I want to be a full-time life-time Mormon Missionary, where do I start?
549628
Join the church. If you're a man aged 19-26, or a single woman over 21, you can serve a mission, but only for two years (male) or 18 months (female). And you get no say in where you get sent, you work 14 hour days 6 days a week, and you have to be entirely self supporting.\n\nBut the blessings are out of this world!
884585
Doing your devotionals, reading the bible, attending church, being involved in youth group. All those things are great. They will help you grown in your faith, but that's what they do help you grow your  faith. The one question you need to ask yourself is "Have I come to a place in my spiritual life where I am sure I will go to heaven when my life is over here on earth? If you aren't sure you need to get right with God before any of the devotionals ... etc will help.  I am an old man and I don't think our communication would be a good idea.. I recommend a good talk with your youth pastor, ok....  Jim
824663
I used to be a missionary in India, and I can tell you I understand where you are coming from.  Just remember that people are the sum of their experience.  All you can do is stay firm to your own beliefs and ideals, while respecting OTHER'S views as well.  If you do that, you'll find that most people worth having a relationship with will respect you back.
138583
I'll start.  #1 missionary
1177507
Currently, the Church calls as missionaries single men from the ages of nineteen to twenty-six, single women twenty-one years and older, and older married couples with no dependent children. These missionaries serve on a voluntary, temporary basis. At missionary training centers, missionaries are instructed in gospel doctrine and in the language of their assigned missions. A missionary never labors alone, but always works with a companion. Single missionaries are assigned to a companion of the same gender; married couples work together. Missionaries are asked to follow a stringent daily schedule. Their time is dedicated to the service of the Lord and is spent finding receptive people and teaching them the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Letters, phone calls home, and nonmission business are limited. Their clothing is conservative business wear with distinctive name tags. Married missionary couples may be given considerable latitude with their schedules because they often fill several different assignments. Although missionaries face challenges, they are typically dedicated, enthusiastic, and faithful. The experience of teaching the basic doctrines of the gospel and serving others daily leads to solemn introspection, earnest prayer, and continual study. Consequently, missionaries gain a new perspective of themselves, of people, of the place where they serve, and of the gospel.\n\nFrom the earliest days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, missionaries have been called to proclaim the gospel of Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The ages and terms of service of full-time missionaries have varied over the years. In 1974, Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the Church, emphasized that every able, worthy young man should serve a full-time mission. Currently, the Church calls single men from the ages of nineteen to twenty-six to serve as missionaries for two years. Single young women over the age of twenty-one and retired married couples with no dependent children may also serve as full-time missionaries if they wish. The young women serve one year and a half, and married couples typically serve a year and a half as well. Although many missionaries have received lifelong gospel training in their homes and through Church programs, brief formal missionary training is given at missionary training centers located internationally. Once in their assigned field of labor, each missionary receives on-the-job training from a senior companion and other mission leaders. A mission president is called by the First Presidency to preside over each mission of the Church. He calls two full-time missionaries as his assistants, and they help him train and supervise the missionaries. In the latter half of the twentieth century, missionaries have had the benefit of standardized instruction to assist them in teaching the gospel. People who are being taught are invited to learn more by reading and studying on their own, praying about the message they are receiving, attending Church meetings, getting to know Church members, and living the principles of the gospel as they learn them. As of 2004, there were 338 geographically designated missions with 51,067 missionaries.
286441
The answers already given are good.  I agree that you need to know God's will and have his call.  My husband and I have served as foreign missionaries for 20 years.  With cultural and language differences, misunderstandings, ministry stresses, SOMETIMES the only thing that makes you not give up is your conviction that this is where God wants you to be and what He wants you to do.  On the other hand, knowing you are in the center of God's will and seeing how God can touch people's lives through you is GREAT!
26286
Start with what Jesus said was the Greatest Commandment and learn to love God with all your heart.\nNext work on the 2nd greatest, to love others as yourself.  If you do that, you will have friends, both Christian and pre-Christian.\nLast, work on the Great Commission (which comes after the Greatest Commandment).  If you do that, you will share Jesus with others.
920819
Well, make sure you agree with the doctrine.  Make sure the pastor isn't a crook.  You want to feel like you "get" something out of the teachings there.  And make sure you feel comfortable with the church members.  Also, you might want to check out the various programs the church offers, if you're interested in more than attending regular Sunday services.
860318
Look at the Church's web page...LDS.org...you should be able to find something.  I know I've managed to find a ward or branch everywhere I've ever been in the world.  Isn't it wonderful!!!\n\nI found an area there...
205515
It probably wouldn't hurt to get a letter from your local bishop, indicating what a great person you are. I imagine that would go a long way toward getting a BYU scholarship. Good luck!
106558
http://www.christianyouthweb.com/winkie.htm\nhttp://www.lastdaysministries.org/articles/articleindex.html\nhttp://www.ultimatecore.net/\nhttp://www.youthpastor.com/Resource/index.cfm/Youth_Ministry.htm\n\nThese sites should give you more than enough to get you started!\nGod bless.
