop in the bucket, according to Elder Bednar’s social media BYU Education Week address. We live in exciting times!
From the moment a baby learns the delight of playing ‘peek a boo’ the element of pleasant surprise is cherished by most of us. In LDS culture there are two particular events that cater to this. One is the call of leadership, particularly new apostles, and even though the call of President Nelson was a near certainty, up until the official announcement there was still a smidgen of speculation. The other, as well illustrated in this post, is the destination included in a mission call. With almost the entire world to choose from there is high anticipation.
Unpleasant or mixed emotion surprises test us. The Restoration has already been announced, it is the Second Coming that is a focus of our dread and hope.
These are great. Makes me happy to see the faith and excitement and bittersweet for how the parents must feel at seeing their children grow up and move on!
Pat, It’s not the 2nd Coming per se that I dread, it’s the 3.5 years or war/tribulation that precede it.
or=of
I love mission call openings. It’s so wonderful to see how excited folks are to go wherever they might be called. I think the standardization of costs helps that immensely.
From a young age, Mormons know that they may be called to any part of the globe, and so every story about some other part of the planet is accompanied by the small thought “I might go there if I serve a mission.” It is a great equalizer before a call is ever extended.
And once a call is accepted, the others who serve in your field of endeavor, no matter their age, become your particular friends and confidants. This extends to anyone who ever lived in your field of endeavor.