One time we received a letter from him detailing parts of his life in Sao Paulo, Brazil as a missionary.  Part of the letter described his rigorous schedule and the physical demands required of him everyday.  In his positive letter, you could almost see his face as his language brightly described the necessary miles upon miles that he had to walk each and every day just to get around the city.  He described living in favelas, or Brazilian “ghettos”, in places with limited electricity, heated water and other basic living features. And as he explained in his letter, he loved it.

When I heard these details, I was concerned.  It surprised me then, when my parents looked at each other, smiled, and remarked that my older brother “must be so happy.  Because you’re happiest in life when you’re helping other people.”

I remember in one letter to me he wrote:

“Livi, we walk so much every day.  We work so hard from the moment we wake up.  Most nights we drag ourselves into our apartment and I fall into the bed, shoes and all, too tired to change.  I love it here.”

Mormon Missionary Work Follows The Apostles of Jesus

Like the apostles in the New Testament, missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ (Latter-day Saint, LDS or Mormon) leave their homes, pause their educational pursuits, careers and all other aspects of their lives and sacrifice time from a matter of months up to two years to serve a mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve His children.

The missionary effort is based on the New Testament pattern of missionaries serving in pairs, teaching the gospel and baptizing believers in the name of Jesus Christ (see, for example, the work of Peter and John in the book of Acts).

Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ strive to follow the example of the Apostles.  The young men and women, older adults and senior couples who serve missions go as volunteers and finance the mission themselves.  They live a life of discipline and dedication and around the clock service to both local members and community members not of our faith.

Mormonnewsroom.org details a typical missionary schedule,

A typical missionary day begins by waking at 6:30 a.m. for personal study. The day is spent proselytizing by following up on appointments, visiting homes or meeting people in the street or other public places. Missionaries end their day by 10:30 p.m.

In some parts of the world, missionaries are sent only to serve humanitarian or other specialized missions. Those missionaries do not proselytize.

Missionary work is voluntary. Missionaries fund their own missions — except for their transportation to and from their field of labor — and are not paid for their services.

Contacts with family and friends during this time of service are limited to letters and occasional phone calls to family at special times. Missionaries avoid entertainment, parties or other activities common to this age-group as long as they are on their missions, so they can focus entirely on the work of serving and of teaching others the gospel of Jesus Christ.

More than 50,000 missionaries are serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at any one time. Most are young people under the age of 25, serving in nearly 350 missions throughout the world.”

When my older brother was done with his missionary service in Brazil, my family flew done to pick him up.  We were able to meet many people that he had served and taught the gospel to.  We actually briefly visited a couple of families who lived in the edge of dangerous favelas.  Their circumstances were some of the most humble and basic I have ever seen.  We had such a special, rewarding time meeting all these people who were taught by or interacted with my brother.  More than one family would grab our hands and fervently say, “Thank you for sending your son to us.  Thank you for sending him to help us.”

Jesus Commanded: Go Forth and Serve

In Matthew 10:16-17, Jesus instructed His apostles to go forth and preach the gospel.  He promised them power and also instructed them to heal and serve those whom they were teaching.  The Savior also warned that they would not be welcomed and would be persecuted:

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.

My husband is the greatest example of missionary work I know.  He had a very different experience from my three brothers who served in various places.  He served a church proselyting mission in England.  Like my brothers, he worked and saved to finance his mission himself.  He prepared himself, put his life on hold and sacrificed years of his life as a 19 year old.

He also lived in un-glamorous circumstances and walked endlessly every day.  In his mission as well, they provided service to those around them.

My husband loves England and the English people.  He feels extremely connected to them, deeply respects them and loves them.  He worked with different members from around the continent and met English citizens of other beliefs.

One thing I love and respect about my husband is that he is very knowledgeable of world history, politics, religion and perspectives.  In our Church, we believe that when the missionary assignment, (location), which comes from church headquarters arrives in the mail, that assignment was given by revelation and is God’s will for the individual missionary.

Though I did not know my husband when he was called to serve, I know that Heavenly Father wanted my husband to serve in England.  I know it was a calling from God and that it was revelation.  My husband related to the English people in a mature way, was respectful of their culture and possible religious differences, and in this way, he was able to connect with people.

He worked with many members who had already been baptized into The Church but had not been coming to services, or were struggling with their faith.

One treasured aspect for my husband of his mission was working with many Angolan members of The Church of Jesus Christ that lived in his mission in England.  He loved getting to know them and has told me they had strong faith in Jesus Christ.

I ask my husband to tell me stories about his mission all the time.  The love he has for the English people as a whole, and the individuals he met during his time there, shines through his eyes as he speaks.  It is so evident that he was keenly aware and interested in their individual life problems and concerns, that he loved them sincerely and that he strived to serve them.

But many missionaries in parts of the world have unique challenges on their missions.  In places such as Europe, some people are not as receptive to Christianity as other parts of the world.  I can only imagine the faith, humility and determination it must take to continue to love people, serve them and try to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ after getting doors slammed in your face time after time. But that is the commitment of a missionary of Jesus Christ.  That is the sacrifice these missionaries and members are willing to give because of something they believe in.

