Any Recent Return Missionaries Out There?

[Senator]

I'm looking for information of how missionaries are trained to teach the gospel today.

How was it done in your mission? eg Goal setting, programs, motivation techniques, doctrinal motivators...

Here is where I'm at. I have a son in his early teen years. I want him to serve a mission and for him to have an independant desire to serve a mission.

The problem is, my own mission experience was not nescesarily wonderful. I experienced a lot discouragement; a great deal of which had to do with the manner in which we were "motivated" to produce. I'm not quite sure what to tell him what he can expect. Because if things are the same now as when I served (in the mid 80s), then I can't honestly offer a promotional view.

So I'm wondering with the "new" Preach My Gospel approach, how are things being done now?

Edited September 15, 2011 by Senator

[LeSellers]

I'm looking for information of how missionaries are trained to teach the gospel today.

...

So I'm wondering with the "new" Preach My Gospel approach, how are things being done now?

Have you read Preach My Gospel yourself?

If not, you should. As I recall, every member was counseled to get a copy and read it. This would have been some 5~7 years ago, not long after it came out.

Lehi

[Senator]

Have you read Preach My Gospel yourself?

If not, you should. As I recall, every member was counseled to get a copy and read it. This would have been some 5~7 years ago, not long after it came out.

Lehi

I've read bits and pieces. Granted, I should perhaps give it a more thorough reading.

But I'm still interested in how it works in real life, how each mission approaches it.

[Arkholt]

If "recently" means within the past five years, then I guess I count...

Basically, there's no memorization. There are the lessons, which have core concepts which should be taught before baptism. You can teach them in any order, in any way you want. If the Spirit directs you to teach it in one way for a specific investigator, that's what you do. If you feel the investigator understand something already, take 30 seconds to go over it and move on. If they need more time on something, spend it. If you want to teach the Atonement before the Restoration, do it. There's much more freedom to teach to what the investigator needs instead of just by what you're told to teach.

[altersteve]

I will be leaving on my mission in a few months, so I'll keep an eye on this thread. It should be helpful. Thanks in advance to anyone with advice or comments they would like to share.

Edited September 15, 2011 by altersteve

[Senator]

If "recently" means within the past five years, then I guess I count...

Basically, there's no memorization. There are the lessons, which have core concepts which should be taught before baptism. You can teach them in any order, in any way you want. If the Spirit directs you to teach it in one way for a specific investigator, that's what you do. If you feel the investigator understand something already, take 30 seconds to go over it and move on. If they need more time on something, spend it. If you want to teach the Atonement before the Restoration, do it. There's much more freedom to teach to what the investigator needs instead of just by what you're told to teach.

Thanks Arkholt, what you say sounds good.

What about missionary management(for lack of a better word)? Any goal setting, reporting, programs, techniques, expectations?

In other words, what is said and done in Zone and District meetings?

[Senator]

I will be leaving on my mission in a few months, so I'll keep an eye on this thread. It should be helpful. Thanks in advance to anyone with advice or comments they would like to share.

Congradulations!

Where will you be serving?

[altersteve]

Congradulations!

Where will you be serving?

I haven't received my call yet as I'm still working on my papers; I guess "a few months" was a bit inaccurate, haha. But I am very excited.

[cinepro]

If "recently" means within the past five years, then I guess I count...

Basically, there's no memorization. There are the lessons, which have core concepts which should be taught before baptism. You can teach them in any order, in any way you want. If the Spirit directs you to teach it in one way for a specific investigator, that's what you do. If you feel the investigator understand something already, take 30 seconds to go over it and move on. If they need more time on something, spend it. If you want to teach the Atonement before the Restoration, do it. There's much more freedom to teach to what the investigator needs instead of just by what you're told to teach.

Wow. That is a huge change. So much of my mission study was focused on memorization, I almost can't imagine what it would have been like otherwise. ("Most people believe in a Supreme Being, even though they may call Him by different names. We know that God lives. We want to share with you our feelings about Him. God is all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful. He is also merciful, kind and just. We know that we can have faith in Him. We can love Him with all our hearts.")

Edited September 15, 2011 by cinepro

[frankenstein]

I'm looking for information of how missionaries are trained to teach the gospel today.

How was it done in your mission? eg Goal setting, programs, motivation techniques, doctrinal motivators...

