Why do Mormons go on missions?

Right now, I am on a full-time 2 year mission. Why do we go on Missions? I have been asked that a myriad of times, many people look at me in amazement and say "wow, really? You can't do those things" As a missionary you put aside all the things that you hold dear to your heart, or things that you loved to do and you go serve the Lord. Like the 12 Apostles did, they straightway left their nets. You do the same thing, you leave all your posessions behind (most of them, the ones you can't use). You can't go online to Facebook, check your personal e-mail, you don't watch Youtube videos. You dedicate your time, talents, effort and sometimes your sleep. For the Lord. You teach and talk with everyone you meet. Everyone is a child of God and with that responsibility on your shoulder's you learn to be effective and sincere.

I went on a Mission because I had grown up being told I was going on a mission. I had no problem with it. It is 2 years out of your approximately 100 years to live. Two years is a lot if you look at it in a short term perspective, but in the grand scheme of things 2 years is nothing and it allows you to give back to your Father in Heaven and serve him. All the things I learned and will learn I will always remember and cherish for the rest of my life. I cannot tell you how amazing an LDS Mission is, without saying some kind of cliche. It really is the Best Two Years of Your Life.