As it says in 2 Corinthians 4:5 in the New Testament, missionaries serve not for themselves, but for The Savior, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

Mormons Believe in Sacrifice

The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that sacrifice is God’s way and that it teaches us and brings forth blessings.

On lds.org under the Gospel Topic of “Sacrifice” it says,

To sacrifice is to give up something valuable or precious, often with the intent of accomplishing a greater purpose or goal. Sacrifice has always been a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all who have lived or will live on earth. Before the ministry of Christ, animal sacrifices were offered for this purpose. After the Atonement of Christ, followers of Jesus Christ—by His direction—began to offer instead a “broken heart and contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20), a willingness to repent of sins and a desire to follow Jesus Christ and align one’s life with His commandments.

We know from the Gospel that the greatest sacrifice we give to God is that of a “broken heart and contrite spirit” which is to say that we are humble enough and willing to accept correction, help, comfort and the power of Jesus Christ’s atonement and that we are willing to be obedient.

An example of sacrifice is of Shelby Orr, a 19-year-old member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who recently left on a Church mission to serve in the Visitor’s Center at the Mesa, Arizona temple.

It is always a sacrifice to choose to serve a mission, but Shelby had a some unique challenges, which could have persuaded her to stay home or delay her mission.

Shelby is a member of the Orr family, who owns the Orr Family Farm, a farm-themed amusement park and horse stables that attract thousands of visitors each year from Oklahoma and beyond.  Glenn Orr built it forty years ago, but when a powerful tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, on 20 May 2013, the Orr Family Farm was decimated.

Mormonnewsroom.org reports,

Amid the chaos and cleanup, family member Shelby Orr is leaving for 18 months of service as a Mormon missionary — a tough thing to do in light of what needs to be accomplished before reopening the farm. Her family fully supports her decision to serve. “We have faith that the Lord knows exactly where we need to be at the right time, and this is the time for her to be [a missionary],” her mother says.

Church members strive to sacrifice and do hard things in spite of the challenges – because we believe that God knows what is right and that by moving forward and putting our faith in Him, we are following Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Missionary Work

I wasn’t aware that Women’s Day was celebrated before I studied in Florence.  The morning of March 8th that year, I bounded down the stairs in my apartment next to the Sante Croce Cathedral along the Arno River.   I whipped out into the sunshine, happy to be in Florence.

I wandered a little way down the cobblestone street and unlocked my “be-basketed” cruiser bike like I did every morning. I jumped on in full pedal mode. The side street my apartment was on was never very busy, so I was surprised when an older Italian man in a plaid jacket and newsboy cap motioned for me to stop.

He said, “Happy Women’s Day” in Italian and handed me a lovely fresh yellow flower.  My Italian was pretty rusty, so I was completely baffled by this sweet gesture of kindness.

I soon found out that Florentines observe Women’s Day by handing out little gifts, flowers, and watching the kids, so women can go out with their friends that evening.

Women are so special and important to the world.  I have always felt a keen sisterhood with all human beings of the female gender.   Women’s rights and the power women can wield have also been very important to me, even from a very young age.

When I worked at the United Nations headquarters in New York, I had the opportunity to learn even more about women around the world.  I learned more about worldwide challenges for women such as lack of access to water, poverty, lack of education, human trafficking and sexual violence.

Different avenues of women empowerment such as education and micro-credit loans are some of the solutions I was able to study and participate in.

But there is another issue that plagues the women of this earth.  It is just as dangerous as poverty and hunger — the loss of virtue.

Many ignore the slow decay that is the sexualization of women in society.  I would sadly propose that most in the world don’t think immorality and objectifying women are a problem.

And it’s starting early.  IN 2011, Deseret News published an investigative series on the sexual objectification of women and girls.  In one 2011 article, “The End of Innocence, the Cost of Sexualizing Kids”, Deseret News reported some shocking finds.

Sexualization, experts say, devalues accomplishment, intelligence and character. Pope John Paul II once said “the problem with pornography is not that it shows too much of a person, but that it shows far too little.” The same can be said when people are valued only for sex appeal, says Jason Evert, a San Diego-based author and motivational speaker, who addresses thousands of teens each year.

Steve Thomsen, communication professor at Brigham Young University said, “At a “very young age, sexuality becomes a component of their self-concept. That’s what they see. They discover relationships with members of the opposite sex at younger ages. Music has content that pushes the envelope. With a combination of a lot of factors, children at 10 or 11 now think the way someone two generations ago reached at 19 or so.”

Poor body image and appearance obsession is also a problem with women and girls.  Deseret News reports:

The sexualization of girls is happening at a younger and younger age as children, even toddlers, are bombarded with a plethora of adult influences and perceptions, studies say.

Eighty percent of 10-year-old girls in the U.S. report they have been on a diet, according to a recent study, “Eating Disorders Today — Not Just a Girl Thing.” The study also reported the No. 1 wish for girls from the ages 11-17 is to be thinner.

