Missionaries travel the world to preach the Gospel

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at the cornerstone of their beliefs.

Mormons, as members of the LDS church are commonly known, spend their entire lives performing this task, either by going door to door or traveling to the corners of the world to preach the message of Christ, or in other capacities.

For young Mormons, their duties as a preacher of the Gospel begin with their first mission trip, a right of passage that often begins thousands of miles from home. The men undertake their mission trip at 19, and serve for two years. The women, whose decision to go on a mission is optional, undertake their mission trip at 21 and serve for 1 ½ years.

Jeff Johnson, 18, a 2008 graduate of La Cañada High School, will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo later this month for his mission trip. Johnson’s older sister, Jeralle, 21, will be going on her mission trip to the Finnish city of Helsinki. Johnson’s brother, William, is currently on his mission trip in Porto Alegre in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Jeff and Jeralle are among 12 La Cañada High School alumni, and among 55,000 around the world, going on mission trips on behalf of the worldwide Latter-day Saints Church. Other departing missionaries include Davis Hanse, Zachary Wetzel, Zachery Ward, Steven Johnson, Josh Newton, Haley Frame, David Bentz, Laura Kelly, Chandler Frame and Ryan Lew.

William Johnson represents a group of 16 La Cañadans already on missions from New York to Taiwan.

“I’m just excited for the experience of it,” said Jeff. “We go out to these foreign countries, or other parts of our nation, and we spend two years just working and preaching the Gospel to everyone that we come in contact with.”

The missionaries will spend about two months in a Missionary Training Center learning the language and culture of their respective country before going out into the field.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to go,” said Josh Newton, who will be going on the Italy Milan mission. “I’ve never been to Europe before.”

Missionaries are paired with a companion. Their mission tools include the Book of Mormon. Missionaries will baptize individuals into the faith or “reactivate” those former members whose involvement in the church has waned for whatever reason. Missionaries will also visit homes and attempt to make appointments with potential followers in order to teach them more about the Mormon faith.

“I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to go on a mission,” said Jeralle. Missionaries, she says, have to abide by the standards that the church teaches. This makes them “worthy” to undertake a mission. For example, they cannot smoke or drink. “We have to have a clear conscience, and we have to live the Commandments and teach others to live the same high standard.”

Jeff has been preparing for his mission pretty much all of his life, financially by saving money for the trip, and educationally by attending seminary during high school.

In seminary, students study scripture mastery and scripture stories.

“As missionaries ... we are called to give up our lives back home and dedicate ourselves to our church,” said Newton. “This is an opportunity for me to have two years dedicated to just preaching what I hold close to my heart and be able to share that with the Italian people.”

“I hope they’ve been prepared by the Lord to hear his message,” said Jeff. “The Gospel is for everyone in the world. We are all sons and daughters of God, and this is what everyone needs to hear. We try to contact as many people as we can. For these two years we’re just trying to get as many people to hear the wonderful news.”

Missionaries will oftentimes meet with members of the church who have invited their friends to listen to the missionaries’ message. Jeff calls this a success story, and he hopes that the community he visits is ready to hear the message he will deliver.

“I want to serve as successfully as I can,” said Jeralle. “I want to be able to teach others effectively and to help them find the joy that is in the Gospel.”