The Ultimate Missionary Companion
Nov 20th
Giveaway Alert: Read to the bottom and enter to win a copy of the book!
The Ultimate Missionary Companion, Inspirational Insights on Becoming the Lord’s Missionary is the next missionary prep book I have read and will now review for you. The book is by Ed J. Pinegar, who served as president of the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT, as a religion professor at BYU, and as the president of the England London South Mission. The book was very enjoyable, had great stories, and as the subtitle indicates, is full of insightful tips to help missionaries. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
The Purpose and Joy of Missionary Work
- “This earth was made only to accommodate the vision of saving souls.” p. 4
- “When you were baptized you covenanted to be willing ‘to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places’ (Mosiah 18:9)” p.4
Preparing for a Mission
- “So many people want to win, but as Coach Lovell Edwards says, ‘maybe they don’t want to prepare to win.’” p. 11
- “You can’t preach faith unto repentance until you live faith unto repentance.” p. 12
- “If we’re not worthy, we can’t have the Spirit…we can’t preach, we can’t be led, we can’t be directed, we can’t know that things to say.” p.12
- “Be aware… temptation is real, and Satan desireth to sift you as wheat. You must pray every day to avoid and overcome temptation.” p.20
- “Be a prophet for you own soul, receiving revelation from God on things you should do.” p.34
Work
- “Work ethic is crucial…Every single time an elder has a problem in the mission field is because he is idle.” p.47
- “The beautiful part about a mission (is) the only thing you do is missionary work…(you) don’t have to think about girls or dates or ask ‘what’ll we do tonight?’ …All you do is eat, drink and sleep the scriptures, pray and ponder and ask how you can bless Heavenly Father’s children so they’ll come to Christ.” p.128
Being Continually Motivated as a Missionary
- “We can be continually motivated and successful missionaries if our perception is clear and our motives are pure.” p.57
- “Our behavior is nothing more than a reflection of the depth of our conversion to Jesus Christ. The deeper the conversion, the greater the motivation and the greater the Christ like behavior.” p. 59
- “In our mission we had an attitude of ‘always one more door.’ So we would knock on all the door and one more.” p.62
- “Don’t you realize how special you are?…You are fulfillment of prophecy…you are one of the noble and great ones saved for this day.” p.63
Communicating and Opening Your Mouth
- “Be prepared to communicate…If we don’t communicate our message, our message is not heard.” p.75
- “Don’t go anywhere without opening your mouth…on the streets, at the bus stop, as you’re walking down the street…in the grocery store.” p.87
- “When we know what Christ has done for us, we will want to open our mouths.” p.90
- “If the words we utter reflect the feelings of our hearts, the strength of our character, and the depth of our testimony, then the Lord will help us.” p.91
- When setting an appointment, “tell them it’s a long way to travel,” (p.97) and they’ll be more likely to be there.
- See my previous post: Open Your Mouth
Using The Book of Mormon as the Key to Conversion
- “You will never be the missionary you were destined to be until you love and live this book. It is the key to your converting power.” p.110
- “The Book of Mormon is the tool that will retain converts better than any other thing. If we root the people to our sociality, or friendliness, or love, we root them to us instead of to Christ.” p.113
- “Before our investigators can sense the power and divinity of the Book of Mormon for themselves, they must sense it in us.” p.114
- See my previous post: The Power of the Book of Mormon
The Mission After Your Mission
- “You can’t coast after your mission and live on your life of past service…you must continue in your service.” p.166
- “Remember, with care, the things you learned on your mission and apply them to your mission in life.” p.169
- “Don’t become commanding and demanding just because you’re home. You should treat everyone like an investigator.” p.170
- To paraphrase Brother Pinegar: After you mission, keep reading the scriptures, keep praying, keep going to church, keep doing what is right, keep serving others. The same formula that worked for your investigators will work for you to stay on the strait and narrow path.
Giveaway
Now, for the moment you have all been waiting for—the giveaway. To enter to win a free copy of The Ultimate Missionary Companion, just leave a comment on this blog post answering this question: Where would you like to go on a mission and why?
