Serving a Mission

This... Is Elder Coles.  Some people have asked me... "Why are you serving a mission??  Why give up TWO years of your life?  You could be going to school... playing with your friends... working... getting married... and you put all that off to serve a mission??  Why??"

Then I say "I dont know" and then I want to go home.....
JOKES!

I know exactly why I'm out here.

1. The prophet of our church has commanded that every able young man should serve a mission.  I want to be obedient to the man who was called by God to lead the restored church of Jesus Christ today.  Simple as that.

2. I know how much happiness this gospel can bring, and I want to share that with others.  The message of the restoration of the gospel improves the quality of peoples lives.  I know that to be true because I have seen it.  In others lives as well as in my own life.  Knowing that Heavenly Father loves me enough to restore his church, the church that Jesus Christ established, built upon apostles and prophets, while he was on the earth, is very comforting.  I want to do everything I can to be obedient to what I know to be true, and as I have done so and as others have done so, nothing but blessings come from it.  True, it is impossible to escape the hardships of day to day life, and no one is exempt from the challenges that life has to offer, but God loves us... and his Gospel has been restored back on the earth... and we have a Prophet to lead and guide us... and we can be with our families forever... how great is that??  I'll tell you how great its super great and I am happy knowing these things, and I want others to know about it as well.

3. The growth that takes place as I live the Gospel everyday for two years.  Not everyone gets the opportunity to have personal study and study the scriptures for an hour each morning, then have companionship study for an hour each morning, then go out and try to find people who are looking for the truth and who are ready to hear the message we share for the next 10 hours, and then go home and sleep and then do it again the next day for two years.  Not to mention the many trainings that we do to help us become better teachers, and throw in about 14 prayers each day.  Like I said, not everyone is able to do these things,  but luckily I have the opportunity to do so, and the growth and development has been nuts.  It has been said "The study of the gospel will change behavior, better than a study of behavior will change behavior."  I know this to be true as well,  and I know that these two years will help me grow and become a man better than anything else I could be doing right now.

4. It has been said the more you walk around in the rain and snow looking for people to teach the hotter your wife will be when you get home??  I dont know this to be true but I sure am hoping.

5. Developing a relationship with the Savior.  I have gotten to know him more in these last 3 months than I have ever in my life.  And I still have 21 months to get to know him even better.  Holy cow.  I am looking forward to these next 21 months.  Gaining a knowledge of what the savior really has done for me and for everyone is pretty tough.  The atonement is so complex, I probably wont ever understand it.  But I can try.  And as I do so I come closer to the savior and life is better because of it.

These are the reasons why I am out here on a mission.  I know that I will be blessed for my service and I am able to be a blessing to others as well.  I know that this church is true and the work we do as missionaries is a sacred thing and I am greatful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission!