Whenever I used to imagine how the apostles assign missionaries to missions, I usually imagined something like this:
Turns out the reality is a lot more mundane. Elder Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave us an insight into the process yesterday with this Facebook post to his page:
Kind of looks like my desk at work only with comfier chairs.
I think we have a tendency in the Church to make our religion out to be more grandiose than it really is, and I find something weirdly comforting about imagining the Lord’s apostles quietly seated at a normal, unassuming desk, calmly carrying out their responsibilities. As much as I would have loved to find out that this process involved more chanting, and claps of thunder, it’s nice to know that when it really comes down to it, it’s all very… ordinary. And yet, perhaps not so ordinary. Behind the menial facade there is powerful priesthood authority at work. While the church outwardly espouses normality, the real miracles are of a spiritual nature, and this is proof.