Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Today was the day we were set apart as full-time missionaries and as mission president & companion to preside over the Chile Santiago South Mission. For our family, it was a day never to be forgotten.
First, let me pause and explain what it means to be "set apart".
To be “set apart” for a calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints means to be formally given that assignment through priesthood authority, accompanied by a special blessing of guidance and spiritual power. Through the setting apart, the individual is not only authorized to act in their specific calling but is also given divine help and inspiration to fulfill it according to the Lord’s will. It marks a spiritual beginning point and is usually accompanied by words of counsel, encouragement, and promise - personalized to the individual and the calling.
This practice follows the New Testament pattern of laying on of hands (see Acts 13:2-3) and serves as a spiritual confirmation of both the calling and the support God promises to those who serve Him. It is often a deeply sacred moment—one filled with love, peace, and clarity.
Our setting apart took place in the Church Administration Building located in downtown Salt Lake City where we met with President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the Church's First Presidency and Elder Edward Dube, a General Authority Seventy who serves in the Presidency of the Seventy.
We had the opportunity to bring our immediate family (children and spouses) for this special occasion.
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| Chance & Jessica Blackman, Brandon, Monica, Brent, Hailey & Brigham Schellenberg, Megan & Austin Baker |
President Eyring was very personal, engaging, and even quite witty in interacting and getting to know us. Prior to the actual setting apart, he gave us some counsel. The most impactful was that he believes that God has called us specifically to serve as mission leaders in Santiago because of the missionaries who will serve with us there. He said, "Missionaries are called and assigned to their mission leaders as much as they are called to a location in the world."
He encouraged us to treat each missionary who comes to our mission as a sacred trust for whom we were personally prepared. They come to us with unique backgrounds and degrees of spiritual development. Yet we can appropriately pray to be given the inspiration to know what we can do to help each one, whatever the conditions they will face in our mission.
When it came time for the setting apart, President Eyring told us that he was acting under the direction/authority of President Russell M. Nelson, who holds all priesthood keys. He acted as voice in setting both of us apart, assisted by Elder Dube.
Words can’t adequately describe how joyous the experience was for us, and due to the sacred nature of some of the things said, I won't detail them all here.
Suffice it to say that President Eyring bestowed upon both of us (and upon our family) beautiful blessings that provided another powerful reassurance that God is aware of us, and that this calling came from Him. In fact, several things President Eyring said in my blessing was so close to what I shared in my talk on Sunday that we were in awe. It was as if he’d been at our farewell and knew of my worries and concerns. I had yet another strong spiritual confirmation that we are really supposed to be going to Chile right now. We have been called and assigned to Santiago South for a reason!
Truly, this was a day that will never be forgotten!
