WHY WE ARE MORMON MISSIONARIES

Last week we met in the home of the Andino family.  They are both dentists here in San Pedro Sula. We had met them while arranging for some dental work on a few of our missionaries.  They agreed to allow us to come to their home and share with them the reason why we were here in Honduras.  It is a good question, really!  Why would a couple leave their family and their darling grandchildren, and completely at their own expense come to a foreign land where they don't know the language or the customs?  What could possibly be so important that they would voluntarily offer to stay for two years?  The answer: we came because we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - the "Mormons."

We believe that God is our actual Father- that we are literally His spiritually begotten children.  We believe that He knows us perfectly and that He loves us!  We believe that He is an actual being, with body, parts and passions and that He authored a "plan" for us, His children, to develop, to grow, and to progress until some day we could actually become just like Him.  We believe that this "plan" consisted of three great events: the creation, the fall of Adam and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The Creation of this earth was a divine act of love.  It did not come about by accident, but rather, it was designed and formed by a loving God for the sole purpose of creating a home for mankind to dwell upon while they learned to be obedient to the laws of conduct that govern the life of God.  Upon this earth God placed Adam and Eve.

 Adam and Eve were created in the express image of God and were placed upon this earth as the first step in God's plan for them to eventually become as He is.  Wherein, previous to this great event, they had only existed as spirits, they now possessed a body. The fall of Adam is so misunderstood by this world.  Adam knowingly chose to fall so that mankind might exist.  It was not an act of shame, but an incredible leap of faith. It was a step forward in the great plan of God, for by means of the fall of Adam they gained knowledge which is a necessary characteristic of God.  However, in so doing they also placed themselves outside of the presence of their God, for no unclean thing can dwell in His presence.  In the partaking of this fruit, they not only provided the way for mankind to come into the world, but they also put their entire trust in the One who had been chosen to come into the world to redeem them and all of mankind from their failures to obey the laws of God.  They put their faith in Jesus Christ.


The atonement of Jesus Christ was prepared from before the foundation of this world to pay the price for sin.  It was not designed as an afterthought, but as an incalculable act of love by a Father who had perfect pre-knowledge of all that His children would do while they were learning to obey His laws upon this earth.  Mankind needs a Savior.  And the firstborn spirit child of God was chosen to fulfill that role upon this earth.  Jesus, who pre-mortally was known as Jehovah, came to earth to break the chains of death and hell.  Because of His life and His perfect sacrifice, death no longer has its sting.  And, by obedience to His commandments and by repentance of those things we must change in our lives, his atonement opens up the way that we might fully be forgiven of our sins, and again come back into His presence and into the presence of our Heavenly Father.  Our return into their presence will not be as our leaving.  We will return having gained a body because of the creation, knowledge because of the fall, and perfection because of the atonement.  We will have become like our Heavenly Father is.  And that is exactly what a perfectly loving Father wanted!!

The way back to God's presence requires us learning how to overcome our weaknesses.  Satan is real, and desires that all mankind be miserable as he is.  God knew that this journey would be fraught with challenges and difficulties, and thus He provided help for us.  Throughout the ages He communicated His will and His counsel to the world through special witnesses known as prophets.  These prophets have given counsel to the world according to the times in which they lived.  A few of their many words have been preserved and passed down through the ages.  Their advice is as timely today as it was in the former years.  But, God has not ceased to love His children, and He has not ceased to speak to prophets either. 

Following the death of Jesus Christ and martyrdom of His apostles, the world entered into a long period of dark apostasy from the truth.  Mankind tried to find God, but confusion reigned.  Finally, after nearly two millennium of dark apostasy, God again spoke to man.  In 1820 a young man by the name of Joseph Smith, confused by the myriad of different interpretations of the Bible, chose to follow the counsel of James who had promised "if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.  But, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering...."  Joseph simply asked!  And in response to that humble prayer, God our Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared and opened up this final dispensation of time.  Commandments were given, priesthood authority was again restored, and ordinances were revealed that would again open up the way for God's children to know what they must do to return to Him.  Following the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, other prophets have been called.  God is directly His work!

So, Sister Andino, in answer to your sincere query, "Why did we come on this mission?" we answer, "We came because we know these things to be true!  We came because we value you and all others as our brothers and sisters, and we want you to know the things that we know."  It is really just that simple.  We came on this mission because we believe this message.  Through personal and very diligent prayer and scripture study we have come to know these things are true.  So, in coming to Honduras, we offer you not only our time and our life's experience, but we offer you the testimony we have of this incredibly important message.

Now... the great news!  You can know if these things are true for yourself.  We are not alone in knowing this.  God answers all honest seekers.  He keeps His promises, and he has promised that if you will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Jesus Christ, He (God) will manifest the truth of this message unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And, this is why we are Mormon missionaries.   To know more, go to lds.org