Highlights from Preach My Gospel

In response to Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk in conference on the Church’s new guide to missionary service, Preach My Gospel, my wife and I went to the distribution center on Saturday and bought a copy. I have been reading through large parts of it all weekend. This new program is a great improvement over the system we employed when I was a missionary 10 years ago. It also has some wonderful discussion of gospel principles. In fact, I am so impressed that I am considering adopting it as the principle study guide for my personal gospel study and my wife and I are discussing using it for our couple gospel study program.

I want to highlight some passages that stuck out to me. Some of them are doctrinal, some are explanations of policy, some relate to how missionary work is to be conducted, and others are related to recent discussions in the bloggernacle.

“There is neither man or woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life.”(President Brigham Young, p.12)

“Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members.”(President Harold B Lee, p. 13)

“The purpose of district meeting is to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.(D&C 88:77)” (Introduction ix)

“You have the flexibility to teach the lessons in whatever way best helps people fully prepare for their baptism and confirmation. Your purpose is not only to cover the material; it is to help others come to Christ through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end…You can teach the lessons in many ways. Which lesson you teach, when you teach it, and how much time you give to it are best determined by the needs of the investigator and the direction of the Spirit. Do not memorize the entire lesson.” (Introduction vii, emphasis added)

“…the lessons do not tell you everything to say—or how to say it. Instead you are responsible to thoroughly understand the lessons and teach by the Spirit in your own words.” (p. 19)

“Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and help them become faithful members of the church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost. Avoid comparing yourself to other missionaries and measuring the outward results of your efforts against theirs. Remember that people have agency to choose whether to accept your message.” (p. 10, emphasis added)

“I always remember two young men who served in my mission. One was a superstar. He was educated. He was bright. He was quick. He was a little arrogant. We had another who was a sign painter. He came from a sign shop with very little education, but he knew his inadequacies and he relied on the Lord. When he prayed, you knew he was talking with the Lord. It wasn’t a rote thing, it was a conversation and that young man accomplished wonders while the other young man went through the motions.” (President Hinckley, p. 93)

“No matter where you serve or whom you teach, center your teaching on the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ…. we have one message: through a modern prophet, God has restored knowledge about the plan of salvation, which is centered on Christ’s Atonement and fulfilled by living the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel…As you help investigators see the pattern of apostasy and restoration, they will be prepared to understand the great need for the latter-day Restoration. They will see the need to accept the restored gospel, receive the ordinances of salvation by the authority of the restored priesthood, and follow the way to eternal life. Help people recognize that the Church is not just another religion, nor is it an American church. Rather, it is a restoration of the “fullness of [the] gospel” (D&C 1:23), the same as was revealed and taught from the beginning.” (p. 6-7, emphasis added)

“We have a powerful message with a unique vocabulary. Just as a physician speaks differently in the family waiting room than in the operating room, so too you must learn to speak so that those who are unfamiliar with our message can understand what you are teaching.”(p. 21)

There are five lessons: 1. The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2. The Plan of Salvation. 3. The Gospel of Jesus Christ 4. The Commandments 5. Laws and Ordinances. “Teach the first four lessons before baptism. Make sure those you teach qualify for baptism and confirmation by making and keeping all of the commitments in these lessons. Full-time missionaries take the lead in teaching lessons before baptism with the help of ward missionaries and other members. After baptism, new members are taught the first four lessons again, as well as “Laws and Ordinances.” Ward leaders determine whether ward missionaries or full-time missionaries lead out in ensuring that these lessons are taught and how long the full-time missionaries are involved.” (p. 29, emphasis added)

“Unless directed by the Spirit, for each of the first three lessons, you should give the full content in the order in which they are written.” (p. 30)

“Memorize Joseph Smith’s description of seeing the Father and the Son (Joseph Smith History 1:16-17), and always be ready to describe the First Vision using his own words. Do not rush through it. Bear sincere testimony that you know it is true.” (p. 38, emphasis added)

”Investigators must resolve for themselves their concerns and objections. You can help as you focus them on what will strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ—reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. When they strengthen their testimony of the Restoration, they will have the strength to overcome their objections and concerns. As you answer concerns, remember that our understanding comes from modern prophets—Joseph Smith and his successors—who receive direct revelation from God. Therefore the first question for an investigator to answer is whether Joseph Smith was a prophet, and he or she can answer this question by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon.”(p. 109)

“Over time your mission president may establish standards of excellence or mission goals intended to raise your vision and increase your faith. District, zone, and mission standards will help you stretch, work effectively, and reach higher levels of performance. They are not to be used as quotas that impose specific goals on you and your companion.“ (p. 146, emphasis added)

“Elder Jeffery R. Holland taught: ‘More important than speaking is listening. These people are not lifeless objects disguised as a baptismal statistic. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and they need what we have. Be genuine. Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen…..If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us—by the Spirit and by our friends.’ ” (p. 185)

“To avoid embarrassment, some people will answer the way they think you want them to answer rather than share their true feelings. Seek to develop a relationship that allows them to be comfortable sharing their true feelings with you.” (p. 186)

“Genuine repentance is best demonstrated by righteous actions over a period of time, especially for commandments such as chastity, the Word of Wisdom, and tithing. As you and ward leaders work with people to help them keep their commitments , show understanding. Be patient but persistent. You have not finished your ministry until people are living these commitments, or in other words, until they have repented.” (p. 200, emphasis added)

