The Latin etymology of the word “mission” denotes an “act of sending.” The definition of the word “missionary” from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is: “a person sent on the work of a religious mission.”
The idea of “being sent” is key! A “mission” is never something that an individual conjures up on his/her own. True missionaries follow the footsteps of Christ, yielding their individual wills to the will of the Father. Jesus led the way: “I Do Always Those Things that Please Him” (John 8: 29).
The first definition of “missionary”–the most common meaning–is embedded within a context of religion–“belief in God.” This means a missionary is a person “sent from God to do God’s work”–a missionary in its purest form is . . . an angel!
The word “miracle” is most often thought of as an “event that exceeds and defies the known laws of nature.” Such were the miracles of Jesus: raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, feeding five thousand with a few loaves of bread, and turning water into wine.
However, the first definition given in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary suggests a broader sense for the word miracle: “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” This means any thought, word, or deed that transcends a person’s normal ability is . . . a miracle!
The word “miracle” derives from Latin words “miriculum” and “mirari” meaning “marvel” and “wonder.” It is beyond coincidence that the transcendent latter-day work of the Lord is described by the prophet Isaiah as “a marvelous work and a wonder” (Isaiah 29: 13, 14). This means the Lord’s latter-day missionary effort is . . . a miracle!
Clearly the awesome phenomenon of 50,000 full-time proselytizing missionaries and another 20,000 service missionaries (all willing to consecrate time and talents to the building of His kingdom without monetary pay), points to a transcendent miracle–“an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.”
In the coming days, at this particular page of LDSblogs.com, stories of Divine intervention manifest through the angels we call missionaries, will be presented in five categories:
1) Old Testament Missionary Miracles
2) New Testament Missionary Miracles
3) Book of Mormon Missionary Miracles
4) Missionary Miracles in Early Church History, and
5) Missionary Miracles from Today’s Mission Field
In light of the three-fold mission of the “Mormon” Church, a broad definition of “missionary” is completely appropriate: Anyone involved in an effort to Perfect the Saints, Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or Redeem the Dead, is a ministering angel, . . . a missionary!
Who is it that diligently does genealogy? Who attends the temple? Who fulfills home and visiting teaching assignments? Who brings family members together to read the words of Christ? Who prepares, blesses, and passes the sacrament? Who makes special visits to the elderly, or administers to the sick and afflicted? Who prays for those in need, or even prays for an adversary? . . . Angels! Missionaries!
The familiar phrase “every member a missionary” has a meaning inclusive of every latter-day saint in all aspects of Church, family, and faith. There are a myriad of miracles that have occurred and will occur through ordinary and simple efforts:
“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37: 6).
The “eye single” (D&C 88: 67) focus and consistency of the Lord’s scriptural message is marvelous and wonderful! It is no accident that Alma’s admonition about “small and simple things” had a laser-beam focus upon God’s work and glory–“the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.”
And how does the Lord bring about His amazing mission of salvation and exaltation? He does it by small and simple miracles, through His willing saints, a.k.a., angels, missionaries.