Here is where I'm at. I have a son in his early teen years. I want him to serve a mission and for him to have an independant desire to serve a mission.

The problem is, my own mission experience was not nescesarily wonderful. I experienced a lot discouragement; a great deal of which had to do with the manner in which we were "motivated" to produce. I'm not quite sure what to tell him what he can expect. Because if things are the same now as when I served (in the mid 80s), then I can't honestly offer a promotional view.

So I'm wondering with the "new" Preach My Gospel approach, how are things being done now?

it is not a fluke that RM become door to door sales person when they come home.

I am never and never was motivated by numbers. I reported low numbers every week, but I can say that my low exceeded in quality the whole combination of high numbers reported by other elders in my district. If I was not sitting down with someone in their home and praying with them I did not count it as a discussion.

Numbers motivation is something that can not be escaped, one can only decided to not be bothered by it.

[Arkholt]

it is not a fluke that RM become door to door sales person when they come home.

I am never and never was motivated by numbers. I reported low numbers every week, but I can say that my low exceeded in quality the whole combination of high numbers reported by other elders in my district. If I was not sitting down with someone in their home and praying with them I did not count it as a discussion.

Numbers motivation is something that can not be escaped, one can only decided to not be bothered by it.

Wrote this in another thread, but I think it's relevant here, too:

I was fortunate to have two amazing mission presidents who were never concerned with numbers, but with helping people come to a knowledge of the gospel in the best way possible. Unfortunately, I seemed to always have APs and ZLs who were obsessed with numbers. My mission presidents' advice was always to just ignore the numbers and do the work. If you do the work, but you don't get the numbers, so what? Success in missionary work isn't in how many people you baptize; success in missionary work is in preaching the gospel. Did you preach the gospel today? Then you were a good missionary.

Thanks Arkholt, what you say sounds good.

What about missionary management(for lack of a better word)? Any goal setting, reporting, programs, techniques, expectations?

In other words, what is said and done in Zone and District meetings?

I can only speak for my mission, but...

There is goal setting, but it's done with your companion based on what you two believe you can do. While I never believed numbers were important, setting a goal is useful in giving yourself at least a bit of direction. There sure is a ton of reporting (and when I was a district leader, I hated doing it) of goals as well as achieved numbers. In my mission, we always tried to make sure specifics about how the investigators were progressing and what they needed was reported also. Numbers always seemed far too impersonal. But reporting is necessary, in order to know that the missionaries are working. As for expectations, they were that you would go out and work every day. If you did it, then you were meeting expectations. Certain leaders might get on you for not having enough numbers, but I always ignored them, because that's not the point.

Zone and district meetings were for each companionship (in the case of DMs) or each district leader (in the case of ZMs) to report to the district or zone about how things were going. In district meeting at least, we would discuss what's going well and what isn't, and what can be done to better help them. Then the district leader or zone leader would give some kind of training/inspirational presentation.

I dunno... I never found any of the "mission mechanics" to be too much of a problem. The stuff I found useless for my work I mostly ignored. I just went out and met new people and preached the gospel, and I had a great time.

[Senator]

Numbers motivation is something that can not be escaped, one can only decided to not be bothered by it.

The "bothering" is also hard to escape when the numbers are conflated with success, and the lack of success is then diagnosed as < insert any number of spiritually crippling behavior failures > .

[KevinG]

The "bothering" is also hard to escape when the numbers are conflated with success, and the lack of success is then diagnosed as < insert any number of spiritually crippling behavior failures > .

Remind your son that human beings run the Missions. He will have his own experience with the good, the bad and the ugly on his mission from members and non-members alike. A strong testimony of the Gospel will be of more use than any other preparation.

My son just returned from the Philippines and his mission was a mix of all of the above. The Mission President was a good man, so he was fortunate there. Some of his zone leaders drove him nuts.

[ERayR]

Thanks Arkholt, what you say sounds good.

What about missionary management(for lack of a better word)? Any goal setting, reporting, programs, techniques, expectations?

In other words, what is said and done in Zone and District meetings?

