Book Review: Every Day Missionaries

Today will be a broadcast from the church about missionary work.  It's nation wide and will be rebroadcast to the rest of the world. You can learn more about it here:

http://www.lds.org/church/events/the-work-of-salvation-missionary-broadcast?lang=eng

I recently read this book.  I loved it because it taught HOW to get it into the investigators heart; HOW to pray, HOW to keep the Sabbath day holy, HOW to study a book of scripture.  All things that most don't know how to do.  We often baptize people who don't get it, who don't know how to do these things, but this tells us HOW to help get it IN to them!

Mr. Christensen is a member of the 70.  

I took copious notes and I'd like to share them here: 

Part 1 Finding People for the Missionaries to Teach

Ch 1:  1. We don’t need to transform our relationships into friendships as a pre-requisite to invite others to learn about the gospel. (p 21)

2.We don’t have to prepare them.

3. You don’t know who will say yes or no.

4. Asking is success in itself regardless of how it turns out.

Ch 2:  1. Use Finding NEMO (not in the book, but same idea)  NEMO: Natural expressions missionary opportunities.  2. When they ask you a question, ask them “why?” so you know how to answer something they are interested in and you know how to respond.  People joined a. closeness to God they saw in others, b. happiness and sense of peace, c. better sense of purposefulness and direction.   3. Decoupling: “I’m going to ask you a question, but before I do we need to agree that our friendship won’t be affected if you decide this isn't of interest to you.”  4. Compare the questions WE ask, not our answers, i.e.. Joseph Smith question, Council of Nicea- stopped asking questions after words.  Ask them questions as explanations.

Ch 3: Ask them to help us: teach, move, career nights, basketball team.  Focus on a. getting members involved in community organizations. b. invite them to serve with us!  People want to help! 

Ch 4:  Share at work through 1. Words (NEMO) 2. Use the gospel to solve problems.  See the 5 things he learned p 67-68.

Ch 5: Set deadlines to goals and it will happen.   The desperation principle.   It happens near the end!

Ch 6: Sharing the gospel online.  a. create web sites b. call online missionaries c. have non-members read it and help with editing for effectiveness.  See these web sites: 

ablogaboutlove.com

mormonperspectives.com

youngandmormon.com

Part 2 Teaching Toward Conversion

Ch 7: Teach how to pray: ask investigator to listen and notice while 3 people pray.  They usually notice the beginning, how to end, thanking and asking.

Ch 8: Teach how to study the BOM. Have them come with questions.  Give them 2 short assignments to read. Have them pray, read, write, pray read write pray. The writing forces you to think about it.

Ch 9: Teach how to keep the Sabbath day holy.  1. Schedule a mtg with the missionaries at the church.  Teach a wonderful lesson.  2. Teach to take the sacrament; teach to keep the rest of the day holy.  Read Mosiah 3: 16-19   Ask what are some unholy things people do on Sunday?  What are holy thing to do?

Ch 10: Teach about temptations: Our opponents are not passive.  1. Disobey God’s commandments – It’s easier to keep them 100% of the time than 98%.  2. Personal apostasy.  We need to teach that questions lead to revelation. We will learn more and more, but the whole complete truth has already been there!

Part 3 Building the Kingdom of God. (amazing results)

Ch 11: U-night, a mtg in church, each proselyting family brought another family.  Movie- then discussion in home, then U-night with more families, etc. 

Ch 12: In Boston, a twig.  12 people met in a home, then 20, then 40, then 80, 120, a branch.  All because after every meeting they asked themselves who didn't come and then went out and brought them back in! 

Ch 13:  2 wards, 2 branches made into 8 branches and that brought growth.  People called to serve that were not prepared or worthy, but in the desperation it worked.  Strong people trained and there was amazing growth.  Leaders saw themselves as trainers.

Ch 14: The Lord trusts these words to love the new members, to embrace new people when they came in and to do missionary work because they did it!  Amazing number results in Ireland, affluent ward in Boston, and New Hampshire mission area.

