What's a missionary?

It may be surprising to some but this is a picture of a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I am not technologically astute enough to put anything but my own pictures from my computer in here but this is another picture of what an LDS missionary might look like.

This is yet another picture- this time what you might more commonly expect of a senior missionary. There are nearly as many choices for serving a mission in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as there are choices of occupations. When Russ sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, he was set apart as a special musical missionary to the world. While living in Cache Valley, Utah, I served for 7 years as a service missionary for what was then called Beehive Clothing, now Church Distribution. I was kind of a store clerk. The man on the mower is serving here in Nauvoo and is part of a huge team that works on the grounds. (There are something like 450 acres of mowed lawn in all the areas around the historic sites, missionary homes, temple, and visitors center. That's a lot of time on mowers!) Also here in Nauvoo, we have a doctor who serves a mission by being available to all of us senior missionaries who may need a prescription renewed, blood work done, or just a consultation or referral. The dentist I had in AZ had served in a couple of different places in the world doing free dental work for people who couldn't afford it or didn't normally have access to dental care at all. Anyone who has a desire to volunteer their time, talents, expertise, and energy can apply to the offices in Salt Lake City to be assigned for whatever length of time they have available. Some serve while living at home and some serve far away in a foreign land.
     In the scriptures, the Lord calls those who claim to serve Him for pay as providing "priestcrafts" and He is not pleased. Jesus never accepted payment for all those He taught, healed, and counseled with while on the earth and He doesn't want anyone else to be paid in His name. Even those who work for the LDS Church full-time, because there are some positions that simply require a full-time employee, will usually donate many hours of time and energy in other ways, in other areas. But ALL missionaries who wear a name tag proclaiming themselves as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints work voluntarily with no pay. The benefits are heavenly.