Elder Joseph Wallace Hogge
MTC Mailbox # 88
JPN-HIR 1210
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604-1793
His estimated date of departure to Japan is December 10.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Joey and President Williams
President Jack Williams set Joey apart as a missionary on Sunday, September 23, 2007, at the Elk Grove Stake Center.
Joey's Talk on Obedience (Farewell Talk)
Obedience Talk
9/23/07
“It is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determines whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.”
~ Elder Bednar
Obedience is that important. What would be the point of having commandments if there is no call to obey them? In fact, we have been given revelation that this call to obedience is part of the first law God established before this world existed.
D&C 130:20 “There is a…blessings are predicated”
The Lord has shown us that law.
D&C 82:10 “I, the Lord…have no promise”
So even before the world was, before man inhabited this mortal state, our Heavenly Father established this agreement with us, as His spirit children. If we do the things that He asks, he promises to bless us. We saw how wonderful our Heavenly parents were, and we as spirit children wanted to become like them. So as part of this promise, when we are obedient, He blesses us by helping us become more like them. The law of obedience was even in effect during the Great War in heaven.
We were given the first chance to use our agency when there arose a division in heaven. Heavenly Father had taught us His plan for our salvation, and there was a disagreement on how that plan would be fulfilled. On one side, Jesus Christ agreed to be the Redeemer and fulfill God’s plan unaltered, with all the glory returning back to God. On the other hand, Satan offered salvation to all, regardless of deed, with all the glory going to Satan. We could either follow God’s plan, or we could follow Lucifer. Those who were obedient to God were blessed, because the Lord is bound to bless us when we do what He says. That blessing was a mortal body. And that mortal body was progress towards becoming like Him.
There are many other instances in which the Lord has given commandments with specific blessings attached.
Even in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Lord gives qualifiers to provide incentive for us to follow. We are commanded to “Honor thy father and thy mother.” If we do as Heavenly Father commands, He will bless us, “that thy days may be long upon the land.” By doing a simple thing like honoring our parents, the Lord gives us even more blessings than the work it takes for us to follow the commandment. So it is with many other commandments.
D&C 10:5 Pray always
If we exercise the gift of prayer properly and often as we are commanded to, we are promised to have personal revelation that we may know in our hearts and minds if things we sincerely ask about are true.
Moroni 10:4-5 Sincere heart + real intent + faith in Christ = know truth by HG
All we have to do is pray, but we feel the truth of all things. That is the fundamental basis of our religion. Each of us must pray to know. Whether it be the Restoration, tithing, or the Atonement, we may know the truth of anything. Heavenly Father does not expect us to have blind obedience.
President, then Elder, Spencer W. Kimball revealed this concept wonderfully in his 1954 October Conference address:
“When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience.”
If we struggle to understand the rules we have been given, we must ask our Heavenly Father in humble prayer for a witness that we may know that these commandments and rules are really from Him and really for us. The spirit will direct our feelings. We will know through the spirit of personal revelation: through both our hearts and our minds. It will make sense in our minds, and we will want to follow it in our hearts. This gift of personal revelation works in many cases.
If we are all spiritually in tune to the Lord, each of us will receive specific revelation to fit our needs. However, truth is truth, regardless of person, so when each of us move toward the real truth, we move closer to one another. By drawing upon that One Source, we become one as a people. We are one when we all listen for and heed our personal revelations from God. And when we finally feel unified as a people, we will be strengthened even further by our Lord. For He spoke: “if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” By obeying the direction to seek out personal revelation for ourselves, we start to understand and obey the direction to become one as a people. Obedience leads to progress. Obedience means becoming one as a people.
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi gave a story during his recent conference address regarding obedience.
“A few years ago I received the assignment to reorganize the Carey Idaho Stake. The plane landed at Twin Falls, and President Roy Hubert, who had served so well, met me there and drove me to his home. While we were driving, I asked him, "Is there anything I can do for you and your Saints?"
