“My patriarchal blessing talks about me serving a full-time mission. After I graduated from Ricks College, I turned 21, and I wasn’t dating anyone at the time. I knew what my blessing stated, but felt I should still pray about serving. It took a few months before I got my answer. It was during my scripture study. I KNEW that I was suppose to serve, and I had the desire to serve. I felt so blessed to have the gospel. I felt in debt to the Lord.” JoLynn Hansen, Texas, Houston East Spanish Speaking Mission
“Growing up I always felt like I was going to go on a mission and had the desire to go. When my 21st birthday was approaching I prayed about it and got the impression not to go. I was shocked and mostly frustrated that my righteous desires were being met with an answer that I didn’t want. About 6 months after that I then felt the urge ‘Go and go now.’ I fought the feelings off for about 3 months until I finally talked to the bishop. I always had the feeling God would ask me to go when it wasn’t easy for me to go, when I had finally been accepted to a major I wanted and I finally felt like things were going ‘perfectly’ in my life. I’m so glad I listened– even though it was hard. My mission has blessed my life and will continue to bless me and my future prosperity forever, I know this.” Emily Craghead, Arizona Tucson Mission
“When I was about 12 another sister from my home ward went on a mission and I thought she was a great example. Since that time I knew I wanted to go. My patriarchal blessing also confirmed this decision.” Laura Daniels, Argentina Neuquen Mission
“My family means the world to me, and it is a huge blessing to know that I have the opportunity to be with them for all eternity, and I wanted more people to know of this opportunity that Heavenly Father has given to us.” Jessica Rex, Arizona Tucson Mission
“I had always thought that it would be really neat to go on a mission, but I never thought very serious about it until one day during a study group at BYU. We were studying for a final and one of the girls there had served a mission. I asked her a few questions about her mission, and the only thing that I remember her saying is that it was the best decision that she had ever made. I immediately felt a strong impression that I needed to make that decision for myself. I prayed about it shortly after that study group and felt so strongly that I needed to serve a mission. I have NEVER regretted my decision to serve a mission. It has blessed my life in ways that I never would have imagined. I would do it all over again, and hope to one day when I am able again.” Katie Gividen, Russia Rostov-na-Dony Mission
“The spirit pestered me for years until I finally gave in at age 23.” Kristin Wardle Sokol, New York Utica Mission
“God. I didn’t plan to go, but when fasting for direction in my life, I got a distinct impression to serve. And so I did. I’m SO glad I did.” Patti Rokus, Temple Square Visitors Center Mission
“When I was 19, I knew some missionaries who were just awesome. My dad had served a mission, and I have an aunt who served. Those missionaries had a light and life about them that was so contagious, and I wanted that, and I wanted to share it. One of the biggest reasons I decided to serve were some statistics I heard about returned missionaries and their children being married in the temple. They said that if the father was a returned missionary, about two thirds of the children were married in the temple, but if both mother and father were returned missionaries, it jumped up to over 90%. I thought there was no greater blessing I could give my future, (and now current) children, than that extra boost towards temple marriage! Now this doesn’t mean that if you don’t serve, your children won’t be married in the temple, but for me, it was an impetus and a blessing! I had the desire, and the Lord blessed me with the ability to serve a mission, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that!” Wendi Condie, Montana Billings Mission
What are your thoughts? If you’re a returned sister missionary, what made you decide to go? Please share your comments.
Related posts:
Share Your Mission Call
Give a Mission Report
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I never planned to serve a mission. While I was away at college in another state I had the chance to talk often to my friends and peers about my religion. I became so excited about serving that I decided to give up an athletic scholarship in order to go. I had the most wonderful mission experience. My testimony of the gospel grew exponentially and I made so many wonderful friends. I will always be grateful for my opportunity to serve a mission.
That’s fantastic Lindsay. Where did you serve your mission?
