Monday morning, October 14, we arrived at the MTC, the missionary training center in Provo, as scheduled. We were a little nervous, but mostly too overwhelmed to think about it as we drove along by BYU and the Provo temple. When we drove through the gate I suddenly had the feeling we weren't in Provo any more. I suggested to Sherrie that perhaps this is what Heaven will be like. It was a great feeling that pretty much stayed with me the rest of the week.
We received our missionary name tags, a schedule and a map and with the help of a small army of other much younger missionaries, we made our way to the chapel for our orientation.
Tuesday night Elder Oaks and his wife came and spoke at a devotional. The speakers were great, of course, but perhaps even more stirring was the missionary choir of some hundreds of young Elders and Sisters singing the tabernacle choir arrangement of "Praise to the Man". Wow!
The cafeteria food may not have been exactly gourmet, but it tasted good to me and we didn't have to prepare it or clean up after it! And how often do you get to eat a meal with hundreds of young missionaries? And, can you say, "BYU Creamery chocolate milk and ice cream?"
The five days went fast, looking back. However, sometimes in the midst of a role-playing exercise, it seemed interminable. Nevertheless, we survived the exercises and unbelievably we are already done with the MTC experience and ready to move on to the final phase of our training in Salt Lake before we head off to our mission in Santo Domingo.
The MTC was a remarkable spiritual experience almost like those times in the Book of Mormon where the author said an occasion was so powerful it could not be written. I wish there were some way to let everyone have the same experience. I highly recommend it.
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