All the departing missionaries have to write a short little message
for our mission newsletter that gets passed out each month. I thought that I
would just send you what I wrote.
One of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon is Moroni
7 where it talks about faith, hope, and charity. I feel like these three attributes
are at the center of missionary work. Having faith isn't always easy but it is
so important. I can look back on my mission and look at times where I felt like
I was doing everything I could with little success. In these moments when the
discouragement started to creep in I would try my best to keep trying just a
little longer, to believe that God would bless us and He always did. But those
blessings weren't always immediate and that is where hope comes in. I love that
in the gospel hope isn't wishful thinking but trusting in God's promises. I
know that that is true. As we put in our best effort, God always keeps His side
of the promise. We might pray in faith and not find right away. We might go
through many investigators until we find one ready for baptism. But as we do
God's will we will always be blessed. The most important of these is charity.
As representatives of Jesus Christ, loving others truly embodies who Christ
was. We need to love ourselves and not down play our potential. We need to believe
that we can accomplish great things. We need to love our companion. It's not
always so easy but God will help us see the good in them. We need to love those
we serve. Goals keep us focused but at the end of your mission you will look
back and remember the people that you loved. And above all we need to love God.
We are here on earth to come to know Him and to show Him love by doing His
will. A mission is a great time to gain greater faith, hope, and charity. I
know that the Lord is in this work and that it is up to us to each put in our
best effort to build His kingdom. I know that he answers prayers. That He knows
us and will show us that He is there. I wish you all the best on the rest of
your missions! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment