what i'm learning in institute | mission prep

investigators need to row their own boat, we cannot row it for them. we can only give them the tools they need.

a central aspect to the word character is the word act.

grow as close to the spirit as you possibly can.

the importance of beginning each day with prayer. prayer stets the standard for your entire day. the more you pray, the more precious it becomes.

memorize scriptures!

bearing testimony invites the spirit when you teach. "sharing your testimony often is one of the most powerful ways of inviting the spirit and helping others feel the spirit." – preach my gospel

we obtain the word by faith.

god promises the holy ghost to those who treasure up his word.

keep a well organized catalog of things you can teach.

the adversity of a mission is what changes you as a person and member of the church.

thou shalt meditate on the book of the law [joshua 1:8] to mediate is to clear your mind of all other thoughts. focus on the gospel.

feast upon the words of christ [2nephi 32:3] "eat" as much as you can, then go back for more.

lay hold upon the word of god [helaman 3:29] embrace the word of god.

ponder upon the things which i have said [3nephi 17:3] think deeply; dive deeper than the surface. continually think about it, think about it beyond your study session. tell heavenly father, through prayer, what you have learned in the scriptures. then ask him if there is more that you need to learn from his words and return to scriptures.

"precious truth comes a small piece at a time through faith, with great exertion, and at times wrenching struggles. the lord intends it to be that way so that we can mature and progress." – elder richard g. scott

"seeking learning by faith, we must rely on revelation." – elder dallin h. oaks

look the part, feel the part

i present to you three crappy iphone photos, grey hair, and a brand new (sister missionary) outfit. i had a meeting yesterday, THE meeting, the one with my stake president that precedes the arrival of a mission call in the mail. he's one wise guy, that stake president of mine. there were questions and words of wisdom, tears and even laughter. i have a great deal to learn still, but i have a lot of knowledgeable and in-tune people in my life to help me learn it. this is all happening so fast i haven't even had time to process it yet. i'm going on a mission! this is real life, no longer just an idea or words that i tell people. in about two weeks time i could have a mission call and departure date… such thoughts blow my mind.

what i'm learning in institute | mission prep

the power of repentance. "twas i, but 'tis not i". the blessings of repentance begin immediately.

missionary work can never be done alone.

with the spirit, you have greater power than satan.

create a delete key for your mind. when impurity enters your mind, immediately delete it. persistence is key.

d&c 109:22-23

the temple endowment trumps the mission call in importance.

wearing white in the temple = purity | we are all equal in the eyes of god.

we leave our baggage outside of the temple and after our temple experience, we find that our baggage is much lighter than before.

pray to have the gifts of the spirit, they are not just handed to you. you must humbly seek for them. as long as you are seeking that gift to serve others, the lord will give it to you. you cannot expect to receive a spiritual gift if you only want it for yourself.

want something because you want to please god.

the gift of knowledge is never ending.

when you see everyone as a child of god, it's not so hard to be rejected and keep trying.

how do we invite the spirit? alma 17:2-3

the spirit can't bring to our mind something we haven't studied beforehand. do your part.

nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

when you start to be obedient, the lord expands your capacity to be obedient.

allow investigators time to think, that is when the spirit will speak to their heart.

thank heavenly father for the testimony you have.

the work of salvation | missionary broadcast

heavenly father has a profound, personal interest in missionary work.

use the internet to its fullest on a ward level.

"being one" implies more than working towards the same goal, we all have a part.

all members are commissioned to bring others unto christ. help the missionaries.

if a gospel invitation is not accepted, continue with friendship.

do not wait for an assignment to reach out and teach.

efforts are most effective when done out of love for christ and for the individual you are helping. an invitation coming from love will never be seen as offensive.

see your potential to help others come unto christ. fulfill your purpose. volunteer to be the one who reaches out.

while we sit together in ward council, our work begins on our knees.

"it's nice to be wanted."

as we do our best, the lord will not let us fail.

we cannot always see the end from the beginning, but the lord accomplishes his work.

wishing will not make it so, the lord expects our action.

follow impulses to check on god's children. do so out of love.

love all, not just a favored few. the work of salvation excludes no one.

act and love as christ would.

we can learn to teach. everybody is a teacher. trust that the spirit will be there.

decide to be better.

the lord is calling us to move his work forward. let missionary work become your life.

the greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel.

members and missionaries must work together.

recommendation has been submitted

those are the four words i saw tonight as i finished filling out my mission papers, recommendation has been submitted. i'm sure you are well aware that the process has been a slow one, not because of serious issues or anything, i mostly just needed to grow up a little bit (physically, mentally, and spiritually). nine months ago was when i took that first (small) step forward into the life of a future missionary, i was afraid of what was being asked of me and i was definitely not super committed. it wasn't until january of this year that i announced my plans publicly, i'm not sure why i kept it a secret for so long, but under wraps it stayed.

even though it took me a while to get to this point, the point where my papers are in and the final preparations begin, i see now that i needed that extra time to grow. i wanted to reach a certain level of dedication and positivity before submitting something so important and life changing. not only am i certain that this is what heavenly father wants me to do, but i'm certain that this is something i want to do. i want to help people and share with them the goodness of the gospel. i think this self-confidence and determination was the missing piece preventing me from getting anything done. once you find the missing puzzle piece, everything else falls right into place. i still have interviews, but i'm nearly there. soon enough i'll have a mission call and a departure date. soon enough i will wear a nametag and become a representative of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

soon enough i will embark on the hardest and greatest experience of my life. and you know what? i sort of can't wait.