A Day In The Life Of A Sister Missionary

If I had a nickel for how many times I've been asked what I do all day on my mission I would have... a lot of nickels. I've spent the last 16 months of my life as a missionary and sometimes I forget that regular life is a little different than missionary life! Today I'll take you through a normal day in the life of a sister missionary serving in Mesa, Arizona, plus a little bit about our purpose as missionaries and why we do what we do.

Arising at 6:30 AM this is the first thing I put on in the morning! For 18 months I have the immense privilege of wearing Christ's name over my heart. Wearing my name tag gives me a sense of purpose and responsibility to tell people about Christ and how He has helped me and so many millions of other people on the Earth.

On to the morning routine!

We missionaries have to take care of ourselves!

If we're expected to teach people about Christ and the gospel, we better know what we're talking about! Luckily we have two hours every single day to study, both personally and as a companionship, the Book of Mormon, the Bible, Preach My Gospel (the missionary guidebook), and lots of other resources to build both our knowledge and our testimonies of the restored gospel.

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."

D&C 11:21

Here in Mesa we have the wonderful opportunity to share the gospel online! We use Facebook, Skype, and blogs (like this one!) to spread the good word of the gospel.

Lunch time!

Eating is probably my favorite hobby besides sharing the gospel.

Then off we go!! My companion and I are in charge of two wards (congregations) and our job is to share what we know to be true with everyone! We have lessons with people that we are already teaching, we talk to people on the street, we do service for people, we visit those who are already members of our wards, we do all sorts of things!

This brings me to our purpose as missionaries. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

We aren't here to prove anything, we don't want to force anything on anyone, we are simply out here on our missions because we have found happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the last General Conference Elder David A Bednar gave a wonderful talk about why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has such a large missionary force. He said... 

"When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true."

(You can read his full address here: Come and See)

Our Heavenly Father has given us the beautiful gift of agency, the ability to choose whether we will be obedient to the commandments He has given us. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ we want everyone to have the opportunity to study out this gospel and discover that it's true for themselves.

I have met so many people on my mission that were searching for the truth. They looked and looked and searched but never found the absolute and complete truth. But when we introduced them to the Book of Mormon they start finding answers! We never ask anyone to take our word for anything, we simply invite them to read the Book of Mormon, learn about the gospel, and pray about the things they learn.

So why am I choosing to give a year and half of my life to be a missionary? Why am I making so many sacrifices to hopefully help at least one person come closer to Christ? Because this gospel saves my life every single day. I can't not share the thing that has single handedly brought me the most happiness in my life with the world. I wouldn't be showing gratitude to my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, if I didn't give everyone I meet an opportunity to feel that same happiness.

Whether the people I meet accept my invitation or not, it doesn't make or break my testimony. I know that I am doing right because of the happiness I feel every single time I read the Book of Mormon or pray to my Heavenly Father.

I simply love God, Jesus Christ, and the gifts they have given me. Nothing more than that.

The most gratifying part of being a missionary.... seeing others come unto Christ!

So there you have it. A day in the life of a sister missionary and what goes through her head almost every single day. Hopefully you can understand a little bit more about why we do what we do

Finally, at the end of the day, we go home to our apartment, plan for the next day, pray, and hit the sack by 10:30, ready to get up the next day and do it all over again.

Approaching The Throne Of God With Confidence

I hope you all enjoyed General Conference a few weekends ago! I always love being uplifted and taught by prophets of God! Today, I want to share one of my very favorite talks from this past General Conference.

Elder Jörg Klebingat of the Seventy gave a talk titled Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence. He started his address with these two questions; on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your spiritual confidence before God? and what thoughts would come to mind if you had a personal interview with your Savior one minute from now? Immediately this caught my attention! What would I do if I was to meet my Savior today? Would I be confident in answering His questions or would I think back on all the things I may have done wrong in this life?

Sure, there are probably some people in the world that can honestly say they would be perfectly confident in meeting God today, but I think a majority of the world would be at least a little nervous about it! I know I would be! And I know that's a sign that I need to improve my spiritual confidence!

While Satan will do all he can to destroy our spiritual confidence, it is 100% our choice to act and change to build that confidence! Elder Klebingat gave six suggestions on how we can improve our spiritual confidence. Remember, these suggestions will only work if you take the initiative and act for yourself.

First, take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being.

Take control! It's your spirit! Don't let the mistakes or decisions of others control how spiritually confident you are or are not. 2 Nephi 2:27 says "men are free according to the flesh... they are free to choose liberty and eternal life...or to choose captivity and death..." Only YOU can make this choice for yourself! Don't blame others or rely on others.

"Spiritual confidence increases when you take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being by applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ daily."

