"The Missionary Speech of All Time"

Update 2018-03-02 From "Elder Holland releases statement regarding missionary story" We can all do well with caution.

Editor's Note: In his remarks during the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared a missionary account, which was published by the Church News under the headline: “Elder Holland shares 'the missionary speech of all time' at Seminar for New Mission Presidents.” The article was widely read and shared. On July 31, Elder Holland released the following statement regarding the account:  

"A few weeks ago when speaking to new mission presidents at the Missionary Training Center, I shared a story about two brothers, just as I heard it from individuals who knew the family and had heard it recounted by a family member. Within a few days, my office was contacted by the family, who expressed concern that some elements of that account were not accurate due to embellishing by a family member. 

“There are inspiring and important missionary lessons in this story. The older brother did indeed leave his home and his family and for many years pursued the lifestyle I described in my talk. During these years his parents lovingly tried to maintain contact, prayed faithfully for him and even sent local leaders to seek after him. However, at the time his younger brother was called to serve as a missionary, the older brother had already returned to Idaho. With the help of missionaries there, he started the difficult and courageous process of changing his life. In time, he would return to full activity and be sealed in the temple, and he would also have a son who would serve a mission. 

“As a courtesy to me the family contacted my office, wanting me to be aware of the inaccurate parts of the story and offering their help in avoiding any perpetuation of those elements in the account I heard. I am deeply touched by their humility and courage in doing so, and as an equal courtesy to them, I am withdrawing the story completely and request that it not be shared further."

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This has a great story about how the spirit can direct us in the work of the Lord. From "Elder Holland shares 'the missionary speech of all time' at Seminar for New Mission Presidents", R. Scott Lloyd, Deseret News, 30 Jun 2017.

Elder Holland closed by relating a story — being careful to protect the privacy and anonymity of the participants — of a young man from southern Idaho. One night the young man stormed out of the house and set off to join an infamous motorcycle gang. He succeeded in that resolve and for 20 years became immersed in a culture “of temptations yielded to and degradations explored,” never contacting his parents, who feared that he was dead. 

Eventually ending up in Southern California, he one day was sitting on the porch of a rented home when he saw two LDS missionaries making their way up the street. 

“With a rush of memory and guilt, regret and rage, he despised the very sight of them,” Elder Holland recounted. “But he was safe, because he kept all visitors at bay by employing two Doberman Pinschers who viciously charged the gate every moment that anyone came near.” 

The dogs startled the missionaries as they passed by and continued on, “our man on the porch laughing at the lovely little drama he had just witnessed, wishing only that the gate hadn’t restrained his two dogs.” 

Then, the two elders stopped, looked at each other, conversed a little, “likely said a silent prayer,” then turned around and approached the gate. 

“The Dobermans on cue charged the gate again, hit it, snarling, frothing, and then stopped in their tracks,” Elder Holland said. “They looked at the missionaries, dropped their heads, ambled back to the front steps and lay down.” 

The man on the porch was speechless as they missionaries opened the gate, walked up the path and greeted him. 

“One of the elders said, ‘Are you from this part of California?’ 

“The man said, ‘No. If you want to know, I’m from Pocatello, Idaho.’ 

“There was a pause. ‘That’s interesting,’ the elder said. ‘Do you know the [such-and-such] family in Pocatello?’ 

“With a stunned look, our biker paused, and then, in very measured words, said, ‘Yeah, I know them. They are my parents.’ 

“ ‘Well, they’re my parents too,’ the missionary said. ‘God has sent me to invite you to come home.’ ” 

The younger brother had been born after the older boy had left home. The elder brother did not even know of him. 

“Mom and Dad have been praying for you every morning and night for 20 years,” the younger brother said. “They were not sure you were alive, but they knew if you were, that someday you would come back to us.” 

The wayward son invited the two in, and they talked for the rest of the day and some of the night. He did return home, returned to Church activity and, in March 2015, was married and sealed in the Boise Idaho Temple. 

Commenting on the account, Elder Holland said, “This is a story of the role of Almighty God, the Savior of the World, and the Holy Ghost involved in the work of the ministry to which we’ve been called. 

“The Holy Ghost prompted those parents to keep praying, to keep believing, to keep trusting. … The Holy Ghost inspired that rebellious boy to come to himself like the prodigal he was and to head for California. … The Holy Ghost influenced that younger son to serve a mission and be willing to accept a call to Southern California. … The Holy Ghost inspired one of my brethren in the Twelve, who was on the assignment desk that Friday, to trust his impression and assign that young man for service not a great distance from his native-born state. The Holy Ghost inspired that mission president to assign that young missionary to that district and that member unit. The Holy Ghost led those missionaries to that street, that day, that hour, with big brother sitting on the porch waiting, and, with Doberman Pinschers notwithstanding, the Holy Ghost prompted those to elders to stop, talk and in spite of their fear, to go back and present their message. … 

“And, through the elders, the Holy Ghost taught repentance and brought true conversion to one coming back into the fold.” 

