In this dispensation and latter-days, the duties of missionaries are of the utmost importance in the hastening of the Lord's work and ministry. People need to live their lives in a "Christ-like" manner and prepare themselves and their families for the second coming of the Lord. A missonary is a representative of Jesus Christ whose main mission is to spread the gospel, convert souls, increase followers and believers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father gives the gift of enlightened and heightened faith, endurance to love each and every missionary who chooses to give up years serving a mission (and after their mission) giving service to the Lord.
I would like to discuss why missionaries are so important and what makes them so special in people's hearts and in the eyes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I would like to discuss the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" (Isaiah 61:1).
The Importance of Service
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) young men and women, seniors, couples and many others sacrifice six months to two years of their lives to provide service to the Lord. They walk two by two from house to house spreading the gospel to all those willing to open up their hearts and minds. Recently missionaries are using the internet to spread the gospel through blogs, chats, and other social media. Some missionaries even perform jobs for the Church, such as landscaping, security, temple construction, tour guides and many other functions. In the LDS Church, service is a vital part of faith. Service to friends, family, and others who they may not even know is essential for spiritual growth, and following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Charity is also essential for anyone who wishes to have Christ-like attirbutes too.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
"Feed My Sheep"
In the scriptures Jesus Christ indicated to His apostles to go forth and "feed my sheep." In this parable He indicates to spread the gospel word to all those "sheep," meaning all peoples throughout the earth. This is what missionaries do during their mission (and afterward). The Church states that "every member is a missionary." This means that even after one serves a mission, they are still expected to spread the gospel to other memebers and any and all individuals who wish to listen. The Lord referred to each and every one as part of His "fold," so missionaries can be considered to be "shepherds" who are watching over and increasing the amount of the fold. The President, or Prophet, of the LDS Church, and the Apostles are also considered to be the shepherds of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ too.
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matthew 9:35).
Representatives of Jesus Christ
Since each missionary is acting in the authority of Jesus Christ, each one is upheld to standards that are associated with the Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, and other scriptures that were put here upon the earth for every one of God's children to follow. Missionary standards may appear to be strict or stringent but they are not. They are the commandments, doctrines, and covenants of Old Testament, New Testament, and the restored Gospel that was set once again here on earth. If we can follow rules and regulations from federal, state, and local governments, workplace rules and other rules of society, then there should be no issues following the wishes of our Heavenly Father.
To live a Christ-like life means making changes and staying away from some things that mortal man has instituted. Our Father loved us so much that He sacrificed His Only Begotten Son for our transgressions. This is what each and every missionary understands, and why it is no problem to make the sacrifices that they do in service to the Lord. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4).
So there you have some of the many reasons that missionaries are so important to us, and to the work needed to be done to spread the gospel word. You may ask how and why I know so much about missionary work. I am a missionary serving the Lord in this capacity by spreading the word through the internet. I am one of many who sacrifice their talents and time to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So if you ever see a missionary walking down the street with their companion, give them a smile and maybe even a handshake for giving up a little part of their lives in the service of the Lord.
I would like to thank you for taking some time to read this article and gain a little knowledge of the servants of Heavenly Father. I would also like to dedicate this article to one of my companions who is reaching the end of his mission - Elder Chubak, whom I am so proud of and honored to have served with. He taught me so much about being a missionary and a good person.
If you would like more information about the Church and missionary work, please visit: www.mormon.org/missionary-work or www.lds.org