He said: "Oh, we have had a terrible drought for the last few years. This year it is particularly severe, and many farmers have left town to find employment elsewhere."
I was so disturbed for our faithful members who love the Lord and the Church yet were losing their farms.
A young bishop, R. Spence Ellsworth, was called to serve as the new stake president. During the Sunday general session, results of the drought weighed heavily on my mind. As I was speaking, a strong prompting came. I asked them to do the following:
1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.
For the next couple of days following the stake conference, many members planted their crops with complete faith, even though there was no forecast of rain.
On Wednesday, under the direction of President Ellsworth, the whole stake fasted. That same week many members, the leaders, and their spouses went to the Boise Idaho Temple and offered their thanksgiving. While these faithful Saints were in the temple, rain began to fall on the entire community, though the weather forecast indicated no moisture for the next few weeks. The following Saturday, good rain fell again and continued for a few days. This happened late in the month of April. Significant snow fell in the mountains, providing enough moisture. In the Dietrich and Richfield communities, their reservoir had been under 30 percent, but after the people fasted, the reservoir was nearly full. The Carey water supply increased from about 44 percent to more than 100 percent of normal. Through the rest of the growing season, as members of the Carey Stake increased their faith by fasting a few more times, paying honest tithes, and attending the temple more frequently, the Lord heard and answered their prayers. Frost came late that year, so the farmers were able to harvest grain, sugar beets, alfalfa, potatoes, and other crops. From that day, and each year since, they have offered their thanksgiving prayers, and "because of . . . his tender mercies,"7 the Lord continues to bless them.
In the book of Chronicles, the Lord said, "If my people, . . . called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."8”
The obedience of the people under the direction of Elder Kikuchi, who was lead by the spirit, provides a stunning example of the blessings we can receive.
We are commanded to “feast upon the words of Christ:” the standard works of the church including the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ. As we study these sacred texts, we can more fully understand and get to know our savior Jesus Christ. It is in him that we receive a remission of our sins. We need to search out and glorify in Christ’s words. In the Book of Mormon, we have an amazing record of God’s revelations to the people of the Americas. Why not use it? We will grow closer to God.
Sometimes, it may seem that we have far too many commandments and guidelines to obey all at once. Surely, having only a strict way of living must bind you down. The way may be narrow, and the path may be straight, but Christ himself promises:
John 8:31-32 “If we continue in His word, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.”
True freedom ONLY comes from following Him. Freedom is the feeling of not being bound by the consequences of bad choices. Freedom is being allowed to grow and progress without an upward limit. When we are obedient to His laws, the consequences give us more freedom to exercise our agency. When we do not follow His laws, we become trapped by the consequences of our poor choices.
When we earnestly strive to obey, the Lord will guide us, even if we do not understand how. Nephi understood this principle, for he said
1 Nephi 3:7
Brothers and sisters, obedience is everything. It is everything we do. It is our love for Heavenly Father. It is our love for Jesus Christ. Obedience is all about love. The pure love of Christ is charity, because serving others will bring us more in tune to each others’ needs. When we are able to understand and care for one another, we become of one heart and one mind, for we will desire the best for each other. When we love each other, it shows God that we love Him. When we are one with our brothers and sisters, we will be unified in our goals. We will all want to do as our Heavenly Father wants us.
Our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ both love us. They want to show us their love. It is called the Atonement. They offer it with open arms. We have to try our hardest to do what they ask of us. They give us commandments so we can become more like them.
I know that these things are true. I have prayed about them. I have received a witness in both my heart and my mind. I love all my brothers and sisters. I am excited to be able to serve the Lord full time. I will miss you all, but the time for work is at hand! I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
9/23/07
“It is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determines whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.”
~ Elder Bednar
Obedience is that important. What would be the point of having commandments if there is no call to obey them? In fact, we have been given revelation that this call to obedience is part of the first law God established before this world existed.
