Archive for May, 2009
Truman Madsen
May 30th
I was sad to hear that Truman Madsen passed away last week at 82 years of age and after a long battle with cancer. Many of you young future missionaries may not even know who Truman Madsen was, so let me tell you a little about him and about the influence he has had on me.
I first learned of Truman Madsen when I was a freshman at BYU and he gave a devotional address. I had a professor urge us to go listen to the talk, calling him “a general authority without authority.” I quickly learned that though not a General Authority of the Church, he certainly was an authority on many gospel and Church history topics. 
Truman G. Madsen was a grandson to the seventh president of the Church, Heber J. Grant. He was a Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University, and former Director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Jerusalem. He wrote numerous books and released countless recorded talks, and he was one of the editors of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
Some of my favorite lectures by Truman Madsen are:
- Joseph Smith the Prophet. Eight Lectures by Truman G. Madsen
- Timeless Questions Gospel Insights, Recorded Lectures by Truman G. Madsen
- Jesus of Nazareth, Four volumes on the life and mission of our Savior
- The Presidents of the Church: Insights into Their Lives and Teachings
When I returned from my mission and began again my studies at BYU, I was lucky enough to have Truman G. Madsen as my stake president. A couple of his teachings that I remember from that time was once, in stake conference, he was giving a talk about moving forward with faith. He said, to paraphrase, “some day, when you die and are in Heaven, you will realize that you accidentally married the right person.” 
Though smarter than just about anyone else, Truman Madsen was also humble. I once met him when he was my stake president and I had requested a meeting to talk about a personal issue. When I told him the situation, he said he felt unqualified to help, but one of his counselors in the stake presidencies had particular training and skill in that area and he suggested I talk to him instead.
Truman G. Madsen’s love of the gospel and love of learning were contagious and had a profound impact on my life. He will certainly be missed by me, by the LDS community, and by any who knew him. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 2, at noon, at the Provo Utah Tabernacle. Here are some additional news articles about him from the last couple of days:
- LDSLiving: Truman G. Madsen Passes Away
- Mormon Times posted a video: Truman Madsen – his life and thought
- Desert News: Passing of Truman G. Madsen a great loss
- Truman G. Madsen’s Biography
- And the following video was posted by BYU’s Daily News
How to Write a Talk
May 24th
Giving impromptu Church talks is a pretty common request of missionaries, therefore, knowing how to write a talk is an essential missionary skill.
I gave at least one talk in every ward or branch to which I was assigned as a missionary. My first talk was my first Sunday in Argentina. I arrived in my area mid-week, and one of the first people my senior companion took me to visit was the branch president. I didn’t understand much of the conversation, but I did understand that he wanted me to give a five minute talk on Sunday. 
The Gazano branch was very small; we only had 20 or 25 people attend Church each week. One of the active members was our landlord, Brother Cabrera, who rented us a room in his house. The branch president didn’t assign me a topic, so I basically just bore my testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel. If new missionaries can do nothing else, they can bare their testimony, even if it is in broken Spanish. I can remember struggling through the talk with Brother Cabrera, sitting on the front row prompting me, correcting my Spanish, and encouraging me.
Through my two-year mission, my Church talks, along with my Spanish language skills improved. It got to the point where being asked to give a talk with only five minutes notice was no big deal, which, though rare, did happen a few times.
In the ten plus years since my mission, those impromptu speech skills have diminished, I’m sure, though I was probably never an expert on how to write a talk. BYU Professor Randy Bott, who teaches a Mission Prep class, though, is an expert on how to write a talk for Church. In a recent article in BYU Magazine called How to Write a Church Talk, he discussed the four elements a sacrament meeting talk should have: 1) a purpose, 2) main ideas, 3) expansion or validation, and 4) your testimony.
- Purpose: “Once a person has the purpose, the rest of the talk is easy.” If your topic was faith, for example, you could come up with a purpose statement like “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 one or two, or perhaps more, main ideas that support this purpose. One might be “Faith is the very motivating power that enables us to act.” A second main idea might be “I can increase faith by recognizing it in my life.”
- Expansion or Validation: You can expand or validate the main ideas with stories, scriptures, or examples of faith (or whatever your topic is) in your life.
- Testimony: Says Professor Bott, “I would honestly evaluate how strongly I feel about the principle I am teaching and then testify about that principle.”
Professor Bott says this method can be used to write any talk in five minutes or less. In fact, he says he once gave a twenty minute talk with less than one minute’s notice and did so by simply following the steps above.
