Our son Gavin recently received a mission call and assignment to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will serve for two years in Modesto, Calif. Approximately 74,000 young, full-time missionaries, between the ages of 18 and 25, serve worldwide in more than 150 countries. Missionaries don’t request their area of assignment and don’t know beforehand whether they will be required to learn a language.
Before being assigned to their area, missionaries spend a short time at a missionary training center. There, they learn how to teach the gospel clearly, and if needed, they also begin learning the local language of the people they will serve.
A typical day for a missionary starts at 6:30 a.m. with personal study. Throughout the day, they proselytize by keeping appointments, visiting homes and talking to people in public places. The day ends at 10:30 p.m.
Missionary work is entirely voluntary. Missionaries cover their own expenses, and they are not paid for their service.
At an age when most young men and women are focused inward on education or earning money, these young men and women focus outward and dedicate a significant portion of their lives to serving Jesus Christ. I’m reminded of Matthew 6:33, where Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” And in the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob counseled, “Before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God” (Jacob 2:18).
That is one thing I loved about being a missionary in my early 20s. I spent two years engaged in helping other people. I was assisting others on their faith journey to come closer to Jesus Christ. It took my focus off myself and worldly things, and an interesting thing happened. I was incredibly happy. I saw that the gospel of Jesus Christ could uplift others. Their burdens became lighter as they followed Jesus Christ in their lives. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, they could overcome sin and mistakes in their lives, as they strived to live a higher and holier way.
I’m excited for my son to experience the joy of seeing the gospel lift the spirits of the downtrodden and those who thought that they were beyond the reach of the Savior’s love. It’s miraculous to see the lives of humble followers of Jesus Christ who shed the evil and vices of the world as they look towards the light of the gospel. They change their lives, their family’s lives and generations to come for the better. It’s been said that the gospel makes bad men good and good men better. In 2002, Gordon B. Hinckley, who was president of the Church at that time, said, “Bring with you all that you have of good and truth which you have received from whatever source, and come and let us see if we may add to it.” Jesus instructed His apostles, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 20:19).
If you see the missionaries, usually wearing black nametags with the title “Elder” or “Sister,” be kind and say hello and encourage them. They are about doing good in our community. Somewhere back home, they have parents who are praying for them and their safety.
The Lord trusts these good young men and women to preach the gospel to all who will lend an ear, and I find that a noble cause as they show the love of Christ by serving others. It warms my heart as I see the light in their eyes and their faith as they share the good news of the gospel unto every corner of the earth.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Bishop Jason Bringhurst is the leader of the Mount Pleasant Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Angeles, ComeUntoChrist.org. His email is jasonbring@gmail.com.