Please, only one entry per person. Entries will be accepted over the next week and I will cut off entries on Friday, November 27, 2009 at midnight Mountain time. The winner will be selected at random, and I will make the announcement the following day. Good luck.
Chastity
Nov 16th
I’d like to address a question I have gotten from time to time regarding law of chastity violations and the ability to later go on a mission. Many young people who have had issues with sexual morality want to repent and go on a mission, but frequently they don’t know if their prior actions will prohibit them from ever serving.
While it is far better to never engage in these transgressions, let me reassure you that they can repented of, and generally these young people can eventually go on a mission. Law of chastity issues are very serious in the sight of the Lord, though, and if serious enough, or if not fully repented of, may disqualify you from going on a mission.
The law of chastity is the Lord’s commandment that we keep ourselves sexually pure. For young people preparing for a mission, sexual purity means refraining from sexual relations and other sexual perversions such as homosexual activity, masturbation, viewing pornography, and heavy petting (inappropriate touching). Here is a concise definition of chastity from the LDS.org Gospel Topics section:
Chastity is sexual purity. Those who are chaste are morally clean in their thoughts, words, and actions. Chastity means not having any sexual relations before marriage.
…In the world today, 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. It is an abuse of the power He has given us to create life. The prophet Alma taught that sexual sins are more serious than any other sins except murder and denying the Holy Ghost (see Alma 39:3–5).
Sometimes people try to convince themselves that sexual relations outside of marriage are acceptable if the participants love one another. This is not true. Breaking the law of chastity and encouraging someone else to do so is not an expression of love. People who love each other will never endanger one another’s happiness and safety in exchange for temporary personal pleasure.
Our Heavenly Father has given us the law of chastity for our protection…Those who keep themselves sexually pure will avoid the spiritual and emotional damage that always comes from sharing physical intimacies with someone outside of marriage.
Priesthood leaders determine worthiness
As much as I want to and try to help young people who email me with law of chastity concerns, these issues must be worked through with priesthood leaders before a potential missionary can be declared worthy to serve. Elder M. Russell Ballard, in a talk called The Greatest Generation of Missionaries (Ensign, November 2002) said, “as divinely appointed judges in Israel, the bishop and the stake president determine worthiness and resolve concerns on behalf of the Church.” So if you are struggling with sexual sin, please, talk to your parents and make an appointment to go see your bishop or branch president. They will love and support and help you through.
In that same talk, Elder Ballard went on to say, “Please understand this: the bar that is the standard for missionary service is being raised. The day of the ‘repent and go’ missionary is over. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you, my young brothers? Some young men have the mistaken idea that they can be involved in sinful behavior and then repent when they’re 18 1/2 so they can go on their mission at 19. While it is true that you can repent of sins, you may or you may not qualify to serve. It is far better to keep yourselves clean and pure and valiant.”
Raising the bar
Our former prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, also spoke of the need to raise the worthiness standards for missionaries. In fact, he commented on Elder Ballard’s talk saying, “Elder Ballard has spoken to you concerning missionaries. I wish to endorse what he said. I hope that our young men, and our young women, will rise to the challenge he has set forth. We must raise the bar on the worthiness and qualifications of those who go into the world as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ” (“To Men of the Priesthood,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2002, 57).
President Hinckley further said, “the time has come when we must raise the standards of those who are called … as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. … We simply cannot permit those who have not qualified themselves as to worthiness to go into the world to speak the glad tidings of the gospel.” (“Missionary Service,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 11, 2003, 17).
Elder L. Tom Perry has also spoken on missionary worthiness, comparing these standards with those needed to enter the house of the Lord, the Holy Temple. Said he, “Personal worthiness is the minimum spiritual standard for serving a mission. This means that you are worthy in every way to make and to keep sacred temple covenants.” (From Raising the Bar, Ensign, November 2007)
Worthiness interview
As I mentioned above, and as I talked about in my other posts on the Mission Application Timeline and the application process for Mission Papers, only a bishop (or branch president) can interview missionary candidates and recommend them as worthy to serve a full-time mission. In this interview, your priesthood leader will ask you if you meet the qualifications for missionary service revealed in section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants: faith, hope, charity, love, an eye single to the glory of God, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence.
