300 Things a Mission Should Accomplish

1. Teach me that I can persevere and finish a task that can be long and unpleasant.
2. See what a change the gospel can make in peoples’ lives.
3. Give experience in getting along with people who are totally different from me.
4. Experience some spiritual highs.
5. Experience bitter, dismal lows.
6. Learn to communicate beliefs and feelings that you know will be challenged.
7. See people with nothing (world wise) give their all to help others.
8. Learn to follow leaders who are less than perfect.
9. Learn to follow rules you may not agree with.
10. Learn to follow a regimented schedule.
11. Learn to really pray for help and answers.
12. Learn to be more sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit.
13. Learn to read the scriptures and understand them better.
14. Learn to seek counsel when confronted with a problem you can’t solve.
15. Learn to tolerate childish behavior while the individuals are growing up.
16. Learn that people can change over time.
17. Learning never to give up.
18. Learning to look to living prophets for timely counsel.
19. Learning that just maybe you could be wrong.
20. Learning that there is more than one way of looking at almost any issue.
21. Learning that not all tasks are fun.
22. Learning that you may not always see the value of an experience while you are going through it.
23. Learning to smile and be pleasant even when you don’t feel very good.
24. Learning to put others needs before your own.
25. Learning to take life just one dayC one hour or minute at a time.
26. Learning that you will do what the Lord asks even when you don’t see the value of it.
27. Learning to take criticism and persecution.
28. Learning from the mistakes others make.
29. Learning to enjoy the spiritual highs and endure the depressing lows.
30. Learning that life isn’t just one spiritual experience after another.
31. Learn that separation from parents and loved ones can be difficult.
32. Learn that although you miss out on a lot at home, you experience things you wouldn’t have experienced if you had stayed home.
33. Give you experiences that the Lord knows you will need in order to be exalted.
34. Learn that even mission presidents (and other church leaders) are human and learning to.
35. Learning not to judge others.
36. Learn what it is like to be a minority (ethnically, religiously, etc.).
37. Learn that you have talents that may be different from others.
38. Learn that what works for others may not work for you.
39. Learn that there are people you can influence that others can’t touch.
40. Learn that others have talents you don’t and can reach others you can’t.
41. Learn that no one has an exclusive edge on talents or spiritual gifts.
42. Learn that the Lord doesn’t do things on our time schedule.
43. Learn that some spiritual blessings are not always immediately attained.
44. Learn that testimony is dynamicC it grows and can ebb and flow.
45. Learn that it is hard work to learn the gospel well.
46. Learn that people can lose what they’ve had if they don’t continue building on it.
47. Learn that what you think a mission is may not be exactly what the Lord had in mind.
48. Learn that gain often comes with pain.
49. Learn that people with nothing materially can still be happy.
50. Learn to use the priesthood.
51. Learn that your opinion does not always have to be shared.
52. Learn a new culture and meet people you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
53. Learn that a place you live in is a lot different than a place you visit.
54. Learn to eat what is served even if you hate it so as not to offend those who serve you.
55. Learn to swallow your pride.
56. Learn that you can do things you didn’t think you could do.
57. Learn to love people you didn’t think you could love (lepers).
58. Learn that some lessons are not realized until years after the experience.
59. Learn to empathize with those who are struggling.
60. Learn to recognize the Spirit when it isn’t burning a hole in your soul.
61. Learn to be independent.
62. Learn that Heavenly Father knows what we need better than we do.
63. Learn the fundamentals of teaching skills.
64. Learn to adapt a lesson to the person being taught.
65. Learn what brings the Spirit fastest for you.
66. Learn that life is more pleasant when there is unity.
67. Learn to express love in appropriate ways.
68. Learn to control urges and desires.
69. Learn to recognize the difference between young men who served (even if not totally valiantly) from those who didn’t serve.
70. Learn that conversion is a process not an event.
71. Learn to allow people to progress at their own rate.
72. Learn not to judge until you see the whole picture.
73. Learn when to stand up for the truth and when to let something slide because it isn’t that significant.
74. Learn to correct without putting the person in the wrong down.
75. Learn that everything is a choiceC happiness or sadness, optimism or pessimism.
76. Learn to use scripture and prophets to back up beliefs and answers to questions rather than the Ahearsay gospel answers.
