As many of you know, there many sacrifices made in order to serve a mission. Missionaries are typically between the ages of 18 to 25. This is the age most people are attending college, partying, and just having a fun time. But missionaries instead chose to sacrifice their time with family and friends, social media and other forms of entertainment like television, movies and music. They put things like education, job opportunities and relationships on hold for 18 months to 2 years. Missionaries are also expected to follow a strict schedule everyday. Waking up very early, studying the scriptures for several hours before going out on the street. Missionaries then spend the rest of the day walking or biking up to 8 miles a day, finding and teaching others about the Gospel of Christ.
This is not an easy sacrifice, but the church currently has 74,079 full time missionaries preaching the gospel in 418 missions throughout the whole world. Many ask why do so many do this?
I certainly find myself wondering why am I going completely out of my comfort zone, to a foreign country to speak a language I know very little of?
It is because in 1820, a fourteen-year-old boy was looking for the correct church to join. After reading James 1:5, which reads, “if any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, who giveth to all men equally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him”. He then decided to go into a grove of trees and ask Heavenly Father what church he should join. And God answered.
Joseph Smith recounted: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
God answered Joseph saying that none of these churches were the true church of God and that is was his calling to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ back to this earth as it was when Christ walked the earth. When Christ was on the earth he established His church, it was one of charity, power, authority, humility and love. That is the church that Joseph Smith restored to this Earth and that is the church that I stand as a member of today.
Through this restored church we have many blessings, which include:
-The Book of Mormon, another testimony of Jesus Christ
-A living prophet on the earth today to lead and guide us
-The power of the priesthood
-Temples on the earth, where we perform sacred ordinances and covenant with our Heavenly Father
-Knowledge of the plan of salvation
-The gift of the Holy Ghost to comfort, teach and guide us
-And so many many more.
Throughout my life, as I have grown up I have gained my own testimony of all of these different aspects of the Gospel through my own test and trials.
Ether 12:6 states: “I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”
It is through the trial of my faith that I have really been able to fully know the truth of these aspects of the gospel.
As many of you know, in October of my senior year of high school I broke my back and had to get surgery on it. Although this was such a hard trial, it really taught me of the power of the priesthood, and also the power of prayer. Right after the accident happened, I received a blessing from my home teacher, which blessed me to be calm through this experience and to allow me to be able to rely on the atonement through my healing process. I know it was because of this blessing I was able to have a peace of mind and not panic throughout that scary hospital stay. Before I went into surgery my dad gave me another blessing, and I know it was because of that blessing that the surgery went well my recovery was not as hard as I imagined, and I was able to heal correctly. There were many prayers from my family, friends, and many of you in this chapel today and I know it is because of those prayers that I am standing before you ready to go serve a mission. This really strengthened my testimony. The whole experience was truly a miracle, and I know it is because of the power of the Priesthood and prayer.
While preparing for my mission I was able to go through the temple, and then become and ordinance worker for a few weeks. Through these experiences I truly learned of the importance of temple. I know I am going to be finding people to baptize on my mission, but that is just the beginning, the ultimate goal is for them to make it to the temple and perform those ordnances and covenants. In the temple I feel so close to my Heavenly Father. The temple provides so much peace and happiness in our lives and I cannot wait until I can teach and help prepare those in Portugal to go through the temple.
One of the most recent trials of my faith was in the end of April. I received a call from my roommate telling me that one of my good friends from college was in a car accident and passed away. I could not believe it. He was 21 years old, and had gotten back from his mission less than a year ago. He was such a good example to me at all times. He never spoke badly about others, and always made sure everyone was included. He was so good, and it just seemed so unfair that his life got cut short. My heart hurt so badly. I mourned for his parents, and his sweet family and I just felt so helpless. I had never experienced anything like this before, and I didn’t know what to do. I had learned about the plan of salvation my whole life, but after this accident I was really able to apply it to my life. My testimony of the Plan of Salvation was strengthened so much, and now I am so excited to share this plan with those in Portugal, so they can feel the comfort and happiness that I have felt as I have studied and applied it in my life more.