Full-time missionary service is a privilege, not a right, and therefore, potential missionaries must be worthy in every respect in order to receive that privilege. If you have had law of chastity violations, your bishop and stake president (or branch president and district or mission president) will need to confirm that your repentance is complete prior to submitting your application. They will make sure that you are prepared spiritually for your mission call and that you have been free of transgression for a sufficient time to manifest genuine repentance. If you have had multiple or serious violations of the law of chastity, this time period will likely be at least one year from the most recent occurrence.
Repentance
If you have had problems with the law of chastity, to prepare for a mission you will need to become worthy, and you will need to go through the repentance process. Complete repentance of law of chastity violations is necessary before a potential missionary can submit the paperwork. As many young people are a little afraid or unsure how to begin the repentance process, let’s review the steps.
- Faith in God. Repentance is an act of faith in Jesus Christ, and acknowledges the power of His Atonement. We can be forgiven only on His terms, and as we recognize the power of His Atonement to cleanse us from sin, we “exercise [our] faith unto repentance” (Alma 34:17).
- Sorrow for Sin. Sincere repentance means acknowledging that we have sinned against God’s commandments. This admission will lead to “godly sorrow,” which “worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow leads to a sincere desire to change and a willingness to submit to the requirement for forgiveness.
- Confession. “Whoso confesseth and forsaketh [sin] shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Repentance means going before God in humble prayer, acknowledging our sins, and pleading for His help. Serious transgressions, such as violations of the law of chastity, also need to be confessed to the Lord’s priesthood representatives who are your local bishop or branch president. While only the Lord can forgive sins, these leaders play a divine role and will help you through the repentance process.
- Abandonment of Sin. The Lord has said, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43). True repentance means resolving that we will forsake our sins or in other words that we will never repeat the transgression.
- Restitution. Another part of repentance is restoring, as far as possible, all that has been damaged by the sinful actions. Whether that is fixing someone’s property or someone’s reputation, restitution shows the Lord that we are doing all we can to repent.
- Righteous Living. Repentance is not complete until we fill our lives with good choices and endure to the end in righteousness. We must engage in activities that bring spiritual power like reading the scriptures and praying daily for the Lord to give us strength beyond our own.
My young brothers and sisters, the Lord loves you. If you have fallen into sexual transgression, He has provided a way back. The road of repentance is available thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Lord, your family, and Church leaders will help you repent and fully prepare for your mission.
For those of you striving and succeeding at keeping yourself clean and pure in spite of this increasingly sex-obsessed world in which we live, I applaud your faith and courage. If you always obey the law of chastity, you will be spared the hardships that inevitably come when we violate God’s commandments. You will keep yourself worthy to become one of the Lord’s chosen representatives, and you will have immense joy and eternal blessings for the missionary work you will perform.
Work Hard, Obey, and Love Others
Nov 8th
When I was in the Missionary Training Center (MTC), one of my instructors challenged us missionaries in the class to write down three personal goals that would guide us in our daily missionary efforts. This request 
came on the day when they introduced us to the Missionary Handbook, commonly called the “White Bible”. (Can someone tell me if they still have the White Bible, or if those rules have simply been included in the Preach My Gospel Manual?)
The MTC instructor wrote on the chalk board: “As a missionary, I, always and without conditions:” and then asked us to fill in the blanks. These are the three goals I chose:
- I will work hard
- I will be obedient
- I will love others
Daily striving to live up to these three goals served me well on my mission; it brought success, safety, and joy. Living by these goals has also brought blessings to my personal and professional life after my mission.
Work Hard
A good work ethic was something my parents always taught me to have. I can remember my father telling me a story from his mission how he had to be in the hospital for a few days and he regretted not being able to be out on the streets working. He encouraged me to make the most of every day on my mission by working as hard as I could. While I can’t claim perfection in this area, with very few exceptions, I did work as hard as I could each day, and I attribute much of my joys and successes to that attribute.
