Member Missionary Work and Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Let me just start with a little disclaimer about the title of this post: This article is NOT giving credence to the idea that doing member missionary work results in death. Nope, not at all - in fact - it’s quite the opposite.

The fact of the matter is I simply cherish my first experience at Mt. Auburn Cemetery. In striving to become a useful tool in God’s hands, I have found that this experience has been precious in teaching me some important principles of member missionary work.

First, I’d like to begin by sharing the details of my initial visit to this beautiful Bostonian site. One of the first places I heard about when moving to Boston, was the amazing lookout tower in Mt. Auburn Cemetery. This lookout allows one to see all over the Boston area - even as far as the temple. It was about a year before I finally found myself driving there on a solitary Sunday afternoon. As I pulled in I realized this place was much bigger than I had anticipated, and I thought, “How on earth am I supposed to find this lookout tower?” It didn’t take long for me to realize that, “if it’s at the highest point, then of course, just head up!” So up I went. With each fork in the winding cemetery roads, I took the path with the greatest incline.

Logically, without one wrong turn, I ended up at the lookout point. The tower consists of an enclosed spiral staircase leading to its top. When I reached this staircase it was completely dark. What I quickly learned though, was that with every few steps a motion detector light would turn on, shedding light onto the next few steps. It was still a little scary stepping into what seemed like darkness, but I knew with each step more lights would come on.

I may sound a little dim myself when I say that twice on my way up I thought I had reached the summit, but really hadn’t. You see, there are semi -lookout ledges you can go out onto, but there are more stairs past those leading to the very top of the tower. Eventually I did make it to the top, and the view was even more amazing than I had imagined. The puzzle pieces of neighborhoods throughout Boston and Cambridge finally fit together. I could even see the temple on the Belmont hill a few miles away. It was incredibly peaceful, and absolutely beautiful.

Now, I’d like to go back to the title of this post. How exactly is Mt. Auburn cemetery related to member missionary work? I felt blessed with some spiritual symbolism through this experience that has given me some perspective on being a member missionary that I would love to share. One may wonder: How do I even start being a member missionary? What even belongs in a personal mission plan? Based on what I learned above, I say take the road that leads up, or in this case, toward Christ. The Spirit will guide you as to what goals you should set for yourself and what steps need to be taken on a daily basis to meet these goals. I had never been to Mt. Auburn cemetery before, but I knew if I followed certain principles I would find my destination. We may never have been an active participant in sharing the Gospel, but the Lord has shown us how and given us the tools we need to do this. In addition, we have other people to offer a little extra guidance, including the full-time missionaries.

Once we’ve made that initial climb, we may reach some dark, seemingly ominous “stairs.” Can missionary work be scary? I say absolutely, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before, or maybe even if you have done it before. But you KNOW the promises of the Lord are there, clear and undeniable -just as I knew the steps were there in that tower and the lights would come on. But I still had to put one foot in front of the other and just go for it. He has promised specific, marvelous blessings for sharing his gospel. It’s time to just do it! I promise it won’t feel like stepping into darkness once you’ve placed that initial trust in the Lord.

Now about those Quasi lookouts I ran across on my way up the tower. Maybe you think, I’ve done it! I told someone about the Book of Mormon, or I invited someone to church, or I’ve already invited all my friends. These are great things, but do you have the capacity for even more? The view from the top of Mt. Auburn was AMAZING. And to think that I almost missed it twice because I thought I’d already made it to the top! Don’t get complacent in your missionary efforts. Don’t continue following a personal mission plan you mastered a year ago. With the Lord’s help, make a new one that will challenge you and enlist His help on a daily basis. The Savior invites us up. The temple was in sight from the top of the Mt. Auburn tower, and I can honestly say the whole experience was well worth the climb.