From the Mission Field
3 Ways to Know You’re Succeeding as a Missionary
I used to feel like I failed my mission—until I learned how God defines missionary success.
While I was a missionary, my highest priority was serving God and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to His children. I knew my purpose, and I wasn’t afraid of discouragement or hardship. And above all, I always put in my best effort.
So why did I feel like I had failed?
On my mission, I learned not to measure success by how many baptisms I performed or lessons I taught. But even with that mindset, I never felt like I was doing enough. I was filled with doubt and anxiety: Was I making enough progress? Was my service acceptable to Heavenly Father?
And returning from my mission was nothing short of tumultuous. As I adjusted to life after my mission, I wondered if the life I left behind—my mission—had been well spent.
Since then, I’ve learned to turn to the Lord, just as Nephi did (see 1 Nephi 2:16–17), and I’ve come to understand that He can comfort me and soften my heart—even toward myself. This has taught me that, though my service doesn’t feel like it was enough, the Lord has accepted my efforts.
Here are three things that have helped me recognize my success as a missionary.
1. Ask Heavenly Father how you can achieve your potential.
Missionaries feel pressured to be their absolute best at all times. As representatives of Jesus Christ, we feel the need to be as like Him as possible. But we shouldn’t strive for an imaginary, “perfect” version of ourselves that never eats, sleeps, or accidentally dozes off during personal study.
The Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect in this life. We’re trying to be like Christ, but we aren’t there yet, which is why we need Him. When we make mistakes, we can learn from them. By repenting with full purpose of heart, we can change, grow, and become more like Jesus Christ.
During a particularly painful time in my mission, I received a prompting to set goals with the Lord in mind. I learned that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us reach realistic goals when we seek Their help (see Ether 2–3). They will never let us down, even when it feels like we’re letting ourselves down.
2. Remember whom you impact.
My mission introduced me to people who changed my life. Since returning from my mission, I’ve realized how important it was for me to support these people—and how much I needed the love and support they showed me during my challenging times.
One of the reasons we serve missions is to bring others unto Christ. Whether through our words, our example, or our service, as long as we are treating people with Christlike love, we are bringing others to Him, and we are becoming more like Him as well.
3. Focus on who you’re becoming.
Think of your mission as a learning opportunity. While serving Jesus Christ, you can learn how to hear the Spirit’s voice, how to study the gospel of Christ with real questions in mind, how to work hard (even when it’s discouraging), and how to serve others throughout your life.
When you feel like you’re not doing enough on your mission, ask the Lord to help you see the good you’re doing. He will remind you of what you’re doing well (or have done well!). Remember the words of Preach My Gospel:
“Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost. …
“When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you.”1
The Holy Ghost can testify to you of your worth as a child of God and your value as a servant of the Lord. Heavenly Father is pleased to have you as one of His missionaries and grateful for all the good you do for Him and His children.
Pray with sincerity and gratitude for everything Heavenly Father has given you. Repent, forgive, and always rely on the Lord. I sincerely believe the person who was converted most during my mission was me.
When you’re putting in your best efforts in your missionary service, you can know through the Spirit that the Lord appreciates and accepts your efforts (see Doctrine and Covenants 124:49). You don’t need to feel like a failure as a missionary as long as you sincerely strive to fulfill your call to invite others to come unto Christ.