prospective missionary devotional jordan willows stake february 26, 2014

Prospective Missionary Devotional

Jordan Willows StakeFebruary 26, 2014

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Agenda

1. Temporal and Spiritual Preparation• Requirements, Worthiness, Finances• Physical, Mental, and Emotional Prep

2. The Mission Call Process• Paperwork and Interviews with Priesthood Leaders• Receiving the Call by God through Living Prophets

3. Getting Ready to Go• Going to the Temple, Speaking in sacrament• Rules, The MTC, and Adjusting to Missionary Life

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Scriptural Qualificationsfor Missionary Work

D&C Section 41. 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 desires 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. Amen.Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/4?lang=eng

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Requirements to Serve a Mission

• Spiritual Requirements• Testimony of restored gospel of Jesus Christ • Be worthy• Receive the Temple Endowment

• and Melchizedek Priesthood for young men

• Temporal Requirements• Age 18 for YM. Age 19 for YW.• Priesthood leaders verify that you are

prepared• Physically, Financially, Mentally and Emotionally

• Let’s discuss more details on each of these

Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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Basic Doctrines• Three of the first things you will teach investigators:

• The Godhead• Joseph Smith and Living Prophets• The Book of Mormon

• It is vital that you study these doctrines and gain your own testimony of their truthfulness


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The Godhead: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost

• Joseph Smith taught that in order to exercise faith in God one must have “a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes.”• See Lectures on Faith

• God the Father• Father of our spirits. Perfect. Merciful. Kind.

• Jesus Christ• Savior. Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.

Sinless life. Performed the infinite Atonement.

• The Holy Ghost• The Comforter. Testifies of truth. Bears witness of

God.

Additional Scriptures1 Nephi 17:36 2 Nephi 9:6 Mosiah 4:9 3 Nephi 12:48 3 Nephi 14:9–11 3 Nephi 27:13–22 D&C 38:1–3 D&C 130:22 Moses 1:39 Matthew 5:48 John 3:16–17Acts 17:27–29Romans 8:16Hebrews 12:91 John 4:7–9


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Joseph Smith and Living Prophets

• 1820. Joseph Smith’s First Vision• God the Father and Jesus Christ appear (JS-H 1:15-

20)

• 1827. Joseph received the gold plates and began translating the Book of Mormon

• 1829. Aaronic Priesthood restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by John the Baptist • Melchizedek Priesthood was also restored by the

Apostles Peter, James, and John

• 1830. The Church was organized• “The only true and living church upon the face of

the whole earth” (D&C 1:30)

• The President of the Church is our living prophet• Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are

also prophets, seers, and revelators (see D&C 1:38)Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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The Book of Mormon• Is powerful evidence of the divinity of Jesus Christ• Is proof that Joseph Smith was a true prophet• Is an essential part of the conversion process• Is a missionary’s main source for teaching the gospelPresident Ezra Taft Benson said, “If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation” (A Witness and a Warning, 4–5).


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What it Means to be Worthy to Serve a Mission

• Believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost

• Have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel

• Sustain the President of the Church and the Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators

• Be honest in all you say and do• Attend Church meetings• Live the law of chastity• Be a full-tithe payer• Keep the Word of Wisdom• Resolved serious sins with priesthood

authoritiesTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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The Law of Chastity“Satan has led many people to believe that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is acceptable. But in God’s sight, it is a serious sin…The prophet Alma taught that sexual sins are more serious than any other sins except murder and denying the Holy Ghost (Alma 39:3–5)…Heavenly Father has given us the law of chastity for our protection. Obedience to this law is essential to personal peace and strength of character and to happiness in the home. As you keep yourself sexually pure, you will avoid the spiritual and emotional damage that always come from sharing physical intimacies with someone outside of marriage.” (True to the Faith, p. 29)


http://www.lds.org/Static%20Files/PDF/Manuals/TrueToTheFaith_36863_eng.pdf

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The Repentance Process• Faith in God and Christ• Sorrow for committing the sin• Confession• Abandonment of Sin• Restitution• Righteous Living

• See True to the Faith p. 132

“Attempts to create a list of specific steps of repentance may be helpful to some, but it may also lead to a mechanical, check-off-the-boxes approach with no real feeling or change. True repentance is not superficial.”