So you future missionaries, learn these steps for how to write a talk. By learning the gospel principles missionaries teach and by having organization to your talk as Professor Bott indicates, you will be able to deliver great sermons when called upon. D&C 84: 85 “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.”
Restoration of the Priesthood
May 15th
Today marks the 180th anniversary of the restoration of the priesthood of God. It was May 15, 1829 when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went into the woods on the banks of the Susquehanna River and prayed to God to for the authority to baptize. Their prayer was answered and the resurrected John the Baptist, the same who baptized Jesus Christ, descended from heaven, laid his hands on their hands and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood. This event is recorded in section 13 of the Doctrine and Covenants and this is what John said:
“Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”
Restoration of the Priesthood Video
Below is a video that I found depicting the restoration of the priesthood. The video seems to be a 1970s seminary video produced by the LDS Church, but it’s good and short (about 6 minutes). It portrays John the Baptist restoring the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery followed by Peter, James and John coming to restore the Melchizedek, or higher Priesthood.
Missionary Work Inherent in the Priesthood
Elder David A. Bednar, in his Nov 2005 talk called Becoming a Missionary, said:
“All of us who have received the holy priesthood bear the sacred obligation to bless the nations and families of the earth by proclaiming the gospel and inviting all to receive by proper authority the ordinances of salvation…Proclaiming the gospel is not an activity in which we periodically and temporarily engage. And our labors as missionaries certainly are not confined to the short period of time devoted to full-time missionary service in our youth or in our mature years. Rather, the obligation to proclaim the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is inherent in the oath and covenant of the priesthood into which we enter. Missionary work essentially is a priesthood responsibility, and all of us who hold the priesthood are the Lord’s authorized servants on the earth and are missionaries at all times and in all places—and we always will be. Our very identity as holders of the priesthood and the seed of Abraham is in large measure defined by the responsibility to proclaim the gospel.”
Blessings of the Priesthood
So on this anniversary of such an important occasion as the restoration of the priesthood, I hope that we priesthood holders remember that missionary work is an inherent part of the priesthood we hold. I also pray that we remember what a privilege and a blessing it is to hold the priesthood. It is through the priesthood that the Lord does his work and blesses mankind. And by being faithful in our priesthood callings, we prepare ourselves and become eligible to receive magnificent blessings from the Lord ourselves.
As it says in the oath and covenant of the priesthood found in D&C 84:33–34 “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. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God”
Mothers’ Role in Mission Prep
May 10th
In the Book of Mormon, in Alma Chapter 56, the Nephite and Lamanite nations are engulfed in war. A group of Lamanite converts to the Church, known as the people of Ammon, wanted to help defend the Nephite people. The Ammonite adults, though, had made a covenant never to go to war again, so it was their sons, 2,000 of them, that volunteered to go to war to defend their families.
The prophet Helaman said of these 2,000 stripling warriors, “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma 56: 47 – 48)
The mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors, like latter-day saint mothers today, had a profound influence on their children, which gave them faith to overcome all obstacles. Just like with these youth in the battles of the Book of Mormon, mothers today are preparing their children to do a great work and there is probably no more vital role in mission prep.
Many mothers, my wife included, may not realize the great work they are doing. It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane, day to day routines with raising children, that we neglect to see the great work we are doing.
I want to talk today about what so many good mothers are already doing, sometimes unwittingly, to prepare their children for missionary service. Four things come to mind that my wife does daily with our children that is teaching them faith and skills that will help them become great missionaries some day. (There are actually more than four things, but for now we’ll focus on these four.) She teaches the children to:
- Get Along with Others
- Be Clean and Tidy
- Obey the First Principles of the Gospel
- Read the Book of Mormon
I suspect most latter-day saint mothers are also doing these four simples things as well, and in the process, they are teaching vital missionary skills and doing a wonderful job raising the next generation of Mormon missionaries.
Get Along with Others
When playing with siblings or other children, my wife has two rules for our kids: be kind and be safe. These two rules have been found to cover a multitude of situations, and they teach our children how to get along well with others. I have talked about the important missionary characteristic of sociability in the past. This is what Elder S. Dilworth Young said in General Conference in April 1972, “faith-building begins in the cradle…In the formative years your boy will need to learn how to give and take, how to get along, how to put up with inconveniences, how to be patient and tolerant, how to resolve differences with playmates and, later, with missionary companions.”
Be Clean and Tidy
Like any good parents, we have our children do daily chores of cleaning their rooms and other household tasks. Helping your children learn now to stay clean and organized will help them be more productive and spiritual throughout their lives. 
