Repentance - A Car Wash for the Soul

As missionaries we've been asked to wash our vehicles every week. Sometimes the complaint is heard, "Why do we have to wash it today?? It's just gonna get dirty next week..."

Similar to washing the car, repentance should be done regularly. Regardless of what happens tomorrow we need to strive to be clean of what happened last week, yesterday, and today. Having a clean car is a continuing process just as having a clean soul should be.

Driving a freshly washed car around definitely has a different feel than driving a filthy one. Also, the Lord has declared that “no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven” (Alma 11:37). We must be prepared to enter the Lord's presence at all times. Lastly, it just feels good to be clean. So, let's wash up often.

Preparing to Be a Full-time Missionary

       President Thomas S. Monson, has declared, "Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary."  Then, "... sisters: while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service."

       Prophets have made the importance of missionary work very clear. But once you've made the decision what can you do to prepare to serve faithfully and effectively?

       The first thing President Monson mentions in his talk, "As We Meet Together Again," is to keep yourself clean, pure, and worthy. Second, maintain your health and strength. Make sure that you are taking care of yourself. As a missionary, you will have 30 minutes a day to exercise. Make those minutes count. Third, go to seminary or institute. There you will learn the basic doctrines of the Church. And last, but not least, study Preach My Gospel. Familiarize yourself with it's pages, it will help you be the most effective missionary you can be.

       If you do these things faithfully, and to your best ability, you can become a great instrument in the Lord's hands.

As We Meet Together Again

How to Prepare to Be a Good Missionary

Why We're Online

Prophecy about the Future of Missionary Work

       In 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball issued an amazing prophecy about the technology driving the gospel message.

        Technology will help spread the gospel. We need to enlarge our field of operation.… The Lord will lay in our hand inventions which we can scarcely conceive whereby we will be able to bring the gospel to the peoples of the world…. I have faith that the Lord will open doors when we have done everything in our power. I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse….We shall use the inventions the Lord has given us to awaken interest and acquaint people of the world with the truths, to ease their prejudices and give them a general knowledge. We shall need to answer specific questions, and perhaps that can be done by two-way radio and TV perfected to a point beyond our present imagination. It is conceivable that such a program greatly perfected could be multiplied ten thousand times in ten thousand tongues and dialects in ten thousand places far and near…. Tens of thousands of young missionaries endowed with the power from on high will follow up the proselyting.

       Many people wonder why missionaries would be allowed to use the internet for Facebook and blogging like we are able to do.
       Reason #1 If you are reading this, you have proven that online missionary work is an effective tool to contact other people.
       Reason #2 Once we as missionaries meet someone where we are serving, it is easier to stay in contact with them via Facebook than using snail mail.
       Reason #3 On the internet today there are many evil and perverse web pages. Through online missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the internet is once again being used for positive purposes rather than negative. Now, more people than ever can find the truth they are looking for at the click of a button.

        For more information please read these articles:

Members Play an Important Role in Sharing Gospel Online

Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet

Finding and Sharing the Gospel Online

Why Serve a Mission?

Why do members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints serve missions?
There are many different reasons why Mormons serve missions. Some reasons why I chose to serve are:
1. I love God.
2. I read in the scriptures that I am commanded of God to share what I know. (D&C 88:81)
3. I want to share the joy and happiness the Gospel brings me with others.
4. It blesses my life and my family's life.
5. It is a lot of fun.
I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to share the message of happiness and of Jesus Christ with the world. It truly has helped me grow so much already.