Anxiously Engaged

(These are my notes that I use for new missionary orientation.  Since I have had time to post anything recently, I thought I would share this.  We have a lot of missionaries that deal with anxiety issues--well they all do to some extent, but some really struggle.  The point is that the Lord really has set up His program to help the missionary as well as those he/she serves.)

Doctrine and Covenants 58:27   Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness

·         We are anxiously engaged in a Good Cause, we have chosen to be here and as missionaries we will bring to pass much righteousness.

·         Another definition of Anxiously also can apply to missionaries (especially new missionaries)

·         All new missionaries experience anxiety, some more than others

·         Preach My Gospel and the Missionary Handbook are set up to help alleviate anxiety.  Whether or not you are comfortable speaking with people, whether or not you have a lot of gospel knowledge or very little, Preach My Gospel is set up to help.

1.  Schedule

            The missionary schedule (up at 6:30, etc) is something you can rely on for your whole mission.  You can count on it.  Missionary work can be a bit unpredictable at times but you can count on your schedule.   

2. Study

            Preach My Gospel has hundreds of activities and questions to help you become a missionary who can teach with power and authority.  To learn how to study do the activities in Chapter 2.  To become more Christlike, do the activities in Chapter 6. 

·         Individual Study

            Every day you have an appointment with the Lord to learn His will for your investigators.  Studying the doctrines will lesson your anxiety about teaching.  Studying specifically for your investigators will let the Lord use you as His instrument.

·         Companion Study

            Together you approach the Lord and seek His will and help for the people you teach.  When you are unified the Holy Ghost can work through your efforts to bring souls unto Christ.

Part of companionship study is role playing.  Role playing is not pretending to be someone you are not.  Role playing is a revelatory time where the Lord can guide you in helping his children.  Take it seriously.  It also reduces anxiety because when it is time to teach the lesson you will have already taught it once, twice, three times. 

 

3.  Planner and Planning

            Every night and weekly you will plan out your day/week.  This is more than just scheduling.  You and your companion make plans to accomplish your goals and back-up plans for when things don’t work out.  You will not have to be worried or anxious about what to do—you will know what is coming and what you will be doing. 

4.  Service

            Nothing can help us forget our own troubles faster than serving others.  As missionaries we are always looking for ways to serve—both small ways and large ways.  Focus on others.  Your mission is a unique time in your life where you are always outwardly focused. 

5.  Companion

            You don’t have to do this by yourself.  The gospel is preached two by two for many reasons (second witness, different life experiences, safety, etc.). However, a major reason is to help and support each other.  As a new missionary your trainer can help you learn the joy of missionary work and answer questions.  You can help strengthen your companion’s testimony, share each other’s burdens and join together to love and teach your investigators.

6.  Your Name Tag

            Don’t be afraid to be a missionary.  There is no need to hide it or worry about speaking with everyone.  With your name tag on people will recognize you as a missionary.  They will expect you to greet and talk to them.  It is just what missionaries do.  Act like a missionary.  Your name tag also carries the name of Jesus Christ.  Act how He would have you act. It is His work and His gospel.  He will help you.

7.  Promises from the Lord

      “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).  We are part of this great work, and as we go forth boldly and nobly and sound it in every ear, we shall accomplish the purposes of God.

Surprise!

Yesterday in General Conference (gc.lds.org) President Monson announced that they have lowered the age missionaries can begin serving.  WE are so excited.  If a young man is prepared to serve, let's get him out without first spending a year unfocused and waiting.  And personally I predict a tripling of sister missionaries--19 is so much more convenient than 21.

I hope the Priest Quorum advisors and YM presidents take advantage of this new program to use some of  mutual time as mission prep (And Laurel/YW presidents, too). Preach My Gospel has hundreds of activities to use.  The Missionary Preparation manual is free online.  And for the YW presidents who simply cannot resist cute things to pass out, the new teeny tiny Preach My Gospel is just so cute!  Let's leave the sports to the stake sports program and kick mutual up a notch.  (Was that preachy enough?  Because I've got more :)

So excited!  It will be interesting to see how it all works during the next year as things transition.  Aren't you glad you are BYU President Samuelson?  Or the admissions director?  Good times!