Project Introduction

The case for missionaries

Maybe you’ve seen pairs of young men dressed in black suits adorned with name tags reading, “Elder So and So, The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”  If they’ve never knocked on your door, or you haven’t bothered to talk them on the street, maybe you are curious what 52,000 of these young men are up to.  Quite simply, they are out to teach everyone how to have “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23)  Missionaries aged 19-25 from around the world are assigned to areas in 162 nations where their influence is needed most, and at a time in history when the message of the Gospel is desperately needed.  Their dedication and diligence betters the lives of unnumbered people every day, making a real and positive difference to the levels of love and happiness in the world.  To make the world a better place I intend to become a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If the purpose of sustainability is to maintain or improve the satisfaction we feel in life, then the goal of sustainable practices is to continue to be filled with happiness.  There is no greater way to increase joy than to spread the pure love of Christ.

There is no question that missionaries are needed.  The world has seen a degradation of moral values, false teachings, deceptive philosophies, increases in pride, greed, selfishness, and lust.    Over 17million American adults suffer from clinical depression each year.  Eating disorders rage among both men and women.  Addiction to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and temporal pleasures destroy relationships.  41% of first and 60% of second marriages end in divorce.  (Enrichment journal) Contemporary moral beliefs argue that it is up to the individual to decide what is right and what is wrong causing a disassociation with true principals of virtue. Furthermore, as society distances itself from God and harkens unto temporal pleasures it finds happiness only temporarily.  Money, cars, and things never were joy.  This principal is demonstrated by statistical data gathered by Gallup, showing that over the past 60 years the level of happiness felt by Americans has remained stable while GDP has grown from $300 billion to $14.5 trillion in the same time frame. (Figure 1) presumable people with $14 trillion worth of more stuff each year would be more satisfied with life; however this is apparently not the case. Another Gallup poll show that individuals who regularly attend church have more satisfaction with life that those who rarely or never attend. (Figure 2)  While maybe not a concrete correlation there is certainly some intuitive sense to the proposal that happiness isn’t linked to money.  True and lasting happiness, pure joy, can only come from a testimony in Jesus Christ.  That testimony replaces pride with charity, addiction with self-control, and humbles men to not lust but enjoy what they have.  It values relationships above pocketbooks.  The purpose of a missionary is to aid people in finding exceeding joy.

Missionaries offer a great service to society. Nearly all of the 52,000 current missionaries will serve for two years starting at the age of nineteen. Upon returning from that mission they will integrate back into the life of their non-missionary peers, attending classes, trade schools, taking jobs and starting families.  One of the criticisms of missionary work is the concept of opportunity cost from economics.  Rather than have this massive population of young men preaching teaching and serving for two years, it’s possible they could be receiving an education or producing.  I have already addressed the latter part of this argument in suggesting that economic prosperity doesn’t equal happiness and suggesting that little could bring more value to the world than directly increasing the joy in even one person’s life.  Speaking to returned missionaries about their experience and accomplishments compared to peers who have not been on a mission there was little doubt that a mission sets a young man up for success.  Brandon, who has been back from his mission for over two years, said that had he just stayed in school he would probably be finishing up medical school by now and getting ready for a career maybe starting a family.  Instead he is finishing up an undergrad, married without children, and full of priceless experiences from dedicating two years to spreading the gospel.  Brandon commented that going on a mission made him a better student, established study habits, and gave him a better perspective on why school was important.  Elder Paventy, another return missionary, said, “In high school you were looking for your comfort zone. But I’ve found that on my mission I’m looking to get out of my comfort zone. I’m always searching for ways to do something more.”  It is precisely that attitude that creates people who are of the most value to society.  In fact the numbers on employers who hire returned missionaries are equal compared to their peers who used those years to advance their education and careers.  In addition it seems like every year articles appear in national papers admiring the elite graduates that come out of BYU programs despite the small town and un-famed name. (BYU is a church affiliated University that many returned missionaries attend for schooling).  Missionaries set themselves up for success and become highly productive members of society after their missions due to good habits established while in the field. (Business week)

The work of a missionary directly improves the lives of those people he comes in contact with.  There millions of people on the planet who are searching for answers to questions such as; where did I come from? What is my purpose in life?  Where will I go when I die?  In talking to recent converts to the church I have found that as individuals seek answers to these questions their lives are enriched, finding greater peace and comfort.  Robin commented that it has been tough explaining to her family her choice to join the Church, but the blessings from the Church community and a greater understanding of the scriptures have given her happiness far exceeding the pain.    Kristen who joined the Church one year ago said the opportunities that she has had since receiving the gospel have been innumerable. She now volunteers at food pantries, visits elderly and organizes service projects across Madison.  Beyond increasing an individual’s personal satisfaction churches also provide a venue to meet likeminded people and create a support structure for dealing with the challenges of life.  Kalie Peterson, a life time member, commented “there is no way we could do it all on our own, I attend church because learning together and fellowshipping with others makes everyone feel loved and supported.”  Missionaries by no means completely answer any of the aforementioned questions of the soul; rather they serve as a means to light a fire in the heart of men, and a desire to understand the nature of God.

If we want a better world, a place with kinder words, helping hands, satisfaction, hard work, peace and comfort, missionary work is an excellent way to get there.  There are serious problems with the state of moral values today which the Gospel can correct. Loneliness and discomfort can be cured by missionaries.  They can guide individuals into finding answers to their deepest questions.  Missionary work is the not a panacea for these problems but it is certainly a good start and more missionaries will only serve to meet the needs of the billions of people who desire to have more joy in their lives.

Why Mormon Missions Produce Leaders

Lds.org – Various resources

Mormon.org- Various resources

Why Mormon Missions Produce Leaders, Winter C., June 2011, Business Week, Businessweek.com

Divorce Statistics, Divorcestatistics.org, cited from Enrichment Journal.

Doctrine and Covenants, Chapter 59, Smith Joseph, August 7, 1831.

Kristen Lempp, interviewee, resident of Madison WI and recent convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Robin, interviewee, resident of Madison WI and recent convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Brandon Martin, interviewee, returned missionary and Member of The Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-day Saints.

Figure 1 / Figure 2