Introduction

As members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day-Saints, we are asked to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world and share the happiness and blessings the gospel has given to us. We share the gospel with others and invite them to experience the same happiness and blessings in their own lives. Young men are asked to give two years of their lives to serve as full-time missionaries. They can begin their mission at the age of 18--after they have finished high school. During this time they put off furthering their education, they refrain from dating, and they have limited communication with family and friends back home. They pay for their missions out of their own pockets--with help from their family and others who contribute to the missionary funds of the church. They dedicate each day to finding and teaching all of God's children the joy of the gospel and the eternal blessings that are available to them. Missionary work is challenging--physically, mentally, emotionally and even, at times, spiritually. But the joy that missionaries receive during and after their missionary service greatly outweighs any of the challenges and difficulties that are faced. The Lord has promised that "he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:39) With faith in that promise, missionaries boldly and courageously go forward preaching the gospel to all those who will listen.

Preparation for a mission begins long before the mission call is assigned. Connor started preparing for a mission from the time he was a little boy. As he got older one of the most significant things he did to prepare was to save money. He mowed and edged lawns, did money-earning projects, and held down a consistent job after he turned 16 to earn the money, and then was very cautious about where he spent his money. By the time he left for his mission he had saved enough to get himself out into the mission field and then some. More importantly, he prepared himself spiritually by participating in family and personal scripture study and prayer, attending seminary and his church meetings and serving in the assignments he was given. He did his best to live and be obedient to the principles and standards of the gospel and the commandments of the Lord. He developed and worked on his talents and gifts. He treated people with kindness and respect. He did his best to build a personal and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ and his Heavenly Father. He built his faith and testimony that led him to the decision to serve a mission. 

Once the decision to serve is made, there are things that need to be done. Meeting with the Bishop, going online and filling out all the required paperwork, setting up doctor physicals, dental check-ups, interviews with Stake President, and finally submitting the papers is just the beginning. Once the call arrives the to-do list increases exponentially. It's a whirlwind of a ride...and all before you actually leave to begin your missionary service. This blog is dedicated to Connor's journey as he prepared for, was called to and now serves as a full-time missionary for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints in the California Modesto Mission.

If you want to learn more about The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you can visit this link: mormon.org.