As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Beth (now Sister Green), after much prayer and consideration felt...
“Perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring
some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.”
Why does she feel this way?
Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.
The Lord said,
"...proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city…
bear testimony in every place, unto every people..."
Sister Green, has taken that commandment to heart and has committed the next eighteen months of her life to share the blessings she has personally received from living the gospel with those whom the Lord has called her to, in the Columbus Ohio Mission.
What exactly is she doing?
"We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ,
and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
Missionaries share one thing and one thing only - the gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sister Green has joyfully joined the 52,000 missionaries who are currently serving in 350 missions around the world. These missionaries are walking, driving or riding their bikes around the world, handing out copies of the Book of Mormon and sharing the gospel with the people they meet.
Most of the Church's missionaries are around twenty years old, though many members also volunteer to serve after they've retired. All prospective missionaries turn in applications to Church headquarters and they receive a call to a specific mission around the world. They spend a few weeks in a training center where some of them learn a new language and all of them rigorously study and practice teaching the gospel. Then they set off to their assigned locations and begin their service. Missionaries' lives are completely dedicated to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They pay their own way and put off school, dating and work for eighteen months to two years in order to focus entirely on doing the Lord's work.
A common morning for a missionary might consist of waking up at 6:30 a.m., studying the scriptures, and meeting new people to share the gospel with. The afternoon might include discussing gospel lessons with people they meet and volunteering for service in the community. A good night has them teaching the gospel to interested individuals and helping them learn and keep God's commandments or attending a baptismal service for someone who's decided to join the Church. They return home around 9:30 p.m. and fall into bed, usually exhausted and happy.
What's the point?
It may seem strange to focus so much of our lives on Jesus Christ, but the wisdom of the gospel applies to everything from the purpose of life to how we approach our work, how we relate to others, even how we take care of our bodies. The teachings of Jesus Christ have more power to bring lasting happiness than all the success and pleasure the world can offer.
Every message Mormon missionaries share revolves around Him and how His Atonement and ordinances allow us to return to live with our Father in Heaven and our families in heaven.
Again... Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that Mormons want to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency.
For more information on the Church of Jesus Christ and the values and beliefs that Sister Green is sharing please visit... http://mormon.org
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http://mormon.org/missionary-work
