So much is said about missionary work

Readings:  

Doctrine and Covenants 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 31, 33, 75, 

So much is said about missionary work. The bottom line is that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love all their children so much, they want all to come back to live with them.  (Sec 18:10  "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God")
The only way for their children to return and actually live with them, is for their children to make covenants that will qualify and allow such a return.  So, these ordinances and covenants must be made known to all and all must be given a chance to choose.  We do teach these things through missionary work.  The beginning of the dispensation of the fulness of times was full of commands and opportunities for missionary work, as exemplified in the readings above.  Getting the word out must be done.  But I noticed a different aspect of missionary work while reading through these sections: what missionary work does to us.

Here are common words used in many of the reading sections, this list comes from section 4, as it is most comprehensive in characteristics:

5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
 6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
 7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

In other words, what are your motives for missionary work and your understanding of it's purpose?

The Lord admonished Hyrum Smith to get his motives and doctrine straight before he went out to preach (even though Hyrum had the desire to preach at the moment), sec 11:

21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.
 22 But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation, and then shall all things be added thereto.

This refers to the translation of The Book of Mormon that had not yet been finished, which Hyrum had to wait for before preaching about it.  But the principle is the same for us.  While we don't have to have a doctorate in religion, we do need to know the principles of the gospel in order to teach it correctly.  Once you have these correct principles and believe them, your understanding for the purpose of missionary work and how your approach and treat other children of God changes and you begin to encompass virtues such as charity and love, hard work, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, humility, diligence and obedience.

When you become this sort of person, you are more open to the proper priorities in life, as John Whitmer (and also Peter Whitmer Jr. in sec 16) was told he would be (sec 15)

And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

How do you become this sort of person?  Joseph, Oliver C. and David W. were told in sec 18:

 2 Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true.
 3 And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written;
 4 For in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock.

By reading the scriptures given by God, we will understand what kind of person we are and what we need to become.  When we are ready, we will be called to be set apart missionaries (as Hyrum was told in sec 11).  However, all members of the church are called to teach when the Holy Ghost prompts them to teach and when we ask for help and the Lord's will concerning such a prospect and even when we just try, we are promised help:

Sec 33: 8-13
 8 Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.
 9 Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.
 10 Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;
 11 Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.
 12 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and remember that they shall have faith in me or they can in nowise be saved;
 13 And upon this rock I will build my church; yea, upon this rock ye are built, and if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

Sec 18:18-20
 18 Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.
 19 And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing.
 20 Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.
 21 Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.
 22 And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
 23 Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;
 24 Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day;
 25 Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.

Besides the obvious purpose for missionary work, which is to bring other people to Christ through ordinances and covenants, there is a second great purpose: to bring ourselves to Christ.  As he said himself (Matt 10:39): "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."  Missionary work can be our refiner's fire, helping us gain the characteristics required to live with God again.  When we want to help someone come to Christ because of love, and waiting for the will of the Lord, and being patience with a person, being humble enough to follow directions given by the Spirit, etc.  Until we get to the point that we realize helping people come to Christ really is the things that is of most worth.