Since moving myself and my family to Hong Kong where I’m opening an Asia office for my online marketing firm, I’ve had countless opportunities to think “If I hadn’t served as a Mormon missionary, I wouldn’t be doing this today.” The skills I learned almost 20 years ago as a missionary have been invaluable to my career as an entrepreneur, and never more so than now as I live and do business in a foreign country. In 1994 I became a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are more commonly known by the nickname “Mormons” or simply “ LDS.” But I was not a missionary in Hong Kong or Asia where I live now. I served in Manaus, Brazil, where I learned Portuguese, rather than Mandarin or Cantonese. Prior to 2013 I had never been to Asia and knew very little about China or its neighbors. Most of my exposure to Asian culture came from growing up in Arcadia, California. There is a significant Asian population there, but despite this I can’t say I learned all that much about Asia from my Asian friends, who were intent on learning English and assimilating into American culture. But going to a foreign country where I didn’t know the language or the culture wasn’t new to me because I had already done it as a 19-year-old in Brazil. Here are some of the lessons I learned as a missionary that are helping me as I open an office in Hong Kong.

On the airplane home from my mission, I sat next to a young journalist. If you've seen the old Church video A Labor of Love, you can imagine exactly what our conversation was like. He asked me a bunch of questions about my experience as a missionary, I cried as I relived the previous 18 months, and then like any missionary hoping to cap off their mission's end, I gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. A few weeks later, I got a Facebook message from this man who said he had been reading the book I gave him but was confused by 2 Nephi 5. I was embarrassed that even after having spent 18 months as a missionary, I had to do some research before I replied. But what if we actually prepared for conversations like this? What if we tackled questions like these in our homes and talked them out as a family?

It's no secret: Mormons love Brian Regan. In fact, he broke Jerry Seinfeld's record by selling out five shows in Salt Lake City in March 2010.

First Presidency Statement: Priesthood, Questions & Apostasy

It's amazing that Candice Rieske and her husband were able to respond so quickly and so well to this critical and unusual situation.

When I was in college I studied the sciences. I wanted to be a doctor, but I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom too. I was conflicted about career and staying home to be a full-time mom. "Follow the Prophet" back then (1978) meant stay at home, "no success can compensate for failure in the home," rang through my head. I wanted to make the right choices. I had a bachelors degree in biochemistry and I was in grad school at USC, at the medical campus in the worst part of LA--right by LA County Hospital. I was studying pharmacology and nutrition in a PhD program. I couldn't really see where that was taking me. I was confused and abandoned that and took a job in a hospital--the lowly surgery clerk. I should have finished the degree. I regret that now. I could have taught part-time at a college. Oh well, I got pregnant and barfed my guts out for the next nine months. And the next fourteen years.

Dear Dave,

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Last night as I got home from a performance all of my children were still up and bright eyed, including my youngest who is just seven. I sat on the couch, exhausted, and put my feet on my husbands lap. As I looked around the room that I had just finally decorated that morning, I remembered that I had not put the nativity set in it’s correct position. I told my youngest to go ahead and do it. ...I didn’t pay attention after this point. I kissed the boys goodnight and headed to my room. Today, as I sat on the couch and started in on sewing some Christmas gifts, I looked at the nativity.

Kaley Martin, a 19-year-old LDS athlete, is quickly making her way through the ranks of flatwater sprint canoe racing and may soon be one of the first to compete in the first-ever women’s canoe events in the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.