Truly, the sons of Mosiah had greater desires for missionary work than most. This is in part because of the pains they had experienced at the time of their conversion. Their pains must have been as acute as were Alma’s which were described as follows, I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins…I was tormented with the pains of hell…the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror (Alma 36:12-14). Having tasted so vividly of the pains of hell, Alma and his brethren were horrified with the thought that any should have to suffer such pain. This became a great motivating factor, and it explains why those who have not tasted pains to this degree often lack the same degree of motivation.
This leads us to a second important point. The sons of Mosiah demonstrate that the very vilest of sinners can become the most useful of instruments in the hands of the Lord. This should be a great source of hope for those who have sinned and may have considered themselves unworthy to serve the Lord. Such self-deprecation is a lie taught by the evil one to keep them from reaching their potential, which, indeed, may be as great as that of the sons of Mosiah. Those who have sinned and repented often make the best counselors and missionaries because of a greater capacity to understand and empathize with those racked with sin.