The Decision to Serve

Welcome to Latter-day Missionary, a weekly podcast that gives you a raw, unscripted look at what it's really like to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every week, Sister Hannah Cheney will jump on a call with her dad, Edgar, to share stories about the people she's meeting, the lessons she's learning, and the everyday reality of missionary life. Whether you're preparing to serve, have already served, or are simply curious about the 84,000+ missionaries serving around the world, we are so glad you are here.In this episode, Hannah and Edgar open up about one of the most personal parts of the missionary journey — the decision to go. From Edgar's unwavering conviction as a 19-year-old to Hannah's long, winding road of doubt, fear, and faith, this conversation is honest, relatable, and deeply moving.In this episode, we dive into:Edgar's "Why": How the missionaries who brought the gospel to his family in Guatemala shaped his desire to serve — and why going on a mission never felt like a choice, just the next step.Hannah's Honest Struggle: From childhood certainty to real fear, Hannah shares how the closer her mission got, the harder the decision became — and why leaving BYU and the life she loved made it even more complicated.What Fasting Is: A brief, accessible explanation of fasting as a spiritual practice and why Hannah turned to it while seeking answers.The Age Change: A discussion of the Church's recent policy change allowing both young men and young women to serve beginning at age 18, and why Hannah feels it was divinely inspired.A Leap of Faith: Hannah shares how she didn't feel fully convicted until after submitting her papers and receiving her call to the Houston, Texas Spanish-speaking mission.The episode closes with a scripture from Proverbs 3:5–6 — "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" — a reminder that even when you can't see the full picture, He can.