• The Divine Gift of Repentance, Elder D. Todd ChristoffersonTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

http://www.lds.org/Static%20Files/PDF/Manuals/TrueToTheFaith_36863_eng.pdf

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng

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Being Physically Prepared• Missionaries are expected to be

physically capable of working all day• This could mean walking or riding a bike

several miles a day for six days a week

• If you have a physical issue that might limit your ability to work, discuss it with your bishop• In most cases there will still be ways for you

to serve a full-time mission


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Financially Prepared:Mission Cost

• Missionaries pay their own expenses• $400 a month• That’s $9,600 for YM and $7,200 for YW

• Monthly allowance according to needs• Covered: food, housing, transportation, etc.

• Mission paperwork section• Sources of funds: Self, Family, Ward, etc.• All are blessed for making sacrifices to pay

for a mission

• Finances should not stop a worthy individual from serving a mission


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Emotional Demands of Missionary Service

• “Missionary service is emotionally demanding. Your support system is going to be withdrawn from you as you leave home and go out into the world. … There will be days of rejection and disappointment. Learn now about your emotional limits, and learn how to control your emotions under the circumstances you will face as a missionary.”• Elder L. Tom Perry, Raising the Bar,

Ensign, Nov. 2007


http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/11/raising-the-bar

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/11/raising-the-bar

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Dealing with Discouragement and

Stress• Ammon and his brothers, some

of the greatest missionaries in the scriptures, got discouraged.• “Now when our hearts were depressed, and we

were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.” (Alma 26: 27)


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How Can Future Missionaries Prepare

Themselves Emotionally?• Work part-time or full-time before the mission• Live away from home for a period of time • Practice meeting and talking to others• Resolve emotional concerns before submitting papers• Practice living a balanced life, live by a schedule, and keep

appointments • Find appropriate outlets for stress (adequate rest,

exercise, etc.)• View trials and weaknesses with proper perspective

• See Preparing Emotionally for Missionary Service by Robert K. Wagstaff, Ensign, March 2011


https://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/03/preparing-emotionally-for-missionary-service?lang=eng



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The Greatest Generation of Missionaries

“We need you to be meticulously obedient and faithful, just as they were. What we need now is the greatest generation of missionaries in the history of the Church. We need worthy, qualified, spiritually energized missionaries.”-M. Russell Ballard, The Greatest Generation of Missionaries


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/the-greatest-generation-of-missionaries?lang=eng



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Agenda





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President Kimball’s Landmark Address on Missionary Work

“Is the mission program one of compulsion? And the answer, of course, is no. Everyone is given his free agency. The question is asked: Should every young man fill a mission? And the answer of the Church is yes, and the answer of the Lord is yes. …Every male member of the Church should fill a mission, like he should pay his tithing, like he should attend his meetings, like he should keep his life clean and free from the ugliness of the world and plan a celestial marriage in the temple of the Lord.” -Spencer W. Kimball, Planning for a Full and Abundant Life


http://lds.org/ensign/1974/05/planning-for-a-full-and-abundant-life?lang=eng



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Every Prophet Since Then Has Repeated the Call


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Knowing When You Are Ready

• “I am pleased to announce that effective immediately, all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19. I am not suggesting that all young men will—or should—serve at this earlier age. Rather, based on individual circumstances, as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available.”• Welcome to Conference, President Thomas S.

Monson, October 2012


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng

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Mission Application Timeline


Please Note: These times are approximate.

