What is a mission?

Dearest readers, I apologize for not writing last Sunday.  I had a very busy week!  But before I write my "letter" about last week, I wanted to explain a little bit more about missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Young men at the age of 18 and young women at the age of 19 can decide that they want to serve a mission for the church.  For young men it is a two year commitment, and for young women it is 18 months.  When one decides they want to serve, they fill out the required paperwork and meet with their local religious leaders to determine their worthiness and desire.  When this is done their papers are sent to church headquarters.  Within a few weeks to a few months a letter is returned with the missionary-to-be's assignment.  There are over 300 missions one can be called to, and we believe that the call comes from God.  For this reason, we do not choose where we will spend the next 18-24 months.

In my case, I will always remember the joy and elation I felt when my letter came, and I read that I would be serving in the Spain Madrid Mission.  It was such a surreal feeling; a feeling of happiness and peace.  Feeling that way was a confirmation to me that I had been called of God to go to Spain.

With the letter, each missionary is given a date to report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC).  In the MTC a missionary will spend 2-9 weeks to study the scriptures, learn the language they will be speaking (if they are to learn one), and prepare to serve their missions.  The purpose of the mission 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.  In other words, missionaries in the MTC spend 2-9 weeks preparing to teach the Gospel of Christ and inviting people to enter the waters of Baptism.

Once in their designated mission, they put to practice everything they learnt in the MTC. Missionaries always travel with a companion.  They go from city to city serving the people and teaching them about the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They teach about Christ and the Church He established.  They teach that the same exact church has been restored and is on the earth today.  They teach about God's plan for us in this life, and the next.  And they teach about what we must do to receive the gift of Salvation and Eternal Life.  They invite those they teach to believe in these true principles and be baptized.

It is important to explain that we don't want to offend anyone.  Missionaries do not force anyone to be baptized.  We love those that listen to our message, but do not accept it.  Missionaries merely serve, teach, and invite. we do not believe that other churches are bad, or that their members do not have faith. But that does not mean that we believe all churches are true.  We believe that they all have truth but they do not have the fullness of it.  It is for that reason that missionaries teach people how they can know the truth and invite them to be baptized.  Only through baptism in Christ's true church can one receive Salvation.

So I invite all to read and learn.  If what I say is true, congratulations!  You have found earthly and eternal happiness, and the path back to your Father in Heaven.  If it is not true, than your life goes on as it is.  You have nothing to loose, yet so much to gain!  Come see for yourself!