If you feel called to serve, whenever that happens in your life, it is wise to start planning and preparing to make it a reality. We must take more action than just desiring to serve. Oliver Cowdry had an experience that teaches us this principle. He desired to translate as Joseph Smith did, but when he tried, he was unable to. As recorded in D&C 9:7, the Lord explained, "You have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me." The same is true for many endeavors in our lives. When we want to serve, we need to "study it out in our minds" by learning financial principles we can apply, considering our circumstances, resources, and health, to name a few. President Monson taught that we should pray like it all depends on the Lord and then work like it all depends on us. Part of the effort required to serve a mission is putting our financial houses in order and planning how to cover the expenses of serving a mission.

This course has been made with a desire to equip everyone who wants to serve with knowledge of the financial aspects of missionary service so they can use the "talents" the Lord has given them wisely and maybe even stretch them so they can do more good then if they just jumped in without "studying it out in their mind." (D&C 9:8)

In addition to financial planning education, you'll gain access to state-of-the-art financial planning software with walk-through videos to get the most out of it. This will enable you to run the simulations taught in the course and do some of the work that professional financial planners do.

I hope you find encouragement, hope, and valuable ideas in this lesson that translate into a beautiful missionary experience that blesses you, those you serve, and all those you are around for the rest of your life. May God bless you as you stretch to answer His call!

Alan B Faerber, CFP(R) CRPC(R)