From its beginnings, the Mormon Church has been a missionary oriented church, sending out missionaries to all parts of the world. Perhaps you have wondered why the Church asks so many missionaries to serve a Mormon mission? And perhaps you have also wondered why so many young people (and some older missionaries too) are willing […]
What is a Mormon mission? On the surface that may seem like a silly question because most of the audience knows exactly what it is already. But I believe, for the benefit of future missionaries as well as for non-Mormon friends that come to this site, it is worth discussing. What is a Mormon mission? […]
What is Preparation Day (p-day)? Preparation day (or P-Day as it is often referred to) is a missionary’s once a week chance to do big shopping trips, get together with other missionaries in the zone, play sports, do laundry, and write letters or emails home to family and friends Preparation day is the one day […]
Today’s post is in response to a question received on the website. A young man who is preparing for his mission asked me how I would respond to his non-member friend who asked why Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. The polygamy question is one I got only a time or two on my mission, but missionaries […]
I’ve added a new section to the Web site called Mormon Missionaries in the News. I have found, in my daily perusing of the news, that I often run across articles in which Mormon missionaries or LDS Church missionary service is highlighted. The Mormon Missionaries in the News page has about six articles posted there […]
I was sad to hear that Truman Madsen passed away last week at 82 years of age and after a long battle with cancer. Many of you young future missionaries may not even know who Truman Madsen was, so let me tell you a little about him and about the influence he has had on […]
Giving impromptu Church talks is a pretty common request of missionaries. Additionally, every missionary gives a farewell talk in sacrament meeting before they leave. Therefore, knowing how to write and deliver a talk is an essential missionary skill. I gave at least one talk in every ward or branch to which I was assigned as […]
Today marks the 180th anniversary of the restoration of the priesthood of God. It was May 15, 1829 when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went into the woods on the banks of the Susquehanna River and prayed to God to for the authority to baptize. Their prayer was answered and the resurrected John the Baptist, […]
In the Book of Mormon, in Alma Chapter 56, the Nephite and Lamanite nations are engulfed in war. A group of Lamanite converts to the Church, known as the people of Ammon, wanted to help defend the Nephite people. The Ammonite adults, though, had made a covenant never to go to war again, so it […]
Mission Papers for missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were once a paper or PDF form known as the Checklist for Full-Time Missionary Recommendation or the Missionary Recommendation Form. It is the application missionary candidates, young and old, fill out to initiate the process of serving a mission. Though we often […]
Many Mormon missionaries are asked to serve in places far from their home where they are required to learn to speak a foreign language. Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the people of the world, each in their own language, is a mandate from God. In a revelation to Joseph Smith the Prophet […]
I’ve added the March 2007 special Missionary Preparation Issue of the New Era magazine to the mission prep recommended reading list. It is full of great articles for youth preparing for missions. Here is a full list of the articles in this special edition: Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field by President Gordon […]