Again, quoting Elder Young, he says missionaries “will need to learn that bodily cleanliness goes with spiritual cleanness and that the body is the expression of the spirit…he should learn that the dusty, ill-kept room with its unmade bed is the devil’s best means of discouragement.”
Obey the First Principles of the Gospel
Like most parents of small children, we try, frequently unsuccessfully, to maintain their attention once a week for Family Home Evening. We focus on basic gospel principles such as faith in Christ, and obedience to the commandments. These basic gospel principles will form the foundation of what they will be teaching people across the world as they go forth as missionaries. Again, quoting Elder Young, he says the future missionary should “learn to know that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will give men reason for their repentance from sin, which is the great doctrine that brings hope; that baptism by immersion is both a covenant and a sign of acceptance; and that the gift of the Holy Ghost is what makes him, and his father and his mother, different from the world; and that it will make those he converts different also.”
Read the Book of Mormon
Nightly, my wife gathers the family for scripture reading in the Book of Mormon. We quickly went through the illustrated versions, and though our children are still small, we have moved on the full version now. Nightly reading of the Book of Mormon, though it may only be a a few minutes, teaches the children the importance of that book in our lives. And though they do not understand everything, the Spirit of the Lord is there, teaching and testifying things they will not forget. Elder Young says that by reading the Book of Mormon with your children and helping them gain a testimony of the truthfulness of that book, “you will have him on his way to becoming a missionary…He will not consider the Book of Mormon dull reading if you will make it live for him while he is growing.”
Conclusion
The mothers in the Church are doing a wonderful job of raising the next generation of missionaries. I can’t thank my wife enough for the work she does, often without recognition, in raising our children and teaching them the principles that will help them succeed on their missions, in life and in the eternities.
And here are some concluding thoughts from Elder Young: “These young folks may become great of themselves, but with the faith and teaching of their fathers and mothers they will become greater…He depends on us to teach our children truth that they may better serve the Father of their spirits and live.”
The future missionary “will be taught these lessons at the home evening, at the dinner table, at bedtime, in camp, on hikes and journeys. And driven home at all these stages will be the theme that the greatest adventure a boy can have is to go on a mission and learn to depend on the Lord when faced with a bitter, cold, or hostile world, and that the greatest joy he can experience is to give of his all in the service of the Master in bringing souls unto him.”
Quotes from: Missionary Training Begins Early S. Dilworth Young, Gen Conf, April 1972.
Preparing Youth for a Mission
May 7th
Though they probably wouldn’t consider themselves experts, my parents know a lot about preparing youth for a mission. They are getting ready to send their eighth son on a mission. So I recently asked my dad to send me his thoughts on preparing children to serve full-time missions. He summarized it with five key elements, with the first being primary:
- Love the Lord
- Read the Book of Mormon
- Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
- Community Involvement
- Listen to Good Music
1. Love the Lord
“If the parents love the Lord with all their heart, might, mind and strength, then the children will see this, and they will be most likely to emulate the underlying faith and devotion of their parents…Children often don’t fully appreciate the devotion of their parents until the kids grow up. But still, when the parents have ‘an eye single to the glory of God,’ the kids recognize this…No sermons can undo the actions of a parent who is not truly committed to serve the Lord with all his/her heart.”
“Only by adhering to this first and great commandment can a family expect to have the Spirit in their home with sufficient frequency to make that home special. The parents who keep this first and great commandment can make their homes a bit of heaven on earth. Such homes are, of course, an important temple in the lives of our children.”
“The conversation of parents who love the Lord with all their hearts will regularly turn to the most important issues and themes of life: the purpose of life; testimony of God and faith in Him; the blessings from the Word of God, including the Book of Mormon and modern revelation; cherishing the words of living prophets; being a hard worker; giving a significant portion of one’s life to church and community service.”
“They receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost, which fills the soul with hope and happiness and love and the desire to serve others. This greatest of all gifts—the gift of a loving heart—comes to those who truly love the Lord with all their heart…These people then become the most grateful and humble and loving people in the world. Their gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ and their devotion to Him become powerful parts of their character.”
2. Read the Book of Mormon
“Encourage your children to read the Book of Mormon at an early age—10 and 11 is not too young. Then they need to re-read it when their 12 or 13. Reading the Book of Mormon brings many spiritual insights and witnesses. There is no substitute for this.” Encourage them to read the Book of Mormon individually and as in family scripture study.
3. Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
“Sabbath observance is perhaps the most important commandment to help prepare for a mission. I would suggest having family home evening FHE on Sunday as well as on Monday. FHE is a perfect family activity for Sunday: it causes the family to focus on the Lord, on the scriptures and on spiritual things.”
