All posts by kevinthescout

Scouting Author, Blogger, Speaker, Historian, Scouting Veteran, Camp director
Missionary Preparation

ELDER BALLARD SPEAKS ON MISSION PREPARATION

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By Kevin V. Hunt

Recently I had the great opportunity to attend a special broadcast especially for parents of youth living in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.  This momentous occasion originated from a Queen Creek, Arizona chapel but was broadcast to the 53 stakes of the Phoenix area.  Elder M. Russell Ballard, as a Senior Apostle, presided at the conference.  With him was Elder Ronald A. Rasband.  The format of the meeting was centered around questions that had been submitted previously by parents in the area.

Elder Rasband monitored the meeting.  In doing so, he first had Elder Ballard speak to introduce the objectives and format of the meeting.   elder-m-russell-ballardElder Ballard stated that he had been a General Authority for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 41 years.  Elder Rasband noted that Elder Ballard had been an Apostle for 31 of his 41 years as General Authority.  He commended Elder Ballard for his many years of involvement with the missionary work in the Church.  He noted too, that Elder Ballard had directed and managed the creation of   the “Preach My Gospel” book.  He then invited Elder Ballard to address the subject of missionary preparation for the parents gathered.

Elder Ballard said, “Missionary preparation … that starts very early.  He discussed other ideas for missionary preparation for parents:

Develop a spirit of missionary service in the family.  Just say, “This is what we do in our _____ family.

Know the friends of your children

Youth need a job to earn some of their mission money.  Youth need to learn to work – to do their laundry, to clean their rooms, and to be responsible for their own territory in the home and to be responsible for themselves.

Encourage your children to read The Book of Mormon completely.  As a mission president Elder Ballard said that as he visited with each incoming missionary, he asked them if they had read the complete Book of Mormon from cover to cover and was surprised at how many had not.  He counseled his missionaries and parents at the meeting, “[You] need to be able to testify to me [the parent] of the truthfulness of The Book.  This is a real key to effective missionary preparation,” he said.

Sit with the children whom you want to be missionaries and ask them to bear testimony to you as to who Jesus Christ really is.  They have to have this ability.  It gives them a “running start” on the mission.

Help the children to become great teachers – to be able to cut through the media and entertainment.

Have copies of “Preach My Gospel” for the children.  This book was written to your missionaries – to your sons and daughters!  Parents and children should read “Preach My Gospel” together.

Get into their minds the worth of one soul.  Teach them about Gethsemane – wherein Christ endured and suffered for each individual.  Getting a testimony of Christ and his suffering will bring a love of Christ into the lives of the youth.  Teach them the value of one missionary going to one son or daughter of God.

He concluded by saying, “Pretty simple and they’re simple steps.”

He finished his remarks and began to leave the podium. Then he thought again and returned to the podium and emphatically said again, “START EARLY!”

What great lessons for parents relative to their training of their sons and daughters for missionary service.

As Elder Rasband returned to the podium, he took an audience question about young women serving missions.  The mother – and Elder Rasband reiterated that it is a Priesthood Responsibility for the young men to serve.  Then Elder Rasband said, “And the young women HAVE THE INVITATION TO SERVE.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Family Mission Conferences, Uncategorized

A Christmas Conference Program for your Family

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Anyone who has been on a mission knows that one of the highlights of the mission experience is the Christmas zone conference.  Each missionary looks forward to this gathering with great expectations.  The conference offers some time to reflect upon the birth, life and mission of Jesus free of the usual commercial distractions.   Each such zone or mission conference that I have participated in has been a glorious and wonderful experience.

Some of the great elements of the Missionary in Training program are agendas and program materials for special conferences – like real zone conferences in the mission – but designed for families to  stage in their own home missionary training gatherings.  So, as a special Christmas present to each you, I now present this conference package to you.  I am sorry for the short notice, but a prepared family can still pull it together for presentation on Christmas Eve or Christmas.

logo-mit-color-4-inch

 

 “JESUS THE CHRIST”

Christmas Conference

SPECIAL MISSIONARY CONFERENCE

Planning Worksheet

This is a special Christmas Conference.  It can be staged just for the MIT family or it could be expanded to a much bigger group to include friendshipping families, grandparents, extended family and others.  If others are invited, give them food and other assignments.  Involve them in the various elements of the program with advance assignments.  (Friendshipping families might especially enjoy this program and might feel strongly of the Spirit of Christmas, or the Light of Christ.  They will feel of your family;s testimony and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conference Date: ________________   Time: _______

Person to be in charge and to coordinate the plan: _____

Location:  ____________________________

 

ADVANCE PREPARATIONS TO BE MADE

Special guests – family and friends – to be invited:

____________________________________________________________________________________

Invitations to be created and delivered by: _________

Invite special guests to participate and give presentation materials or subjects to cover.

Plan stirring and energetic songs for opening and closing and perhaps in the middle of the program.

Special Physical Arrangements: ____________________________________

Materials Needed: __________________________________________

Person(s) to Prepare Special Food: _________________________________

Special Musical Numbers: (What music, and by whom) ________________________________________

Arrange for an accompanist and conductor for all music of the conference.

Remind all family and special guests that this is a special missionary conference and that full-dress missionary attire is to be worn.

“JESUS THE CHRIST”

 SPECIAL MISSIONARY CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Conference Date: ________________   Time: _______

Person to be in charge and to coordinate the plan: _____

Location:  __________________________________

(Note: Special food or meal can be presented before the Conference, in the middle, or at the end)

Welcome and Introductions of Special Guests and all Future Missionaries

Stand and recite together the MIT Motto and sing the Anthem.