D&C 130:20 “There is a…blessings are predicated”
The Lord has shown us that law.
D&C 82:10 “I, the Lord…have no promise”
So even before the world was, before man inhabited this mortal state, our Heavenly Father established this agreement with us, as His spirit children. If we do the things that He asks, he promises to bless us. We saw how wonderful our Heavenly parents were, and we as spirit children wanted to become like them. So as part of this promise, when we are obedient, He blesses us by helping us become more like them. The law of obedience was even in effect during the Great War in heaven.
We were given the first chance to use our agency when there arose a division in heaven. Heavenly Father had taught us His plan for our salvation, and there was a disagreement on how that plan would be fulfilled. On one side, Jesus Christ agreed to be the Redeemer and fulfill God’s plan unaltered, with all the glory returning back to God. On the other hand, Satan offered salvation to all, regardless of deed, with all the glory going to Satan. We could either follow God’s plan, or we could follow Lucifer. Those who were obedient to God were blessed, because the Lord is bound to bless us when we do what He says. That blessing was a mortal body. And that mortal body was progress towards becoming like Him.
There are many other instances in which the Lord has given commandments with specific blessings attached.
Even in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Lord gives qualifiers to provide incentive for us to follow. We are commanded to “Honor thy father and thy mother.” If we do as Heavenly Father commands, He will bless us, “that thy days may be long upon the land.” By doing a simple thing like honoring our parents, the Lord gives us even more blessings than the work it takes for us to follow the commandment. So it is with many other commandments.
D&C 10:5 Pray always
If we exercise the gift of prayer properly and often as we are commanded to, we are promised to have personal revelation that we may know in our hearts and minds if things we sincerely ask about are true.
Moroni 10:4-5 Sincere heart + real intent + faith in Christ = know truth by HG
All we have to do is pray, but we feel the truth of all things. That is the fundamental basis of our religion. Each of us must pray to know. Whether it be the Restoration, tithing, or the Atonement, we may know the truth of anything. Heavenly Father does not expect us to have blind obedience.
President, then Elder, Spencer W. Kimball revealed this concept wonderfully in his 1954 October Conference address:
“When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience.”
If we struggle to understand the rules we have been given, we must ask our Heavenly Father in humble prayer for a witness that we may know that these commandments and rules are really from Him and really for us. The spirit will direct our feelings. We will know through the spirit of personal revelation: through both our hearts and our minds. It will make sense in our minds, and we will want to follow it in our hearts. This gift of personal revelation works in many cases.
If we are all spiritually in tune to the Lord, each of us will receive specific revelation to fit our needs. However, truth is truth, regardless of person, so when each of us move toward the real truth, we move closer to one another. By drawing upon that One Source, we become one as a people. We are one when we all listen for and heed our personal revelations from God. And when we finally feel unified as a people, we will be strengthened even further by our Lord. For He spoke: “if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” By obeying the direction to seek out personal revelation for ourselves, we start to understand and obey the direction to become one as a people. Obedience leads to progress. Obedience means becoming one as a people.
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi gave a story during his recent conference address regarding obedience.
“A few years ago I received the assignment to reorganize the Carey Idaho Stake. The plane landed at Twin Falls, and President Roy Hubert, who had served so well, met me there and drove me to his home. While we were driving, I asked him, "Is there anything I can do for you and your Saints?"
He said: "Oh, we have had a terrible drought for the last few years. This year it is particularly severe, and many farmers have left town to find employment elsewhere."
I was so disturbed for our faithful members who love the Lord and the Church yet were losing their farms.
A young bishop, R. Spence Ellsworth, was called to serve as the new stake president. During the Sunday general session, results of the drought weighed heavily on my mind. As I was speaking, a strong prompting came. I asked them to do the following:
1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.
For the next couple of days following the stake conference, many members planted their crops with complete faith, even though there was no forecast of rain.