President Gordon B. Hinckley shared the following experience regarding the importance of working hard on his mission:
“I was not well when I arrived. Those first few weeks, because of illness and the opposition which we felt, I was discouraged. I wrote a letter home to my good father and said that I felt I was wasting my time and his money. He was my father and my stake president, and he was a wise and inspired man. He wrote a very short letter to me which said, ‘Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work.’ Earlier that morning in our scripture class my companion and I had read these words of the Lord: ‘Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.’ (Mark 8:35.)
“Those words of the Master, followed by my father’s letter with his counsel to forget myself and go to work, went into my very being. With my father’s letter in hand, I went into our bedroom in the house at 15 Wadham Road, where we lived, and got on my knees and made a pledge with the Lord. I covenanted that I would try to forget myself and lose myself in His service.
“That July day in 1933 was my day of decision. A new light came into my life and a new joy into my heart. The fog of England seemed to lift, and I saw the sunlight. I had a rich and wonderful
mission experience, for which I shall ever be grateful” (“Taking the Gospel to Britain: A Declaration of Vision, Faith, Courage, and Truth,” Ensign, July 1987, 7).
President Ezra Taft Benson also talked about the need for missionaries to work hard: “I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 200).
Be Obedient
Obedience, to the commandments and to the mission rules, is a vital component of faithful missionary service. Great power comes to missionaries that are obedient, and therefore your mission leaders will stress the importance of keeping the commandments and rules in the Missionary Handbook. 
I know that I was protected by keeping the missionary rules, and the Lord blessed me, my companions and our investigators in the process.
Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander of the Seventy spoke of the importance of obeying the mission rules: “Mission rules are important in the same way commandments are important. We all need to keep them, understanding that they give us strength, direction, and limits. The smart missionary will learn the intent of the rules and make them work for him. Your mission is a time of discipline and single-minded focus. You will be required to go without some things common to your current lifestyle: music, TV, videos, novels, even girls. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, …but then again, there is nothing wrong with food either, unless you are fasting, in which case even a teaspoon of water is improper” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, 59; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 43).
Love Others
Missionary work is one of the purest acts of love we can do for our fellow beings. We must love the people we have been called to serve in order to be effective servants of the Lord. We should give sincere friendship and treat others with love and kindness, even if they do not immediately accept the gospel.
Early in my mission, a leader shared the insight that if we are not having joy, then we are not doing missionary work correctly. I found that to be true. When we do missionary work out of a sincere love for our fellow beings, we enjoy it, for we are helping others receive the magnificent blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, blessings of happiness in this life and in the eternities.
The following scriptures are what the Lord has said regarding love and missionary service.
- D&C 12:8 “And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.”
- D&C 18:15-16 “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!”
- D&C 121:41 “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.”
Conclusion
As a missionary, you will have many rules, but perhaps the most important may be the ones you set for yourself. Work hard, obey and love others served me well, and perhaps it will help you to. But in the mean time, be thinking about this question, in case one of your MTC instructors asks you to fill in the blanks: “As a missionary, I will always and without conditions: ________.”
Newest Future Missionary
Oct 29th
It has been a while since I last blogged, and the reason is the birth of our son, one of the newest future missionaries in the world, Truman. He came in at 6 lbs. 15 oz, and 20 inches long.
I’m sure I’ll get back into my regular blogging routine soon. Until then, please enjoy these photos.
I Love Loud Boys
Oct 10th
Here is a video excerpt from another good talk from October 2009 General Conference on the subject missionary preparation. This one is from Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy and his talk is called I Love Loud Boys. Elder Choi has a thick accent and can be difficult to understand at times, but his message is very relevant to young men and their leaders, so please read along with the transcript of the talk below if necessary.
“I would like to tell you about a group of loud young men who came into my life when I was a young bishop in Seoul, Korea, many years ago. These were boys who lived in the neighborhood. Only one or two of them were members of the Church at the time. The boys who were members were the only members in their family. They were all friends, and they came to the church to play and to be together. They liked to play Ping-Pong during the weekdays, and they liked to have fun activities on Saturdays. Most of them were not good students in school and were considered by many to be troublemakers.