“Repentance may involve an emotional and physical process. People must stop ongoing, ingrained ways of inappropriate acting. Undesirable actions must be replaced with healthy and appropriate behaviors. Thus, both repentance and recovery may take time. Sometimes converts, even with the best if intentions, give in to temptation as they progress toward greater self-discipline. In such cases new converts work with their priesthood leaders, not with the missionaries, as they seek to overcome temptation and fully repent.” (p. 187-188, emphasis added)

Regarding investigators and new and less-active members with addictions: “Since it is likely that some may return to an addiction, priesthood leaders and members should not be shocked or discouraged if they learn that an investigator or new member may be struggling with such problems. They should show confidence in the individual and not be judgmental if the person yields to an old craving. They should treat it as a temporary and understandable setback. Condemning the addicted investigator or new convert is never helpful…” (p. 189, emphasis added)

“Before you can teach or baptize an investigator who is under legal age, you must obtain permission from the parent(s) or legal guardian(s), preferably in writing. In addition, you should have good reason to believe that the child understands the baptismal covenant and will make every effort to keep it through obedience to the gospel, including faithfully attending Church meetings.”(p. 207, emphasis added)

“Baptism of family members should not be delayed so that the father can perform the baptisms himself.” (p. 207)

“Do I need permission of the spouse in order to baptize a husband or wife? Yes. Do not baptize a married person without the consent of his or her spouse.” (p. 207, emphasis added)

“Commitments: Will you meet the bishop? Will you sustain and follow the counsel of Church Leaders?”(p. 76, emphasis added)

“Commitment: Will you obey the laws of the country in which you reside?” (p. 81)

“A new convert is considered a member of the church after the ordinances of baptism and confirmation are performed. New converts are confirmed in a sacrament meeting of the ward where they reside, not at the baptismal service. The bishop is responsible for seeing that the confirmation occurs as soon as reasonable after the baptism. The bishop or one of his counselors participates in the confirmation.” (p. 210)

“As appropriate, continue throughout your life to communicate with those whom you taught and to encourage and support them.” (p. 210)

“It is not enough for people to simply come into the Church. They must come to stay. All of your teaching and invitations must be directed toward this end.” (p. 221)

“President Boyd K Packer said, “It is important for a…missionary…to know that the Holy Ghost can work through the light of Christ. A teacher of gospel truths is not planting something foreign or even new into an adult or child. Rather, the missionary or teacher is making contract with the Spirit of Christ already there. The gospel will have a familiar “ring” to them”(p. 90, emphasis added)

“In most cultures there are people who believe that holy or inspired people receive some form of guidance and directions from Deity. However, not all inspired individuals are prophets of God as defined in the restored gospel.” (p. 34, emphasis added)

“Throughout history, many people have sincerely believed in false creeds and doctrines. They have worshiped according to the light they possessed and have received answers to their prayers. Yet, they are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12)” (p. 36, emphasis added)

“Men and women who are living together but are not married may not be baptized without first getting married or separated. Those who are married to more than one person at a time may not be baptized.” (p. 77, emphasis added)

“Some people may confuse the doctrine of resurrection with the concept of reincarnation. The concept of reincarnation involves being born into the world again in a different form and is false doctrine.” (p. 53, emphasis added)

“Those who have repented of their sins and received the ordinances of the gospel and kept the associated covenants will be cleansed by the Atonement of Christ. They will received exaltation in the highest kingdom, also known as the celestial kingdom. They will live in God’s presence, become like Him, and receive a fullness of joy. They will live together for eternity with those of their family who qualify.” (p 53, emphasis added)

“Heaven is a continuation of the ideal home.” (p. 85)

“A word of caution. As you pray for inspiration, you should also confirm your feelings. For example, compare your decisions with the scriptures and the teachings of the living prophets. Be certain that the feelings are consistent with the assignment you have; for example, you will not receive revelation to tell a local bishop how he should perform in his calling. Discuss your decisions and conclusions with your companion, your district leader, or your mission president when appropriate.” (p. 98, emphasis added)

“President Howard W. Hunter offered this counsel: ‘Let me offer a word of caution….I think that if we are not careful…, we may begin to try to counterfeit the true influence of the Spirit of the Lord by unworthy and manipulative means. I get concerned when it appears that strong emotion or free-flowing tears are equated with the presence of the Spirit. Certainly the Spirit of the Lord can bring string emotional feelings, including tears, but the outward manifestation ought not to be confused with the presence of the Spirit itself‘ (p. 99, emphasis added)

“Revelation and spiritual experiences are sacred. They should be kept private and discussed only in appropriate situations….Resist the temptation to talk freely about these experiences.” (p. 99)

“President Ezra Taft Benson taught…’…all objections, whether they be on abortion, plural marriage, seventh-day worship, etc., basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation…the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true.’ ”(p. 108-109)

“Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously. Ask your Heavenly Father to bless you with these attributes; you cannot develop them without His help.” (p. 115)

“What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe that no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue….Your mind is like a stage in a theater; in the theater of your mind, however, only one actor can be on stage at a time. If the theater is left bare, thoughts of darkness and sin often enter the stage to tempt. But these thoughts have no power if the stage of your mind is occupied by wholesome thoughts, such as memorized hymn or verse of scripture that you can call upon in a moment of temptation. By controlling the stage of your mind, you can successfully resist persistent urges to yield to temptation and indulge in sin. You can become pure and virtuous.” (p. 118-119, emphasis added)