History Main / MissionFromGod

* In ''{{Film/Super}}'', the main character Frank believes he's on a quest from God to stop evil. Whether or not he is or is just crazy is left for interpretation.

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[[folder: Real Life]]

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** After Harry Dresden [[spoiler:redeemed the shadow of a Fallen Angel to the point she would take a psychic bullet for him]], ArchangelUriel takes a key interest in Harry, appearing before him, and, while never one to issue orders, isn't above steering Harry to be where he can do the most good, but won't compromise Harry's Free Will to get this done. Harry, taking some issue with this, decides he should be paid and intends to send Uriel a bill. It doesn't work.

** In ''Literature/TheDeadZone'', Johnny Smith's [[TheFundamentalist hyper-religious]] mother is convinced that his life was spared in the car wreck that put him into a coma because God has some great purpose planned for him. Johnny doesn't buy it, but [[spoiler: when he sees a [[{{Psychometry}} psychic vision]] of a nuclear holocaust, and realizes the only sure way to prevent it is to assassinate the future President who makes it happen, he grumbles about why God had to make ''him'' do the dirty deed.]]

* Hong Xiuquan, a leader of the Taiping Rebellion in 19th Century China. He apparently suffered a nervous breakdown after failing the notoriously difficult Civil Service exams twice, and had a series of dreams/visions that convinced him that he was the brother of Jesus and was tasked with making China a Christian nation. He managed to take over a decent portion of southern China before his rebellion was quelled. It ended up causing the worst religious war in history.

** Typically there are the Knights of the Cross, three paladins who each bear a holy sword. In the hilt of their sword resides one of the Nails from the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Swords are named Amoraccius (the Sword of Love), Esperacchius (the Sword of Hope), and Fidelacchius (the Sword of Faith). Each bearer will occasionally get strange feelings and intuitions as to where they are needed to be and what may need to happen. One Knight drives from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest United States on this feeling, and, as is typical, ends up being in the right place at the right time to do some major work. The Knights do not have to serve until their death and may retire at anytime. There have been many Knights who find the right blade in a time of their need, do the mission, and set it down. It should also be noted being a devote Catholic isn't a requisite. Only one of the known knights is such a person. Others have included a flat-earth atheist (who received his Sword personally from an Archangel) and a Japanese man who became a Baptist after misinterpreting what "Meet the King" meant. He wanted to meet Elvis.
** After Harry Dresden [[spoiler:redeemed the shadow of a Fallen Angel to the point she would take a psychic bullet for him]] ArchangelUriel takes a key interest in Harry, appearing before him, and, while never one to issue orders, isn't above steering Harry to be where he can do the most good, but won't compromise Harry's Freewill to get this done. Harry, taking some issue with this, decides he should be paid and intends to send Uriel a bill, but Harry isn't so arrogant as to send Him the bill.

* UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc: A medieval peasant girl called by {{God}} to lead the France to victory against England, which she did.

* ''Manga/KamikazeKaitouJeanne'' is all about this. [[spoiler: Too bad that the angel who was sent to help her has been brainwashed by the devil, so she will bring the caught demons to HIM instead of God! Turns out the suspicious black angel was actually her stand-in, rather than a bad guy.]]

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*** Throughout history, Akatosh (the [[DragonsAreDivine draconic]] God of Time and [[TopGod chief deity]] of the Divines pantheon]]) has empowered and sent those who are Dragonborn (mortals born with the immortal souls of [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]]) to serve as "[[HunterOfHisOwnKind natural predators]]" to the dragons. The most impactful was his sending the "last Dragonborn" in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' just in time to foil [[BeastOfTheApocalypse Alduin]]'s taking over the world.

* A remarkable case is that of the Quaker Mary Fisher, much persecuted in her native England and then in America for her beliefs, who walked 900 miles from Venice to Edirne to meet the Ottoman sultan Mehmet IV, believing that God wished her to carry a message to him. She was graciously received by the sultan, who listened to her respectfully and offered to take her back to Istanbul with him.

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*** A notable example is St. Veloth, the legendary [[OurElvesAreBetter Chimer]] mystic who led his people [[DefectorFromDecadence away from the decadence]] of the Summerset Isles [[TheMigration to their new homeland]] in Morrowind. The "Good" Daedra (Azura, Boethia, and Mephala) sent him visions to influence him to reject the Aedra. Boethiah even "ate" the Aedric being Trinimac and [[HijackingCthulhu took his form]] to convince Veloth to lead the exodus.

