Missionary in the Fight of His Life Chooses Faith Over Fear

Battling Cancer, Preaching Christ
While most missionaries wake up thinking about lessons and service projects, Elder Spencer Blanchard begins his day with chemotherapy. Diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic neuroblastoma, he serves as a service missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from his home in the Oregon Salem Mission—determined to share the gospel in spite of the odds.

Some days, the stairs feel like mountains. Other days, he barely has the energy to get out of bed. But no matter how hard it gets, Elder Blanchard gives everything he has to the Lord.

“I wanted to serve a mission because I wanted to share the Light of Christ with others,” he said. “I wanted to be able to touch other people’s lives and help in a way that I couldn’t in the position I was in before. I want to make people smile. I want to show them why I love the gospel so much.”

A Mission Call and a Diagnosis
Six years ago, the Blanchard family’s world shifted in a matter of minutes. Janalyn Blanchard had just celebrated her oldest son receiving his mission call when she received another call—this time from the pediatrician.

“So 30 minutes after I was so excited about his oldest brother’s mission call, they used the ‘cancer’ word,” she recalled.

Twelve-year-old Spencer was diagnosed shortly after with neuroblastoma, already at stage 4 and spreading throughout his body.

Today, Elder Blanchard carries a special board with him, handcrafted by his grandfather during his first diagnosis in 2019. It’s now covered with signatures and messages from friends, loved ones, and medical workers who proudly consider themselves part of “Spencer’s Team.”

His mission isn’t about miles traveled or numbers tallied. It’s about faith, grit, and the power of one young man to light the world even while carrying the weight of his own.

Read more about Spencer’s story at Church News.