Canden Petersen returns from his mission

If God can do what he did for me in Italy, then I know God can do anything. That knowledge is my most prized possession.

Hello! I am Canden Petersen and I just served a two-year mission in the Italy, Rome mission. It was the best two years of my life so far! Let me tell you a little about what happened during my service to the Lord.

For those who do not know, in our church, many of the youth go on a full-time proselyting mission for two years. I went on my mission, first and foremost, to fulfill my personal duty to God. God has given us everything! As my Nigerian friends in Italy would say, “He made me! Every morning when I wake up and I breathe, I thank God I am alive!” What would it be like if we lived with real gratitude to our Heavenly Father for this fact every day? My testimony of God and my true gratitude to Him was my main motivator in going on a mission.

My indebtedness to the Lord did not mean He did not reward me for serving a mission. Instead, God gave me many of my most prized possessions during my mission. In my mission, I met extremely difficult trials; trials that regularly tested my faith. But through them, I learned. I have learned that for ALL problems in our lives, there is a specific solution from the fountain of all truth. “For behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye shall do.” (The Book of Mormon, Alma 32:3) Let me give you an example.

The greatest treasure God gave me on my mission was greater faith in Him and His promises. Now you might think, wait; that’s not a treasure! That’s a Christ-like attribute! You are right, but I know that this attribute is a gift from God.

Faith can be applied in many ways but on my mission, God specifically asked me to find and help those who He had prepared to receive Jesus Christ. Out of all of your friends right now, how many do you think realistically have been prepared and are ready to receive the Gospel? Very few, right? It is frankly impossible to find these gems amidst everyone else without God’s help. I had to have faith that He would “be on my right hand and on my left” and “guide me in every thought” to find and help His children.

At one point during my mission I had a companion who did not care to work. So I worked practically alone, with him only physically with me. One week became very trying; I had worked diligently all week with very discouraging results. As we prepared to leave the house that Sunday, I knelt down and told the Lord that I wished to do His will but that if He wanted me to do it at this point, He would have to give me the strength to continue onward. I left the house. As the evening progressed, I was inspired to talk to four ladies from Bulgaria. All four of them became investigators with strong interest. I know God is aware of us.

If God can do what he did for me in Italy, then I know God can do anything. That knowledge is my most prized possession.

Canden Petersen