18 Months

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

-3 Nephi 5:13

The Mesa Temple Visitors' Center where I have been serving!

The past 18 months of my life I have been serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa Arizona. I never thought this day would come so fast, but my time as a full time missionary for the Church seems to be coming to an end. As I have paused to look back on my mission I have learned SO much about our savior Jesus Christ and felt prompted to share what I have come to know.

LIFE AS A FULL TIME MISSIONARY . . . . . . .

A missionaries 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 are testifying, teaching, and inviting all day every day. We missionaries put our whole lives on hold to be assigned an area to serve in and devote all our time to coming closer to Christ and also helping others do the same.
We arise at 6:30 a.m. each day, we exercise, we get ready for the day, we study the gospel of Jesus Christ for 2-4 hours, and then we are out working all day until 9 or 9:30 p.m. when we return home and get ready for the next day to do the same thing over again. It may sound boring, but there is never a dull moment in being a missionary!

God LOVES us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I see God's love in the blessing of
a FANTASTIC companion!

"For [God] is the same yesterday, today, and forever;  and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world..." (1 Nephi 10:18)

He really is the same God that knows and cares about each one of us. No matter who we are he is aware of all we do. I know that he is my loving Father in Heaven. He listens to my prayers and does answer them. This mission has allowed me to really come to know him on a personal basis. There are times when I have been physically or spiritually tried and tested. At these moments I have turned to him for strength. He knows us. He loves us and wants us to return to him.
I see his love each and every day. Thinking back over the 18 months I have seen blessings he has given me daily. Some big and some small. All of them, no matter the size, have allowed me to know the reality and existence of God.

Jesus Christ is the SAVIOR of the World . . .

Because God does love us he has made a perfect plan in which we can return to live with him. This is possible because of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins. He is the savior of the whole world. This mission has allowed me to come to know him better. As I have studied about his life and attempted to apply his perfect attributes in my own I feel an increased sense of unity and love with Christ. This life is not easy, but with him helping us each day we will make it back to our Father in Heaven.
A young boy asked me once "What do you think it will be like to see Jesus again". I think it will be the best feeling in the world! I can not wait for that time where I will have the chance to thank him personally for the gospel he has given us. I know through faith in him, repenting of our sins, following his commandments and being baptized, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and continually enduring to the end we will be blessed with many things each day and ultimately the blessing of eternal life.

The Book of Mormon is the Word of God . . . .

Before the mission I always had a slight idea that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I had read it many times before being a missionary and I knew the basic stories and understood the normal gospel principles outlined (namely faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy ghost, and enduring to the end). I felt good when I read it, but I do not think I knew of the whole importance that the Book contained.
I heard a missionary ask somebody once "What in the Book of Mormon have you read that is not true?" The person was a little taken back and did not have anything to answer. I sat there and thought... do I have something to answer? Nothing. That is my answer. There is nothing in the Book of Mormon that is not true. It is 100% true! I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It testifies of Jesus Christ and his great example and ministry. It allows us to fully understand what things we can do on this earthly life to prepare ourselves to return to our Father in Heaven. Because God loves us he has given us a way back to him and this book helps us in knowing how to live our lives to obtain eternal happiness.

Mesa. I love you <3