Many people talk about missionary work, but what about the time leading up to a decision to serve?
Preparing for a mission can be daunting. There can be so many voices trying to influence your decision. So what can you do when the choice feels out of your reach? In his general conference talk, “Courage to Proclaim the Truth,” Elder Denelson Silva provides the following counsel about deciding to serve a mission: “As you face situations that may make the decision to serve a mission a difficult one—such as interrupting your studies for a time, saying goodbye to your girlfriend without any guarantee that you will ever date her again, or even having to walk away from a job—remember the Savior’s example.” It can be hard to apply this counsel, but one example in my life has shown me how it is possible.
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My younger brother recently received his mission call. Before deciding to put in his mission papers, he was struggling to know whether it was right for him to serve a mission. He is a very ambitious young man, and he was eager to start college and prepare for medical school. He had gotten his CNA license, and he didn’t want to lose that certification. Even some of the people closest to him did not seem to support his serving a mission.
However, my brother overcame these trials by doing as Elder Silva teaches. My brother remembered the example of the Savior. Instead of doubting, he began to share his testimony on missionary work. His entire countenance changed as he began testifying of the Savior and how important Christ’s gospel is. This change inspired me to share my testimony as well.
The decision to serve a mission and to engage in missionary work can be a heavy burden to bear. Even those who have already served missions (or those who have received the answer not to serve) have to decide if they will engage in member missionary work. We must strive to remember how selflessly the Savior served and think of how we could change the lives of others by emulating him. Doing so will allow missionary work to remind us of Christ.
Learn more about the Savior’s example in missionary work by reading Elder Denelson Silva’s full general conference address, “Courage to Proclaim the Truth.”
Source: General Conference
—McKenzie VanOrden, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Find more insights
To understand the modern importance of missionary work, read and watch the worldwide youth devotional “Hope of Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson.
Read the general conference address “Conversion to the Will of God” by Elder Quentin L. Cook to learn more about following the Lord’s will.