77. Learn that you can be happy and survive without all the luxuries of life.
78. Learn that you can live on your own wits, not your parents or others.
79. Learn how to control your temper even when pushed to the limit.
80. Learn that physical violence is not an option for solving problems.
81. Learn to control the meta-message as well as the message.
82. Learn to express self other than by talkingC i.e. letter writing.
83. Learn to prioritize Athings to do so the most important things get first consideration.
84. Learn how to plan a schedule and work your plan.
85. Learn a genuine respect for other religions.
86. Learn that there are many good people who are not members of the Church.
87. Learn to focus on the task at hand rather than being distracted by other considerations and future plans.
88. Learn that someone doesn’t always follow after you to clean up after you.
89. Learn that not everything you intend as help is perceived as help.
90. Learn that you must attend to your own physical needs to stay healthy.
91. Learn that a day is what you make of it. There isn’t a good day or bad day.
92. Learn that no one can make you either sad or happy. You decide.
93. Learn that your attitude and behavior can drastically impact and influence others.
94. Learn some things that you want and don’t want in your future marriage and family life.
95. Learn that not all good is found in your American culture.
96. See the affects of drugs and alcohol on individual and their families.
97. See how immorality and infidelity do not bear the fruits that Hollywood shows.
98. Learn that your cleanliness influences others.
99. Learn that not everyone has to be a mission leader to be a successful missionary.
100. Only God has the right to judge something as good or bad.
101. Learn how to negotiate and compromise to unanimity.
102. Learned to teach others use the priesthood to bless others.
103. Learn to put God first and to follow His plan for us.
104. Learn to be part of a team rather than being a stand-alone superstar.
105. Learn the importance of mutual support
106. Learn that the Lord’s plan is superior above all manmade ideas.
107. Learn the power of keeping the end of salvation in mind while making worldly plans and goals.
108. Learn that not everyone says what they mean.
109. Learn that not everyone will follow through on commitments.
110. Learn that you never count a person out before the final buzzer.
111. Learn that all prayers, even of the righteous, are not always immediately answered.
112. Learn that one can experience peace even when the whole world is in turmoil around you.
113. Learn that true greatness has nothing to do with how handsome, or rich, or smart you are.
114. Learn that sometimes those with the most have the least depth.
115. Learn that personality and charisma are more important in being truly successful than beauty and money.
116. Learn what to look for in an eternal companion.
117. Learn lessons vital for success in raising your own family.
118. Learn that true success comes from what you have become not what you have done or said.
119. Learned to sacrifice own selfish desires and wants for the benefit of others.
120. Learn that how you serve is infinitely more important than where you serve.
121. Learn that how people react to what you say, do, or write may be 180* from what you intended.
122. Learn that at times one may become his own worst enemy.
123. Learn that nothing is impossible with the help of God.
124. Learn that nothing happens which God cannot control if He chooses.
125. Learn that suffering, although unpleasant and hoped to be avoided, sometimes happens.
126. Learn that the lessons learned in the past are not always realized until time has lapsed.
127. Learn that AThy will be done is eternally more beneficial than Amy will be done.
128. Learn that giving attention to details can signal the difference between success and failure.
129. Learn that not everyone reacts to the same things in the same way.
130. Learn that God’s patience exceeds anything man can comprehend.
131. Learn that God can make more out of us than we can make out of ourselves.
132. Learn that death is not a tragedy if one is prepared.
133. Learn that there are things worse than death.
134. Learn that not everyone who says they are converted is.
135. Learn that one is truly converted whose behavior is controlled by his or her beliefs.
136. Learn that life cannot be lived all at once but one moment at a time.
137. Learn that no one can guarantee that they will never struggle or fall.
138. Learn to stay judgment, assess the situation and help out rather than stand back and condemn.
139. Learn that not everyone has integrity but those who do are to be prized as friends.
140. Learn that to be respected and trusted is more important than being loved.
141. Learn to see into people’s hearts rather than being caught up in external trappings.
142. Learn the true value of a soul.
143. Learn the reality of Satan.
144. Learn that doing good almost always results in satanic opposition.
145. Learn that even the elements respond to the command of those holding the Priesthood of God.
146. Learn that a righteous man or woman never dies before their time.
147. Learn the completeness and beauty of the Plan of Salvation.
148. Learn that not all Churches understand the true meaning of life.
149. Learn that judgment will be according to what we have had the opportunity to know and do.
150. Learn that friends are worth keeping in touch with even after missions.
151. Learn that some important things must be put on hold while missions are completed.
152. Learn that the Lord always keeps His promises.
153. Learn that wickedness never was true, lasting happiness.
154. Learn that life (between birth and death) is not, nor will be Afair-- fairness must await eternity.
155. Learn the centrality of the family and marriage in God’s eternal plan.
156. Learn that alternate ways of finding lasting happiness (apart from God’s way) will fail, sooner or later.
157. Learn that where much is given much more is expected.
158. Learn that God judges on the intents of the heart in addition to what one actually does.
159. Learn that God’s timetable for us supercedes our own personal plans as we fulfill our foreordained assignments.
160. Learn to live with lack of closure as we struggle to learn the Lord’s will for us.
161. Learn that when we think we have gone as far as we can, we haven’t.
162. Learn that when we think we can’t endure one minute longer, we can.
163. Learn to depend solely on the Lord but work as though everything depended on you.
164. Learn not to expect that mortal life is going to be easy and trouble free.
165. Learn that God never allows us to fail in ventures which are eternally significantC if we are willing to follow His plan.
