PROVO, Utah — The beginning of a new year is often a time to think about resolutions. Common goals include improving your diet and exercise, studying the scriptures daily, praying regularly, and journaling.
But missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints already have such habits, which are part of their daily missionary schedule. So what does it mean for missionaries to make meaningful change?
The most important change missionaries can seek in the new year is a “great change of heart,” as spoken of in Alma chapter 5, said Relief Society general president Camille N. Johnson.
“True great change comes when we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to repent and improve daily,” President Johnson said.
Her remarks were made during a devotional on Tuesday, January 6, at the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Her husband, Brother Douglas R. Johnson, joined her and spoke briefly to President Johnson. The Johnsons served as mission leaders for the Peru Arequipa Mission from 2016 to 2019.
“Those who don’t have the gospel will find it because they feel your love and you’re doing everything you can for them,” Brother Johnson said.
President Johnson said in his speech that each missionary has a choice. Are missionaries forever changed by their service, or do they simply have an interesting cultural experience?
“During this unique season, you have the opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary with all your heart, strength, soul, and strength. … Let this season, this missionary experience, transform your life,” she said.
understand atonement
President Johnson outlined five ways missionaries seek real change through Jesus Christ. The first, she said, is a deeper understanding of the Savior’s Atonement.
President Johnson said that before she and her husband served as mission leaders in Peru, they understood that the Atonement purifies people from their sins and makes possible a universal resurrection. But it was during her missionary service that she learned “in a deeper way” how the Savior’s Atonement saves, heals, and empowers.
“When you find yourself in a difficult situation in your mission, do you rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ?” President Johnson said. “Do you learn about the Lord? Do you seek Him and strive to be like Him?”
Trust in the Lord’s will and timing
The second way missionaries seek real change is by trusting the Lord’s will and timing. President Johnson said his son Connor injured his shoulder while at the Peruvian Missionary Training Center and had to return home for surgery and recovery.
President Johnson said this was a frustrating and discouraging time for his son. But through it all, his perspective changed. Instead of wondering why God had allowed this to happen, he wondered what God’s plan was for him. He eventually returned to the mission field and completed his mission.
“A missionary experience is an opportunity for you to truly trust the Lord, trust His will for you and His timing for you,” President Johnson said.
practice love and charity
A third way missionaries can experience real change is by practicing love and charity. President Johnson said his time as a missionary has made him more capable than ever to love. She prayed constantly, not only for herself and her husband and their sons, but also for those with whom they served.
President Johnson said, “The sooner we love those we are called to serve, the happier we will be as missionaries.”
Experience the Power of the Book of Mormon
A fourth way missionaries can experience real change is through the Book of Mormon.
President Johnson said he never received the gift of tongues while serving in Peru, but he kept his promise to read the entire Book of Mormon in Spanish every year during his mission. In doing so, she learned to communicate the things that were most important to her in Spanish, including her love for missionaries and her testimony of the Book of Mormon.
commune with God through prayer
A fifth way missionaries can experience real change is by communicating with God through prayer. President Johnson said that as a missionary her prayers became less mechanical and more personal.
“I started talking more openly with Heavenly Father, and I think it started when I was serving as a missionary,” she said.
“He is standing with his arms outstretched.”
President Johnson concluded with a testimony about Jesus Christ and his ministry.
“You are gathering Israel for the Savior’s Second Coming,” she told the missionaries. “I am confident that God lives, that He knows us, that He knows our hurts, our sorrows, and our triumphs. I know that He stands with open arms and is willing to help us.”