"Missionary management" is not all bad. All of the above are good traits and skills to develop and I am afraid that without them a lot of missionaries would struggle and flounder. A mission president or zone leader may go overboard in pushing for numbers but that doesn't mean those goals and numbers are not important. They are a motivator to keep the young men going during rough times. They are also great skills and habits to develop for future successes. I have a young family member who came home from his mission and put himself through college using those skills. He would sign on to a summer sales crew and routinely made over $30,000 per summer, which was enough to go to college. He had developed goal setting and follow through skills on his mission. He is now out of college, has a family and is still quite succesful.

[Duncan]

If "recently" means within the past five years, then I guess I count...

Basically, there's no memorization. There are the lessons, which have core concepts which should be taught before baptism. You can teach them in any order, in any way you want. If the Spirit directs you to teach it in one way for a specific investigator, that's what you do. If you feel the investigator understand something already, take 30 seconds to go over it and move on. If they need more time on something, spend it. If you want to teach the Atonement before the Restoration, do it. There's much more freedom to teach to what the investigator needs instead of just by what you're told to teach.

This is the exact reason I am so grateful they raised the bar because I know SO many guys in my mission that would just convince someone to join the Church, they did anyways but now they weed out people like that I hope-obviously not saying that everyone who doesn't serve a mission is a power hungry number-driven doorknob or anything! two years prior to my getting to the field our mission baptized 400 people in one month and it was later found out that less then 50 had been taught all six discussions

[Craig in Austin]

I would like to chime on on this. Our son recently returned from a mission, and I can't say enough good about the effects his mission had on him. And he changed some people's lives for the better while he was there. His mission presidents were wonderful, and I clearly saw their influence on him. Yes, he had some trials with companions, but I think we all went through that, and it helps us grow. My advice for your son is to have him rub shoulders with the fulltime missionaries in your area, if possible. Have him do exchanges. I agree with studying the Preach My Gospel manual- together if you can. I recall trying to memorize all seven discussions, word for word, in German. Meine Guete! The changes they have made are for the better.

[Gohan]

I got back about a year ago, and I've got to say it was about like what has been said. No memorization, it was a lot of teaching by the Spirit, which was absolutely great. Taught whatever the person you were with needed to hear. Definitely blessed me to be able to think better on my feet and recognize the promptings of the Spirit.

I never felt any pressure - with one ZL exception - for numbers from my mission leadership. District and Zone Meetings/Conferences were about improving our ability to teach to our investigator's needs, and to increase our own testimonies of the Gospel and the nature of the sacred calling of a missionary.

[BlueDreams]

Just returned about 2 months ago.

Basically what everybody else said. About midway through though, they started teaching differently in the MTC and gradually taught the older missionaries the same thing that was going to be taught at the MTC. It really emphasized the main message of Preach My Gospel: teach by, through, and with the spirit toward conversion. It was a converting process and they truly wanted missionaries expecially to be converted and understand the workings of the Spirit.

What about missionary management(for lack of a better word)? Any goal setting, reporting, programs, techniques, expectations?

Yes, of course. We'd report once a week to the DL and it'd move up the chain to sort of speak. Every week we'd also email president with our own little reports about our area/lives. We had District meetings every week, zone trainings once a transfer (6 weeks) and zone conferences technically once quarterly (special trainings). Each mission president does things a little differently, but my MP was exptremely goal oriented and worked to have our mission excel in the way God would want it. We were also a pretty obedient mission in general and our motto whenever there was a question of what should or should not do was to look in the white handook or PMG. Each week we did set goals and strived to reach them. We'd then discuss that with our DL. Sometimes DL's might get a little wrapped up into the numbers and tangible results. But for the most part it was a self evaluation process of how we did, where we could improve, and if we did what the Lord wanted us to do. Our goals, though prayed and earnestly sought out, weren't always met, but they weren't to be confused (imho) with was the Lord wanted us to do. There was a distinctive difference. If you were looking entirely at the numbers and caring more about reaching that number than anything else than you weren't getting the true meaning of missionary work yet imo. We all would sometimes do that. It's a human weakness. But goals overall were a great thing. It helped you to look ahead, seek help from the Lord, and become more hopeful in missionary work and you strecthed to do more and become more.