Elder Holland said the young elder, without realizing it, gave the missionary speech of all time, when he said to his brother, “God has sent me here to invite you to come home.” 

“We are sent by God to invite His children home,” Elder Holland concluded. “We do that through the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, on the strength of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Welcome to the divine companionship.”

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O How Great the Plan of Our God!

"My beloved brothers and sisters, my dear friends, does it not fill our hearts and minds with wonder and awe to contemplate the great plan of happiness our Heavenly Father has prepared for us?" ("O How Great the Plan of Our God!", Dieter F. Uctdorf, Oct 2016)

An Emerging Group, a Subset

Hugh Hewitt: ...how does the United States stack up in terms of the climate of openness to religious flourishing and freedom, of all sorts?

Jeffrey Holland: Yeah, well that’s a good question, Hugh, because I think in some ways, as secularism prevails and the 21st Century unfolds, in some ways, we’re less reverent, we’re less spiritual, maybe less religiously affiliated as a nation. But within that, there is an emerging group, a subset, if you will, that I think is more interested, are more willing to listen to the missionaries. Maybe a little harder to find, but when you find them, these are people that probably are more interested now in a way than they were 20 years ago. Maybe it’s the issue of the day, maybe it’s the kind of political and social phenomenon you’ve already referred to, but something is getting their attention that say maybe we ought to have more faith, maybe there ought to be more religion, maybe there ought to be more devotion. So maybe it’s a kind of a polarization. I wouldn’t say sheep or goats or wheat and tares. That sounds too ominous. I’m not an apocalyptic guy.
("A Conversation with LDS Elder Jeffrey Holland", Hugh Hewitt, Feb 27, 2015)

Missionary Discussions (1985)

The following is from a web page of a BYU faculty member on what the missionary discussions where about from about 1985 until Preach My Gospel was introduced in 1999.(http://www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/colton/personal/lds/discussions.htm)

What do the missionary discussions teach?

In order to become a member of the LDS Church, generally one must go through a series of 6 lessons, or "discussions" with church missionaries. (There are another 6 lessons after one becomes a member.) Most of the discussions contain a "commitment", or challenge, for the interested party. This is consistent with Christ's statement in the Bible (John 7:16-17) "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

The 6 discussions go something like this:

1st Discussion- very basic intro to Mormon views on God, Jesus, some information on Joseph Smith, specifically his First Vision, and an introduction to the Book of Mormon (with a challenge to read some and pray to ask God if it is true).

2nd Discussion- more details on the mission of Jesus (how he overcame death and sin for us), gospel basics such as faith, repentance, baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and a challenge to be baptized.

3rd Discussion- more on Joseph Smith, and the Restoration (restoration of divine authority, as well as restoration of the church), and a challenge to visit the local church services.

4th Discussion- The Mormon view on the purpose of life, called "The Plan of Salvation". This includes doctrine about the pre-Earth life, reasons why we are here, and what we have to look forward to in the hereafter. One focus is on the proper use of our physical bodies, and challenges to live by the Law of Chastity (no sexual immorality) and the Word of Wisdom (certain substances are proscribed) are issued.

5th Discussion- More about becoming Christ-like. An emphasis is placed on overcoming our natural selfish tendencies. Fasting is taught, with a challenge to follow the monthly fast, as well as donating "fast offerings", which are typically the monetary equivalent of the meals skipped during the fast, used to help the needy. Tithing is taught, with a challenge to live the law of tithing after joining the church.

6th Discussion- Teaches about the "three missions of the church" (perfecting the Saints, proclaiming the gospel, and redeeming the dead), and reviews the commitments required for baptism.

This version of the missionary discussions was put into place around 1985, I think. As mentioned, it is very much geared towards "commitments", or the policy of "try it-- you'll like it!"

My First Son's Mission Call

My first son's mission call.

Here is a population density map of Detroit.

Here is a missionary blog for a Spanish speaking missionary in Detroit.

One Message to Share

The missionaries came over and had us write one message we would want to share with the world. Here are the messages we wrote. It was a lot of fun.

