What Is My Purpose as a Missionary?
Your Purpose
Invite others to com 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.
Consider This
Your Commission to Teach the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ
You are surrounded by people. You pass them on the street, visit them in their homes, and travel among them. All of them are children of God, your brothers and sisters. God loves them just as He loves you. Many of these people are searching for purpose in life. They are concerned for their families. They need the sense of belonging that comes from the knowledge that they are children of God, members of His eternal family. They want to feel secure in a world of changing values. They want "peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (D&C 59:23), but they are "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" (D&C 123:12).
The gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith will bless their families, meet their spiritual needs and help them fulfill their deepest desire. Although they may not know why, they need relief from feelings of guilt that come from mistakes and sins. They need to experience the joy of redemption by receiving forgiveness of their sins and enjoying the gift of the Holy Ghost.
As an authorized representative of Jesus Christ, you can teach people with power and authority that "redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi 2:6, 8). As people come to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and receive the ordinances of baptism and confirmation by priesthood authority, they can be assured that they "are not cast off forever" (Book of Mormon, Title Page).
As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase. You will feel, as Lehi did, the "great. . .importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth" (2 Nephi 2:8).
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: "We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 167).
You are called to represent Jesus Christ in helping people become clean from their sins. You do this by inviting them to come unto Jesus Christ and become converted to His restored gospel. To come to the Savior they must have faith in Him unto repentance-making the necessary changes to bring their life into agreement with His teachings. You can help people develop such faith by teaching them the restored gospel by the Spirit and inviting them to commit to live according to its teachings. Keeping this commitment prepares them for the covenants of baptism and confirmation and the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. They are put off the "natural man" and become a Saint "through the atonement of Christ the Lord" (Mosiah 3:19).
Activity: Personal or Companion Study
Examine the picture of the tree of life on this page as you study the vision of the tree of life found in 1 Nephi 8 and 11. In this vision, the tree of life symbolizes the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:21-22).