Who Are The Missionaries?
Missionaries are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who leave their homes for 18 months—2 years to serve others and share the gospel.
Who are the Latter-day Saint missionaries? They're runners, chefs, musicians, artists, students – or in other words – pretty normal people. They put their lives on hold for up to two years to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"If I could, I would totally be a professional rugby player."
“I was 16 when I first became homeless.”
“When I was 14, I started playing club soccer.”
“I looked through the peephole and it was missionaries. And I was like, man, I don’t want to open this door.”
“I call it jug fishing. I don’t know what anyone else calls it.”
"Whenever I thought about serving a mission, it caused great anxiety."
“I will finish my degree back in Holland and become a teacher.”
“I loved basketball. I wasn’t too good at it, but I was good enough to get a nickname: Rebound Hound.”
“Being a Christian in Pakistan—it’s definitely rough.”
"I'm all about Jesus."
“The first memory I have with missionaries is running away from them.”
"I never wanted to learn English."
“Don’t matter where it’s from, Texas has got the best BBQ.”
"My favorite thing in the world is music."
"My mom was super shocked that I loved dancing, because it was in front of a bunch of people."
“It’s just the best feeling ever to sprint down that line, having people on both sides cheering you.”
“When I came into my mission, I felt like an alien, like someone put me on another planet.”
They come from all over the world. They are either young adults or retired married couples. But whatever their age, their motivation is sincere—they leave their homes and families for up to two years to do what Jesus taught his Apostles:
Pretty normal people ... mostly
Missionaries are just regular people like you and me. Before leaving on a mission, they were students, employees, athletes, bookworms, musicians, and, well, you get the idea. After their service, they will return home to finish college, work, start and raise a family, and live a pretty normal life.