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Mission Application TimelineTiming is approximate as, in reality, times will vary

• First, determine your availability date.• No sooner than the day you turn 18 (YM) or 19 (YW)

• 5 months prior: Start the process• Meet with your bishop. Get the paperwork or login for website

• 4 months prior: Submit the paperwork • The stake will send the application to Church Headquarters

• 3 months prior: Receive your call letter • and further instructions specific to your mission

• 1-2 months prior: Priesthood and Temple• Young men ordained to Melchizedek Priesthood and office of Elder• Go to the temple to receive your endowment

• Bishop and Stake President should have frequent interviews with the prospective missionary throughout this processTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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The Application Process

1. Meet with

Bishop

2. Doctor and

Dentist Visits

3. Fill out the

application forms

4. Meet with Stake

President

6. Call Issued by Prophecy

5. Submit Paper Work


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Mission Application Form…The Paperwork

• The Form: Checklist for Full-Time Missionary Recommendation• Online at lds.org/mss (get login from

bishop)

• Eight major sections:1. Information about you2. Priesthood Leaders’ Comments3. Education and Service of Candidate4. Info about your ward/stake5. Personal Health History of Candidate6. Physician’s Health Evaluation7. Dental Evaluation 8. Personal Insurance Information


http://www.lds.org/mss

http://www.lds.org/mss

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The Divine Call of a MissionaryElder Ronald A. Rasband


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbwwNTnqLFM

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Missionaries Are Called by God

• Elder Ronald A. Rasband explains:• "First, we knelt together in prayer."• Next "a picture of the missionary to be assigned would

come up on one of the computer screens. "• Then they "study the comments from the bishops and

stake presidents, medical notes, and other issues relating to each missionary."

• Finally, they view a map of the "missions across the world, [and as] …prompted by the Spirit, he would assign the missionary to his or her field of labor."

• “It is by the great love of the Savior that His servants know where these wonderful … missionaries are to serve. I had a further witness that morning that every missionary called in this Church …is called by revelation from the Lord God Almighty.”• The Divine Call of a Missionary, April 2010


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/the-divine-call-of-a-missionary?lang=eng



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Day of the Week Mission Calls are Issued and Mailed Out

• Many missionaries want to know the exact day they will receive their call in the mail• Sorry, but exactly predicting this is not

possible

• Day of the week the apostles meet• In most weeks, it is on Friday, but it can vary• Thursdays are the second most common day

• Day the mission call letter gets mailed• Usually they leave the mail room on Tuesday• Variation is due to individual missionary or

mission circumstances, holiday schedules, etc.

• Those living in or near Utah usually receive the call packet on Wednesday


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What’s in the Mission Call Packet?

• The Call Letter from the Prophet• Including the mission you’re assigned to and date to report to the MTC

• A Letter from your Mission President• A Letter from the MTC President• General Instructions Checklist, including a list of clothing and

other items to bring


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I Will Go Where You Want Me to Go

When you submit the missionary application, you commit to going wherever the Lord sends you

It may not be on the mountain heightOr over the stormy sea,It may not be at the battle’s frontMy Lord will have need of me.But if, by a still, small voice he callsTo paths that I do not know,I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:I’ll go where you want me to go.I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,Over mountain or plain or sea;I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;I’ll be what you want me to be.• Hymns, no. 270Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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The Lord knows where He wants each missionary to serve

• “We have a Father in Heaven, who knows us—our strengths and weaknesses, our abilities and potential. He knows which mission president and companions and which members and investigators we need in order to become the missionary, the husband and father, and the priesthood holder we are capable of becoming. Prophets, seers, and revelators assign missionaries under the direction and influence of the Holy Ghost. Inspired mission presidents direct transfers every six weeks and quickly learn that the Lord knows exactly where He wants each missionary to serve.”• The Opportunity of a Lifetime, W. Christopher Waddell


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-opportunity-of-a-lifetime?lang=eng



