October 5, 2014

Kia ora from New Zealand! I was asked to write a letter to the seminary about missions and such, and so I will do my best to make it awesome! 

My mission thus far has been....where do I even start? Awesome, amazing, inspiring, hard, the best thing I have ever done, the hardest thing I have ever done, the most rewarding thing I have ever done. A mission is something that will change you, make you grow, inspire you, make you better, help you overcome obstacles and challenges like you wouldn't believe, prepare you for the real world, living with someone else, rooming, marriage, the works. 

My mission has taught me so much, and has helped me grow and learn so much about the gospel, about the way it helps you, and about how it can help other people too. When you see someone change, when you see them take steps, when you see them want this because they know it is good, and it has "swelled within them" and they have found it to be "delicious", that's the thing that makes a mission worth it. These people need what we have, not just that we want them to have it, but they need it. A mission is something that changes who you are as a person, makes you want to be better, and makes life more meaningful. When you get your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ cemented in your hearts, that's the day you will see it in everything. It really is the most amazing message that the human family could ever hear. I have seen that, and I know that, without a shadow of a doubt, that this IS the true church of Jesus Christ upon the earth today. Yeah there may be hard times, times where you feel like nothing goes right, when all your baptismal dates fall through, your investigators don't progress, you feel like your area has nothing in it....those are the days you really have to turn to Christ, give it all to Him, and He will help you. This applies to everyday life, you just have to realize that. A mission really shows you that there is more to it, you just gotta get out there and find it. You have to want it, and then the real miracles start happening. 

My mission has been...irreplaceable.....amazing....I would not trade this time for anything.... to get ahead in college, to be dating, not even if I was offered a fantastic 6 digit contract for a job, this time is something that is precious, you can't get it back,and it is so worth it. So if you have been debating a mission, young men especially, thinking do I have the time, do I want to, is it worth it? I can fully testify it is worth it, every day, every minute, worth it. I have been out for just over a year, and it has been too fast, this next year, I want to do more, be my best, and just do anything and everything to help people. Is a mission something you should do? YES. 

Seminary students and otherwise general people, I want to testify that this gospel is true, it blesses families, it brings us closer to Christ, and it is the only way to eternal life. To exaltation with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that they live, and they love us, unconditionally. If you ever doubt that, you can reach out to them through prayer, and they will hear and answer you if you have a true desire to know. I hope I have impacted even one of you in some way, because all it takes is one, to help hundreds come to know of the truth. 

Sincerely, 

Elder Cameron Passey