It’s cliché, but true – the media vaults these ideas further at a frenzied pace.  The plague of pornography and non-stop sexual images that are presented in the mall, on the TV, in music and video games starts to chip away at young brains and their idea of self sinks lower and lower.

…Jennfier Stevens Aubrey, University of Missouri professor, conducted…studies have shown that women who tend to objectify themselves are more likely to have eating disorders, have low sexual and self esteem, be sexual risk takers and have depression. The same is not true for men. Men are not only judged by their looks, but by things like their intelligence, assertiveness and accomplishments.

The more media people consume, the more likely they are to treat women and girls or themselves as an object “The media increases self-objectification for women. Girls begin to believe they are for someone else’s pleasure. It’s very dehumanizing.

And I think that word, “de-humanizing”, is the key.  Sadly, genocide has been committed so many times throughout history.  In Nazi Germany, Hitler promoted his campaign and the slaughter of Jews, by propaganda – the media.   He was able to convince people that Jews, Gypsies, mentally challenged people and others were less than human.   He stripped them of their place as persons, and in doing so, was able to perform unfathomable atrocities.

It’s hard to believe that such brutality existed in our “evolved” society just 73 years ago.  And yet we only need to look as far back as the early 90’s for examples of ethnic cleansing in Eastern Europe.   Genocide and constant, deplorable violence on women have sadly been going on and still goes on in many countries in Africa.

So what is the answer to all this?  How can we solve such a massive problem?   I believe it begins in the home.

It is so unfortunate that no matter how diligent parents are; in this world there is only so much they can do to prevent exposure of these destructive ideas to their children.  But parents can control what is taught in their own home.

I am not yet a Mom, but often think about how I will tackle these problems one day with my children.   My own Mother and sister-in-laws are wonderful examples of virtue and teaching virtue.

It saddens me when I see a mother who might promote some of the poisonous, sexualizing ideas herself.  I had many friends in high school and college whose mothers emphasized so much on “looking hot,” being popular, being cute and having boyfriends.   These goals seemed to trump being a good friend, grades, or planning seriously for the future.  It was shocking to me how many of my friends throughout the years had a mother who emphasized so much having a perfect body.

Once in college one of our guy friends came over to the apartment I shared with a few roommates.  He told us he had just asked a girl out and that they had gone swimming on the first date.  I was floored when my roommate’s immediate response to this information was:

“That was smart to take her swimming on the first date, so you check out her body and see if you want to keep dating her.”

I was even more offended when the guy nodded along, saying that was a really good point.  It was unbelievable to me that one woman would so blatantly and methodically objectify a one of my gender.  It was so abhorrent to me that the main value of this date was how her body looks in fewer clothes.   Her intelligence, hobbies, how good of a person she was or how well she got along with this guy, were never even considered.  I couldn’t understand how my roommate instantly turned this peer into a hunk of meat.

When I later met my roommate’s mother, I could understand why she would think like that.  Her mother was extremely body-conscious and emphasized the ideal body constantly.

To fight the de-humanizing of women, we start in our homes.  Whenever I have been asked if I am a feminist, I reply, “Yes.  And that is why I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ.”  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church), is a safe haven and champion of womanhood.

Elaine S. Dalton, recently released Young Women’s General President of the Church of Jesus Christ, spoke about the virtue of women:

Of women and mothers, President Gordon B. Hinckley once said:

“We must never lose sight of the strength of the women. … It is mothers who most directly affect the lives of their children. … It is mothers who nurture them and bring them up in the ways of the Lord. Their influence is paramount. …”

So how do a mother and a father instill in their daughter the ennobling and eternal truth that she is a daughter of God? How do we help her step out of the world and step into the kingdom of God?

…Young women need mothers and mentors who exemplify virtuous womanhood. Mothers, your relationship with your daughter is of paramount importance, and so is your example. How you love and honor her father, his priesthood, and his divine role will be reflected and perhaps amplified in your daughter’s attitudes and behavior.

If we teach virtue to our children and practice it ourselves, our families, communities, and the world can be changed for the good.  Virtue means purity, integrity, kindness, goodness and strength.  Sister Dalton gave us this call:

Again I renew the call for a return to virtue. Virtue is the strength and power of daughters of God. What would the world be like if virtue—a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards, including chastity—were reinstated in our society as a most highly prized value? If immorality, pornography, and abuse decreased, would there be fewer broken marriages, broken lives, and broken hearts? Would media ennoble and enable rather than objectify and degrade God’s precious daughters? If all humanity really understood the importance of the statement “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,” how would women be regarded and treated?

We may not always be able to choose the influences we are exposed to, but we can choose how we react to destructive ideas and how we teach our children what is right. I am following Sister Dalton’s call and re-evaluating how I can be more virtuous.  Won’t you join me?

Additional Resource:

Leaders and Organization of the Church of Jesus Christ

Mormon Message about Women

Sexualizing Young Girls