Why I'm doing a mission

Think about something that you were given that you were so excited to have. This might have been a Christmas present, or a birthday present. Remember getting this present and wanting to show your friends. It might have been a new bike. You wanted to show them how cool it was, and how excited you were to have it. Well one of the presents that I have been given and am so excited and blessed to have in my life, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think about how much the gospel has blessed my life. From knowing about the plan of salvation, and knowing that families are forever, that they are eternal. To even know that the standards we are taught and given to us God’s children are good standards to hold to in today’s society. There are countless ways the gospel has helped me in my life even daily where sometimes I don’t even notice it. So why would you want to withhold all of that joy and happiness gained from this great present of the gospel of Jesus Christ from someone else.

What happens once we all die and we meet up there with our old friends and they come up to us and say you knew about this the whole time and you didn't tell me about it. The scriptures even talk about how great our joy will be from sharing the gospel. In Doctrine and Covenants 18 verse 15 it says “And bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I believe that EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY, it is our duty to be missionaries, to go and share this great gift we have been blessed to receive, this knowledge of Gods plan for us, and why we are here. I have been so blessed to have the gospel in my life; it has helped me in many ways. I am so grateful for the testimony I have of the plan of salvation, that families are forever, and to have the knowledge that I am a son of my Heavenly Father and that he loves and cares about me. That Jesus Christ, is my Savior and that he suffered and died for me, so that I can return to live with my Father in Heaven again.

The other day I was reading this story about a young man who had just gotten his driver's license. He asked his father, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father told him "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your scriptures and get your hair cut and we'll talk about it."

After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss the use of the car. The father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Scripture diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!"

The young man waited a minute and then replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. Samson from the bible had long hair, Moses had long hair, why even Jesus had long hair...."

To which his father replied...."Yes, and they WALKED everywhere they went!"

And that’s what I will be doing I will be following Jesus’s example and walking everywhere during my two year mission to Brazil Florianópolis (Santa Catarina), except I am going to have a very short hair cut.

I'm excited to go out and serve and bring the same happiness I have to other people.

In Joshua 24:15 “…As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” That's what I'll will be doing serving my Lord, and I am so grateful and excited to be able to serve, and to solely be focused on this one thing for two years.

In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. You will remember that she comes to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. She is confronted by the Cheshire cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?” The cat answers: “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which path you take.”

And so when I was thinking about it and the paths I have coming up I could choose to go to school and try to go play football somewhere or I could choose to go on a mission. But the path I want to take is the one that Jesus Christ set for us while he was down on this earth. Think of all he has done for us. He took upon all the sins of the world. He died for us on the cross and was resurrected. All because he loved us and wanted us to return to live with him and God our Heavenly Father again. And the only thing he asks of us is to "Follow Me".

This gospel is such a great blessing in my life. I don't know where I would be today without it. And it's such a great gift that I want to share with others and invite people to come into Christ.

Christ loved those that he taught. He went about doing good and helping those in need.

As a missionary and as a Member of the church I will go as Peter says and sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. …” (1 Pet. 3:15.) 

I know I will learn as much if not more than all the people I teach combined.  Two quotes that I always have remembered were from my counselors at EFY (Church camp for youth). “The opportunity of a lifetime can be realized only in the lifetime of the opportunity”. This is one of those moments and I need to make the most out of it!

The other quote was “The difference between a stepping stone and stumbling block is all within the height of your step”. And this is a great stepping stone in my lifetime that I can take off on and continue to progress from even when I am done serving for two years.

Some of my other favorite quotes are “Fill your minds with truth and fill your hearts with love. Fill your lives with service”. And “The greatest battle of life is fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.’ … It is a good thing to sit down and commune with yourself, to come to an understanding with yourself and decide in that silent moment what your duty is to your family, to your Church, to your country, and … to your fellowmen.”

I know a mission is going to be tough and it is going to have its ups and downs. My dad had always said it’s going to be a roller coaster and I need to enjoy the ride.

From everyone that I've talked about going on a mission everyone has said it definitely one of the hardest things they've ever done but it was the most rewarding. It's kind of like football for me where when I would train the hardest and push myself I would see the best results I have had before and that came from working hard.

I just want to leave you with one of my favorite scriptures it is found in
Alma 37:36-37.

36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

 37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

I know this gospel is true. That God is our Heavenly Father and Loves us. That Jesus Christ is our perfect example and died and took upon our sins so we can return to live with them again. The Power of prayer is real. I know that families are forever. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.