Second, take responsibility for your own physical well-being.

I'm telling you guys, this is a big deal! I know that when I've been in peak physical condition I've also been in peak spiritual condition. When I slack and don't take care of my body I can feel my spiritual "fitness" weakening as well. Taking control of the "natural man (or woman)" inside of us and controlling our appetites shows that our spirits are stronger than our bodies.
"Spiritual confidence increases when your spirit, with the help of the Savior, is truly in charge of your natural man or woman."

Third, embrace voluntary, wholehearted obedience as part of your life.
John 14:15 states: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." It's as simple as that. We cannot expect to receive all the blessings that Heavenly Father has in store for us if we are not abiding by all His rules. On a mission, the concept of exact obedience is pounded pretty hard into your head. And for good reason! I have felt the blessings that come when I consciously make the effort to be as exactly obedient as I can be.
"Spiritual confidence increases when you are truly striving, for the right reasons, to live a consecrated life in spite of your imperfections." 

Fourth, become really, really good at repenting thoroughly and quickly.
I've found in my own life that if I like doing something I'm a lot more likely to do it over and over again. I've come to LOVE repenting! That's why I enjoy doing it every single day! Not a day goes by where I don't make at least one little mistake (a shocker, I know) so I try to never let a day go by without seeking forgiveness from my Heavenly Father. As I try to keep myself as "unspotted from the world" (D&C 59:9) as possible I can feel my relationships with Christ and God growing stronger and closer.
"Spiritual confidence increases when you voluntarily and joyfully repent of sins, both small and great, in real time by applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

Fifth, become really, really good at forgiving.
"I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." (D&C 64:10) The commandment applies to all of us. When we forgive everyone it is so much easier to feel the forgiveness we need from our Heavenly Father.
"Spiritual confidence increases when you know that the Lord knows that you bear no ill feelings toward another soul."

Lastly, accept trials, setbacks, and "surprises" as part of your mortal experience.
I'm going to let you all in on a little secret: this world is very, very far from perfect. Sometimes things don't go completely as planned. And that is totally and completely okay. We are on this earth to be tested and tried. If our purpose is to go through trials and find joy through overcoming them, then why not rejoice when a trial comes our way? Sure, it's going to be hard, but it's an opportunity to prove that you can do hard things and remain faithful! Don't be freaked out by the fact that you have a few weaknesses. If we didn't have weaknesses this life would hardly matter. Use those weaknesses to improve and progress.
"Spiritual confidence increases when you accept that 'often trials and tribulations are allowed to come into your life because of what you are doing right'"

Everyone reading this, whether you are a bishop, a new convert to the church, an average Relief Society member, or someone who doesn't know much about religion at all, everyone can increase their spiritual confidence. I know that through all of these suggestions Elder Klebingat gave us we can become confident in the sight of our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I invite everyone to evaluate your confidence before God and act accordingly.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Ether 12:27

Part 6: Enduring To The End

Congratulations! You've officially made it to the end of this blog series. As I've had the opportunity to write about the Gospel of Jesus Christ I have strengthened my own testimony and come to know how important this gospel is to everyone on the earth!

"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

2 Nephi 31:20-21

Even though baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are one time things, we never stop progressing and learning. We can continually build our faith, we should continually repent of sins (spoiler alert, you'll continue to make mistakes even after you're baptized!), and we continually work to keep the covenants we have made.

Enduring to the end can be the hardest step in following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It requires patience! Watch this Mormon Message on patience and think about why enduring to the end in the gospel requires us to be patient with ourselves as well as others.

Too cute, right?! I already have the first marshmallow, I've made covenants with my Heavenly Father and I am extremely blessed. But I know that if I am patient and live like I should I will be blessed yet again with that second marshmallow, eternal life!

"And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."
D&C 14:7

I know that by making the gospel a pattern of living you can draw closer to God. You can continue to progress and grow in the gospel your entire life. If we endure to the end we will be rewarded and be able to live with our Heavenly Father again someday.

I invite everyone who reads this to think about the ways you can improve how you endure to the end. Whether that be working on patience, keeping an eternal perspective, or looking ahead to future blessings.

I know that following the gospel of Jesus Christ brings happiness.

Part 5: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Welcome back! I bet you thought you were done with this blog series after learning about baptism! Absolutely not! In fact, baptism is only half complete after you come up out of the water.

Watch this cute video and listen to a prophet of God speak about the gift we receive after baptism and how it blessed and continues to bless his life.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism-- yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."

2 Nephi 31:13

After a person is baptized, one or more authorized priesthood holders place their hands on the person's head and confirm them a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and give them the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Anyone and everyone can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, whether baptized or not, but it is only after baptism that one can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we receive that gift we have the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Katie came to know that the Book of Mormon is true and decided to be baptized! Doesn't she just glow with the Holy Ghost?!