Now that I addressed why I want to go out and serve a mission, I also get asked the question how I decided I need to serve a mission.
Growing up I never put much thought into missionary work or serving a mission. I always just thought that its so far away and I don’t need to worry about that because I will probably have it all figured out by the time I reach that age. Little did I know, that age nineteen came a lot quicker than I anticipated, and I did not have anything figured out.
The whole process of deciding to serve and turning in my papers took a lot of prayer and I had to rely on the Holy Ghost a lot. Through much thought and consideration I decided a mission is the right thing for me to pursue at this time in my life. After I got that answer I had so many unexpected obstacles take place and it seemed like I would never be able to turn in my papers and get my mission call. I remember expressing the fear I had of not being able to serve to my roommate one day and she decided that we are going to do a fast that I would be able to serve. So me and my three other roommates all fasted that these issues would be resolved and I would be able to serve. I am so grateful for my roommates and the support they have given me through this journey. I know Heavenly Father placed them in my life for a reason.
A few weeks later I was able to turn my papers in and alas the day came when my call showed up in the mail.
I still remember that feeling I got right as I read the words Portugal Lisbon mission. It was such a crazy feeling and I knew that is exactly where I am supposed to serve and that there are people there right now waiting for me to share the Gospel with them. Then a few weeks later I remember being so overwhelmed as I was looking at the language and everything I am going to be teaching. I was overcome with the feelings of inadequacies and just felt like I would not be able to do such a hard thing. I remember expressing these fears to one of my friends and he told me that no one was forcing me to serve, or even expecting me to. It was ultimately my decision, but that I need to figure out what I am supposed to do. He then asked “Have you prayed about it?”. Right when he said that I knew that's what I need to do. So late that night I went home and just pleaded with the Lord that I would be able to replace my fear with faith and also just asked for the assurance that I am doing what the Lord wants me to be doing. Then right as I ended my prayer I could feel the Lords love so strongly, and got the impression that serving a mission is exactly what I am supposed to be doing at this time in my life. The knowledge that the Lord loves me and has a plan for my life has been such a huge comfort as I have prepared to go out to a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, and leave behind my family, friends, education, and so much more behind. I know the Lord will be with me through every step of my mission, and he will strengthen me and comfort me as I have felt him do countless times in my life before.
I got my call in March, so these 5 months have been filled with so much excitement, anxiety, and hardships. I had heard that Satan works hard on missionaries preparing to serve, and I have truly felt that in these past months. There were days and weeks where I felt like my mission could not come soon enough, but now here we are, and I almost feel like it has come too soon. But I know that all my doubts and insecurities are coming from Satan, not Heavenly Father.
While I am so excited to go out and serve the people of Portugal, I know that I would not be able to do this by myself. My missionary plaque scripture is from alma 26:12 and it reads:
That scripture is so applicable because I know I don’t have the greatest knowledge of the Gospel, and I don’t have a bunch of scriptures memorized, and I am a very imperfect person, but through Heavenly Father I will be able to do this. I know missions are so hard, and I know I will feel so alone, and sad as I get rejected, or mocked, or appointments fall through. But I also know that no matter how alone I feel, I will never be alone. Heavenly Father is always there trying to help, I just need to let him into my life to help. One of my favorite quotes is from Neal A. Maxwell and it reads “In situations of stress, we wonder if there is any more in us to give, we can be comforted to know that God, who knows our capacity perfectly, placed us here to succeed. No one was foreordained to fail”.
I have been blessed with a wonderful family with wonderful parents that have raised me in the church. Growing up they have instilled in me how important it is to attend church every Sunday, and they have given me many opportunities and experiences that strengthened my testimony. They have taught me the importance of service and magnifying their callings; I have seen them do this through devoting hours to their different positions, taking time off work to go to girls camp, or just cleaning the house of someone they visit teach. I am so grateful for their examples in my life, and I am going to miss them so much these 18 months.
I know that Jesus Christ came to the earth to atone for our sins so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. I know we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much, and that has a plan for all of our lives if we put our faith in him. I know this church is the only true church on the earth today, and I am so humbled to stand as a representative of this church, and of Jesus Christ for the next 18 months.
