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Robert Kirby: Many LDS missionaries face a big question — Should they stay or go home?

On New Year’s Day, my 18-year-old granddaughter learned something unbelievable about her father, a matter so astonishing that she was both shocked and impressed.

Years ago, my son-in-law turned down a call to serve a mission in Costa Rica for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He decided at the last minute it just wasn’t for him, that he was going for everyone else but himself. He’d much rather stay home and marry my daughter. And I’m glad he did.

It was a big deal at the time. I was there. He endured a lot of family and social pressure to serve the Lord by doing something that had every possibility of being disastrous for himself.