Missionary Work

If there is anybody out there who questions whether or not they want to serve a mission, they need to read my experience beforehand!  Growing up, my dad would tell me of his experience.  How he was the first in his family to serve a mission.  His father did not serve a mission.  His older brother (at the time) did not serve a mission, but my dad wanted to know if it was something God wanted him to do.  So, what did my dad do?  He asked God himself.  He prayed.  My dad said he expected lightning, but then after a week or so he realized lightning wasn't going to come.  God wanted to see if my dad was reeeeally willing to serve if He told him to serve a mission AND to know if what he would be teaching would be true.  My dad realized this.  So to get an answer my dad started praying everyday for months.  My dad felt the need to serve a mission.  The answer to if what he was teaching was true came later.  After a year's worth of praying.  God wanted to make absolutely certain that my dad would be willing to put in the effort before and after His answer.

With this story, I knew immediately I wanted to serve a mission.  There wasn't a doubt in my mind.  I knew that what I would be teaching was correct, and I knew with all of my heart that I would love the people I would serve.  As I was serving miracles started happening.  So frequently, and so quickly that I was amazed.  I knew with a direct certainty, that God wanted us to spread His word to everyone around the world, and quickly at that.  One of my favorite scriptures that I always tell the missionaries about is, Alma 26:22, "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing-unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even has it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance. " This is Ammon and he is speaking about his experience and the sons of Mosiah's experience.  It is amazing to me, they baptized thousands of souls!  THOUSANDS!  And they were serving their missions as far as we know 14 years.  Let's do the math, shall we?  Even if they only baptized one thousand souls (not thousand'S'!) 1000 divided by 14 equals 71 souls per year.  Can you just imagine?  Serving your mission for 2 years and baptizing 140 souls.  Well, here Ammon says it is possible.  Here's the missionary recipe for success!:

Repent
Exercise Faith
Bring Forth Good Works
Pray without Ceasing

Now, I'm not saying that the number of souls you bring to repentance is necessarily important.  But what I'm saying is you can be a successful missionary if you do the following 4 things.  Abinadi, another favorite missionary example of mine.  He died!  He died before he even knew that he had converted somebody!  He taught and taught, got thrown out, and nobody showed even the least bit of interest.  But God had a plan, and it was that Alma would be converted, and after that bring hundreds of souls to repentance.  So even though you may not SEE what these 4 things can do for your missionary experience, you are literally saving hundreds of souls.

I remember going to a testimony meeting, and how interesting it was that a young youth got up and talked about September 11th.  I was a youth in those days, when it happened.  And this youth got up and bore his testimony about how amazing it was to him that firefighters, policemen, and people off of the street risked their lives to rescue many others.  Well, this youth proceeded to say how amazing it was to him that even more so, missionaries risk their lives;  but, missionaries risk their lives to save SOULS.  How amazing is that!?

If there is one thing this blog can do, I hope that it will help you to see that there is no fear in the choice of serving a mission.  "With God NOTHING is impossible!"  God is there with your decision to serve a mission (if physically possible, and if not physically possible there are still many other ways you can serve in your own hometown!) every. single. step. of. the. way!  Just make sure to apply repentance, faith, good works, and praying without ceasing!  There is nothing that God cannot do, as long as you allow Him to be a part of your life.  He is your Father after all, he wants to be a part of your life.  Serve your mission, and if you're not of age yet, practice and strive to live these four principles.  You will succeed!