32

Agenda





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Patriarchal Blessings

• Missionaries are required to receive a patriarchal blessing before they start their service• Many receive it long before your mission• If not, make arrangements when you begin your paperwork

• Patriarchal Blessings• Will help motivate many young men to serve• Will help many young women decide whether or not to go


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“A Star to Follow”“Patriarchal blessings should be read humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. …It is a sacred guideline of counsel, promises, and information from the Lord; however, a person should not expect the blessing to detail all that will happen to him or her or to answer all questions. The fact that one’s patriarchal blessing may not mention an important event in life, such as a mission or marriage, does not mean that it will not happen. In order to receive the fulfillment of our patriarchal blessings, we should treasure in our hearts the precious words they contain, ponder them, and so live that we will obtain the blessings.”

• From Priesthood Blessings by James E. FaustTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1995/11/priesthood-blessings?lang=eng

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Melchizedek Priesthood Advancement

• Before young men go on their missions, they must be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood• Young men must be 18 before being

ordained an Elder• YM must be given the Melchizedek

Priesthood before going to the temple• Temple endowment should not be given

while the youth is still in high school• Both (temple and priesthood) must happen

before arriving at the MTC


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What to do to Prepare to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood

• Gain a testimony of the restoration of the priesthood• Study the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

(D&C 84)• “For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two

priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies… And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.”

• Learn the duties of an Elder • D&C 20:38–45, 42:44, 46:2, 107:11–12

• Learn how to perform priesthood ordinances• See Church Handbook 2 or the Family Guidebook


https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church

https://www.lds.org/manual/family-guidebook?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/manual/family-guidebook?lang=eng

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Preparing to Go to the Temple

• Before young men and women go on a mission, they receive the temple endowment• President Howard W. Hunter taught, “Let us

prepare every missionary to go to the temple worthily and to make that experience an even greater highlight than receiving the mission call” (Ensign, Nov. 1994, 88).• How can you prepare?

• Live worthily• Take the Church Temple Preparation class from

your ward (called Endowed from on High)• Read the Church booklet: Preparing

to Enter the Holy TempleTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

https://www.lds.org/manual/endowed-from-on-high-temple-preparation-seminar-teachers-manual?lang=eng



https://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple?lang=eng



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Endowed with Power from on High

• “Going to the temple for your own endowment… [is] an integral part of your mission preparation …You cannot do this work alone. We have to have heaven’s help, we have to have the ‘gifts’ of God.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Apr. 25, 1997).

• “Missionaries …are not fully qualified to go forth, preach the gospel, and build up the kingdom, unless they have the gift of the Holy Ghost and also are endowed with power from on high …given only in the Lord’s Temple.” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary)Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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Speaking in Sacrament Meeting

• All departing missionaries are asked to speak in sacrament meeting

• In 2002, President Hinckley announced that the tradition of families running sacrament meeting needed to stop

• “The departing missionary will be given opportunity to speak in a sacrament meeting for 15 or 20 minutes. But parents and siblings will not be invited to do so. There might be two or more departing missionaries who speak in the same service. The meeting will be entirely in the hands of the bishop and will not be arranged by the family.”• To Men of the Priesthood, Oct 2002


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/to-men-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng



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Writing and Delivering a Talk

• Impromptu talks are a common request of missionaries• Knowing how to write and deliver a talk is an essential skill• Four elements a sacrament meeting talk should have:

• Purpose: “Once a person has the purpose, the rest of the talk is easy.” An example purpose is: “The purpose of my talk is to teach people how to recognize the power of faith in their own lives.”

• Main Ideas: You will need two or three main ideas that support this purpose. One might be “Faith is the motivating power that enables us to act” or “I can increase faith by recognizing it in my life.”

• Expansion: You can expand or validate the main ideas with stories, scriptures, or examples of the topic in your life.

