It was so wonderful to see all of you back today. It seems like forever since we have had class....2 weeks is a long time when you are preparing to serve a mission!
To start off our class we had great news from McCoy Rowley. He announced that he received his mission call to the California, Arcadia mission. He will be speaking spanish and will report to the Mexico MTC in August. Congratulations McCoy! We loved hearing about your experience opening your call and the confirmation you felt that that is where the Lord wants you to serve. Se Habla Espanol?
After McCoy shared his news, Bro. Hooker asked those that have already received their calls what advise they would give themselves as they get ready to serve.
There answers...Stay firm- Avoid temptation. Satan will try harder to get you not to go.
Think and remind yourself of why you are serving- Focus on that.
Stay persistent in reading the scriptures, praying and studying Preach My Gospel.
Be anxiously engaged- the moment you are not, satan will fill that space.
We are grateful for the insights you shared. Great advise and we can see that you are following your own counsel!!!!!
Next we had an activity to help the class put themselves in the place of the investigator. Imagine you are being told new information for the first time without any context. How hard would it be to make sense of it.
To demonstrate this we passed out a square piece of paper to each person. Then using only words, explained what they needed to do with that paper...fold in half, fold the right corner over, open, now the left, etc, etc. We compared what they ended up with. Some gave up and just made something they knew how to fold. Others tried but were way off. Some had caught on and were able to understand better.
Then we did it again, but this time we told them what we were going to make first. A jumping frog. Then demonstrated by showing them each fold they needed to make. When someone had a hard time seeing, we went slower and repeated the steps to make sure they knew what to do.
And here is the finished jumping frog.
Then we talked about how this would compare to teaching an investigator for the first time about the book of mormon. The class came up with some great discoveries.
If you don't know what the goal is its hard to make sense of the directions.
Communication by just telling them what to do is hard to follow.
Seeing what to do is much easier to understand.
When its hard to follow, you just give up and go back to something that is familiar.
We invited the class to do this activity with their families. Discuss what each person discovered.
Then we read 2 Nephi 32: 3, 5. and talked about how it related to this activity and helping investigators become familiar with the book of Mormon or any new doctrine.
Verse 3 talks about the words of Christ will tell you all things that you should do. Verse 5 says the the Holy Ghost will show you all things you should do. We need both!
We also had a very insightful returned missionary report to our class. Jordan Redd. He returned from the Alabama, Birmingham Mission. He shared his powerful testimony of the Savior. He said a mission is the hardest thing you will ever do, but also the most rewarding. At times you will feel alone. In those times you will find your Savior. Learn about your Savior and how to lean on Him. Jordan said the saints in Alabama often quote the poem "Footprints In the Sand". He said it is very true of missionary work. You will come to realize that when you have the most difficult times in your mission, that is when the Lord is carrying you.
He said as you look at the people you serve, you will see them through the lenses that the Savior looks at them with. The streets you walk on will become sacred as you put your heart into the work and love the people. He quoted Doctrine and Covenants 82:10. "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." His father Bishop Redd, a very wonderful past seminary teacher, showed us a really great way to remember this verse and where it is. Cross your hands at the wrist like they are handcuffed (Bound). It makes the shape of an 8. And you are using 2 hands...82....and how many fingers do you have? 10!
I don't think any of us will forget that one now!!!!!
He was asked how to help an investigator understand what the spirit feels like....excellent question!
His answer was just as inspiring....As you are teaching and you feel the spirit, you have to stop and point it out immediately. Because if you are feeling it, most likely they are feeling it too. Ask them, "what do you feel right now"? Tell them what they are feeling is the spirit. Then they will know how to associate that feeling with understanding truth.
He was asked if you should use conference talks to teach the gospel to investigators. His answer was to use preach my gospel. It will help you teach them the Gospel Of Jesus Christ in a very simple way. After they gain a testimony, you can introduce modern prophets words.
Another question...what do you wish you did more to prepare? Study Preach My Gospel, pray more and when you pray talk to God about your real needs, not just the same thing over and over. Come to know your Heavenly Father through prayer and build that relationship with Him.
How do you introduce the book of mormon in the south? Many times people would say the bible says you cant add anything to it. His response was that the book of mormon is not an addition to the bible, but another witness of Jesus Christ. A completely different book. It is not a mormon bible. And as you teach them about the atonement in the Book of Mormon, they will feel the spirit and truth of the book.
What are some key scriptures you used on your mission.
Alma 7: 11-13, Alma 32, 2 Nephi 31, 3 Nephi 11.
What about the sisters in your mission? He said they had 300 missionaries in his mission half of them were sisters. As a zone leader he got to see them teaching. He noticed they came with a natural ability to love and serve and were full of faith.
So how do you deal with conflict on your mission? Gain a strong work ethic. You work 16 hour days. That is a long day. Learn how to serve now. The only way to get through it is with prayer and giving all your time and attention to serving the Lord. He said that you will have more rough days than golden days. But those 5 golden experiences you have will trump all the bad experiences. Every day go out and make something good happen. He shared one of his precious experiences when he was able to use his priesthood to bless an inactive sisters home and son on his death bed and he was healed.
My dear brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and living! Today our class was led by the spirit and we were taught from the Lord, by each one of you!
thank you!!!!
Next week is fast sunday. We will not meet until the following week. I will send out a text reminder:-) Until then please continue to read chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel. Next month we are preparing to tract and share the book of mormon with families in our stake. Study how to share this keystone of our religion with others.
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