When I prayed honestly about it, I knew it was the right thing for me to do. My mission experience was so valuable to my life and testimony of the gospel that it’s beyond my ability to express it. Although my mission was tough– no doubt about that– it was a life-defining, wonderful experience for me. -Christel Lane Swasey, Scotland Edinburgh Mission
The Resson I want to go on a mission is I cant stand know that there is someone out there who does not kknow how much God And Christ love them and everything that they have done for them and how they are there for them. also I get so …exsited…happy..thrilled.. but a little scared all at the same time when every i shar about the gosple and i never want to go with out that feeling. I love being able to see what i feel and know come out of my mouth and into there eyes i saw it slighty once .. i cant wait till it happens again. i want to grow from my mission but mostly i what to help the lord regain his children and i want them to know they are loved
I have wanted to serve a mission since I was young. Out of fifteen family members (including my parents and half siblings) I would be the first in my family to serve. When it came time to decide I couldn’t bare the thought of leaving my widowed mother and wonderful family, my scholarship, and my jobs so I put off the thought. I would feel an inclination and just push it aside. I went to a preparing missionary seminar and never in my life have a felt such a strong prompting. I couldn’t deny nor ever forget what I had felt. I know the Lord can take care of my family better than I can so I have to just put my faith in Him.
Oh and I am called to serve in Washington DC North mission visitor’s center! Spanish speaking:)
Congratulations Hermana Allen! You are going to be serving not far from me! I live in the Washington DC South Mission area. The DC Temple is about an hour and a half from my house!
I’m super excited because this sunday I get to start attending a temple prep class! Ever since I heard about the temple from the missionaries, I have wanted to go. And now it seems closer than ever! I wish you the best of luck on your mission! ~Sister Baum, to be.
My grandmother served a mission back in the day that not many women served. I always looked up to her and wanted to serve. I’ve never regretted my decision, it’s been the preparation for my marriage and being a parent.
I just graduated last october from college, Im 24 now. I had made up my mind that I would not serve a mission. Now that I graduated, Im just working, not dating either. Planning on getting my master though. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about if I should go on a Mission now. Unlike these other girls, they have had the desire to go. I haven’t. Now, I just dont know if the lord would want me to go. I feel very confused. I do pray about it, i dont know if its me or what, but i just dont feel that i am receiving a response.
Gaby, Thanks for writing. Getting answers to our prayers can be difficult at times. Often times we find apparent conflicts between head, heart, and Spirit (i.e. what we think we should do, what we want to do, and what the Spirit is telling us to do).
Here are a couple of things you might want to consider: You say you’ve been thinking a lot about a mission lately. Perhaps that is the Spirit of the Lord working on you. You also say you haven’t had the desire to go on a mission, but it sounds like your thoughts are wondering if you should go. Please know that you are loved regardless of what you choose. The Lord does not require women to serve missions, but some have the desire and can go. Those women meet a need and experience personal growth.
My advice would be to do as I heard Elder Richard G. Scott once counsel: When you have sincerely prayed and sought for guidance yet still don’t know what to do, just make a decision, in either direction, which ever you think is best. If the direction you choose is not right, the Lord will not let you continue down the wrong path.
And this is some advice my dad once gave me: Live righteously and stay close to the Lord, then you can trust your feelings.
Good luck, God bless, and let me know what you decide.
Thnaks for sharing. Always good to find a real expert.
Gabby, I can totally relate well kind of.. I’m 24 too finished my degree, I’ve started my Masters but it’s been on and off for about 2years due to work commitments, so I feel like my epic studies are never comming to an end! I’ve always had the desire to go I love everything about Missionary Work each time I go to a return missionary fireside, meet a RM, listen to all the stories from my missionary friends and read all my letters and emails from my sister on the field I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something in my life. I’ve always wanted to go and everyone has always assumed I was preparing but the truth is I haven’t really made an real effort to ask the Lord in sincere prayer about my decision. After finishing my undergraduate I’ve really been strugling to finish my masters and for some reason its taking much longer than planned to finish. The pressure to finally attain a professional job and to settle down (because according to the mormon timeline 24 and still single is pushing it) has made it much harder to make a decision.