166. Learn that everyone makes mistakes but that doesn’t automatically make everyone bad.
167. Learn that no one on earth knows everything.
168. Learn that degrees and age do not automatically equate to wisdom and vision.
169. Learn patience with people whose work ethic is different from your own.
170. Learning to forgive on a daily basis even for the same things.
171. Learning to let some of the little things go, but being willing to challenge the big issues.
172. Learning what the Christlike nature is like and how to incorporate those qualities as your own.
173. Learning that testimony is an action word and can be applied in small ways.
174. Learning that virtually everything in life can be a parable for future teaching.
175. Learning that being rejected is because of what and Who you represent, not as you as a person.
176. Learn that there is a difference between the Spirit of the law and the letter of the law.
177. Learn that allowing people to walk over you is not a manifestation of love for them.
178. Learn to identify more scriptural heroes and emulating their qualities.
179. Learning to be street smart.
180. Learning the social distance of the people in different lands may be different.
181. Learn to be more creative to make do with what you have.
182. Learn who you really are and what you’re strengths and weaknesses are.
183. Learn to know and understand what is going in the world and putting it into eternal perspective.
184. Learn the power of musicC both good and bad.
185. Learn the strength of exampleC both good and bad.
186. Learn the power of the Book of Mormon in the conversion process.
187. Learn that God doesn’t call you because you know how to do the taskC but to learn how.
188. Learning the difference between worldly love and God-like love.
189. Learn that rules are made and adapted according to the circumstances you are in.
190. Learn what it is like to live with someone 24-7.
191. Learn what you do and do not want to do when you are in leadership positions.
192. Learn to identify the lessons the Lord has for you in each individual situation.
193. Learn that whatever God requires can be accomplished with His help, even when not easy or fun.
194. Learn that not every assignment God gives us is fun, easy, or desirable.
195. Learn the necessity of constant contact with homeC translated to our Heavenly HomeC staying in contact with.
196. Learn to recognize good traditions from false traditions, and value the good traditions.
197. Learn the need for balance in your life.
198. Learn to do things you are inspired to do even when they seem stupid or without logic.
199. Learn that people respond better to love and positive tactics than through criticism and put downs.
200. Learn that in the eternal scheme of things, likes attract. D&C 88:40.
201. Learn that you can’t force people to learn. Agency is a God-given gift.
202. Learn that the gospel is simply beautiful because it is beautifully simple.
203. Learn that there is a cause and effect relationship in all things eternal.
204. Learn that when you teach the child you reach the parent.
205. Learn that your attitude determines your altitude.
206. Learn that being worthy is prerequisite to receiving spiritual blessings.
207. Learn that there are no short cuts to the Celestial Kingdom.
208. Learn that you learn more by listening than by talking.
209. Learn that the lessons on how to teach by the Spirit work as well in the Sunday School class as they did in the mission field.