As for lessons...extremely flexible. We once taught a kid about the role of prophets using these random toys he had since it was the only way to keep his attention. It was all about teaching to their needs and figuring out what those needs were through the spirit and earnestly seeking out charity/understanding for them. Sometimes that meant less teaching from a specific lesson and more reading from the book of mormon, teaching more a virtue or principle, or even just singing a hymn, listening and praying with them. Lessons were extremely varied. Some of my favorite lessons were done with my companion and I doing very little talking and simply asking the right questions at the right moment to have the person be taught by the Spirit. Or when we walked in, planning to teach one thing and quickly realized that we needed to completely throw it out as we sit and listen to them/their questions or comments. If you want to know how they are supposed to teach I'd look at ch 4 and ch 10 of PMG. Ch 11 wouldn't hurt either.

With luv,

BD

[BlueDreams]

Wow. That is a huge change. So much of my mission study was focused on memorization, I almost can't imagine what it would have been like otherwise. ("Most people believe in a Supreme Being, even though they may call Him by different names. We know that God lives. We want to share with you our feelings about Him. God is all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful. He is also merciful, kind and just. We know that we can have faith in Him. We can love Him with all our hearts.")

Yeah, I remember being told specifically to not quote from PMG until it meant something to you personally (or prompted by the Spirit...similar to scripture). So we might say a line from PMG from time to time, and we were told to memorize the order of the lesson (for the newer missionaries, I wasn't cuz I started my mish with a different MP who didn't) but not like that ever. I couldn't tell you right now what the first line of lesson 1 in PMG is...wait I think it's God is our loving Heavenly Father. (looks it up....close, take out loving).

Edited September 16, 2011 by BlueDreams

[Storm Rider]

The lack of memorization is a two edged sword. I have had the opportunity to teach many RMs and it is astonishing how little they know of the scriptures. I am taking about scriptures knowledge such as: "how does the scripture ago about ..and he gave some apostles...blank look...prophets...continued blank look. There is a huge deficit on just basic knowledge of the scriptures that older missionaries mastered and still remember. I think it might be wise to bring back some of the scripture memorization, but I do think the manner in which they teach lessons is better now.

[BlueDreams]

The lack of memorization is a two edged sword. I have had the opportunity to teach many RMs and it is astonishing how little they know of the scriptures. I am taking about scriptures knowledge such as: "how does the scripture ago about ..and he gave some apostles...blank look...prophets...continued blank look. There is a huge deficit on just basic knowledge of the scriptures that older missionaries mastered and still remember. I think it might be wise to bring back some of the scripture memorization, but I do think the manner in which they teach lessons is better now.

It's dependent on both the MP and the missionaries themselves. My first MP would have his wife quiz us on scriptures and where they were while our other companion was being interviewed. We wouldn't necessarily memorize them but we generally knew where scriptures were and what they contained. The other is on the part of the missionary. How familiar you were was on how much you read the scriptures. Some would take every last minute that they weren't proselyting or sleeping to read the scriptures. Some were less enthused. Others started off with a disadvantage of being mildly scripturally illiterate in the first place (ie. scripture was a fairly new experience for them). Needless to say those that spent far more time in the books could quote lines to you, knew the outlines of stories better, and could incorporate them well into discussions.

Personally I'm not a big proponent of memorizing scripture. I prefer to read and study and then trust about it being given to me in the very hour. Not that memorizing is all bad, I've just never been a fan (long before my mission).

With luv,

BD

[Anijen]

The lack of memorization is a two edged sword. I have had the opportunity to teach many RMs and it is astonishing how little they know of the scriptures. I am taking about scriptures knowledge such as: "how does the scripture ago about ..and he gave some apostles...blank look...prophets...continued blank look. There is a huge deficit on just basic knowledge of the scriptures that older missionaries mastered and still remember. I think it might be wise to bring back some of the scripture memorization, but I do think the manner in which they teach lessons is better now.

As the WML I see this too. I served during a time when memorization was used and many times the lessons came out canned (cuz they were). I think the new method is much better, having said that I have noticed that many of the new missionaries do not have the scriptural knowledge we old foggies had. But it usually comes. I also noticed those who took seminary seriously, like scripture mastery did well. Just an observation.

[Arkholt]

"Lack of memorization" as far as my mission went referred to the lessons. There was plenty of memorization of scriptures, which is entirely different from memorizing your lesson plan.

[Stargazer]

Just returned about 2 months ago.

So, BlueDreams, are we going to get a mission report sometime soon? Hope so! Social Hall would be a good place for it!