The church has four missions proclaiming the gospel, perfecting the saints, redeeming the dead, and caring for the poor and needy. Proclaiming the gospel is essential to our faith. Because of the great joy and fulfillment that we experience in our lives it is only natural that we would share this with others. I share the gospel for the same reason that I recommend a good movie or a great book. Jesus admonished his disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" Matthew 2819 Perfecting the saints refers to the personal journey of each member through life. The Savior commanded, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 548. I know that perfection is impossible through my own efforts. Although I strive daily to improve myself and repent of my sins I continue sin. Through my baptismal coventant which I renew every week as I partake of the Lord's Supper the Sacrament the Atonement of Jesus Christ remains active in my life and I obtain forgiveness of my sins. "Redeeming the dead" is often taken out of context by those who don't understand its meaning. This is really an extension of proclaiming the gospel, because it is extended to all of God's children, including those who have already passed away. Because many have died without a knowledge of Heavenly Father's plan, we research them through our own geneaology, and perform sacred ordinances on their behalf in the holy temples. In their current state they have the blessings of the gospel made available to them through this vicarious work. Caring for the poor and needy is a basic principle of the gospel. Christ showed through his example and frequently through his teachings that caring for the poor is essential to living the gospel. We are encouraged to give generously, and to serve the needy.

I didn't participate in a mission, but I was involved with the Referral Center Mission, because Elder Bryan Sabin was the missionary who first taught me about the church. This summer, I took a trip with a local Mormon family to Utah to attend their son's wedding festivities, and while in Utah I received the opportunity to meet Elder Sabin. What a blessing, and exciting opportunity to meet and personally thank the man who brought this Gospel to me! He is the missionary in my profile picture!

It was so cool, I hope I can be like Elder Sabin on my mission. Sincere, loving, and friendly.

I met my husband whilst he was on his mission and my son is currently serving his mission. If I have a great recipe for the best chocolate cake, or read a fantastic book, I want to share these things with others. The gospel is so much more important than recipes and works of fiction. So if we have the chance, we need to share what we know. The gospel is sacred, not secret, and it is our responsibility to help the Lord declare His word to all the world. All need to have the opportunity to participate in His great plan.

Mormons believe that they have a unique and important religious message that most people are unfamiliar with. Because we believe that that message brings great joy to those who accept it, we desire to share it. Thus, a Mormon mission is an expression of love for mankind. I went on a two-year mission to Paraguay when I was 19 and there enjoyed the most formative experience of my life. Through teaching and serving the people I came in contact with, I felt that I was able to share with them a small portion of the love God has for each of us.

As a convert to the Church, I was not raised in a typical "Mormon" home. I didn't have the same push that most missionaries are given by their families in fact I received almost nothing but indifference to my going, except from my sister who is also a member who believed that I would benefit from leaving on a mission.
But I made my decision when I was converted in the second lesson the missionaries held with me when I was just 11 years old. I knew that the power of God was given to these two guys in suits, and I wanted to be just like them. I just never knew why.
While on my mission, I had a day that changed my life. I was serving in a little town in Kentucky, USA, and I had a strange request from a member who was crippled from a car accident. You see, his garbage can sat right next to the road, and people had been throwing trash in it for months since his accident, and there was rain water that had filled it almost completely full. It had sat this way for nearly 8 months. He asked my companion and I to clean it out for him, and in reality my companion couldn't even move the can to begin with, so it was basically on my shoulders. I said yes, and when I walked up the road to the can I thought to myself, "What in the world have I gotten myself into?" I could smell the can from 10 feet away, there were flies buzzing around it, red water within it, algae growing over it it was probably the most disgusting thing I've ever witnessed firsthand, and I had agreed to clean it. So, I did so, and while I won't go into all the little details, I'll say that this took nearly 2 hours to clean out a 40 gallon garbage can, with me working the entire time. It was by far and away the most difficult to stomach thing I've ever done in my life, and when I finished, this dear brother was sitting on his porch in a wheelchair. As I placed the can back where it belonged and finished putting away the supplies, I walked past the porch and muttered, "Brother E------, you're lucky I love you."
It was at that point I knew I had changed from someone who cared not for any other humans in anything more than a superficial way I had learned to love others in the most extraordinary way imaginable I loved how Christ loved. He would have compassion, determination, patience, strength, devotion, and a myriad of other ways of not only feeling but showing his love through charity, the pure love of Christ. It brought me to tears just seconds after saying such a simple phrase because I thought back to all the people my mission had taught me to love even more my family, my friends, my missionary companions, my mission president, the people whom I taught the gospel, the people who rejected the message which we were happy to share, the leaders of the Church, the members of the community around me, and all of the random people I had come across through the days I had spent in the service of the Lord.
I don't know why most Mormons go on missions. It may be out of obligation, curiosity, sincere desire to serve, devotion, because the Lord commands all worthy males to serve, to bring others to Christ, or a plethora of other random and inventive ways to convince ourselves for going. But I know that the reason the Lord wanted me personally to serve a mission was to learn to love as He loves, to see as He sees, to serve as He serves, to become closer to what He is.

I'm grateful for the missionaries of the church, that go out into the world to declare the gospel and invite all those willing to listen to learn more about the Savior Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven. Without their courage, dedication, and help, I would not have had the chance to hear about the restored gospel. My friend, who invited us to listen to the missionaries, was a returned missionary himself, and he continued sharing the good news after he came home because he knows that it is true. What a great opportunity to give and offer such selfless service for a period of two years to anyone they can reach, to come to know and love them, to teach them about their divine potential and help them find answers and a way to overcome the struggles we all face.
The power of their testimonies of the Savior touches hearts and motivates individuals to change their ways and follow him.
This has been my personal experience.