Would you like to know what made up my mind?
Why I'm even here writing this?
Here is my story.
What I did know was that I loved learning and I wasn't finished. There had to be more schooling through formal education and life experiences for me to find. I decided to stay in the small Idaho town where I attended college and got a job at a craft store. I figured I'd stay there until I had a solid plan.
Months passed and nothing was working out.
I realized that during my search for a life plan, I forgot the Eternal scheme of things. I rarely went to church and blatantly made choices that I knew were wrong. My soul was hurting and screaming out for help but I was ignoring it.
My frustration must have been showing because one of my friends, a co-worker at the craft store brought up my future one day. She asked me if among all of the choices I had considered if I had ever thought about serving a mission. All of a sudden tears started welling up and I just choked out a "No. That's not what I want!"
Uh-oh.
The thought started spinning around in my head. Serve a mission? Me? Could I even do that? Was my testimony and my love for the Savior strong enough to share it with other people for 18 months? I didn't want it to be the answer. Let me restate that. I reeeeaaaaaally didn't want serving a mission to be the answer! My heart was so hardened and selfish then that I couldn't possibly see myself as a missionary.
A few hours later that day the subject of my future came up again with a different co-worker. She suggested the same idea, "Have you ever thought about serving a mission?" When I explained a few of my concerns with her she suggested that I call my home teacher and ask him for a priesthood blessing.
At this point I knew in my heart that it was no coincidence these friends of mine had asked me the same question. I did exactly what was suggested and had my home teacher come to my house that night to give me a special blessing of peace and comfort to find an answer of what direction my life should go.
As soon as I was alone I flipped open my scriptures and a receipt with a scripture reference scribbled across the top fell out. I turned to Doctrine and Covenants chapter 60 when I read verses 2 and 13 I knew without a doubt in my heart that I was to devote my time to serve the Lord on a mission. I knew that if I did not share the truth that I know that I would be held accountable before God for that selfishness.
I'm here now doing the work and every day is hard. Harder than I could have ever imagined. But when I know that people I interact with feel the Spirit of God and have a desire to learn more it makes every moment of my frustration worth it.
My purpose 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.
