Every missionary will have discouraging days, weeks or even months in teaching and preaching the gospel. People are buzzing around in fits of confused chaos that we all like to call being busy. Many are too comfortable with their current lifestyle to consider changing it but still, there are many who are searching and wondering where to find answers, but are hesitant, dismissive and altogether unconvinced by the virtuous people that cross their paths: unable to see their examples for what they are. With the staggering new numbers of missionaries, more and more young men and women are experiencing things similar to this young missionary in their daily dedication and work to bringing the good news of the gospel to the world. Benjamin Wright recounts the following experience:

Mormon Missionaries“One night on my mission, we were trying to figure out what to do. Our plans had fallen through for the evening. We had just finished a late dinner and we were on our way to check on a potential investigator. I was feeling a little bit down, mainly because our week had not been as “successful” numbers-wise as I would have liked it to be. While reviewing our situation at about 8:30 p.m., I prayed with total sincerity for God to lead us to someone who needed us. We needed someone to teach, and I felt someone must be desirous of receiving the truth.

I tried to leave my mind blank and open to inspiration as my companion, Elder Staples, drove the car. As I prayed and pondered to know the will of the Lord, an image of an apartment complex (that we had tracked through about two months previously) came into my mind. I thought it was strange, but I prayed to know where the Lord wanted us to go when we arrived at the large complex of buildings. A specific building came to my mind, located on top of a particular hill. I asked Elder Staples if we could go to that particular building, and he quickly replied “Of course!” (I love Elder Staples).

I knew we had to start heading home at 9 p.m., so we were worried about not having enough time to meet anyone. We drove straight to the apartment complex and located the specific building I had seen in my mind, but then we had a hard time finding a place to park the car. I feared that we would miss the person we were supposed to find there. A quiet voice told me to calm down, and that everything was happening for a reason. There were a few ways to get to the building that I had seen in my mind, but I then felt impressed that we should take a shortcut across the back lawn to the back door of the building instead of using the front door. It was now dark and almost 9 p.m. We had less than 5 minutes left to find someone to teach before we had to head home. On our way to the rear of the building, on the back lawn, we met a woman standing outside alone in the dark.

To make a long story short, her name is Elsa. She had met the sister missionaries in the area about five years earlier, and still had the Book of Mormon they had left with her. She had recently started reading it again after all these years, and had been wondering how to reach the LDS missionaries.  She could not find any phone number and had no idea how to reach the missionaries again. We went away feeling great. Our prayers had indeed been miraculously answered.  Elsa was baptized several weeks after our first meeting. When I saw her at church the next week, I was thrilled to see her there! She glowed with happiness.  I love the Holy Ghost!” wright

Benjamin reminds missionaries everywhere, both full-time missionaries and member missionaries, that the Holy Ghost is our constant companion as we remain worthy and he knows exactly who needs the gospel and who its needs to be shared with. The Lord prepares people throughout their lives to help them come to the come of being ready to accept the gospel but it comes down to the missionaries. If we as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in whatever capacity we are able to serve) are willing to submit our wills to the Lord and allow Him to guide us to the places and people we need to meet, then the Lord can work true miracles because of the faith manifested by us as His children. Never give up hope and never forget just how mindful the Lord is of His children. http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/14208

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