Ch 15: Spanish Branch with not enough priesthood.  They fasted for a weekend for god to send a man to lead to bring change.  Next Sunday a 15 year old stuttering Jamie came.  He had a way with children, helped the missionaries out with kids, people joined.  When he came home from his mission no one left the room after his talk.  13 boys came up and promised to go on missions when they turned 19.  12 did.

Ch 16: The thoughts and ways of God

1.      The simple and weak D&C 1:19-24

2.      Friends, responsibilities and nourishment's

3.      The good shepherd “How think ye?”  Who could have been here today that didn't come?”

4.      Love one another.  God trusted these wards. It wasn't miraculous, it’ was predictable.  D&C 58:26-29

Epilogue  My Testimony.  He thinks about missionary work and many other things every day. (He's a Harvard professor)  He simply has been trying to learn fundamental truth and falsehoods that affect us.  He leaves us with a web site to help us do all the things he taught in the book.  

http://www.everydaymissionaries.org/

Dad Wanted Twins

Dad was a peaceful man who fought in WWII.  His twin was always picking on him and he took it.  Later in his life he got picked on too and he took it.  Was he a door mat that couldn't stand up for himself or was he just more Christlike than the rest of us, turning the other cheek?  Looking back I think he needed anti-depressants at least the last 20 years of his life.  Ya.  I was 13 when he had his stroke and just days away from turning 33 when he died.  So 20 years is about right.

Dad and I have a strange connection.  Maybe the other 6 kids feel that way too, but here are my stories about him.  Some I have shared before. Others I have not.

1.  I'm here on earth due to him and President Joseph Fielding Smith.  Here you can read about how Dad went to priesthood session and was pricked in his heart with the 'Don't block up the well springs of life", comment from a prophet.

2.  He wrote a poem to the older 5 kids and hung it on the Christmas tree to announce my impending birth.  None of the other kids got that.  The Poem:

Now children Dear, You listen here,

About a gift to the family,

That will come some time

When fireworks are popping;

It may be one, it may be two

But it will keep us all hopping. 

To get things done,

To service a certain covering,

To hold, to comfort, to carry, 

To bundle, to trundle off to bed. 

To feed, to cuddle, to brag on;

It may be him or may be her,

It should  be one or the other. 

It could be both if they be two.

Or both could be one or the other.

It's going to be a little baby,

Brother, or sister, or Twins...

Or something or other. 

Dad was hoping I'd be a twin.  I wasn't, but Sarah was born 18 months latter.

3. I'm the one that was first to find Dad after his stroke.  I came home and the TV was blaring!  He couldn't  get paper in an envelope.  He didn't speak to me.  He tried to start the car with out keys.  We almost got in a car accident on the way to the dentist.

4. I was there when he died, along with Ruth and my mom of course, but mom let me say when to pull the plug.  There were other looks  and words between us that day.  Kind of funny to think of him being the one to say - OK, time for Becky to come to earth and me saying OK, time for dad to go home.

5. I've had experiences with him since he's been gone too.  Times when I know he's aware of me, there or looking down.  He sees me struggling, crying, etc.   I've been told that in a blessing; That he is busy but aware. Thoughts of him will just come out of now where, or scenes will be presented to my minds eye.   I've written about those too on here.  

6. Since moving to Idaho I've had experiences too.  One while praying and crying in Nampa.  In my minds eye came a view of someone tapping Dad on his shoulder and pointing to me kneeling and crying.  He's aware!  Another after the debacle with the Bishop and I was a mess, all of a sudden Dad popped into my head out of no where.  He was aware.  Dad was single for 39 years.  He would  of understand  my pain and told me to  let it go, to turn the other cheek, because that's what he would of done.

Those are my special experiences with dad.  There are other little things I could mention when he was a live to explain our connection, but I don't share it all.  I wonder if my siblings have feelings like I do.  If they feel they have a special connection with dad and what their stories are.