On Wednesday, under the direction of President Ellsworth, the whole stake fasted. That same week many members, the leaders, and their spouses went to the Boise Idaho Temple and offered their thanksgiving. While these faithful Saints were in the temple, rain began to fall on the entire community, though the weather forecast indicated no moisture for the next few weeks. The following Saturday, good rain fell again and continued for a few days. This happened late in the month of April. Significant snow fell in the mountains, providing enough moisture. In the Dietrich and Richfield communities, their reservoir had been under 30 percent, but after the people fasted, the reservoir was nearly full. The Carey water supply increased from about 44 percent to more than 100 percent of normal. Through the rest of the growing season, as members of the Carey Stake increased their faith by fasting a few more times, paying honest tithes, and attending the temple more frequently, the Lord heard and answered their prayers. Frost came late that year, so the farmers were able to harvest grain, sugar beets, alfalfa, potatoes, and other crops. From that day, and each year since, they have offered their thanksgiving prayers, and "because of . . . his tender mercies,"7 the Lord continues to bless them.
In the book of Chronicles, the Lord said, "If my people, . . . called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."8”
The obedience of the people under the direction of Elder Kikuchi, who was lead by the spirit, provides a stunning example of the blessings we can receive.
We are commanded to “feast upon the words of Christ:” the standard works of the church including the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ. As we study these sacred texts, we can more fully understand and get to know our savior Jesus Christ. It is in him that we receive a remission of our sins. We need to search out and glorify in Christ’s words. In the Book of Mormon, we have an amazing record of God’s revelations to the people of the Americas. Why not use it? We will grow closer to God.
Sometimes, it may seem that we have far too many commandments and guidelines to obey all at once. Surely, having only a strict way of living must bind you down. The way may be narrow, and the path may be straight, but Christ himself promises:
John 8:31-32 “If we continue in His word, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.”
True freedom ONLY comes from following Him. Freedom is the feeling of not being bound by the consequences of bad choices. Freedom is being allowed to grow and progress without an upward limit. When we are obedient to His laws, the consequences give us more freedom to exercise our agency. When we do not follow His laws, we become trapped by the consequences of our poor choices.
When we earnestly strive to obey, the Lord will guide us, even if we do not understand how. Nephi understood this principle, for he said
1 Nephi 3:7
Brothers and sisters, obedience is everything. It is everything we do. It is our love for Heavenly Father. It is our love for Jesus Christ. Obedience is all about love. The pure love of Christ is charity, because serving others will bring us more in tune to each others’ needs. When we are able to understand and care for one another, we become of one heart and one mind, for we will desire the best for each other. When we love each other, it shows God that we love Him. When we are one with our brothers and sisters, we will be unified in our goals. We will all want to do as our Heavenly Father wants us.
Our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ both love us. They want to show us their love. It is called the Atonement. They offer it with open arms. We have to try our hardest to do what they ask of us. They give us commandments so we can become more like them.
I know that these things are true. I have prayed about them. I have received a witness in both my heart and my mind. I love all my brothers and sisters. I am excited to be able to serve the Lord full time. I will miss you all, but the time for work is at hand! I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Joey's Talk on Missionary Work
Missionary Talk
Calvine Ward
8/12/07
“The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission”
~ David A. Bednar, Oct 2005 Conference
When I heard Elder Bednar give this talk, I was watching the General Priesthood Session in the Marriott Center with my dad and brother. This particular statement really grabbed my attention – I thought that there had always been some magical transformation in young men when they crossed the double doors of the MTC. Once a 19 year old guy crosses the threshold into the MTC, he straightens his posture, fixes his hair into a perfect part, and just knows the gospel like the back of his hand. But when Elder Bednar gave this statement, it was the first time I really understood that none of this is true! If I did nothing in the little time I had, I was going to be called to serve a mission without doing the “single most important thing…to prepare” – become a missionary. From then on, I made it a goal to prepare by becoming a missionary before the mission. This really taught me a lesson about the importance of paying attention in General Conference, especially the priesthood meeting.