“I was a young father of two sons, who were seven and nine years old at the time. I did not know what I could do for these young men. They were so rowdy that once my wife, Bon-Kyoung, asked me if we could move to another ward so that our sons could see good examples from other young men. I pondered and prayed to Heavenly Father to help me to find the way to help these young men. Finally I made the decision to try and teach them how they could change their lives.
“A vision came upon my mind very clearly. I felt that if they were to become missionaries, their lives would be changed. From that moment on, I became very excited, and I tried to spend as much time as possible with them, teaching them the importance of missionary service and how to prepare for a mission.
“At that time Elder Seo, a full-time missionary, was transferred to our ward. He was one who had grown up in the Church and as an Aaronic Priesthood youth had participated in a young men’s singing group with his friends. He met those boisterous boys in our ward. Elder Seo taught those who were not members the missionary discussions, and he also taught them the songs he used to sing. He made a triple quartet with those loud boys and named them the Hanaro Quartet, which means “be as one.” They were happy to sing together, but we all needed “big” patience when we listened to their singing.
“Our home was open to the members anytime they wanted to visit. The boys visited our home almost every weekend and even on some weekdays. We fed them and taught them. We taught them the principles of the gospel as well as the application of the gospel in their lives. We tried to give them a vision of their future life.
“They sang together every time they came to our home. Their loud sound hurt our ears. But we always praised them because listening to them sing was far more enjoyable than seeing them get into trouble.
“Through the years these activities continued. Most of these young men matured in the gospel, and a miracle happened. Over time nine of the boys who were not members were baptized. They changed from loud, rowdy boys into valiant stripling warriors.
“They served missions, met beautiful young sisters in the Church, and married in the temple. Of course, there were different challenges for each of them as they served missions, attended school, and got married, but they all stayed faithful because they wanted to obey their leaders and please the Lord. Now they have happy families with children born in the covenant.
“Nine loud boys have become 45 active members in the Lord’s kingdom, including their wives and children. They are now leaders in their wards and stakes. One is a bishop, two serve in bishoprics, one is serving on the high council, and two are Young Men presidents. There is a ward mission leader, an executive secretary, and a seminary teacher. As a group, they still sing together, and the other miracle—they actually sound good! …
“Dear young men, let us obey the leaders of the Church and be like Adam, who didn’t always have to know the reason why but was just happy to be obedient. And please faithfully attend your Church meetings. If you do this, you will learn how to prepare for your future, and you will be successful. To young boys who were born in the Church and also to those who have joined the Church, you are the army of the Lord. You will become wonderful missionaries and righteous fathers to your families. Heavenly Father will bless you to have a happy family. You have a bright future in the gospel, and like the sons of Helaman, you will bring eternal joy to all of us.”
Teaching Helps Save Lives
Oct 9th
Here is some good mission prep counsel from Russell T. Osguthorpe, Sunday School General President. This is an excerpt from his October 2009 General Conference talk, Teaching Helps Save Lives.
“When I was in my teens, a recently returned missionary named Brother Peterson taught our Sunday School class. Every week he would draw a large arrow from the lower left-hand corner of the blackboard pointing to the upper right-hand corner. Then he would write at the top of the blackboard, “Aim High.”
“Whatever doctrine he was teaching, he would ask us to stretch ourselves, to reach a little higher than we thought was possible. The arrow and those two words, aim high, were a constant invitation throughout the lesson. Brother Peterson made me want to serve a good mission, to do better in school, to set my sights higher for my career.
“Brother Peterson had a work for us to do. His goal was to help us “think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles.” His teaching helped save my life.
“At the age of 19, I was called to serve a mission in Tahiti, where I had to learn two foreign languages—French and Tahitian. Early in my mission, I became very discouraged at my lack of progress in either language. Every time I tried to speak French, people responded in Tahitian. When I tried to speak Tahitian, they answered in French. I was on the verge of giving up.
