Zuggeyly Mendoza completed a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). She served for 18 months in the Utah Provo Mission, Spanish-speaking. The LDS Church has 422 missions worldwide, over 70,000 missionaries and 15 Missionary Training Centers.
“For 18 months, I was entrusted to serve as a missionary,” Ms. Mendoza said. “A missionary is an authorized full time representative of Jesus Christ. The purpose of a missionary is to invite others to come unto Jesus Christ. There is a quote that comes from a guide that missionaries study back to front and front to back. The quote is from President Ezra Taft Benson, a prophet of God. President Benson stated, ‘We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.’”
The gospel of Jesus Christ “is our Heavenly Father’s plan for the happiness and salvation of His children. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to this plan” (lds.org). As followers of Jesus Christ, members of the LDS Church, like other Christians, do their best to do as Jesus would do because He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
“I know that following in the Savior’s footsteps is not always easy,” Ms. Mendoza said, “but knowing He is the way and the only way makes it worth every effort to do as He would do. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to serve a full-time mission for Him in the Utah Provo Mission – the only mission that has four LDS temples within its boundaries, including the Provo, Provo City Center, Payson and Manti temples. The area and the people are diverse. From city to desert, the people reflect various cultures and speak multiple languages and dialects. To be among them was a special time in my life.”
“I was able to share my testimony about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He is our Redeemer. Only through Jesus Christ can anyone be saved.”
As the prophet Joseph Smith taught, “He lives! And, as today’s prophets and apostles reaffirm, ‘He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness’ (lds.org). Until He comes again, I continue to hope that everyone will come unto Christ and ‘partake of His salvation and the power of His redemption,’” (Omni 1:26).
Ms. Mendoza is the daughter of Ramon and Velvet Mendoza. She is big sister to Chantal, Ray and Valentina. The Mendoza’s attend the Brainerd ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 3067 Ooltewah Ringgold Road.