Why Am I Here?

*asked that this excerpt from his mission journal be posted to the blog*

Why Am I Here?

 

        The week or so after I heard about the death of Elder Taylor Ward were some of the hardest days I've had on my mission so far. Not because of his death; the Lord comforted me and my sadness of hearing the loss of one of my friends was brief, but because the reality of the sacrifice I was making hit me. I began to ask myself "Why in the world am I even here?" I needed to tell my Mom I loved her. I needed to spend one more evening working in the yard or garage with my Dad, learning as much as I could from his knowledge and wisdom. I needed to thank my older brother and sister for the examples and friends they were to me. I needed to hug my little sisters. Suddenly I found myself thinking the sacrifice that I was making was too much; that it wasn't worth it.

       Then the thought came to me of who is asking this sacrifice of me. This call to serve a mission came from a loving Heavenly Father who knows and wants what is best for me. He already sent another one of His sons to take upon Himself the sins and pains of the entire world and then lay down His life so that all might live again. The sacrifice being asked of me is a minutely small portion of what was asked of Christ. This being so, why should I , also being a son of God, not be asked to sacrifice time, money, or even the chance to see some or all of my family or friends again in this life, in order to bring a few souls back to the kingdom of God?

     So now, whenever something is hard or I feel like I can't go any further, I remember why I am here and He who sent me. Then I say to myself "If (insert trial here i.e. walk on a dirt road for several hours in what feels like a sauna) is what I have been asked to do so that (Insert persons name here) can return to the presence of God with his/her family, then I WILL DO IT"