“Then one day, as I was walking past the laundry room at the mission home, I heard a voice calling me. I turned around and saw a gray-haired Tahitian woman standing in the doorway motioning for me to come back. Her name was Tuputeata Moo. She spoke only Tahitian. And I spoke only English. I missed much of what she was trying to tell me, but I did understand that she wanted me to return to the laundry room every day so she could help me learn Tahitian.
“I stopped by daily to practice with her while she ironed clothes. At first I wondered if our meetings would be of any help, but gradually I began to understand her. Each time we met, she communicated to me her complete confidence that I could learn both languages.
“Sister Moo helped me learn Tahitian. But she helped me learn much more than that. She was really teaching me the first principle of the gospel—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She taught me that if I relied on the Lord, He would help me do something I thought was impossible. She not only helped save my mission—she helped save my life.”
Funny Moments from General Conference
Oct 7th
I hope all you future missionaries took time to listen to our living prophets speak to us last weekend during General Conference. Six months ago, I blogged about all the talks on Mission Prep from April 2009 General Conference. I plan to do that again for this conference, but for now, I thought it would be fun to take a couple of minutes and enjoy again all the funny moments from October 2009’s General Conference. I hope you enjoy this video montage below:
Additional Mission Expenses
Oct 3rd
Readers, I need your help. Many people have asked me about additional mission expenses for items not covered by the normal monthly allowance. I have written previously about the LDS Mission Cost and Saving for a Mission, yet there are uncovered expenses that are not intended to used with the monthly allowance such as photography, souvenirs or dining splurges. Many future missionaries and their parents are curious about these un-included expenses and would like to plan for them.
I need your help to answer this question in a more complete way for those parents and future missionaries. My mission was long ago, and specific to Argentina of course, so things now and in other parts of the world may be different from my experience. But this is how I would answer the question…
From my experience, an extra $20 to $50 a month would be nice depending on what your family can afford and what kind of souvenirs you intend to buy and other splurges you may want. It is important to remember, though, that your companion may not have any extra spending money, so you should be sensitive to their situation.
Anything above and beyond the monthly allowance given missionaries truly is discretionary, therefore it is difficult to give much further guidance. The missionary program is designed so missionaries can get along just fine without any extra money beyond the monthly allowance. On the other hand, though, it sure is nice to have a little extra cushion, especially for young people who may not be frugal or may not have learned practical steps for mission prep like managing money well.
I’m interested in all of your thoughts, though, so please comment below to add to or correct my response. Thanks.
Conversion of Juan Carlos Lopez
Sep 17th
The following video is more lengthy than most of the ones I produce, but I think it’s inspiring and I hope you will spend the time to watch it or read the story below of the conversion of Juan Carlos Lopez.
Juan Carlos Lopez was a man my companion, Elder Wasden, and I met in the city of Rosario in late December of 1996. We met Juan Carlos on my first day serving in the city, and actually, 
it was probably within an hour of me arriving in the city. I had been serving in a city to the north of Rosario when I got the transfer call. When I arrived in Rosario it was mid-morning and without even unpacking my suitcases, my new companion and I headed out to do missionary work.
Heeding the Spirit to Open Our Mouths
Within a few minutes of leaving our apartment, Elder Wasden saw Juan Carlos on the other side of the street, he insisted that we cross immediately and go talk to him. It was a busy street and we were not at a cross walk, but knowing the charge to open your mouth at all times, we went and spoke to him.
Little did we know at the time, but that same morning Juan Carlos Lopez had been talking with his mother about the Mormon Church. When we missionaries saw him in the street and stopped him to tell him about our message, he sincerely wanted to learn about the Church. I’ll always be grateful to Elder Wasden for hearing and obeying the prompting he got from the Spirit to go talk to Juan Carlos.
We had a nice little chat with Juan Carlos. He gave us his address and invited us to come to his home the next morning to teach him the first discussion.
Planner Disaster
Missionary planners, at that time in the Rosario Mission, were simply a simple piece of blue card stock with a grid pattern for each day of the week and each hour of the day. The back was blank and we usually used it for taking notes, like people’s names and addresses. We would fold it up and keep it in our pockets. When we met Juan Carlos that morning, I pulled out my planner, scheduled the appointment and wrote down his name and address.
