March 12, 2025, 1pm MDT
From teaching families in the UK to preserving Danish records to serving Marshall’s branch near their home, David and Charlene Ottley’s mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reflects the various opportunities available to seniors.
“You have a tingling of opportunity,” said Elder Ronald A. Lasband, a quorum of the 12 Apostles, invited the senior couple to serve at the October 2023 general meeting.
David and Charlene Ottley have served together three full-time missions and two service missions for the church over the past 13 years.
They served as full-time UK member and leader support missionaries from 2012 to 2014. Danish full-time record-keeping missionary from 2015 to 2016. 2018 – Residential Coordinator for a local mission office in Kennewick, Washington since 2020. Members and leaders will support missionaries at Marshall’s branch in Kennewick from 2021 to 2022.
The Ottleys recently completed their fifth mission. It serves full-time at the Church HQ in Salt Lake City. On this mission, Ottleys worked with senior couples from receiving the mission call until they finished at the missionary training centre.
“When we first got married, we talked about going on missions together,” Charlene Ottley said. “We just want to serve the Lord.”
On the final day of the mission at the church headquarters at the end of January, David and Charlene Ottley spoke to the church news about what they learned from the service and blessings they saw in their families.
Learning from Advanced Missionary Services
On their respective missions, Ottley had a stretched allocation to suit them. “I was nervous about each mission and there was something that had strengthened me on each one,” Charlene Ottley said.
She recalled teaching couples in London, England, where her daughter was a church member. “I was sitting on the couch with their youngest daughter, trying to keep her quiet. And suddenly the spirit took over and I just said, ‘When can I set the date of your baptism?’ …it wasn’t like me. ”
The couple – Winston and Lillian Plummer – quickly got married and baptized. Later while working in Denmark, Ottleys returned to London to attend the seal of Plummer’s temple. The Ottleys remain in contact with them to this day.
Ottleys was also able to use their skills and talents in a variety of tasks. During the mission at Church HQ, David Ottley handled the phone, and Charlene enjoyed working on the spreadsheet.
“We were able to use his strengths in one way and mine another on every mission,” Charlene Ottley said.
David Ottley said he and Charlene appreciate the research time they have on their mission.
“It’s great to spend time with your spouse and study the Bible every day,” he said. “You’re not putting a burden on the world. … You spend a lot of time together. You really learn about your spouse.”
While serving at the church headquarters, David Ottley saw firsthand the need for senior missionaries. “The (church) opened 36 new missions last year, and these missions require advanced couples,” he said.
Recalling some of the young missionaries they served, he added: “And these young missionaries need them too.”
Blessings for their families
With nine children, 27 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, David and Charlene Ottley know that leaving the house is not easy, but they have seen countless blessings from service.
Nancy Ott, one of Ottley’s children, shared the experiences that took place while her parents were serving in London.
“I had four miscarriages and I was threatening to lose another child,” she recalled. “My mother knew how difficult it was for me, so she said she needed to leave the mission and come with me. And I said, “No, no, you need to stay on the mission. You need to continue serving and that blesses us all.”
“I was able to keep that baby up and to remind myself how important its mission service is, I named my daughter London.”
It’s almost 12 years old now, her daughter, and I love to tell.
“People always ask her, ‘How did you get the name London?’ … And it offers a lot of missionary opportunities,” Nancy Ott said.
Nancy Ott said her family is delighted with the service of her parents. “I hate how they’re separated. I’m a single mother and they’re my right hand – but when they serve it, it just works. I feel blessed. I feel part of what they do in all of their various missions.”