But then when I come across websites like yours, I feel like serving a mission is going to be one of those things I’m going to look back on in life and regret deeply! I have prayed about it a few times and I too have not recieved a distinct answer and so I continue to move on in life instead of exploring that feeling more.
Jimmey your answer was short, sweet and to the point and once again the missionary spark in my heart has gone off only this time I’m going to be sure to do something about it! I’m gratefull for your thoughts because it leads to inspiration. I hope you figure out what you want Gabby because I think I did too..hehe Good Luck xo:)
If I were to list all the wonderful and amazing people who have influenced me in some way to choose to serve a mission, I would be here all night! However, here is a small amount of backstory. When I was first investigating the church, I was dating a guy who happened to be very Anti-Mormon (I wouldn’t find that out until AFTER I started meeting with the missionaries, over a year into our relationship). My family took a trip up to the Washington DC Temple visitor’s center with a member from our branch. One of the sister missionaries who was serving there (I will never forget her, that wonderful Sister Hamblin!) came over and talked to us. I’m sure we looked quite overwhelmed and lost just standing there in a corner by ourselves. But she came over all smiles and bubbles and the first thing I noticed about her was that she was practically glowing. When I look back on it now, I realize that that glow came from living the gospel and having the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. But she latched onto me and she said “Amanda, I just know that your going to get baptized. I know that the Lord has wonderful things in store for you.” At the time I brushed it off, but no truer words have ever been spoken. That was March 8th, 2008. Two months later, on May 10th 2008, I was baptized (I should mention that two days after our visit to the visitor’s center, my boyfriend and I broke up. His ultimatum “If you go Mormon, I’m walking.”, made joining the church the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. But at the same time, it was single-handedly the best decision I ever made.). Because of people like Sister Hamblin, I was able to find the peace and joy that my soul had been searching for my entire life. And as a result, I have a burning desire to share that peace and joy with those who don’t have it. There is a very real war being waged for the souls of mankind, brothers and sisters. It is our job, especially as full-time missionaries, to go out onto the frontlines and find our brothers and sisters who have been wounded by Satan, and help them find the healing that they need. They need to have the gospel in their lives, or like the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Lehi’s time, they will perish in unbelief. Do we really want to get beyond the veil to have our friends and neighbors turn to us and say “Why didn’t you tell me?” I know that the Lord knows and loves each and every one of his children, and if me serving a mission can help just ONE person come home to Heavenly Father, it will have been more than worth every sacrifice made to get there. ~Sister Baum, to be.
heeyy,
when I was 20 i was preparing for a mission had the first talk with my bishop and had the papers home to fill in see the doctor and dentist and stuff… but then I had a strong feeling it wasn’t the time yet… so i kept praying about it and fasting and never got the answer so it slowly moved to the back of my head and stopped thinking about it… now last week there was this ysa camp for 6 day’s and the first day i was talking to my friend and she said it would be so good for you to go on a mission still… and the question came back in my head and after we finished the conversation i went to my room and knelt at my bedside and started to pray… I did this quite a few times during the day when i knew nobody would walk in… and me and my friend who made the comment talked more about the subject during the week i didn’t tell her about me thinking about it but she kept making the same comment and we talked about her mission and friends going on a mission and then yesterday (saterday) morning we had a testimony meeting and i listened and at one point without even thinking about it i closed my eyes and started to pray in my head and when i was finished some guy who is leaving on a mission in about a month (I didn’t had the chance to meet him during the week) he said and you should go on a mission if you haven’t served yet and it will be the best time of your life and you won’t regret and he was looking right at me and i was feeling the spirit so strong and i knew it was meant for me… it was the answer to my prayers during the week.. at that moment I knew I needed to see my bishop and talk to him. I walked up to the guy and told him i was grateful for his testimony and he is gonna be an extraordinary missionary and he will change the heart of so many people… (he will be the very first dutch missionary to serve in Poland)… and then he had tears in his eyes and i gave him a huge big hug…
but now: it’s time to tell my parents and talk to my bishop and tell him what I need to do… this is scary because it’s the same bishop as I had when i first started filling in my papers…
I have always wanted to serve a mission. Last Thanksgiving when visiting home, I got a yes answer to my prayers about serving a mission. I still had months before I turned 21 and I was going to wait until closer to that point to turn in my papers. I made the mistake of telling some people my plans and they thought they knew better and convinced me to start them earlier. Well everything started falling through and nothing was working out with that so I prayed about it again and the answer was no. I was so sad and confused at how could I get two conflicting answers like that? And I pushed thoughts to the back of my mind. Then one Sunday at church I heard the words now is the time. I immediately went to my bishop and told him that I wanted to fill out my papers and everything worked out perfectly and filling out my papers went smoothly. I know I will never regret serving a mission. And the lesson I learned is that it is all on the Lord’s time table and that you just have to trust in Him.