Richard: "Love Wins"
Lorenzo: "Salvation"
Victor: "Through Christ our burdens are made light"
Tim: "Live Worthy"
Sam: "God Loves"
Sara: "Act Through Love"
Josh: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself"
Steph: "Love the Lord. Love one another."
Daniel: "The Book of Mormon is True"
Laney: "You can believe in the Lamb of God"
Zanna: "Jesus loves everyone. Jesus is nice and kind"
Nathan: "Believe"
Andrew: "Families are Forever"
Elder Fackrell: "Believe in Christ"

Christ: The Light, The Life, The Way

My brother in law sang recently in a musical presentation called "Christ: The Light, The Life, The Way" in the LDS Boise Idaho Mission. My father in law was looking for a way to share it with family and friends. I tagged and ripped it to mp3.

I think the best way to share it is through Amaze.fm. Here is my user page on the site. I uploaded the whole program to it. You can listen to it online. It looks like it puts the most recent song on the top of the list, so everything is in reverse order except for "Amazing Grace".

You can also download the mp3 files, 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3.

"You'll never rise higher in all your lives"

I agree with this

"Behold how great is your calling” (D&C 112:33). How great is your calling! You are not sent here to take pictures. You are not sent here to play. You are sent here to find and teach. That's our opportunity, our challenge, and our responsibility. You'll never rise higher in all your lives than you will do while you are in the mission field. That may sound like a strange thing. I said that once in Argentina many years ago, and about ten years later I received a letter from a young man who said, "When I was on a mission in Argentina, you came there and you put a hex on me. I haven't been able to lift it. I have been no good ever since. I failed in school, I failed in my work, I failed in my marriage." I didn't put a hex on him. I simply told him that he would never stand taller, never rise higher, than while in the service of the Lord, and his subsequent life demonstrated that.

This is the great day of your opportunity to establish within yourselves habits of work that will bless you throughout your lives. Said the Lord, "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you." (D&C 88:67.) If you concentrate on the work of the Lord, if you give it everything you have, your whole body shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you. Gone will be the darkness of sin. Gone will be the darkness of laziness. Gone will be all of these negative things. That's the word of the Lord to you and to me.
(Belgium Brussels Missionary Meeting, June 12, 1996) As quoted in (Gordon B. Hinckley, The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997, p. 362)

And this

If we want to keep the Spirit, we must work.

There is no greater exhilaration or satisfaction than to know, after a hard day of work, that we have done our best.

I have often said that 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. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.

We must not give Satan an opportunity to discourage us. Here again, work is the answer. Missionary work brings joy, optimism, and happiness. The Lord has given us a key by which we can overcome discouragement:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30; italics added.)

In the Savior’s time, the purpose of a yoke was to get oxen pulling together in a united effort. Our Savior has a great cause to move forward. He has asked all of us to be equally yoked together to move His cause forward. It requires not only a united effort; it requires complete dependence on Him. As He said to His early Apostles, “Without me ye can do nothing.”

Our work will be light and easy to bear if we will depend on the Lord and work.
(Ezra Taft Benson, “Keys to Successful Member-Missionary Work,” Ensign, Sep 1990, 2)

Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home

I already got a response to my last posting. She said she had been thinking of sharing the (LDS) gospel to some relatives. I then thought of this from Elder Ballard's Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home talk, "Our love for the Lord and appreciation for the Restoration of the gospel are all the motivation we need to share what gives us much joy and happiness" mp3

The best thing I can do the share the gospel is share the joy it brings my life. I do not have to hold back a spiritual experience just because the person I am talking to is not a Latter-Day Christian. Certainly, I will not cast pearls before those who will mock me. There are many good people in my life that are not Mormon.

I can enrich my own life and relationships by being willing to be more vulnerable to my kind neighbors. It is best if I truly abandon a salesman like motive when I share. Share for sharing sake. More importantly, listen with the idea to understand. Trust salvation to God.

Today I invite you to relax and set aside your concerns and focus instead on your love for the Lord, your testimony of His eternal reality, and your gratitude for all He has done for you. If you are truly motivated by love and testimony and gratitude, you will quite naturally do all that you can to assist the Lord in “[bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1:39) of our Father’s children. In fact, it would be impossible to keep you from doing it.

What happens to people who have never heard of Jesus Christ?

I just found this clip of Oprah Winfrey asking essentially this question.

Do you think if you are somewhere on the planet and you never hear the name of Jesus but yet you live with a loving heart. You lived as Jesus would have had you to live. You lived for the same purpose that Jesus came to the planet, to teach us all. But you are in some remote part of the earth and you never heard the name of Jesus. You cannot get to heaven you think? ... Does God care about your heart or does God care that you called His Son Jesus?

There is an answer. From mormon.org here is an explanation.

Heavenly Father knew that many of His children would never have an opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ during their lives and that others would choose not to follow Him. Because He loves His children and is just, God provided a way for those in the spirit world to learn about His plan, have faith in Jesus Christ, and repent. Those who choose to accept and follow Jesus Christ will have peace and rest.

There is also a video from a member from London.