When we got home for lunch that day, I realized I had still been using my planner from my old area. So I threw out my old planner, and started a new one. It didn’t even occur to me that Juan Carlos’ information was on the old planner.
The next morning we went out street contacting but we entirely forgot about our appointment with Juan Carlos. When we were sitting in the apartment a lunch, we got a call from the mission office. Juan Carlos was very upset about us missing the appointment, so he had found the mission office number in the phone book and had called them and asked them to send us to his house. We rushed straight over to his home (map to Juan Carlos’ home), apologized and made another appointment. This time, we were extra careful to make it to the appointment.
First Four Discussions
The first discussion went well, so we schedule a second discussion. At the end of the second discussion, we asked Juan Carlos to to follow the example of the Savior and to be baptized. He accepted the invitation whole heartedly, and we made plans for him to attend Church, which he did. We scheduled the third discussion and left him a little pamphlet about the principles of the third discussion.
All of our discussions with Juan Carlos took place around his dining room table shown in the picture to the right. His mother, who you also see in the picture, listened to all the discussions but never wanted to be baptized. I’m guessing we took this picture during the third or fourth discussion because the pamphlet for the fourth discussion, on the plan of salvation, is seen on the table.
Doubts Creep In Over Tithing
Prior to the fifth discussion, which talks about tithing, we left Juan Carlos the pamphlet as usual. When we arrived at the appointment, I noticed there was a calculator on the table. For the first time in all our meetings, 
Juan Carlos began to show doubts and concerns about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He asked how many members there were in the world, and then began to make some calculations regarding average income and how much money the Church was bringing in through tithing. He had a ton of questions about how tithing funds were spent, he stopped coming to Church, and we had to postpone his baptism.
For the next couple of weeks, we visited Juan Carlos as much as possible, and each time we did, that calculator remained sitting there on his dining room table. We brought members with us to these meetings, we testified, and we encouraged Juan Carlos to continue reading the Book of Mormon and praying about the truthfulness of the Church and our message. Finally, we set one last appointment with Juan Carlos where we planned to tell him that we would be visiting him less often, but he was more than welcome to come to Church if he ever wanted to continue the lessons.
Prayer and The Spirit Changed His Heart
When we arrived at Juan Carlos’s home and sat down for this good bye meeting, to our surprise and joy, there was no calculator on the table. This calculator, which had been a symbol of a stumbling block stopping his progression in the gospel, was gone and I knew that Juan Carlos would begin progressing again. Juan Carlos told us that he wanted to finish the rest of the discussions and get baptized as soon as possible.
I asked Juan Carlos what caused his change of heart, and he explained that the previous night he couldn’t sleep because of the hot, humid weather. So he took his mattress up onto his roof, where it was cooler, and attempted to sleep there. He said he was gazing at the stars and he felt like he should pray, so he knelt and prayed about life, about the restored gospel, and about the principle of tithing. He said the Spirit of the Lord came upon him very strongly and gave him a slight rebuke and told him not to worry about the principle of tithing any longer. The Spirit testified of the truthfulness of the gospel, and from that moment on, Juan Carlos knew he needed to be baptized.
Juan Carlos got baptized just a couple of weeks later and it was a great event. His conversion story is a testament to the importance of missionaries following the promptings of the Spirit to open their mouths and proclaim the gospel at all times, and a testament to the power of prayer and the Spirit of the Lord to penetrate hearts and convert people to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Open Your Mouth
Sep 10th
One of the most important and most constant tasks you must do as a missionary is to continually open your mouth. Open your mouth and testify of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Open your mouth and give testimony of Joseph Smith and his First Vision of God the Father and his Son. Open your mouth and testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. (See Bring Souls unto Me, by Elder L. Tom Perry, May 2009 Ensign)
Open Your Mouth: A Commandment to Missionaries
The Doctrine and Covenants is replete with scriptures commanding missionaries to open their mouths and preach the gospel. Almost always those scriptures contain a promise from the Lord that they will be blessed to know what to say if they take that step of faith and open their mouth. Here are a few:
D&C 24:12, to Oliver Cowdery is called to preach the gospel and the Lord says, “At all times, and in all places, he shall open his mouth and declare my gospel as with the voice of a trump, both day and night.”- D&C 28:16, again, to Oliver Cowdery the Lord says “And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing.”
