Why do Mormons go on missions?

Sister Adams and I on our last day as companions.

Sounds crazy, right? Why would teenage boys and girls give up 18 months to two whole years of their lives, when they are sure to be rejected by many? It means being far from family, being VERY far from your comfort zone, long hours, physical and mental exhaustion, rejection, etc. Why on earth would anyone do that, let alone pay their own way??

The key is the message that these young people have to share. The message that Mormon missionaries proclaim to the world is that the the church that Christ established during his life on earth was taken from the earth for many years, but now it is restored, and it's here to stay. They teach families how they can be together forever, and what the purpose of their crazy lives are. They teach people how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, so that they can live with Him again after this life. It's a bold message! (more about what Mormons believe can be found at www.mormon.org. Get it straight from the source, people.)

For me, the question was really, "How could I not go on a mission? How could I keep this message to myself, when it's brought me so much joy in my life?"  I had to share it. And even though there would be many, many people who rejected our message, I like to think that for ever door we had slammed in our face, that was one more person who would accept it and have their life changed. Okay, it's probably more like five doors for every person.

Of course, serving a mission is the hardest, most exhausting, most wonderful, incredible thing I have ever done in my life. It teaches discipline, hard-work, love, selflessness, service, how to teach children important principles, every important life-skill imaginable, really. However, the part that changed me the most was working with the people. I had felt the change that Jesus Christ had made in my heart, and I got to see the hearts of others change, too. I saw light start to shine in their eyes, where there had once been questions. I saw peoples' countenances completely change as they prepared to follow Jesus Christ's example and be baptized

If anyone else has comments about why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serve missions, please feel free to comment below!

Why is this Mormon starting a blog?

Time for introductions!

Hello, everyone. My name is Sami, and this is my blog. I was born in sunny Southern California, and have since lived in Utah, Ohio, Hawaii, and New Jersey. I am a lover of music, dogs, family, the ocean, God, and all things beautiful. 

So, why am I starting a blog? I'm not a writer, and I rarely enjoy reading most of the blogs I fall upon. Well, to understand that, you'll have to know a little bit about me. I said I lived in New Jersey. More accurately, I was called to serve a mission for my church in New Jersey, speaking the Spanish language. Now, for the men who go on missions, they are called to serve for 2 years. Women only get 1 1/2 years. I was so stoked!! I'd wanted to serve a mission since I was 14 years old, and had just been waiting to reach the age requirement of 21 years old (it has since changed to 19y/o for girls and 18y/o for boys). 

I went through 9 weeks of language and teaching training, and off I went to New Jersey!! For the next 10 months I served in 3 different areas of New Jersey, and each day consisted of praying for, studying for, practicing for, and teaching valuable gospel lessons to people who were missing something in their lives. For those 10 months I lived and breathed for the wonderful, humble Hispanic people of New Jersey, and would do anything for them. I saw lives absolutely change as people began to understand the relief and joy that their faith in Jesus Christ could bring them. I got to talk about what I believed, all day, every day. 

Well, then in the last four months or so of those 10 months, I was really, really sick. There was something very wrong with my stomach, and I couldn't keep any food down. When we finally saw that I wasn't getting any better, and that we still didn't have any answers about what was wrong, I was sent home on a "medical release". This means that I was honorably released to go home and get better, and that it was completely up to me to return or not when I felt well again. Well, that's where we are now! I've been home for almost 2 months now, trying to get better, and still with very little results. I still plan to return to my mission as soon as my body starts cooperating, but when that will be is anybody's guess.

One thing I've missed about being a missionary is the conversations I got to have with complete strangers about our individual beliefs. I learned so much from people from many faiths and countless countries. I love having conversations about God, about what makes us happy, about our motivations and desires. I figure that even though I'm not a missionary anymore, I can still have those conversations, and I can still learn a lot from complete strangers on the internet. ;) I'll be thrilled if anyone reads it, and I'll have a lot of fun with it even if no one does.

Make this the best day you've had yet!

Love,

Sami