When the Savior lived on Earth, He spent His time ministering to the people. He knew that they needed His gospel because it is the bread of life. He taught that all who believe in Him and love Him will feed His sheep. Thus, young men and women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leave their homes and proclaim the gospel in countries all around the world where they are allowed to proselyte. We refer to them as missionaries.
Mormon missionaries can be seen walking the streets of large cities and small communities around the world. They travel in pairs and the men are dressed in white shirts and ties while the women are dressed in modest blouses/tops and skirts/dress slacks. They knock on doors in rain or shine to find people who are interested to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are Jesus Christ’s representatives in these days, teaching how people may be saved both from physical and spiritual death. They hand out copies of the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. They can also be seen participating in community service such as street clean-up or mowing the lawns of the elderly.
Eighteen-year-old young men and nineteen-year-old young women in the church are encouraged to go on missions. Young men serve for 24 months and young women serve for 18 months. These young adults voluntarily become missionaries. They leave their homes and families, temporarily stop their schooling, and devote themselves full-time to the service of the Lord. They do not get any compensation or any type of monetary reward. But they go anyway. Why? Because they want to share the good tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They want to follow the Saviors admonition, “If ye love me, feed my sheep.” They understand that man does not live by bread alone but by the words of Jesus Christ. They also know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed their lives and that God wants all His children to experience the same.
The church also encourages able-bodied adults to go on missions after their families have been raised. They are referred to as senior missionaries. Senior couples can go together to serve and single senior adults are encouraged to go as well. Like the young missionaries, these senior missionaries receive no compensation of any kind. However, we don’t usually see them knocking on doors or preaching the gospel on the streets. They are usually assigned to other areas where they can serve according to their physical capacity and individual circumstances.
Moreover, the saying, “We are all missionaries in our own way,” is also true in the LDS Church. Aside from those officially called as missionaries, men and women, young and old, learned and unlearned, who are able and willing to serve can contribute to the divine work of the Lord and can do missionary work. They are LDS members who are willing to share their testimonies about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are those who are willing to serve, not only in the church but also in their communities. They portray and strive to follow the Savior’s invitation to “to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.”
There is more than one definition that can explain who Mormon missionaries are, but they all share the gospel in hopes that the lives of others will be blessed and that more people around the world will come to know Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ.
If you want to know more about Mormon missionaries or want to meet with them, click here.
