Importance of Mission Work

I am a product of missionary work: both by some great return missionaries and some excellent full-time current missionaries. I think of my life before and after I got baptized, and so many things have changed. I'm not saying that my life was full of sin and strife before, and that I was a horrible person, but my outlook has definitely improved. My priorities have been changed. Take Sundays, for example. I used to study on Sundays, but now I do my best to keep the Sabbath day holy, and to not do any work or cause others to do work on Sundays.

Missionary work is one of the main facets of the Church. I believe that every member of the Church should be active in doing missionary work. Now, that doesn't mean that everyone needs to, or is able to serve a full-time mission, 24-7, but we still need to be "serving a mission" with how we interact with others. Since I finished my first year of medical school, I have been helping out the local missionaries teach, tract, and interact with less-active members. It has been a really great learning and growing experience. To be able to sit down, with the worthy Priesthood holders, and to learn a lesson, to feel the Spirit of God so strongly, and to be able to use that Spirit for good, it's just amazing! 

Interacting with these missionaries has encouraged me to try something: to serve a mini-mission. What this means, is that I would be paired with some Sister missionaries, and would help them teach, study, and tract, for a period of time. I have always wanted to be a missionary, ever since I was young. I have understood the necessity of spreading God's Word, and that everybody needs to hear it; now I have the opportunity to do it. I've been praying about it, and I believe it is something that I need to do. It is something that will further strengthen my testimony, help me to answer the tough questions that will be asked of me, and to better myself and others in so many ways.

And, because I really love temples, let me quickly segway to one other thing: temple work. I know I have already written about temples once before, but the work that members of the Church perform in the temple is a form of helping with missionary work as well. Because God loves us so much, He provided a way to allow those who did not hear the Restored Gospel to hear it again, after they die and are in the Spirit world. If they choose to accept the Gospel (and it really is a choice, because of our God-given free will), then they need the ordinances done. However, these ordinances can be done only by those with a physical body, hence the importance of temple work. Names are submitted to temples, and then people can come and and do the work in their honor. It is an amazing way for everyone to give back. Plus, standing and ministering in one of the Houses of the Lord, is truly wonderful.

Erie 2nd Ward youth at the Palmyra Temple