Hi.. it was really touching having to read your stories.. they have touched me greatly….. I am 25 and just waiting for my mission call i am expecting it this week, i am soo nervous yet excited at the same time.. i know that this time has been very difficult for me, i see so many job offers and get soo tempted but i have to remind myself that Mission is important and i should FOCUS.. it hasn’t been easy for me at all as i am the only memeber in my family, and it feels like i have the world on my shoulders but i have felt my heavenly father’s love thru out my weeks of prepartion.. The gospel had brought so much joy in to my life i woulf like to bring that to someone out there somehow that keeps me going.
I am 25 years old. Served in the Army when I was 19-21. I am now medically retired and growing up I felt I needed to serve a mission. I fell away from the Church while I was in the Army and have been in the repentance process since 2009. It has only been a couple months now that I have felt complete forgiveness and worthiness to serve although I fought the idea for a while. My problem now is that I have to wait anywhere from 13 to 19 more months because I started Braces treatment and can’t serve until I am done with them. But I know that gives me time to really prepare and know that through our Lord I will have the strength to follow the plan I feel that He has for me to serve a mission. I had three confirmations (if you will) to serve. First started with a prayer about Temple attendance which led me to search the scriptures and doctrine of the church and seemed like every time I read about missionary service it seemed to stand out, then I met a young woman in my winter ward that shared her experience of deciding to serve a mission, then I attended the Mesa Arizona Temple Easter Pageant a couple weeks ago and spoke to a couple of sister missionaries that urged me to pray and seek an answer about serving. I worried about my age as I will be at least 26 when I send in my papers but the sister missionaries at Mesa told me they have a fellow sister missionary that is 26 and my Brother in law served with a sister missionary that was 35 (Inspiring as that mission was her fourth). So I am assured of the call to prepare and serve no matter my age.
I also worried about my past but also through study and prayer and the repentance/forgiveness/Atonement I know without a doubt that I am worthy to serve.
I admit that I am somewhat scared to serve but I know it is not because I will have the separation from family and friends as I already went through separation while in the Army. It’s more that I know that Satan is trying his hardest to deter me from preparing. But my main prayer these days is for strength to overcome and avoid temptation and the workings of Satan.
I have started a new journal and for the first time have been writing in it each night which I know has given me strength.
I hope this all makes sense. It seems a jumble to me but I will have time to prepare for sure and know that I am doing the right thing. I know it is and will continue to be a struggle but I know with Heavenly Father and Jesus and my family and friends standing by me I will withstand all that Satan will try and I will make it through everything and serve.
Oh and did I mention I have a terrible time learning languages and one of my sisters thinks I am going to be called to Germany which is interesting as that is where I have felt is going to be where I will be called (had that prompting on the morning of the day my sister told me of her thoughts). But we will just wait and see I think.
Thanks
~Jamie Ann (Sister Taylor-to-be)