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead and he plays many roles. Especially when we have the gift of the Holy Ghost he can comfort us, guide us, warn us of danger, testify of truth, teach us, remind us of things we may have forgotten. You can see why it's such an advantage to have him around!

After we are baptized, one of the roles of the Holy Ghost is to sanctify us from sin. I guess you could say the baptism by water is like rinsing the dishes off with water, and the Holy Ghost is like scrubbing them with dish soap! Christ really wants this blessing for us! He said "come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." 3 Nephi 27:20

As missionaries we always need to have the Holy Ghost with us. We can't expect people to just believe everything we say just because we say it! As Nephi taught in the Book of Mormon; "when a man (or woman!) speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." 2 Nephi 33:1. 

I can promise you that through the Holy Ghost you can come to know truths. You can come to know if the Book of Mormon is true, if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and if Christ is your Savior.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

Moroni 10:4-5

I invite everyone who reads this to take a question that you have to your Heavenly Father. Ask in sincerity, with faith that you will be answered, and I can promise that through the Holy Ghost you will receive that answer.

Part 4: Baptism

Welcome back to your favorite blog! As you've built your faith and learned how to repent (follow the links to past blog posts!) you've been preparing to make your very first covenant with your Heavenly Father! Baptism! And if you've already been baptized, don't worry, this blog post is for you too!

And don't worry, I haven't forgotten a video! It just comes later in the post! In the mean time, enjoy this picture from when Sarah made her first covenant with her Heavenly Father.

A covenant is a two way promise that we make with our Heavenly Father. We promise Him that we will do certain things and He promises us certain blessings in return. An ordinance is a ceremony or physical action that shows that we have entered into a covenant with God. So when we are baptized it's an ordinance that we perform and covenants are made!

God has always required His children to make covenants. He wants to bless us at every opportunity and when we keep the covenants we make we are blessed! God is the one who sets the terms for the covenant and we can choose to either accept or reject the terms. Keeping covenants not only blesses us in this life but brings salvation in the next life!

So what exactly are we promising and being promised when we are baptized? We promise three specific things! 1. To take upon ourselves the name of Christ 2. To always remember Him and 3. to keep His commandments. Seems easy enough right? We are promising to live our lives like Christ lived His to the best of our ability. We aren't expected to be perfect all the time (what would the point of this life be if we could be perfect on the first try?) but we are expected to do our very best.

In return we are promised that if we hold up our end of the bargain we can have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and receive a remission of our sins.

As missionaries, when we invite someone to be baptized we invite them to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the authority of God. So if we are following Christ when we are baptized we should be baptized in the same way as Christ, right?

Enjoy this video and we'll go from there!

Baptism by immersion (meaning your whole body goes under water, just like when Christ was baptized!) is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. Similarly, it represents the end of our old life and the beginning of our new life as a disciple of Christ!

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we are baptized by the same authority that Christ held while He was on the earth. That's a very important part of following Christ's example.

For those of you who have already been baptized, don't fret! We won't give up on you just because you've made mistakes since your baptism! Perfection isn't expected, effort is. We can continually go through the process of building our faith and repenting. Look out for future posts where I'll write about how we can renew the covenants we have already made!

The blessings of baptism are available to everyone!

I know that as we follow the example of Jesus Christ in every way we will be blessed. As we strive to make and keep essential covenants we will progress in the gospel and be ready to live with our Heavenly Father again someday.

Part 3: Repentance

We'll start part 3 with one my very favorite Mormon Messages today! Enjoy!

Too cute, right?! But not only is this video mega adorable, it's also a really great message! When we came to this earth we were so shiny and clean and ready to ride around the block! Unfortunately we're human so we have made some mistakes in our lives. And we'll keep making mistakes. Though the results of our sins may not always be as visible as bright red paint, they're still there and they cause feelings of guilt and shame.

It takes time and hard work, but those feelings can be 100% washed away!

The second principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, after faith, is repentance. Our faith in Christ will motivate us to act, that action is repentance. "Repentance includes forming a fresh view of God, ourselves, and the world." (PMG, ch. 3)

Repentance is changing our thoughts, beliefs, actions, or behaviors to become more in line with God's will. It is only through repentance that we can become clean from sin and become worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again someday.

"And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins."
Alma 11:37

Repentance can be a wonderful experience! It's not always fun, it's usually not easy, but it's always worth it to know that the changes we are making are for the better!

The first step to being forgiven of our sins seems really obvious, but it's important! We have to recognize that what we are doing is wrong! We shouldn't be sorry that we got caught or that the consequences of a wrong decision are less than desirable, we should be sorry because we have done something against the commandments.