It certainly makes sense that in order to share the gospel, it is necessary to know what “the gospel” is and to have a testimony of it. The scripture 3 Nephi 27:13-21 gives eight principles that we believe in: the Atonement, the Resurrection, Judgment, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We need to truly understand and gain a firm testimony of each of these principles individually.
As Elder Bednar put it, “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.”
A deep understanding and belief in the Atonement will result in a desire to share the gospel.
Howard W. Hunter asked: “What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others…A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others”
~ Howard W. Hunter, June 1994
Perhaps the best example of becoming that we have in the scriptures is the story of Alma the Younger. Alma and the sons of Mosiah were visited by an angel of the Lord after they had sought to destroy the church. And in Alma chapter 36, Alma gives his account:
Verses 7 - 21
The sorrow and torment Alma felt as a result of his sins weighed upon him so heavily that he wanted to become extinct, to cease to exist, so that he would not have to suffer the shame in coming face to face with our God. However, when Alma was at the peak of his agony, he remembered and called out for Jesus Christ to have mercy on him. Not only was Alma relieved of the pain of sin, he was given joy and the light of the Atonement to exceed the intensity of his pain. In this moment, Alma became a man of God. He could not keep himself from sharing the gospel for the rest of his life.
As Alma the Younger was converted to the Lord through his acceptance of the Atonement, so must we all be converted so that we may receive that deep desire to serve the Lord through missionary work.
If we are truly converted, we will jump at the chance to share the gospel. I have felt shy about the gospel, spending much of my time wondering what people would think, should I invite them to church, or hand them a church pamphlet. However, I have found that one of the most inspiring ways to break through the ice is to get in touch with the missionaries. If opportunity allows, offer to drive them to their appointments, or to go tracting with them. If not, I am sure they would certainly appreciate a dinner! If we spend more time with the missionaries, we can comprehend what it means to become a missionary.
Many missionaries I have spoken with admit that they did not study Preach My Gospel as thoroughly as they should have prior to entering the mission field. It is truly inspired writing. Studying it regularly has helped bring the spirit closer in my life, and has really comforted me in times of need. May it be a goal for all of us as member missionaries to study this excellent resource.
Similarly, the March 2007 edition of the New Era answers many questions about the mission. It explains what to expect in the MTC, and goes over a day in the life of a missionary. It gives advice and encouraging counsel. It shares stories about the hard work and determination required. It even offers a mental and physical fitness regimen. It truly inspires to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
In all of the excitement for preparing to serve a mission, we often overlook going through the temple to receive endowments. It is important for us to remember that, as Brigham Young taught, “the endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” Very plainly, the ordinances and covenants we make in the temple are absolutely essential for our salvation. Many times, the excitement of serving a two-year mission overshadows the more important temple ordinances. Those ordinances are essential to our salvation regardless of whether we also serve a mission. It is important and helpful to remember the preeminence of the temple over missions. The temple is so sacred and dear to me. I have had the opportunity to go and have felt the strength and Spirit that is felt and enjoyed by a temple attending people.
As a teenager preparing to serve a mission, I may not put on the white shirt and tie everyday, but, as D&C 4:3 states, I can increase in my desire to serve God.
Elder Bednar gave this beautiful counsel: “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.”
Brothers and sisters, missionary work is the Lord’s work. I know that if we honestly strive to open our mouths and express our joy in knowing the gospel, we will become what the Lord wants us to become. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Calvine Ward
8/12/07
“The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission”
~ David A. Bednar, Oct 2005 Conference
When I heard Elder Bednar give this talk, I was watching the General Priesthood Session in the Marriott Center with my dad and brother. This particular statement really grabbed my attention – I thought that there had always been some magical transformation in young men when they crossed the double doors of the MTC. Once a 19 year old guy crosses the threshold into the MTC, he straightens his posture, fixes his hair into a perfect part, and just knows the gospel like the back of his hand. But when Elder Bednar gave this statement, it was the first time I really understood that none of this is true! If I did nothing in the little time I had, I was going to be called to serve a mission without doing the “single most important thing…to prepare” – become a missionary. From then on, I made it a goal to prepare by becoming a missionary before the mission. This really taught me a lesson about the importance of paying attention in General Conference, especially the priesthood meeting.
