Missionary Training Center

Twice a year, our church leaders speak to all members through-out the entire world. I often refer back to specific talks because they have an impact on me for many years. One talk was given in October 2007. It was given by the then General Relief Society President (leader of the women's organization within the church) and it is titled "Mothers Who Know". At the time, my children were 9, 6, 3, and two of them hadn't even been born yet. Sister Schramm specifically was the 6-year-old. Sister Beck gave a lot of advice in this talk but the one thing that really stood out to me was this quote:

"Mothers who know are always teachers. Since they are not babysitters, they are never off duty. A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach. Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre–missionary training center. Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC would be a review and not a revelation. That is influence; that is power."

The missionary experience starting with specific training started in 1925. The idea that Sister Schramm would be doing her missionary training at a specific building called the Missionary Training Center was never a question.

Enter Covid. Now days, it seems there is nothing that is as we thought it would always be. Sister Schramm is not entering the Missionary Training Center in Provo as originally planned. Today, she enters her bedroom with her training all on-line. Now, more than ever, the idea of our home being a pre-missionary training center has shown to be prophetic. Now, our home is very literally a missionary training center. How could we have known, when Sister Schramm was 6 years old, how things would be so different when she started this major event in her life?

Family selfie at her setting apart last night: 

                                                                                     

written by Camille Schramm (Sister Schramm's mom)