Then we need to STOP whatever it is we are doing wrong!

The next step is to confess our sins to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. This takes a huge amount of humility but it's an amazing feeling when you feel that the Lord doesn't remember your sins anymore.

Whenever we can we need to make restitution. When our sins have wronged someone else we should do all we can to make those wrongs right.

From that point on keep the commandments! Keeping the commandments will help us resist the temptation to go back to that sin.

The most important part of repentance is acknowledging the Savior. It is only through Him that we can be forgiven. From the most minor of mistakes to the most grievous of sins, Christ has suffered for us so we can be washed clean.

This isn't an instant process. Repentance takes time, be patient with yourself! You're becoming more like your Heavenly Father! Of course that will take a little bit of time!

As you repent and make those changes, whether large or small, you will experience a change of heart, you'll have the desire to follow Christ and keep God's commandments.

I want to testify that everyone who makes the effort to truly repent can be forgiven of their sins. Through the Atonement of Christ we can all become worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again.

"It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
(Read his full address here)

I want to invite you (everyone who reads this) to think about some of the changes YOU can make to become a little bit more like your Savior. He is the perfect example after all!

Part 2: Faith in Jesus Christ

Part 2 of your favorite blog series is finally here! Enjoy this Mormon Message to start it off!

In my last post I addressed the topic of the Atonement and how we can cleansed from sin. The next posts will be about the steps we need to take to claim that wonderful gift! And it all starts with faith.

Let's define faith.

"And now as I said concerning faith-- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

Alma 32:21

So faith is believing in something you can't see or prove. In the Mormon Message above we find a few really beautiful examples of having faith in Christ. In the Bible, Esther is faced with a difficult choice to make. She knew fully well that she could be killed for approaching the king but she also knew she had to defend her people. She had faith that because she was making the right decision she would be protected.

Christ has the desire to bless us, forgive us, protect us, He is waiting for us to exercise our faith and seek out those blessings that He has waiting for us.

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."
1 Nephi 7:12

In Preach My Gospel we find what happens when we exercise that faith in Christ:

"When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings. We trust Him and what He says. We know that He has the power to keep His promises. Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to obey His Son."
PMG, pg 61

I have been so blessed on my mission to be able to witness so many people exercising their faith in Christ and acting on that faith by being baptized! Taking the physical steps to follow Christ is a big way to increase our faith and build our testimonies.

So we know what faith is, we know why need it, and we know who our faith should be in. But HOW can we build our faith?

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can find place for a portion of my words."
Alma 32:27

Building your faith might start simply desiring to have faith! Hoping but not yet believing that something is true is a perfectly acceptable start. And the next step? Experiment on the word. Try it out! Take a small step into the dark by reading the Book of Mormon, meeting with the missionaries, or making that goal to be baptized.

"Now we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves -- it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea it beginneth to be delicious unto me.

Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge."
Alma 32:28-29

I invite you all to increase your faith in Christ. Just try it out. Trying praying a little bit more or reading your scriptures a little bit more. I can promise you will feel the Spirit and you will know that Christ is your Savior.

Part 1: Through Christ We Can Be Cleansed From Sin

This post is going to kick off my latest blogging adventure! Follow the next few posts to find out how you can find peace and joy through Jesus Christ!

So let's start Part 1 with this video and we'll go from there!

The single most important event in my own personal history took place in this video. The Atonement of Jesus Christ.

When we came to this Earth we knew we would make mistakes and be imperfect. Our Heavenly Father knew this as well and knew we would need some help if we ever wanted to live with Him again. So He provided a Savior for us.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

John 3:16-17

Because Jesus Christ performed the Atonement we can all be cleansed of sin. Every mistake and imperfection can be washed away with the power of the Atonement. 

The Atonement consists of three separate events; Christ suffering for our sins, His dying on the cross, and His resurrection three days later.

 When Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane He suffered for the sins of the world so that we can be forgiven. He also died for us so that when we die it doesn't have to be the end. We will be resurrected just like He was three days after His death.

"And he shall go forth, suffering pain and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Alma 7:11-12

Although Christ suffered for our sins He didn't take away all personal responsibility for what we do wrong! When we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, have faith in Him, repent of our mistakes, and participate in saving ordinances such as baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost we can be saved and be worthy to live our Heavenly Father again someday.

"And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."

3 Nephi 27:19

I testify with all my heart that through Christ we can be cleansed from sin. Through His Atonement we can become worthy to go home to our Heavenly Father someday. We can learn about the Atonement through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I invite you all to ask a missionary what you can read in the scriptures to learn more about the power of the Atonement.