• Testimony: Always end your talk by bearing testimony. “Honestly evaluate how strongly [you] feel about the principle …and then testify.”• See article in BYU Magazine by Randy Bott called How to Write a Church Talk


http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2409

http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2409

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Being Set Apart as a Missionary

• The stake president sets apart missionaries a day or two prior to entering the MTC• Before being set apart, the stake president

conducts an interview to confirm the missionary’s worthiness• The setting apart usually happens in the

missionary’s home• It is a special occasion where family members

and close friends may attend• Attendees should dress appropriately for the

occasion (Sunday dress)• After being set apart, you should live by

missionary standardsTemporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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Mission Rules:The Missionary Handbook


• Obeying these rules will keep you safe and will help you be more successful• It is a resource youth, parents, and

priesthood leaders should use in preparing youth for the mission field• It outlines the rules on language, dress

and grooming, music and media, finances, communicating with family and friends, and other expectations of missionaries

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Mission Rules: Missionary Conduct• Language: Use refined, dignified language that identifies you

as a servant of the Lord. • Dress and Grooming: Wear conservative clothing that is

consistent with their sacred calling and message.• Schedule: Follow the Missionary Schedule (up at 6:30, daily

scripture study, proselytizing, bed at 10:30, etc.)• Preparation Day: You have one day a week to take care of

personal needs: washing clothes, haircut, shopping, etc.• Communicating with Family: You can write home weekly and

call home twice a year: Christmas and Mother’s Day. • Entertainment: No worldly entertainment, television, or

movies, and only music that is spiritual and uplifting.• Companions: Stay with your companion at all times.• Relations with Opposite Sex: Never be alone with or associate

in an inappropriate way with someone of the opposite sex. Temporal and Spiritual Prep The Mission Call Process Getting Ready to Go

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“To Obey is Better than Sacrifice”

• King Saul was commanded to smite and destroy the Amalekites and all that they had, yet he saved some animals to offer as sacrifices.• “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as

great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22


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The Missionary Training Center (MTC)• You’ll be assigned to one of 17 MTCs across the world to learn:

• Gospel doctrines• How to teach by the Spirit• Communication skills (a foreign language for some)

• Every day you will have a rigorous schedule• Classes, Exercise, Meal Time, Scripture Study, etc.

• Once a week you’ll go to the temple• Once a week you’ll hear a General Authority speaker• Weekly service opportunities: cleaning, vacuuming, etc.


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Traveling to the MTC• If you report to an MTC out of the county (like Mexico)

• The Church will make travel arrangements• You’ll say your goodbye’s at the airport

• If you report to the Provo MTC• Several hundred new missionaries arrive each Wednesday• One vehicle per family is allowed to enter the MTC grounds • Say goodbye’s to family and friends prior to going to the MTC• You will only have a few brief moments for a quick farewell • There is no opportunity for picture taking at this moment


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MTC Services• Cafeteria: Three healthy meals a day are served• Laundry: Washers and dryers are available. Purchase you own detergent• Dry cleaning: Rates are reasonable. Suit alterations are available for a fee.• Bookstore: Learning materials, book bags, toiletries, white shirts, treats, etc• Barbershop: Elders get one haircut. Sister missionaries can pay as needed.• Copy center: Photocopies, laminating, and binding• Mail: Missionaries receive letters and packages in the mail. No hand deliveries.• Banking services: Cash checks and buy travelers’ checks• Medical services: Health needs can be treated. Doctors are on call for

emergencies.


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Adjusting to Missionary Life

• We have a copy of this booklet for each prospective missionary


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The EndQuestions?

• This presentation can be download at JWstake.com

• More mission prep resources can be found at MormonMissionPrep.com, a website maintained by Brother Jimmy Smith

http://jwstake.com/

http://www.mormonmissionprep.com/

prospective missionary devotional jordan willows stake february 26, 2014

Documents

god ye

faith god

vision god

service of god

glory of god

spiritual prepthe mission

father father

processgetting ready