I have been thinking a lot about motivation these past few weeks. What motivates a person to do good and what motivates a person to do bad? What motivates us to wake up every morning and go?

If we take a look at my life as a missionary.  I start every morning promptly at 6:30am and I get up exercise and get ready for the day and by 8am I am sitting in my chair studying. I study my scriptures and a study manual called Preach my Gospel and prepare for the lessons I have planned to teach that day.  Some mornings I feel excited to study and to learn from the scriptures and some mornings I long for more sleep.  Then I spend my days from 10am until 9pm teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and looking for people that I can teach.

So why do I do it? Why do missionaries knock on your door uninvited? Why do we try to share our faith with people who already have a faith in Jesus Christ?

We do it all because we ourselves have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and we know that as the worlds lets us into their homes they to can be transformed by our message.  We have another Testament of Jesus Christ that every Christian person should be excited to read and to ponder on.  I have seen the gospel and this book transform my life, it gives me reason to live and work hard everyday.  I know that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and cares about me and wants me to communicate with Him through sincere prayer. I love to read the scriptures and as I read The Book of Mormon and the Bible I feel the love of my Father in Heaven and I find answer to the many questions that plague my heart in the scriptures.  

Catherine Cantwell a wonderful missionary!!

My life right now is quite different from what I had ever imagined it to be like.  I never imagined myself to be living in Tennessee serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but here I am.  I love talking about the gospel and sharing my faith with those that I meet because I know that I am doing what my Saviour Jesus Christ would be doing if he were here on the earth.  I have the great opportunity and responsibility to be a representative of Jesus Christ and that's why I do it, because I love Jesus and I want him to be proud of me.  I wouldn't be out here on a mission if it weren't for the great people that have been a part of my life and their great examples!  This picture is of my friend Catherine Cantwell who was arguably one of the greatest missionaries I've ever know!

"I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.  I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat." - 2 Nephi 33:6-7

"A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true" -Dallin H. Oaks