210. Learn that people don’t get offended when they feel loved.
211. Learn that being bold with the Spirit is taken better than being soft spoken without the Spirit.
212. Learn to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially.
213. Learn how to minister to those who are ill in any of the areas mentioned in #212.
214. Learn that a mission experience is a parallel to life’s experience.
215. Learning that laughing at yourself is therapeutic and stress reducing.
216. Learn that every obstacle in life’s road can either be a stumbling block or a stepping stoneC you decide.
217. Learn that a mission is mastering focusing on what the Lord wants rather than on what you want.
218. Learning that playing mind games is not a productive form of communication.
219. Learning that reading other peoples’ minds is non-productive.
220. Learning that the past, once repented of, cannot hinder your eternal progress.
221. Learning that comparing yourself to others has nothing to do with how well you are doing.
222. Learn that sometimes you just have trust in the Lord and let Him control the outcome.
223. Learn that teach, teach, teach is not as effective as love, love, love.
224. Learn that people respond more readily when they know that you love them unconditionally.
225. Learn to think before you speak.
226. Learn that you never mess up when you are speaking or acting under the influence of the Spirit.
227. Learn that when you serve without regrets you can look back forever on your mission without regret.
228. Learn that God can do extraordinary things with very ordinary people.
229. Learn that God imposes no limits. If there are limits they must be self-imposed.
230. Learn that most of the rights and wrongs we face are really matters of personal preference.
231. Learn that if the Lord can love everyone around us, then He can love me too.
232. Learn that doing the difficult leaves more pleasant memories than doing lots of easy things.
233. Learn that life is progressiveC it really did Acome to pass.
234. Learn that as your life changes so does the message of the scriptures.
235. Learn that you will find whatever you look forC good or bad.
236. Learn that no one can make your happy or sad. Happiness is a perspective.
237. Learn that living by faith is the only way to live. Seldom to we know the end from the beginning.
238. Learn that priorities change with the passing of years and the maturing of personality.
239. Learn that we can Adrink of the bitter cup without becoming bitter (Neal A. Maxwell).
240. Learn that the passage of time takes care of a lot of problems.
241. Learn to appreciate the challenges of those who have gone before.
242. Learn that reacting emotionally is never as good as a delayed, controlled response.
243. Learning that losing one’s temper is never the best response to any situation.
244. Learn that is it better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent.
245. Learn that Satan teaches us lie upon lie and deceit upon deceit.
246. Learn that organizing minimizes waste valuable time. Have a plan.
247. Learn to honor priesthood leaders even though certain of their decisions are obviously flawed.
248. Learn that it isn’t where you are on the pathway to perfection, but what direction am I heading.
249. Learn that home is a refuge and a relief and not imprisonment and harassment.
250. Learn that because you have honored God in doing what He asked, He is bound to honor you for the rest of mortality and on into immortality.
251. Learn that Satan works harder on missionaries and Church leaders than on almost anyone else.
252. Learn that without a well defined eternal goal, a lot of valuable time can be wasted wandering around in fruitless ventures.
253. Learn that unless you stand for something, it is easy to fall for anything.
254. Learn that when you Aassume anything you make an Aass out of u and me.
255. Learn that you have earned the power to bear your testimony about the importance of following the living prophets’ directions to your children and others.
256. Learn that you need to be careful what you ask the Lord forC likely you will get it.
257. Learn that eternity is set up on a Acause and effect basis.
258. Learn that knowledge misapplied is dangerous and destructive.
259. Learn that I don’t understand all I think I know.
260. Learn that being still and quiet are necessary prerequisites to receiving revelation.
261. Learn that priorities in life change as we mature towards eternal life.
262. Learn that not all suffering is necessaryC some of it we bring upon ourselves.
263. Learn that learning by faith is often more productive and insightful than learning by study.
264. Learn that one can never let down one’s guard or Satan will have you by the throat.
265. Learn that not everyone who says they are for you are really for you.
266. Learn that unseen armies are sent by God to protect and help you if you’ll allow them to.
267. Learn that God takes normal men and women and makes them capable of far more than they can be on their own.
268. Learn that each individual dictates the speed of their progression by the heed they give to what they have received already.
269. Learn that no one can make you anythingC you decide for yourself.
270. Learn that no effort to build God’s kingdom is worthless or unnecessary.
271. Learn that money can’t make one happy.
272. Learn that without sufficient money to meet basic needs, undue stress is put on the family.
273. Learn that the journey of life can be filled with joy as well as the anticipated destination.
274. Learn that Satan attempts to lead the righteous astray one small step at a time.
275. Learn that unless we are humble enough to be corrected, the natural consequences of our mistakes will teach us harsh lessons.
276. Learn that the combined wisdom of men doesn’t compare anywhere close to the wisdom of God.
277. Learn that there are absolute, eternal truths that never change.
278. Learn that a unanimous vote against God does not change what is eternally right.
279. Learn that more depends on what we did in pre-earth life than we usually realize.
280. Learn that following the prompting of the Spirit is not always easy but is always right.
281. Learn that you can accomplish a lot even when you don’t feel well physically.
282. Learn that with the Spirit you can learn a hundred times faster in one hundredth the time.
283. Learn that when the Spirit withdraws the obvious is not obvious at all.
284. Learn that all the physical evidence in the world cannot make the truths of God wrong.
285. Learn that when God promises something, He always follows through.
286. Learn that when doing God’s work, you never work aloneC there are unseen others working with you.
287. Learn that you can’t rely upon the Aarm of flesh if you want to be assured of success.
288. Learn that Divine direction comes fastest when we are up and doing.
289. Learn that some righteous petitions are not answered because of Divine Omniscience.
290. Learn that temporary success by the wicked is always short lived.
291. Learn that there are pre-mortal commitments made with God that we must keep in order to be successful in life.
292. Learn that nothing you or any one else does surprises God.
293. Learn that the dawn is preceded by the darkest part of the night.
294. Learn that the dawn always comesC even when we question it.
295. Learn that prophecies and promises made by the Lord will come to pass.
296. Learn that to live without God in the world makes life meaningless.
297. Learn that you can never know too much or be to righteous.
298. Learn that to have the approval of God (signalized by the presence of His Spirit) is infinitely more important than having the approval of the masses.
299. Learn that being a Atough guy who hides emotions and feelings to a servant of God who shares appropriate feelings is not easy but is very rewarding.
300. Learn that becoming Christlike will take an eternity but can take place one day at a time with Divine approval.
---Obtained from Randy Bott, BYU Religion Professor