Missions!

My companion, Sister Carlson, told me an amazing saying about missions.  She said, "Missions are not the best two years OF your life, they are the best two years FOR your life."  Or in my case, substitute "two years" for "eighteen months."  How true this is.  

Missions are so amazing because they prepare you for life and eternal life.  We dedicate eighteen months or two years of our life serving others and inviting them to come closer to Christ.  We do this by teaching them and helping them understand how to follow Jesus Christ and how to return to live with Heavenly Father.  Our purpose as missionaries 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."  By helping others with this purpose, we ourselves become more converted to the Lord and more converted to this gospel.  

I love serving others!  As it says in the Book of Mormon, "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).  I know that as we serve others we truly are serving God.  Not only will serving others bring us so much joy, but it also makes Heavenly Father proud of us and He will bless us.  I have never felt so happy as I have while I have been out on a mission serving others everyday all day.  Serving and sharing this gospel with others is how we can find true happiness in this life.

Mission are the best two years (or eighteen months) for your life because they teach you how to follow Christ, what truly matters, how to serve others, how to pray, how to keep the faith in hard times, and they strengthen your testimony and your conversion to this gospel.  If you are thinking about going on a mission...GO!  This has been the best decision I have made so far in my life.  Missionary work is hard but SO worth it!