It certainly makes sense that in order to share the gospel, it is necessary to know what “the gospel” is and to have a testimony of it. The scripture 3 Nephi 27:13-21 gives eight principles that we believe in: the Atonement, the Resurrection, Judgment, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We need to truly understand and gain a firm testimony of each of these principles individually.
As Elder Bednar put it, “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.”
A deep understanding and belief in the Atonement will result in a desire to share the gospel.
Howard W. Hunter asked: “What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others…A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others”
~ Howard W. Hunter, June 1994
Perhaps the best example of becoming that we have in the scriptures is the story of Alma the Younger. Alma and the sons of Mosiah were visited by an angel of the Lord after they had sought to destroy the church. And in Alma chapter 36, Alma gives his account:
Verses 7 - 21
The sorrow and torment Alma felt as a result of his sins weighed upon him so heavily that he wanted to become extinct, to cease to exist, so that he would not have to suffer the shame in coming face to face with our God. However, when Alma was at the peak of his agony, he remembered and called out for Jesus Christ to have mercy on him. Not only was Alma relieved of the pain of sin, he was given joy and the light of the Atonement to exceed the intensity of his pain. In this moment, Alma became a man of God. He could not keep himself from sharing the gospel for the rest of his life.
As Alma the Younger was converted to the Lord through his acceptance of the Atonement, so must we all be converted so that we may receive that deep desire to serve the Lord through missionary work.
If we are truly converted, we will jump at the chance to share the gospel. I have felt shy about the gospel, spending much of my time wondering what people would think, should I invite them to church, or hand them a church pamphlet. However, I have found that one of the most inspiring ways to break through the ice is to get in touch with the missionaries. If opportunity allows, offer to drive them to their appointments, or to go tracting with them. If not, I am sure they would certainly appreciate a dinner! If we spend more time with the missionaries, we can comprehend what it means to become a missionary.
Many missionaries I have spoken with admit that they did not study Preach My Gospel as thoroughly as they should have prior to entering the mission field. It is truly inspired writing. Studying it regularly has helped bring the spirit closer in my life, and has really comforted me in times of need. May it be a goal for all of us as member missionaries to study this excellent resource.
Similarly, the March 2007 edition of the New Era answers many questions about the mission. It explains what to expect in the MTC, and goes over a day in the life of a missionary. It gives advice and encouraging counsel. It shares stories about the hard work and determination required. It even offers a mental and physical fitness regimen. It truly inspires to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
In all of the excitement for preparing to serve a mission, we often overlook going through the temple to receive endowments. It is important for us to remember that, as Brigham Young taught, “the endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” Very plainly, the ordinances and covenants we make in the temple are absolutely essential for our salvation. Many times, the excitement of serving a two-year mission overshadows the more important temple ordinances. Those ordinances are essential to our salvation regardless of whether we also serve a mission. It is important and helpful to remember the preeminence of the temple over missions. The temple is so sacred and dear to me. I have had the opportunity to go and have felt the strength and Spirit that is felt and enjoyed by a temple attending people.
As a teenager preparing to serve a mission, I may not put on the white shirt and tie everyday, but, as D&C 4:3 states, I can increase in my desire to serve God.
Elder Bednar gave this beautiful counsel: “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.”
Brothers and sisters, missionary work is the Lord’s work. I know that if we honestly strive to open our mouths and express our joy in knowing the gospel, we will become what the Lord wants us to become. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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