George William Paget (1926-2000) of Centerville, Utah, was one of those young men who missed out on a mission because he was called into the Navy during World War II, serving from 1943 to 1946. He married Vera Woodall as soon as he came home, and the couple began raising a family.
That is, he almost missed out on a mission. In 1952, when the Church could call very few young men as missionaries due to draft requirements during the Korean War, George answered a call issued to somewhat older men, even married men with families, to step forward and serve the Church.
In this essay, published in the New Zealand Mission’s publication Te Karere, George explained why he and his wife responded to that call.
Why I Left My Wife and Two Children
to Fulfill a Mission Call to New Zealand
As we all know, the war and its threat has created a necessity for all young men of the best fighting age in America to be conscripted into the armed services of their country. This great call of manpower has created a major scarcity of young men who can leave their homes to enter the army of service to create righteousness, and seek out the honest in heart of the people of the earth. Because of this scarcity, the First Presidency has sent out a Church-wide call to all seventies quorums to fill their natural functions as the missionary quorum of the Church.
Most of the seventies now in the Church are older men, married with families. This has created a bit of a problem and placed before those considered a choice whether they will leave their happy marriages and vocations to go on a mission. To me, however, it would be impossible to turn down a mission call after one has been in the temple and made vows with our Father in Heaven. I don’t see how anyone could even stop and question whether or not he should accept a mission call. If we believe we are called of God, then we should also believe that through our righteousness, diligence and sincerity He will provide a way whereby we will not lose financially, and we will be brought even closer and find more joy in our marriage by the natural rewards of success and happiness which always comes from unselfish service in the Lord’s work while here on earth.
If there was some question or doubt whether or not we should sacrifice in this manner, all we would have to do to have our doubts appeased is to read about some of the missionaries in the early days of the Church. They left their wives and families when both they and their families were in ill-health and poverty stricken and went out without purse or scrip, using only a strict faith that their cause was just. Today no such sacrifice is placed on one who is sick or who cannot have either his family or quorum support him. We also have, today, collections of good books written over the years as evidence of our beliefs, from which we can get both knowledge and testimony of the Gospel. We also have the many findings of science which are proofs that our Book of Mormon is true. These and many other things which have come to light have made a mission call today comparatively easy.
Soon after the call came from the First Presidency, to the Seventy’s Quorum to which I belong made the decision to contribute equally for the support of three of its members to go on missions. I was called, so there are many supporting me out here. They all know as do I that this is actually a blessing to help further the work of the Lord. They are now serving in their ways back home while I am serving out here. When I go home one of them will have the privilege of going out under the same conditions as I have. They are being blessed, and will be blessed when they come out here in the same manner as I am. This will overall strengthen the whole quorum, and any quorum that is doing the same thing. It is also offering many a way to serve the Lord.
I miss my wife and family very much out here, but I have my work and contacts. Being actively engaged in the Lord’s work pretty well uses up my time so as to not allow for much to be spent in homesickness. The real sacrifice of loneliness is with the family at home. They are trying to carry on in the same place and everything reminds them of their husband and father. The wife in most of these cases gets a job, for something to keep her occupied and make the time pass more rapidly. Having a job also supplies her with a means of having the necessities of life and a few of the luxuries without feeling that she is being a burden. But most of all my wife wants to be a part of this mission in every way possible. This gives them a feeling that they are a part of it. Also, to me, their biggest help is the letters they write and their support through encouragement, faith and prayer Just knowing their every prayer is with me gives me new determination for a good, righteous mission. Some people have said to me, “Don’t you love your wife and children?” Yes, I love them, and I give thanks to my Father in Heaven for giving them to me. Without them there wouldn’t be anything worth living for. with them we can work together towards eternal life in the highest degree of glory. This mission is part of our labours to gain that Glory, and I feel that this fulfilling of a mission is in no way showing a lack of love for my wife, but rather a stronger certainty of the deep, eternal love I have for her when all things are considered. After all, there is nothing of material wealth that is worth looking forward to in this life. We can’t take with us the riches of the earth, but we can take the things we have earned for our eternal life.
My wife and I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. We have tried to have a good hoe life by living the Gospel and setting the right example for our children, so that they, too, could be raised with the teachings of the true Church of Jesus Christ. We know that this mission will make us more qualified in both knowledge and example to raise our children in the light of the Gospel. The things we learn and the increase of spirit that we feel, as we progress in the truth, we feel certain will bring a spiritual influence of peace and love in our home, and that this unity will merge into the lives of our children and help prepare them to honourably meet life both religiously and socially. Therefore I am thankful and feel deeply honoured at this call to come out here to New Zealand to fill a mission.
Wow, I didn’t know married men were sent out this recently.
Yeah — I still don’t know the date when that practice was changed, but this is certainly late.
My grandfather left on his mission in 1910, hours after marrying my grandmother. This was much earlier than the Korean War era, so perhaps not as surprising, but it’s a fun family story.
My father served a mission just before the Korean War. He got back in time to be drafted, got sent to radar school, and just missed being deployed overseas. But he discovered he had a knack for electronics and made it his career.
I would love to know “the rest of the story” and hear about his wife’s or children’s experiences and memories of that time. Do you know the length of his service in New Zealand?
I recall that it was into the late 50’s that the practice finally ended. It wasn’t unusual that a single brother and a married brother were companions. I remember this being the case with sisters also as early as the 90’s. Older sisters were called into the missionary program. Not sure if that is case today, maybe more likely supporting roles or Temple/History missions. The practice must have been pretty hard on young families.
At least two years, maybe as long as 2-1/2, Matt. (I’d have to go to the library to check the exact dates, but I can see him in online records as being active in the mission from early 1952 to December 1953, when he was released; elders often aren’t mentioned in records when they’re brand new, but start showing up as they do noteworthy things and members get to know them.)
“[A] means of having the necessities of life” is an afterthought compared to “something to keep her occupied”? What, were they independently wealthy?
(Upon closer reading I imagine all the talk about his quorum supporting him on his mission may have been shorthand for the quorum also supporting the family back home. I just can’t quite imagine one quorum supporting three missionaries and their families for so long, but maybe that’s how things were done.)