.: "Did I Serve a Mission?"

Tuesday, Sister Hampton and I were at EF desk (in the South Visitor Center) and this nice man, named Manuel, came in and we started talking. Manuel was a member of the church and was visiting for the week. We had a very nice conversation and then he continued on through the visitor center. I wanted to ask him if he had served a mission, but I had forgotten to. A few hours later we were out walking on the square and ran into Manuel again! I had remembered that I wanted to ask if he served a mission and the response he gave was one I will never forget. He said, "Did I serve a mission?" He shared that he was from Peru and when he and his wife went back to visit he asked for copies of the Book of Mormon and gave out twenty or so of them! He said that everyday he shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone else. He then said. "Did I serve a two year mission and wear the name tag? No. But I serve a mission everyday."

As members of this church sometimes we forget that we, too, are missionaries. We should have the same purpose in our lives just like those who do wear a name tag. The message that Manuel shared with us applies to every single member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We may not all wear a black name tag, but we all made a promise with Heavenly Father when we were baptized that we would take upon us the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. This means we are to fulfill missionary work every single day. It is okay to be nervous, or scared or unsure of what to do, but the Lord has provided numerous resources to help us!

*Prayer The best source of help is Heavenly Father. Every morning and evening pray to Heavenly Father and ask for His strength in your missionary work. Pray for opportunities to serve others or share a principle of the gospel. You can never say too many prayers throughout the day! As you make the effort to converse with the Lord, He will place individuals in your path to serve.

*Scriptures- As you read the scriptures daily, you will find many examples of missionaries who simply and powerfully shared the gospel of Jesus Christ.

*Missionaries- Trust the local missionaries! Ask them for ideas! We are not always perfect, but we have been set apart as representatives of Jesus Christ and our purpose is to invite everyone to receive the restored gospel. This includes giving the members of the church support for their own missionary efforts. I promise you that as you rely on the local missionaries your ward will be strengthened and you will have more opportunities to bring others into the church.

*Preach My Gospel- Preach My Gospel is the next best thing to the scriptures! This book was written by men called of God; in other words it was heaven published! Preach my Gospel was written specifically for "full time" missionaries, but this is a great resource for members to use as well, to help them strengthen their own personal testimonies!

*Temple- The temple is the house of the Lord. It is a place where we as members go to have personal worship and make covenants with God. As we make it a habit to attend the temple, we will be inspired as to where the Lord needs us and how we can serve Him.

I am not inviting you as members of the church, to do these things because I am perfect at all of them. Trust me, I am far from mastering any of these! It is my hope that you will read this and will be inspired to continue the missionary work you are already doing. There are so many beautiful children of God who do not have the knowledge of this gospel! At the end of the day ask yourself, "Did I serve a mission?" I know that as you continue to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and rely on Christ's atonement, your answer will always be "Yes!"

I have a firm belief in my Savior, Jesus Christ. I cannot be happy without the restored gospel in my life! The family is such a virtuous gift from our Heavenly Father and I am grateful to have my family. I hope to one day seal my own family in the temple so they too can enjoy the blessings that come form the gospel. Joseph Smith was a prophet and he did restore the gospel of Jesus Christ! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sister Aquino