100 Things I Learned on My Mission

For some reason I've been thinking a lot about my mission lately. 

Perhaps it's because I've been teaching with the missionaries serving in our area. Maybe it's because my sister recently returned from her mission and my brother is preparing to go. Or possibly it's because I miss the sense of purpose and fulfillment I felt as a missionary and how happy and confident I was despite the challenging circumstances. 

Whatever the reason, I was reading through my journal and found a list I wrote during the last couple weeks of my mission titled "100 Things I Learned on My Mission." This is from February 2013 while serving in my last area of Canandaigua, NY...

100 Things I Learned on My Mission:

1. Nothing is coincidence - God is the architect of every moment, experience, and relationship
2. God always knows better than I do
3. We learn through trials
4. Ours is a God of miracles
5. God is kind
6. True joy comes from obedience
7. The Lord gives me trials because He loves me
8. The worth of every soul is great
9. The price you pay to become acquainted with God is worth it
10. When you love people, you can never be too bold
11. God always keeps His promises
12. I need Jesus Christ
13. I can do anything if it's the Lord that wants me to
14. Everyone is needed in God's plan
15. The Lord honors and cares about our desires
16. Attitude is everything
17. Life is meant to be enjoyed
18. The Lord purposefully gives us weaknesses so that we'll turn to Him
19. All people are entitled to receive revelation
20. I choose my life

21. Repentance is beautiful, and I need it every day
22. Leave judgement to the Lord
23. The Lord loves His missionaries
24. Inside, everyone knows what is right and wrong
25. Wickedness never was happiness
26. People can and do change
27. The Plan of Salvation is real
28. I'm nobody and can do nothing on my own
29. Happiness is a choice
30. Faith is only given when something is true
31. Praying for others does make a difference
32. Where much is given, much is required
33. Heaven is only heaven for the heavenly
34. Bad days come to an end
35. The gospel is both simple and deep
36. God is the source of all truth
37. Great blessings come from trials to more than compensate for any cost
38. Help is only a prayer away
39. Conversion takes a lot of work
40. Nothing can provide more happiness than a testimony of the truth

41. I don't just believe the gospel, I know it
42. The Lord uses a different time table than we do
43. The Lord trusts me 
44. One person can make a difference
45. People are prepared to receive the truth
46. I can never be content
47. God hates to see His children suffer
48. The Priesthood is the actual power and authority of God
49. Thank goodness for unanswered prayers
50. Gratitude is the best remedy for a bad day
51. There are a lot of good people in the world
52. What an honor it is to be called a Mormon
53. The First Vision really did happen
54. The Spirit will never lie
55. Missionary work is more than being an example, it's inviting people to act
56. There is a lot to look forward to
57. It's okay to have questions and not know everything
58. People won't change until they're invited to
59. The gospel is for everyone
60. Ordinances of the gospel are not optional for salvation

61. The veil is very thin
62. The genius of the Church is creating spiritual experiences for individuals
63. Agency is eternal
64. Fullness of joy is found in the family
65. Everything in the gospel connects
66. When you pray with the Spirit your prayers are answered
67. The cleanliness of a home relates to the Spirit in the home
68. You have to be with Christ to invite others to come
69. You can never fail when you have charity
70. All good things come from God
71. I am never alone
72. Life is so precious
73. God always validates His servants
74. Scriptures and prayer are essential to survive
75. The Lord is loyal to those who are loyal to Him
76. The world is being prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
77. "Any opportunity to serve the Lord is high and holy honor"
78. When we do our best, the Lord will make up the difference
79. The Book of Mormon was written for me
80. We live in a world of sorrow but there is so much to rejoice about

81. One spiritual experience is not enough
82. Our prophets really are prophets of God
83. When we obey, the Lord is bound
84. Fasting really does make a difference
85. It is such a privilege to have the gift of the Holy Ghost
86. I can give the Lord cause to be happy, He can rejoice in my faith
87. Acquiring knowledge is essential for salvation
88. When you put God first, everything else falls into place
89. God speaks to ME
90. The whole purpose of the gospel is to cleanse us from sin
91. Any negative thought or feeling does not come from God
92. Satan is real and wants to make us miserable
93. No effort is wasted
94. Salvation was never easy
95. Don't be afraid to shine your superior light for all the world to see
96. You get what you look for
97. The God of Heaven cares
98. Everything begins with thoughts
99. The sealing power is real
100. I will forever be a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ

So I was kind of surprised when I re-read this list recently. Experiences that sparked this list flooded my mind as I remembered how specifically I've learned each lesson. And it's funny how we have to keep relearning things. However, I am grateful to be able to look to the past to face the future and remember God's goodness and tender mercies as I face the decisions and challenges of each new day. Sometimes our old selves are the best reminder of who we are and where we're going. 

Questions? Visit mormon.org