Personal Narrative: My Experience As A Zone Leader

As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2016 to 2018, I learned a myriad of lessons that will benefit me throughout my life. While serving as a Zone Leader, I developed a passion for helping and uplifting missionaries to reach their utmost potential. Until this point in my mission, I had worked solely with individuals who were struggling with disobedience. Little did I know, I was about to encounter an army of hostile individuals who needed my assistance.

In July of 2017 I was transferred to the Cheyenne, Wyoming Zone. With 11 months of leadership under my belt, I was confident that I could to assess any situation that may arise. As I met the missionaries, I was baffled at what I observed. Almost ALL the missionaries

there were blatantly disobedient. They were disrespectful to others and hated missionaries who served in leadership. Although the immediate sight of this was sad, my companion and I kept our heads up! With hard work, dedication, and love, we knew we could help improve the missionaries’ obedience and work ethic!
My companion and I tackled this problem head on! We had a vision of what the missionaries could become! We knew they were good people, who were just making poor choices. With our lofty vision in mind, we arranged goals and plans to improve the missionaries’ work ethic, obedience, and desire make good choices. Some of our goals included having exchanges with missionaries regularly, visiting their district meetings, and visiting or making calls to them regularly to show we love them. We ensured they knew we loved them with each visit or call. Through our diligent example and loving correction, we began to see improvement!
Over time, the missionaries unveiled a new light in their eye! They worked hard, strived to be obedient, and respected leadership! Reflecting on this experience, I learned that developing a vision, goals, and plans is crucial for tackling any problem, especially an army of hostile individuals!