Missionaries by Thomas Fullmer Missionaries get mission calls from prophets to far off lands they know nothing

about, except that they don't speak English, and are often excited. Missionaries get mission calls to state side missions where some version of English, with an accent, is spoken but are often disappointed. Missionaries go to the Mission Mall and purchase conservative black, navy blue, and dark brown suits, dozens of white shirts and conservative ties, socks, shoes, and belts on their parent's credit cards. Missionaries give talks in church about serving their Lord and Savior with love and zeal, and are either dynamic, cry the whole time, or put everyone to sleep as they drone on. Missionaries have open houses put together by Missionary Moms, who spend a bundle to serve hundreds of family and friends the best food, a small budget will buy, all on Dad's credit cards. Missionaries get dropped off by teary eyed parents on the curb of the MTC with gigantic trunks that hold all that they'll need for two years. Missionaries are escorted by other missionaries to their new rooms at the MTC, and are shown the ropes by those who have gone before. Missionaries study constantly discussions they will teach in the mission field to would be prospects called golden gators, who may or may not be that interested. Missionaries go to meetings in their newly purchased suits with the name tag on the front pocket of their suit jacket telling the world who they really are, namely representatives of Christ and His Church. Missionaries study late into the night with nothing to keep them awake save only the prompting of their teachers who have gone before them, and know the

difficulties of mission life. Missionaries give practice discussions for members who challenge them the way their golden gators will in the mission field once they arrive. Missionaries struggle in classes on languages to learn words that look like Greek to them and sound like Latin, so they can preach the gospel in foreign lands in the native tongue. Missionaries get up at four am in the MTC to catch the five am session at the Provo Temple and do endowments for the dead who died without the truth of the restored gospel. Missionaries are sent to missions on flights all around the world with other missionaries in their group to serve the Lord in diverse areas of the world, and only call their parents long enough to tell them they are leaving, and that they arrived safely in their new home, the mission field. Missionaries are greeted by Mission Presidents, APs and Mission Moms and are introduced to the office staff of the mission home where they spend a wakeful night wondering what tomorrow will bring, too excited to sleep at all, or too worried about whether they will be up to the task they have been called to do. Missionaries bid goodbye to MTC companions they have studied with for weeks to meet and be greeted by new companions called trainers, who will show them the ropes of missionary work. Missionaries drag luggage onto buses that will take them to their new small apartment in the basement of someone's house, where they will spend the first few months of their mission with their new companions. Missionaries are called greenies, because they have no experience in preaching the gospel in foreign lands and diverse places. Missionaries wake up at six am to have prayer with their new best friend, they hope, their first companion in the field, then read scriptures, prepare a meager

breakfast, study language cards they made while at the MTC, and prepare for a day of tracting in their new area. Missionaries knock on strangers doors they have never met, and whose customs they are barely aware of, only to be greeted by those same strangers in foreign languages that sound familiar, but which they do not understand because of dialects, and then give their standard door approach in said language, murdering the pronunciation, only to have those doors slammed in their faces. Missionaries knock on doors and are occasionally allowed to enter the domicile to sit on couches together and give discussions to strangers who sit across from them and wonder what these young men, barely older than boys, really want and why they are here disturbing their peace with strange talk of angels and prophets and golden books. Missionaries give out Books of Mormon with the challenge to the stranger to read and pray about the truth of this sacred book and give them Moroni's promise that they too can know about the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and then bear testimonies that this is all true. Missionaries give challenges to investigators, people they teach, to enter the waters of baptism when they come to know the truth of the things said Missionaries testify of, and join Christs only true church; sometimes investigators accept these challenges. Missionaries rescue Books of Mormon from trash bins left out on curbs by strangers who do not know the pearl of great price they throw away without even opening the front cover to read a single word. Missionaries have tomatoes during autumn and snow balls during winter thrown at them by young boys who mock and chide them as they ride through neighborhoods on sturdy bikes that have been passed down from missionary to missionary for several years now. Missionaries shiver in temperatures well below zero as they continue to seek the golden gators, these strangers in the strange land with the strange customs, that will let them inside long enough to hear their message and maybe let them warm