450377
Maybe what you should ask is "Will a Mormon tell me about Mormons"...sure. Lostinlove's friend's situation was unfortunate.  The church does not teach that you can only have *** when you want a kid, believe me.  But they do teach that *** is only to be had within the bonds of marriage. And also Buckhouse_ryan's point of view is interesting...not really correct though sorry.  We do believe Kolob is where God lives.\nI usually hate it when people cut and paste pages and pages but I want you to see our "Thirteen Articles of Faith", these are our basic beliefs.\nJoseph Smith first wrote them in a letter to John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat, in answer to his request to know what members of the Church believed. The letter became known as the Wentworth Letter and was first published in the Times and Seasons in March 1842. On 10 October 1880, the Articles of Faith were formally accepted as scripture by the vote of the members of the Church and were included as part of the Pearl of Great Price. \n\n1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.\n\n2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.\n\n3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.\n\n4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.\n\n5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.\n\n6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.\n\n7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.\n\n8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.\n\n9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.\n\n10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.\n\n11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.\n\n12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.\n\n13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
1151630
It's a good plan. With one slight change, it could be a great one. Doctors are much more useful than missionaries. Besides, it's easier to save someone's soul while they're alive. Check out Doctors without Borders, or the Red cross- they'd be happy to have a hand. \nBasically, the rules for missionaries are the same as those for anyone who travels. Find as much information on an area as possible before you go. If you can learn the language, it's definitely worth it. Also, every culture has small things that are incredibly insulting, that aren't here. When I was in Samoa, showing someone the soles of your feet is fighting words. Who knew? Things like that are important to check out. \nIf you personally have any dietary restrictions, make sure you'll have a food supply that you can control. Things you wouldn't expect can get to you. Many people in my group got sick from the deep-fryed food because it was cooked in animal fat instead of vegetable fat and their systems weren't used to it. \nRemember also, that all of the ugliness that you see at home, still exists in other places too. Even though you're coming with love in your heart and good intentions, don't be surprised if people reject or mistrust you. That can be disappointing at first. Trust has to be earned; that's true everywhere you go. Racism exists too, and some of it will be geared at you. It's unsettling if you've never had to deal with it before. The good news is that all of the beauty that you find at home exists all over the world too. The warmth of sharing a meal with new friends; the occasional random kindess of a stranger; the suprising familiarity when you run into someone from back home (even if you didn't know them before); these are things that memories are built of. \nWrite everything down, so you don't forget, and take pictures whenever you can (and when it's appropriate). Learn everything you can about everything while you're there, and share whatever you know freely, but not forcefully. \nGood luck to you, and God Bless your heart.
657768
Yes, you can move and start a sheep farm in Utah. Under federal multiple spouses is illegal however, there is a splinter group of the Mormon Church that does it(wives only  i think) still.Research it and see if you can join. Peace.
29662
I believe you should definately pray about it, define what area of ministry you want to get into and location you might be interested in serving at, get guidance from your local Bible college or from church.  Search the internet postings, search in google "ministry jobs" or something like that.  Be patient, persistent, passionate and believe in your call, and ultimately that God who called you will show you the way. Even if you start as a volunteer or intern, do it, get yourself out there and start serving.
263855
Find a church that teaches from the Bible and where you feel most comfortable. You will probably have to visit several different churches to find the right one. Pray to God for the Holy Spirit to lead you to where you are supposed to be.
658116
Here are some things that I wish I had learned before my mission:\nI wish I had learned better to recognize how the Holy Ghost answers prayers in my life.\nI wish I had learned better how to get along with different kinds of people, and show my love for them in ways that they'd appreciate, not the ways that I like best.\nI wish I had realized that it doesn't matter how educated you are, but it does matter how wise you are.\nI wish I had learned not to be snotty, and to appreciate the value of every person and the place I'm in.\n\nAs you can guess, these are all things that I learned on my mission, but it would have been great if I had known them before.\n\nI would like to make the following recommendations:\nIf you haven't yet read the Book of Mormon or another of the Standard Works, read it and make sure that you have a testimony that it's true.  Also, be sure that you have a testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet.  You don't have to have one powerful experience to know that something is true.  The comforting, satisfying feelings from the Holy Ghost are enough.\n\nYou can get a copy of "Preach My Gospel" and study the gospel principles taught in the lessons.  It's good to have a complete knowledge of the basic doctrine before you go on your mission.\n\nLearn to establish good habits, such as getting up at a reasonable time, studying the scriptures daily, eating healthy, spending your money wisely, and taking care of your body appropriately.  If you feel you are weak in any one of these areas, it's a good opportunity to learn these skills from your parents.\n\nLearn how to bear simple testimony, and be sure to do it often.\n\nLearn some hymns of the church that you can sing at opportunities when you'd like to bring in the Spirit.  I found that singing hymns is a very effective, consistent, and quick way to invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to any situation (tracting, teaching, companion study, whatever).  It doesn't matter whether you think you have a beautiful voice or not.  The words of the hymns are true, and the Holy Spirit testifies that.\n\nBe aware of the symptoms of mental illness and know how to recognize them in missionaries you know.  Many missionaries discover that they have mental problems they didn't know about before, because being on a mission puts them in circumstances they haven't been in before.  Uninformed companions can cause them even more suffering by judging them as lazy or controlling when they are really in need of help.  If you find yourself in a situation like this, tell the mission president immediately.\n\nWhatever you do, always refuse to hear gossip about anyone you know (missionaries or members) and don't participate in it.  You'll be a lot happier.\n\nDon't worry about not being able to watch television, listen to music, and so forth.  You'll find that these are choices, not necessities.  When you get home, you'll discover that you haven't really missed a thing.\n\nDon't be afraid of your mission president.  He's there to help you, and he's the only person to whom you can tell ANYTHING.  Use him as a resource.  Tell him things that he needs to know.  Mission presidents care very, very much about their missionaries.  You have no reason to be ashamed with him, unless you have done something wrong, in which case you need him all the more.\n\nDon't be intimidated by the sisters.  If you are attracted to a sister in your mission, there is no need to annoy her by teasing her or something.  Just don't act on your attraction.  Sisters and elders have very different styles of doing missionary work sometimes, and you can learn a lot from each other.\n\nDon't be surprised if you discover that a mission is a lot of fun.  I expected to work hard, but I never expected to have such a great time doing it.  It's the funnest adventure I ever had.