This week, I have been putting a lot of thought into prayer (and a lot of prayer into prayer as well–haha!). This began from realizing that the mark of a powerful missionary does not stem from ability, but from faith, and faith is manifested and strengthened when we rely fully on the Lord. Continue reading
We are the Armies of Helaman: The Bringing Forth of Member Missionary Work
Last night, the World-wide Leadership Conference for The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the dawning of a new age of missionary work. Continue reading
The Mission Training Center: A Matter of Expectations
Going into the MTC, I had mixed emotions. Yes, I was excited to be serving as a missionary. No, I was not excited to spend a week in Utah preparing to do so. JUST GET ME OUT IN THE FIELD! Right? Continue reading
Farewell and Testimony
Hello All!
Tonight, I will be set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to be serving in Columbus Ohio. While I’m gone, I will continue to send content to my brother about things I’ve learned regarding mission preparation (things I should of done, things that worked well, ect), and he’ll post the blogs for me.
I could not be more excited to serve, and I thought that before I left, I would take a moment to share a brief testimony with all of you.
Alma 29 as a Guide to Missionary Work
Lately, I’ve been pondering on the passage of scripture that comes from Alma 29. Here, one of the great missionary examples that we have from the Book of Mormon, is earnestly desiring to share the gospel with those around him. He says:
Oh that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me…
Oh that I were an angel!
To me, this passage has always been a funny one. Not in a “haha” sense, but in a “that’s weird–what could possibly be wrong with Alma wanting to do more?” sense. After all, if we truly love the gospel and our fellow men, shouldn’t we want to share this with every one around us–nay, with all the earth? Of course! So what does Alma mean by “[I] do sin in my wish”? The more I think about this, the more I realize that this is not a chastisement of Alma for wanting to do something good, but rather a reminder that Alma, and we as missionaries ourselves, should not forget the many something goods that we already do have.
Guest Writer: The Lady Lena on Missionary Fashion
Hello Sister Mission Prep Readers!
I’m Lena from The Lady Lena here to share some fashion tips to keep you lookin’ fresh on your mission.
Our lovely fashion expert for the day–The Lady Lena. For more information on here, check out her blog: theladylena.wordpress.com
I often hear from girls who are worried about shopping for clothes for their missions. Today I’m going to answer your most common clothing questions!
Keys to Communicating Effectively as Missionaries: The Holy Ghost
The last key to communication that I would like to address is a crucial one in the success of a missionary. In order for any sister missionary (or any missionary period) to effectively share the message of the gospel with those she teaches, she must teach with the spirit.
Last weekend, Elder D. Todd Christofferson (apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) came to visit my home stake for a special stake conference. Of course, I was very excited to have the opportunity to hear the words of an apostle, and to see him in person. Because my dad is in the stake presidency here, I was also privileged enough to be able to meet him as well!
Elder Christofferson visiting our stake conference!
Keys to Communicating Effectively as Missionaries: Love
One of the most important elements to successful communicating as a missionary is an unconventional one: love. Still, this should not come as a shock, for when asked what is the greatest commandment (and therefore the most essential thing we can be doing as people and as missionaries), the Lord answered his apostles:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it. Though shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Having genuine love and compassion for those you teach shows your true devotion as a disciple of Christ.
Keys to Communicating Effectively as a Missionary: Trust
Another element of good communication commonly brought up by the missionaries is that of trust.
One elder suggested that establishing trust is crucial–beginning with the first impression! Because the first impression may be the only impression for many who meet the missionaries, it is crucial to develop that trust immediately. Preach My Gospel has some helpful feedback on how to make these first impressions go well:
Keys to Communicating Effectively as a Missionary: Good Listening
For the next series of blog posts, I wanted to learn more about the communication skills necessary to be a successful missionary. Who better to ask than some current LDS missionaries? As I’ve talked to my missionary friends–in the MTC, in the field, or recently returned–I’ve been taking notes. Not surprisingly, the missionaries all agreed that good communication is crucial to successfully sharing the gospel with others and bringing them closer to God. However, the elements they emphasized as being key in good communication varied from missionary to missionary. Those qualities which tended to resurface over and over are those which I’ll be sharing. And today’s is good listening.
When it comes to communicating effectively with others, the listening is more important than the actual speaking.
Called to Serve: Mission Prep for LDS Sisters 