themselves by the fire, and take off their bulky, full length winter coats, they lovingly call bjorn (meaning bear), and faux fur hats, so they can rest their weary feet that have traveled miles on this coldest of days in early December. Missionaries have sweat dripping down their foreheads, being soaked up by their white short sleeved shirts, as they peddle up and down hills looking for someone to leave their vital message with, full of faith that there is at least someone out there who will let them into their air conditioned home. Missionaries receive packages from girl friends and parents containing peanut butter, baked cookies and fudge, bags of granola, tooth paste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, and other food and hygiene items they can not get in the mission field. Missionaries get stipends to last the whole month that is not enough to even begin to cover all their needs. Missionaries receive extra money from their parents in their debit accounts to buy things that their too small stipend will not buy, and with which they go to the local bakery and buy fattening pastries, or to candy kiosks and buy anise flavored gummies to satisfy their sweet tooth. Missionaries attend zone conferences where they are told they need to work harder and smarter, and find the golden gators that wait behind unknocked on doors, those just waiting for the true gospel to be preached to them and testimonies born to them to let them feel the Holy Spirit and progress in understanding of said gospel. Missionaries receive Dear John letters from girlfriends they left at home telling them that the girl friends are getting married next month to returned missionaries they have fallen in love with, and they are left broken hearted and feeling lost. Missionaries contact ward mission leaders to arrange split offs with members of the wards they serve in to increase the chance they will find that one golden gator just waiting for them to come and open their spiritually blind eyes.

Missionaries try to light a fire under members of wards and branches they serve in to get them to contact friends and neighbors and set up teaching appointments, because they have been too frustrated in their tracting and need to find golden gators to preach the gospel to and have a chance to convert to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to the boy prophet Joseph Smith long ago. Missionaries are invited into members homes for a lush dinner that they can not afford themselves, but accept gratefully, and then admonish said members to find golden gators for them to teach. Missionaries are told by excited members about a new couple who just moved in next door, and invite them to yet another dinner and promise to invite the young couple and their two children too, so the said missionaries may meet them and strike up an acquaintance, and maybe teach a discussion after a yummy dinner. Missionaries teach golden gators in member's homes the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and speak of things like apostasy, revelation, modern prophets, tithing, word of wisdom, moral cleanliness, and Christ visiting the distant land of the Americas and testify it to be true as the Holy Spirit bears witness to said golden gators that what they are being told is true, as the room is filled with such a peace and comfort that the golden gators have never felt before, but know that it feels like they have finally come home. Missionaries have members bear their own testimonies about the truths they teach and help the golden gators to understand what is being said in their own native tongue. Missionaries have golden gators pray for the first time, to ask Heavenly Father if what the missionaries said is true and feel emotions and feelings they have never felt before, for the first time they are at peace with themselves. Missionaries and members struggle to help golden gators give up things like tobacco, coffee, tea, and alcohol to prepare for the day they will be baptized. Missionaries with members help go to golden gators houses and rid them of the

contents of the harmful substances described above and then together bless the golden gators with strength to overcome bad habits, and nurture the seed of truth that begins to grow and swell in the golden gators bosom. Missionaries in members homes challenge repentant and humbled golden gators to enter the waters of baptism and join the only true church of Jesus Christ on earth today. Missionaries wait nervously outside bishops offices together with anxious members, awaiting news of whether the golden gators are found worthy to enter baptismal waters. Missionaries dressed in white now enter the waters of baptism and help golden gators newly repentant and full of trust and faith in missionaries testimonies enough to make the commitment to enter waters of baptism and enter into covenants they will struggle to keep until their faith grows and it becomes second nature to these gators, as members witness said baptism and make certain words of the holy baptismal prayer are spoken as rehearsed and to verify that the golden gator has been completely immersed in the water that cleanses them of all their sins and makes them feel newly reborn. Missionaries in sacrament meetings stand in circles surrounding the newest members of wards, as member friends confer on the new members the gift of the Holy Ghost by the power of the Holy Priesthood, as said golden gators feel a calm, peace, and reassurance that they are now clean before God and have his spirit to guide them. Missionary shake hands of new members after confirmation is complete, and hug and thank the members who were essential to the finding and conversion of the newly baptized and confirmed member family. Missionaries receive transfer orders to report to new areas days after newly confirmed members go to church as full fledged converts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who sit by their member friends who first introduced them to the missionaries who now are leaving to do the work elsewhere.

Missionaries with tears in eyes hug newly baptized members of the church, members who helped them find the new converts, and trainer companions to go off to new adventures and light a fire under members who have grown complacent and cold to missionary efforts, and board buses that will carry them to new companions and areas to tract and teach in with great zeal, fervor, and faith, a prayer in their hearts for the new converts, and a tear of parting in their eyes. When all is said and done Missionaries come home and are greeted by family, friends, and loved ones with tearful hugs and kisses, full of the spirit of the work, wishing they could stay in the field and watch their last area grow, and then give tear-filled reports to Stake Presidents before they are finally released from their two year missions for our Savior Jesus Christ, eighteen months for sister missionaries, having endured to the end of their missions.