Good morning brothers and sisters, I’d like to thank everyone for coming and listening to me speak. Today I have been asked to speak on missionary work and how to become a missionary.
The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all who follow Him (see Matthew 28:19–20; D&C 88:81 Luke 10:1). Members of the Lord's Church can, by the goodness of their lives and the strength of their testimonies, share the gospel message and help prepare family members for a full time mission.
Wow looks like I have more time to fill than I expected . . . I guess at this time I would like to ask a few of my family members who have touched my life to come up and share their testimonies about how the gospel has impacted their lives. Id like to invite my aunt Bonnie, my aunt Tami, and my sister Kasaundra…..
I’m just kidding, I love my family too much to do this to them…and I need their support during my mission with letters and packages and not have them mad at me.
Now that I have everyone's attention, I would like to start by reading a great missionary scripture:
Doctrine and Covenants 4 -
1. Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3. Therefore, if ye have a desire to serve God ye are called to the work;
4. For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
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.
I like the way this section points the importance of qualifications and calling of missionary work, so I would like to point out some of the verses that impressed me during my preparation in serving to the people in Moscow Russia.
Verse 2 – it asks us that we serve God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength, that we may stand blameless before God at the last day.
It further tells us in verse 3 that if we have desire to serve God, we are called to the work.
All we need to have is the desire to serve God…and he will call us to serve him.
Verse 4 lets us know that the Field is White already to harvest…that means that people are waiting to have their door knocked on and listen to the gospel.
I feel this is not just for the current time, but for everyone that is thinking about serving a mission in the future. As our prophets have said…"every worthy young man should serve a mission"… so they can find the people the Lords has prepared to accept the gospel.
I’m really excited to be called to the Moscow Russia Mission and to learn the Russian language. So far I don’t know a single word in Russian, but looking forward to the MTC. I think the toughest thing on my mission will be the three months I will spend at the MTC, but I know it is not impossible.
As we all know, Russia is a great Country and has gone through some significant changes politically and spiritually. The Church has not been recognized in Russia since their official acceptance in 1991. Even though Joseph Smith has sent the first Missionaries to Russia in the early 1800s, it took another hundred years to fully allow the Church to enter and have Missionaries conduct daily prosliting in varies cities.
Missionary work is the bases of our church and we are the only church that has young men and women spend two years of their lives in the service of God throughout the four corners of the world.
Missionaries are asked to enter the MTC and learn a foreign language within weeks. The learning program in the MTC is so successful, that the Military has sent teachers to Provo and see what methods are being used to teach the young men and women languages in such a short time. The military teachers were truly impressed but did not fully understand that not the methods of teaching languages are the key, but rather the Spirit and the Gift of Tongues are the bases of learning at the MTC.
I found a short story about a Missionary Recruit and his language abilities that I would like to share with you…
A new missionary went to Venezuela for the first time. He was struggling with the language and didn’t understand a whole lot of what was going on. Arriving late to one of the local churches, the only seat open was the one on the front row. so as not to make a fool of himself, this missionary decided to pick someone out of the crowd to imitate. he chose to follow the man sitting next to him on the front row. as they sang the missionary tried to follow along. when the man sat down, he sat down. when the man took the cup and bread, he took the cup and bread. during the talks, the missionary didn’t understand a thing. he just sat there and tried to look just like that man in the front row. then he perceived that the bishop was giving announcements. The bishop said some words the he didn’t understand and he saw the man next to him stand up. so he stood up too. suddenly a hush fell over the congregation. and a few people gasped. he looked around and saw that nobody else was standing, so he sat down. after the service ended, the bishop stood at the door shaking the hands of those who were leaving. when the missionary stretched out his hand the greet the bishop, the bishop said in english, "I take it you don’t speak spanish" The missionary replied "no I don’t. is it that obvious?" " well yes," said the preacher "I announced that the acosta family had a newborn baby boy and would the proud father please stand up"
There is nothing wrong with imitating godly men and women, but we need to be careful who we imitate. the apostle paul was careful to limit those who sought to follow him. Paul said to the people "imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." we need to follow the example of those you know who are living godly lives, but be sure to keep one eye on christ as the ultimate standard. otherwise , you may find yourself standing when you ought to be sitting.
Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk about Becoming a Missionary in which he elaborated on the important Principle of "Becoming"…I would like to take his thoughts and share them with you…
The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain ‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ’ This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. …
“… It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become”
The challenge to become applies precisely and perfectly to missionary preparation. Obviously, the process of becoming a missionary does not require a young man to wear a white shirt and tie to school every day or to follow the missionary guidelines for going to bed and getting up. But you can increase in your desire to serve God and you can begin to think as missionaries think, to read what missionaries read, to pray as missionaries pray, and to feel what missionaries feel. You can avoid the worldly influences that cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw, and you can grow in confidence in recognizing and responding to spiritual promptings. Line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, you can gradually become the missionary you hope to be and the missionary the Savior expects.
You will not suddenly or magically be transformed into a prepared and obedient missionary on the day you walk through the front door of the Missionary Training Center. What you have become in the days and months and years prior to your missionary service is what you will be in the MTC. In fact, the nature of the transition through which you will pass in the MTC will be a strong indicator of your progress in becoming a missionary.
As you enter the MTC, you obviously will miss your family, and many aspects of your daily schedule will be new and challenging. But for a young man well on his way to becoming a missionary, the basic adjustment to the missionary lifestyle will not be overwhelming, burdensome, or constraining. Thus, a key element of raising the bar includes working to become a missionary before going on a mission.
I believe that our mission call is directed from God. It does not mean that someone is more worthy than others if they receive a mission call to a foreign country or not…the important thing to remember is that we are called to serve where we are supposed to be. People in that part of the world are waiting for those individuals to knock on their door.
My dad told me a story of his mission that I would like to share with you, because it showed me that where ever my call was, that is the place I needed to go…
My dad lived in Missouri at the time and just completed his first semester at Missouri Valley College where he had a full ride scholarship to play football. He sent his mission paper in and received his call to the California Anaheim Mission. After only three weeks in the MTC, he arrived in Anaheim and met up with his new Companion, who was from England. During his first couple month in the mission field, they encountered a lot of ani- Mormonism but one day after church, they had a meeting with an excommunicated member, who was a Native American that wanted his wife to hear the gospel.
My dad and his companion entered the apartment and sat down. Soon after the meeting started, the Native American looked at my dad and told him that he saw him in a dream not too long ago…and also his companion. He further explained that he was excommunicated some years ago and has been trying to come back to the church…and now that he has seen us after his dream, he knows that he soon will be baptized again.
After about an hour, my dad and his companion left and shortly thereafter, my dad was transferred to a new area. About another month passed and my dad had the feeling to call that family to see how they are doing. Once he got a hold of the family, the husband asked why my dad was calling today…not knowing why, my dad told him that he just wanted to see how he was doing. The Man on the other line of the phone told him that he did not expect a phone call but he was glad that my dad called because he was just baptized earlier that day.
This just showed me that no matter where we serve the Lord, it is where we need to be.
In close, I would like to read a poem about baptism which meant a lot to me.
From amidst the mass of human life,
comes those who desire truth,
searching, searching, in hopes of a fuller light and truth.
the skies grow dark and gloom draws in,
but there rises a light in the mist.
which comes in twos and white shirts and shoes with a pair of scripture in fist.
a searching soul with high ideals,
desires their joy and zeal.
invites them in,
which may feel a sin,
and heeds the guidance they share from within.
Restoration and progression,
very small seed,
the testimony begins to bloom.
though faced with setbacks and test of strength,
the truth takes all the room.
the decision is made,
the baptism is laid,
and happiness in the air.
for the gate is opened and the soul steps in,
to the happiness of those that are there.
Christ set the example that we must follow
and the truth of his humble way.
that we may fulfill our calling he gave to return to him someday.
Now, I wish that I could give you an attempt of how a Russian Testimony sounds like, but I won't even attempt. I'm sorry…I will start learning all that in just a few days.
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But I want you to know that I'm excited to be called to serve a mission and I'm sure that this call was given to me for some special reason.
I know for the Gospel to be true and look forward in teaching the basic principles to the people in Moscow.
And I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ….Amen