* Hong Xiuquan, a leader of the Taiping Rebellion in 19th Century China. He apparently suffered a nervous breakdown after failing the notoriously difficult Civil Service exams twice, and had a series of dreams/visions that convinced him that he was the brother of Jesus and was tasked with making China a Christian nation. He managed to take over a decent portion of southern China before his rebellion was quelled.

* In ''BlackkatsReverse'', Fuji treats helping Kurama, the Nine-tailed Fox who gave kitsune sentience as a divine mission to help her god. Since her appearance is a DeusExMachina in Kurama's favor, she's not wrong.

* Parodied in ''Literature/SoulMusic'':
--> Buddy: "They can't stop us. We're on a mission from Glod."

* Not all of the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' are religious in the personal sense, but it is an objective, provable fact that the powers that be chose them and their [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Companions]] to help the world. Usually their work is more about general do-gooding than fulfilling one definite goal, but the Herald Lavan Firestorm was empowered to play a [[HeroicSacrifice very specific role]] in a [[LaserGuidedKarma very specific place]]. [[spoiler:One wonders what the Karsites- who liked to burn innocent people alive- thought when they saw Lavan's flames rushing towards them...]]

** ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' is repeatedly parodied in ''Discworld/SoulMusic'', where the characters are "on a mission from Glod" (a dwarf), and they order "four whole fried rats and some coke"[[note]]an actual chunk of coal. Hey, a [[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] has to eat ''something''.[[/note]]
** Done more literally with the Great God Om in ''Discworld/SmallGods'' who, while trapped in the form of a one-eyed tortoise, went on a roadtrip with a minor acolyte from one of his temples. (From the back cover copy, "But what Brutha wants, really wants, is for his God to [[TheChosenOne Choose]] someone else...")
** Literature/{{Discworld}} looks at the whole Mission from God idea more seriously in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum,'' where Granny tells a young priest that she's better off unconverted because if she ever ''did'' gain faith in a god, the next thing she'd do would be to start a Holy War and/or Inquisition.
** Used in ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'', in which [[spoiler: Wazzer is given a mission by the country's Duchess (who is not technically a goddess but might as well be) to lead the nation's armies, much like Joan of Arc.]]

* Parodied in ''Discworld/SoulMusic'':

* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' that tells the story of Joan of Arc, when Joan calls upon God as witness during her trial.

* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' that tells the story of Joan of Arc, during Joan's trial.

* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' that tells the story of Joan of Arc. Joan (Lisa) is captured and put on trial by the English. She calls on God as a witness, who states that he did, in fact, tell her to lead the French to victory. An English/Scottish soldier (Groundskeeper Willie) stands up and claims that God told him to lead the English to victory over the French. God embarrassingly admits he never expected them to be in the same room together and quickly leaves.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Equalist leader Amon claims to be on a divine mission to supplant the Avatar and bring balance to the world by completely eliminating Bending. He seemingly proves this by demonstrating the ability to ''remove'' bending, which he claims was given to him by the spirits themselves. [[spoiler:He's lying. Amon himself is a bender, and the removal of bending he displays is an extension of his bloodbending capabilities.]]
** In the next season, Korra's uncle, Unalaq, is a deeply-spiritual person, and justifies many of his actions with wanting to respect and please the spirits. However, [[spoiler:considering the spirit he's attempting to respect and please is [[GodOfEvil the spirit of darkness and chaos]], and his mission involves wiping out humankind as the world is overrun by dark spirits, this is ''not'' a good thing.]]
* Parodied and deconstructed by the Joan of Arc segment of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Tales from the Public Domain."

* In ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Edge/Blade]]'', Sophitia is chosen by the Greek god Hephestus to serve as a holy warrior to seek out and destroy the evil Soul Edge, gifted with the holy Omega Sword to accomplish this. ''Soulcalbiur 1'' later reveals that she was one of multiple such holy warriors, with Aeon Calcos (later transformed into Lizardman) being another, wielding the Xi Sword.

* Likewise, [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] was originally on a mission from the gods of Olympus. It...didn't go so well.

* WonderWoman is on a mission from her gods to bring Amazonian peace to the Patriarch's world.

* The Creator/StephenKing novel ''Literature/{{Desperation}}'' is about a small child named David Carter being forced by God to destroy the evil entity Tak with the help of a group of strangers. Other characters point out how needlessly cruel it is for God to drag David out into the desert and get his family killed before asking him to do that.

->''"They're not gonna catch us. We're on a [[TropeNamer mission from God]]."''