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A Paralympian received an unexpected mission call

BYU-Idaho Radio · A paralympian received an unexpected mission call

Taylor Talbot is a BYU-Idaho student who recently received her mission call. However, she didn’t submit an application.  

Talbot also happens to be legally blind, and a Paralympian. She ran for track and field in the 2020 Paralympics that happened last year in Tokyo, Japan.  

She has wanted to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for years, but after praying about it, she felt God told her not to.  

“I got the answer and it said, ‘No. Don’t put in your papers. You need to wait. Not yet,’” Talbot said.  

Now Talbot lives in Chula Vista, California at the Olympic Training Center. As soon as she arrived, she found herself telling others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

“Even the first day I started having all these crazy missionary experiences, and I was just preaching the gospel almost every single day because people had so many questions,” Talbot said, “It was just kind of insane and I was able to see a lot of miracles and stuff so I was just thinking, ‘Am I on my mission?’” 

She continued to pray to receive a clearer answer.  

“I asked Heavenly Father if it was possible to run track and field and serve a mission at the same time, that I would do my very best and that I would serve him forever,” Talbot said.  

Not long later, the prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, gave a devotional for Latter-day Saints in California.  

“He said, ‘No matter where you are, whether you’re in northern California or all the way down to Chula Vista, you’re here to preach the gospel,’ that’s when it hit me, ‘oh my gosh, I’m on my mission!’” Talbot said.  

Talbot mailed President Nelson a letter thanking him for the devotional. A few months later, her stake president told her they sent back the letter.  

She met with her stake president and he asked her if she wanted to serve a mission, and she really did.  

A few months later, her stake president wanted to meet with her again.  

“He said, ‘The apostles and the prophet would like to extend an amazing opportunity for you to do a service mission as you continue to train, travel and compete for track and field,’” Talbot said.  

She filled out the necessary paperwork and received her mission call to serve a service mission in Chula Vista, California.  

“I had asked for this mission and I received it and it’s definitely not what I expected but it’s better than what I could have ever imagined,” Talbot said.  

Her mission begins November 7.