Top 10 Things Learned as a Missionary

1. Heavenly Father never leaves us alone. He is always there to guide us in His work. As we listen to the promptings of the Spirit, His hand will guide us in what we need to do.
D&C 108:8
2. Through the Atonement, we can overcome anything. Our Savior has already suffered for everything. I went through a real rough time and I felt the power of the Atonement working in my life. Only with the help of Jesus Christ was I able to come out of a seemingly endless pit of despair.
Alma 7:11-13
3. I know who I am. I’m not the same person I was 18 months ago—thank goodness! I have definitely made changes for the better. Several months ago, back when I felt like I was a horrible missionary, I made a list of who I wanted to become. I had none of the qualities on the list at the time, but now I have all of them and more. In the past 18 months I have found myself. I have become the person I always wanted to be deep down, but on the outside didn’t have the confidence or courage to get there.
Moroni 10:30-33
4. Heavenly Father has something for us to learn through each and every trial. He will push us to our limits and make us stretch, but He will strengthen us and give us what we need to keep on growing. He will never give us more than what we are able to handle. And the experience that we gain through these trials will help us help others.
D&C 121:7-10
5. Satan is real. I have never felt him working so hard in my life as I have in the past 18 months. He almost made me give up and go home, but Heavenly Father helped me realize that I am stronger than that. He pushed many people away from the light of the Gospel. He brought on contention that drove the Spirit away. He will do anything he can to thwart the progress of our brothers and sisters in the Gospel.
D&C 10:20-33
6. The power of the Priesthood is real. I have witnessed countless blessings—for myself, companions, or investigators—where something was said that only Heavenly Father would have known. He is aware of us individually, and will bring us the help and comfort we need in whatever situation we are in.
Helaman 12:1
7. Never judge a book by its cover. I know that sounds really cliché, but it is so true. I admit, there have been some instances where I learned some things about other missionaries and immediately passed judgment, but when I really got to know those missionaries they have been amazing. I regretted those incorrect judgments that brought with them sometimes negative feelings. All of the missionaries I judged really are some of the best missionaries I know. It has also happened in various situations I’ve been in or people I’ve been with. I compare something to another experience and immediately have a negative judgment, but those have usually turned out to be incorrect as well.
Alma 41:14
8. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon to answer any question or concern that anyone may have. It answers and clears up doubts. Things become clearer in peoples’ minds, and they receive comfort from the Book of Mormon. I have also learned that it really does clarify things in the Bible and make them easier to understand. If someone—myself and my companions included—has needed peace or comfort or clarity, I have referred them to the Book of Mormon.
Mormon 7:8-9; 5:12-13; 8:12
9. As we keep a positive attitude things go so much better. A mission isn’t easy, but I found that the hard times when I had a negative attitude were so much harder than the hard times when I had a positive attitude.
Proverbs 3:5-6
10. Heavenly Father can see the big scheme of things. He knows what will happen and when. He knows where we need to be to best help His work. Things don’t happen by chance. He has a perfect plan. My testimony of this became even stronger my last week in the field when a sweet sister was attacked by a pit-bull. President Miller called me one evening and told me I was going to be emergency transferred to her area the next morning to spend my last 6 days. Her companion had been highly traumatized, and he felt that I was the only person who could help her overcome that. As he was telling me this, I felt instant peace. Yes, I was in shock, but I was calm. I knew it was all a part of Heavenly Father’s divine plan. The other missionaries looked at me and said if it were them they weren’t sure they could have done it. But in the past 18 months, I have learned a great deal about trusting in the Lord, and I have been greatly blessed to do so.
Philippians 4:7