Elder Deano Motes

I never was really all that positive that I was going to serve a mission growing up. I kind of just went to church on Sunday and that was about it, I never really put too much effort into reading my scriptures or saying my daily prayers. So as I got older and temptations became stronger, and without the gospel having a real big influence in my life I started to veer off of that "straight and narrow path." There came a point where I needed to decide what type of person I was going to be. And with the memories of people along the way of telling me what great potential they saw in me (and some encouragement from my parents) I slowly but surely started making changes in my life. I started making things a priority, that should've been a priority in my life a long time ago, a part of me. In simple terms, I began to be more obedient to God's commandments. With that I began to receive the blessings that come with obedience and there was a happiness about me that I couldn't explain. Opportunity after opportunity kept coming my way.

I knew God wasn't just giving me these blessings, He was leading me to something more. I started to notice that all my friends were getting ready to go on a mission, and I couldn't help but realize that serving a mission was the next step in doing what God wanted me to do. So with a lot of long talks with friends, after really sitting down and reading from the Book of Mormon, and praying and getting an answer that it was true, I knew that God had prepared me to serve a mission. There was a lot I was to leave behind but, knowing that God had blessed me with all those things in the first place made it that much more important for me to make my decision to serve a mission. I put in my papers, got my call, cried in front of all my friends and family, and within a month I turned 18 and was getting set apart! I'm a missionary now and I love this gospel. I know that obedience is the only true source of happiness in this life and that as we read and pray we can receive heavenly guidance from a loving Father in Heaven.

I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Deano Motes