" Why are you wasting your time? "

I think it's interesting that I've had multiple people ask me this question since I've been serving as a missionary, " Why are you wasting your time?  " I have tried to understand exactly why some people might call what I do as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a waste of time. 

First and formost, I think it has to do with the misconceptions surrounding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints itself. Many people know us as the " Mormons, " a nickname given us because of a title to a book of scripture that we use with the Holy Bible called the Book of Mormon. Very few people I ever talk to are actually aware of what the Book of Mormon is, so to put it as simply as possible, I will qoute some paragraphs from the books Introduction page :

 1. " The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. "

 2. " The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians. "

3. " We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

4. " Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

These are just 4 of the paragraphs from the page which contains 5 other paragraphs of explination with just as much importance.

The thing to realize about missionary work is the importance of what we share. Why do I believe that what I'm doing right now is not a waste of time. It's because I know that I'm sharing the truth with people who are lacking it in their lives.

Think about, if you would, all the unanswered questions life has thrown at you over the years. Would you like to know the answers to these questions. Are some of them maybe questions like: What is the purpose for life? What actually happens when we die? If there is a heaven, who actually gets to go there? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is religion so important to some people? What do I have to do to feel love from God? Who is God? Why is Jesus Christ so important?, the list could go on for longer then I could type, and probably longer then anyones attention span could handle.

The reason that I'm " wasting my time " as some people put it, is because the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ has answered questions like this for me throughout my life. You may think that I'm naive, or that I have a lack of experience being only in my 20's. I've thought about this to on several occasions. You might say that I do not have a " ton " of life experience, but I can tell you that I do have experience in truth.

I know answers to questions like these because I have studied scripture, history, life, and most importantly, I've asked my Heavenly Father for myself. I know that I'm not waisting my time as a missionary. I know that the message and invitation that I've been commissioned to present, that of a Loving Heavenly Father, An atoning and loving Savior Jesus Christ, and a modern Prophet of God, is true. My heart jumps for joy when I think about the truth in that statement. I have felt and learned my answers through study in my life. I would like to extend the same challenge to people that the Book of Mormon extends. That is one of reading the Book of Mormon, praying to know of its truthfulness, and even going another step forward of listening to some missionaries for yourself. I promise if nothing else, you will learn the answer to the question, " why are they wasting their time? "



The Comfort of the Risen Lord

Today I was reading in the book of 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. My favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon are found in this book. If you read in chapter 11 of 3 Nephi you are brought into a wonderful true account of our Savior Jesus Christ's mortal ministry among the Nephite nation of America. Every time I think of the amazing account of the Savior coming to the American Continents to teach his people and disciples, my heart grows with the love and spiritual upliftment that is found in these scriptures.

I know from personal experience that the world we live in is not an easy place to exist all the time. I also know that things always seem to come up in the worst ways when we least expect them to. I wish I could say that life becomes a breeze when we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish it was all made easier. I have very close family and friends going through what can only be described right now as an absolute nightmare in their life. I've seen peoples' spirits crushed, and people try to do everything in their power to accomplish something, only to fail at the end of the task they placed before themselves. I also have witnessed however, the difference in completing those tasks when we know that we don't stand alone.

The Savior's ministry in his life is highlighted by one overall event referred to as the Atonement. Most Christians in the world know that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save the inhabitants of the World. But sometimes we overlook the importance of the events that took place before, and after what happened on the cross at Calvary. In the garden of Gethsemane our Savior suffered and bled from every pore of his body in a manner described by Luke in ch.22 verse 44 in St. Luke - " And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. " Our Lord Jesus Christ took upon him every sin, pain, regret, sorrow, angry feeling, and degree of despair that any one of us have or ever will have to face in our lives. More then that, he suffered for those who also walked this earth before him. The scriptures describe the Atonement as and " Infinite Atonement. " As encompassing as the Atonement of Jesus Christ is, it is also the most personal thing anyone could ever experience.

The other event that needs mentioning in the Atonement, is the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How fitting that before Easter Sunday, my personal scripture study would bring me across events that occurred only months after the resurrection of the Savior. For those that are not familiar with the events surrounding the beginning of The Savior's ministry in the Americas, I'll give a brief backround followed by my encouragement of all of us to read the account for ourselves in the Book of Mormon. After the crucifiction of the Savior, the World underwent tremendous storms, earthquakes, and days of darkness. These accounts of events are recorded in both the New Testament of the Bible, and The Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi. After light was once again restored to the earth in parts of the world where it was absent, the people of the Nephite Nation who remained alive began to rebuild homes and cities. A majority of the people went to a region referred to in the Book of Mormon as " The Land Bountiful, " here they continued to work on the construction of a temple of the Lord they had previously began to build. While discussing the signs and events surrounding what they new to be the death of the Savior in Jerusalem, the people began to here a " a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn." -( 3 Nephi 11:3 ).  

The voice that was heard three times and only understood the last, was the voice of the Father. " And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: " Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name- hear ye him. " - ( 3 Nephi 11: 6-7). Just as recorded in the Bible on numerous occasions, the Our Father in Heaven announced his Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior then descended out of heaven and testified of himself in these touching and beautiful words; " Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And Behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hat given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. " - ( 3 Nephi 11: 10-11 ).

What follows next in that amazing record of ministry continues for 15 more chapters in the Book of Mormon. The Savior teaches his Doctrine of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. He teaches the people in America in the same manner as that of the " Sermon on the Mount, "  as described in the Gospel of Matthew. He heals the sick, blesses the children, and sets forth His Church and the Sacrament.

I know that the events described in the Book of Mormon truly happened. I know this because I have prayed and received an answer for myself. I know that by reading and learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can live better lives. Anything is possible through our Savior, and any struggle can be overcome with comfort as we rely on the blessings of the Atonement in our lives. I know that those family and friends that I have that are struggling right now can rely on the Savior and his Atoning sacrifice for comfort and blessings through the pain they may be experiencing.

I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel is once again located on the earth, and is available to anyone who wishes to partake in it. I know that Jesus Christ's Church is on the Earth and is run by the Savior himself. I also know that His Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I leave this testimony for all those who wish to see and read it, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.