- D&C 30:11, John Whitmer is called to preach the gospel and the Lord says, “Yea, you shall ever open your mouth in my cause, not fearing what man can do, for I am with you.”
- D&C 33:10, to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet the Lord says it three times: verse 8 “Open your mouths and they shall be filled,” verse 9 “Open your mouths and spare not,” and again in verse 10 “Open your mouths and they shall be filled.”
- D&C 60:2, to the elders of the Church the Lord says, “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man.”
- D&C 71:1, to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon the Lord says, “it is necessary and expedient in me that you should open your mouths in proclaiming my gospel…according to that portion of Spirit and power which shall be given unto you, even as I will.”
Opening Your Mouth is Difficult but Necessary
For many missionaries this commandment to “open your mouth” is not easy, which is probably why the Lord mentions it again and again in the scriptures. Many missionaries, including myself as a young missionary, are shy and unsure of themselves. Many are called in preach the gospel in lands where they don’t speak the native language. The excuses for not opening your mouth as a missionary are many but all are rooted in “the fear of man” rather than trust in God. As noted in the scriptures above, when missionaries open their mouths to declare the gospel the Lord will be with them and help them know what to say. But it is not until missionaries take that necessary step that the Lord will use them as an instrument in his hands.
Door Knocking
The most common way for missionaries around the world to open their mouths is by knocking on doors or tracting. In Argentina we did some door knocking, but not a lot. The primary way in which we opened our mouths in my mission was talking to people on the bus or in the street. In Argentina, the missionaries didn’t have cars or bikes for transportation, everywhere we went we either walked or took the bus. This was the case for most other Argentines as well, therefore we constantly came across people in the streets and on the bus. It was difficult for me at first, to strike up a gospel conversation in these instances, but I learned to use both of these methods effectively as a missionary.
Bus Contacting
During my first couple of weeks in Argentina, I was far too shy and unsure of my language skills to sit down next to a stranger and begin a conversation about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I watched my companion do it time and time again as we rode the bus traveling to teaching appointments or other errands.
After a week or two, my senior companion challenged me to sit down next to someone on the bus and talk to them. Reluctantly, I did it, and my first attempt was actually rather successful. The man I sat down next to was friendly and even gave me his name and phone number so we could come by his home later for more discussions. This interaction gave me additional confidence and I continued opening my mouth to testify to strangers on the bus for the rest of my mission.
Of course not everyone we met on the bus was this nice, many people would not talk to us, would get up and move to another seat, or tried to argue with us (don’t argue with people). Regardless of whether or not my testimony was received, I always tried to open my mouth on the bus and testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the message of the restored gospel.
Street Contacting
Street contacting is what I would categorize as talking to people in everyday situations in just about any scenario as you go through the day. Talking to people we pass in the streets, or that you bump into at the grocery store, the attendant at the photo store, or any number of other situations. Throughout my mission it took continual effort to open my mouth in these instances, which nearly encompassed the whole day. Of course, wherever you go, you wear that missionary name tag and there is no time off from being a representative of the Lord.
If we missionaries hadn’t opened our mouth, though, and shared our message in everyday situations, we never would have met and baptized the Almada family. The conversion of Juan Carlos Lopez, who we first met in the street, never would have happened without opening our mouths. And the Godoy family, a wonderful couple with two children, were baptized because we struck up a conversation at a photo development store.
Conclusion
“Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.” (D&C 100: 5-6) I testify that this is true. Open your mouth every chance you get and testify of the Lord and his restored Church and the gospel message that you carry. If you do, the Lord will bless you with the right words, and he will guide you to the right people, and the Spirit will penetrate the hearts of your listeners and testify of the truthfulness of your words. You will be blessed and the Lord will be able to bless many others as you become an instrument in his hands.