Sisters, while you do not have the
same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time
missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we
welcome your service.
To the mature brothers and sisters
of the Church, I remind you that the Lord needs many, many more of you to serve
as full-time missionaries. If you are not yet at the season of life to serve a
couples mission, I urge you to prepare now for the day when, as your
circumstances allow, you and your spouse might do so. There are few times in
your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from
giving full-time service together in the work of the Master.
Now, some of you may be shy by
nature or consider yourselves inadequate to respond affirmatively to the call
to serve. Remember that this is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s
errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. The Lord will shape the back to
bear the burden placed upon it.
President
Thomas S. Monson, "The Lord Needs Missionaries", Liahona January 2011
God will put prepared people in the
way of His prepared servants who want to share the gospel. You have had that
happen in your own life. How often it happens depends on the preparation of
your mind and your heart.
President Henry
B. Eyring, "Sharing the Gospel Heart to Heart", Ensign September 2012
When I speak to our young
missionaries, I often tell them they are in the middle of their missions.
Whether they just arrived the day before or are to depart for home the day
after, I ask them to think of themselves as always being in the middle.
New missionaries may feel they are
too inexperienced to be effective, and so they delay speaking or acting with
confidence and boldness. Seasoned missionaries who are close to completing
their missions may feel sad their missions are coming to a close, or they may
slow down as they contemplate what they will do after their missions.
Whatever the circumstances and
wherever they serve, the truth is that the Lord’s missionaries are daily sowing
countless seeds of good tidings. Thinking of themselves as always being in the
middle of their missions will embolden and energize these faithful
representatives of the Lord. As it is with full-time missionaries, so it is
with all of us.
President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Always in the Middle", Ensign July 2012
All of us—leaders, teachers,
missionaries, and parents—have a lifelong challenge from the Lord to both teach
and learn the doctrines of the gospel as they have been revealed to us.
President Boyd
K. Packer, "Principles of Teaching and Learning", Ensign June 2007
Viewed in this light, member
missionaries—both you and I—are the shepherds, and the full-time missionaries,
like the search and rescue team, are trying to do something almost impossible
for them to do alone. Certainly the full-time missionaries will continue to do
the best they can, but wouldn’t it be better if you and I stepped up to do a
job that is rightfully ours and for which we are better suited since we know
personally those who are lost and need to be rescued?
Elder L. Tom
Perry, "Bring Souls Unto Me", General Conference April 2009
All missionaries, younger and older,
serve with the sole hope of making life better for other people.
The decision to serve a mission will
shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their
posterity for generations to come. A desire to serve is a natural outcome of
one’s conversion, worthiness, and preparation.
Elder Russel M.
Nelson, "Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!", General
Conference October 2012
The purpose of our missionary work is
to help the children of God fulfill a condition prescribed by our Savior and
Redeemer. We preach and teach in order to baptize the children of God so that
they can be saved in the celestial kingdom instead of being limited to a lesser
kingdom. We do missionary work in order to baptize and confirm. That is the
doctrinal basis of missionary work.
Elder Dallin H.
Oaks, "Why Do We Do Missionary Work?", New Era September 2009
It would be difficult to imagine
anything more exciting to do as a young man, woman, or couple in the world
today than to be a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. The message of the restored gospel
we share is absolutely vital. It is from God our Eternal Father for every one
of His children on earth and is centered in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
When that message is understood and lived, it can replace turmoil with peace,
sorrow with happiness and provide solutions to life’s persistent challenges.
Elder Richard
G. Scott, "Now is the time to Serve a Mission!", General Conference
April 2006
With all that there is to do along
the path to eternal life, we need a lot more missionaries opening that gate and
helping people through it.
Elder Jeffrey
R. Holland, "We Are All Enlisted", General Conference October 2011
You and I, today and always, are to
bear witness of Jesus Christ and declare the message of the Restoration. You
and I, today and always, are to invite all to receive the ordinances of
salvation. Proclaiming the gospel is not a part-time priesthood obligation. It
is not simply an activity in which we engage for a limited time or an
assignment we must complete as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Rather, missionary work is a manifestation of our spiritual
identity and heritage. We were foreordained in the premortal existence and born
into mortality to fulfill the covenant and promise God made to Abraham. We are
here upon the earth at this time to magnify the priesthood and to preach the gospel. That is who we are,
and that is why we are here—today and always.
Elder David A.
Bednar, "Becoming a Missionary", General Conference October 2005
****************************'
My Position Statement:
Missionary Work is so important. When we truly have a testimony of God and the Gospel, we will naturally want to share it with others. It is a joyful message, and one that can bring so much happiness into the lives of others. We shouldn't just keep it to ourselves, but should constantly be looking for ways that we can share it with everyone around us.
Nobody
knew what her future could hold.
She
was hard on herself, she had great expectations.
But
with someone to help her, distance was unknown.