4. Community Involvement
“Participate in important community activities. If we are to be a light to the world, we will want to interact with our neighbors and friends. We cannot share the gospel with non-member friends if we do not interact with any non-members. I think we, as a church, can do better in reaching out to others to just be friends—to participate with others in worthwhile activities or causes. This will result in missionary opportunities. When our children see this example, it will help them to know how to develop relations with non-member friends—which is one of the keys to missionary work.” In many cases this community involvement will be through sports, music, theatre, academics, and other activities.
5. Listen to Good Music
“I have benefited tremendously from listening to great music—I’m speaking of classical music and Tabernacle Choir recordings. Such music should be heard regularly in our homes. Much of it is powerful, prayerful, worshipful music. Parents should want their kids exposed to this. While some kids shun this at first, after a while they 
learn to appreciate it. On my mission, I found that I often reflected on and hummed or sang the inspired words of scripture that was put to music and sung by the Tabernacle Choir…This was a great source of inspiration.”
“In conclusion, I don’t suppose there is any finite list of what to do and what not to do to prepare one’s children to go on missions. The starting point may be for parents to desire this for their children with all of their hearts. If we realize the life-changing and saving effect that the mission experience will bring to our children, we will do all we can to prepare them to have this opportunity/challenge.”
Mission Papers
May 4th
I get a lot of questions about mission papers, and the process for applying to go on a mission. So I thought I would use today’s post to explain and illustrate the process. These steps are based on the officially publicized information from the Church in the March 2007 New Era article titled Your Call to Serve.
The picture above is a good illustration of the step by step process for doing the paper work and getting the mission call. Below is more detail on each step:
Before the Paper Work
- Prepare spiritually: Study the gospel, read the scriptures, pray and build a testimony of the Savior, His Atonement and His restored Church including Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon (so be sure to read it!).
- Prepare temporally: Save money, stay physically fit and remove any obstacles such as unpaid debts, legal issues, weight and health problems.
The Application Process
- Meet with the Bishop: At least four months before you’re able to leave on a mission, set an appointment with your bishop for a personal interview. He will give you the information you need to log on to the online missionary recommendation system or the paper work if the online system is not available in your area.
- Doctor and Dentist Visits: Make appointments with your doctor and dentist for evaluations. In the paper work the bishop will give you will be medical forms that they will need to fill out.
- Missionary Candidate Information: There are several sections of personal information to complete. You’ll fill out background information about yourself, including your desire and ability to learn a language, your schooling, and how your mission will be financed.
- Get a Good Photo: Make sure that in this photo you are dressed and groomed according to missionary standards (i.e. conservative hair and clothing styles, etc. see the MTC’s posted Missionary Dress and Grooming Guidelines).
- Meet with the Bishop Again: Set another appointment with your bishop after all of the forms are completed, and he will review the application. He will conduct a thorough interview to determine your worthiness, ability to serve, and your testimony of the Savior and the restored gospel.
- Meet with the Stake President: After your interview with the bishop, he will tell you how to set up and appointment with the stake president. Your bishop and stake president will complete some additional parts including their own written recommendations for your missionary service. This will be the final step before the application is sent to Church headquarters.
Receiving the Mission Call
- Assigned to a Mission by Prophecy: Your mission application is received by the Church and you are assigned to a specific mission by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who has been authorized by the President of the Church. The mission assignment comes after prayer and revelation.
- Mission Call Letter: After the mission call is made, a packet is mailed to you. It will contain information on your assigned mission, the date to report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC), a list of specific items you should bring with you, and other helpful information.
Each Call Is Inspired
Though their are a lot of mechanical steps to go through in the process of filling out your mission papers, it’s important not to lose site of the spiritual: the spiritual preparation by the missionary and the spirit of revelation in the issuing of the mission call. Here is what President Henry B. Eyring said about the inspiration of each mission call:
“I have had [many] experiences feeling of the Holy Ghost…But I’ve never felt what I have felt as I have…participated in the assigning of missionaries…Because of technology, it is possible for us to have your picture and the information about you displayed. And then quickly, on that same screen, all the missions of the Church with all of their needs are displayed. Within minutes, and sometimes less than a minute, the impression comes so powerfully that it would be, if it were a single instance, something that you would never forget. Can you imagine sitting there for hours at a time, having that happen time after time without interruption? I testify to you that it is real…[The Lord] somehow not only knows you but loves you enough to ensure that your call is where He needs you to go to teach the children of our Heavenly Father.” (Pres. Henry B. Eyring, “Called of God,” address delivered at the Missionary Training Center, Aug. 26, 1997).