Conference Theme Introduction              By Whom: ______

This is a joyous season of the year.  The Christmas season gives us opportunity to think and learn of Jesus.  Christmas lets us think again of our Savior and his birth, life and mission in service to us.

Opening Song:  “Joy to the World”         Led By:   _______

Song Source:  Hymn # 201 in Hymns”

Opening Prayer by: ___________________________

Invite all participants to record notes in their “Study Journals”

Opening Talk and Inspiration              By Whom: _______

Key Points to Cover

Read together the following scriptures.  Take turns reading the verses.  You may wish to act these out and have a “family nativity”.  (These could also be assigned reading for each family member before the conference.

             Luke Chapter 2

            Matthew Chapter 2, Verses 1-14

            Helaman 14:1-12

            3 Nephi 1:8–21

Program Features – Special Activities or Instruction:

Before the conference, assign family members to talk on these subjects:

Jesus as Jehovah and his pre-mortal work of the Creation

The royal birth of Jesus as literal Son of God and mortal mother, Mary

The circumstances of the birth of Jesus – the star, the Shepherds, wisemen, etc.

The Life and Mission of Jesus

Jesus as Savior and Redeemer

Special Christmas Musical Numbers:

Presented by:

Stage a “Christmas Reader’s Theater” using the script, “Christmas Is” (Attached with this Conference Agenda) Pre-assign parts so that participants can learn their parts well.  If you have a small group, double up on parts – or cut material from the script.  If you have many family and friends, use a variety of people for the various parts.

Note:  You may wish to have musical accompaniment in the background as the various poems are read.

Share a formal Christmas meal together.  Have the table gaily decorated for Christmas.  Have a framed picture (or pictures) of Jesus as a part of the table centerpiece.

Additional Program Features:

Give each family member a Christmas card – or have materials and let them each create one at this moment.  Then invite them to write their testimonies into the cards – using extra paper if needed.  Give them some string or ribbon and let them hang their card on the Christmas tree – as a decoration.  Then on Christmas, after all of the other gifts have been opened, have each family member, in turn, remove their card (or have it removed and read by a family member).  Have each family member read the card and share their testimonies with the family.  [Note too, that testimony cards could be created and presented or sent to grandparents with instructions to hang these on the tree and open them on Christmas.  If there are any missionaries serving form the family, each family member could also create a “testimony card” for the missionary – again with tree hanging instructions.  And the missionary should be encouraged to create their own card to be sent to the family for opening as “the last gift” on Christmas Day.]  This is a great activity and can become a great highlight of the Christmas season.  And the card activity could be designated as a new family tradition to be followed year after year.

Prior to the conference, invite parents and grandparents to prepare special gifts for each family member.  These should not be purchased gifts – but things such as poems, a musical presentation, a special story, a picture of Jesus, etc.  Have a presentation of these gifts at this time.

Divide the family group into smaller groups of from 4-6 people.  Have each group prepare a short Christmas skit (of 3-5 minutes in length).  Try to have these focus upon some religious facet of Christmas.  Give time (like a half hour) for the creation of these skits and then let family and friends perform them.

Gather the family around the piano (or use recordings of hymns).  Sing several Christmas songs together.

Other ideas:  Dress the family members in the roles of the Nativity (wise men, shepherds, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, etc.).   Make some treats (can be done before the conference) and go dressed in the Nativity costumes and deliver the treats to selected friendshipping families.  Sing a Christmas carol as you knock on the door to deliver the gift.

Come back together for a few more home activities

Snuggle together in blankets, around a fire, etc.  Read a [short] Christmas book or story together.

Key-Note Talk and Challenge         By Whom: _________

Subjects or key points to be included:

Invite family members and guests to share their own testimonies of Jesus

Have a special guest (Returned missionary, grandparent, home teacher, Bishop or other special person) talk on “The Life and Mission of Jesus”.

Closing Song:  “I Believe in Christ”   Led By:  _________

Song Source:  Hymn #134 in “Hymns”

Closing Prayer by: ___________________________

Notes: _________________________________________

_________________________________________

Record this study session into your “Home and Family Missionary Training Center Log”

CHRISTMAS IS …

A Reader’s Theater for Christmas Worship

Narration and Lyrics @ by Kevin V. Hunt

PROGRAM BEGINS WITH SHORT MUSICAL FANFARE (can be recorded music)

(MALE NARRATOR WITH STRONG VIBRANT VOICE):

CHRISTMAS!  CHRISTMAS!!  CHRISTMAS! … !  The very word invokes tender memories and cherished times.  Whether young or old, Christmas time holds a special nostalgia.  We relish in the memories of Christmas times past and look forward with great anticipation to the Christmas of the present and those to come.  Christmas is a time to give to others – to reach beyond our usual selves to brighten the life of someone else.

Christmas is a glorious time of year – a beautiful season.  It is a time for family, a time for togetherness, connecting with loved ones.  It is loving and giving and sharing and serving.  Christmas is memories and traditions.  It is music, a feeling, an attitude.  Christmas is surprises and smiling faces.  Christmas is hearing anew the Christmas Story.  It is rejoicing in the Spirit of Thanksgiving.  It is being grateful for our many blessings.  It is thinking of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and His life and mission.  It is having “The Spirit of Christ” with us in our lives.

“IN JOY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY”

In joy we celebrate the day,

When Jesus Christ, our Lord was born.

We join in song along our way,

With hearts aglow though world be torn.

 

We celebrate at Christmas time,

With love for others, thoughts of peace.

We serve in every land and clime,

And in each heart does faith increase.

 

We join with friends and family, too,

The Light of Christ in every soul.

His sacrifice brings life anew,

Eternal joy becomes our goal.

 

Christ’s life and mission bring us joy,

Forgiveness when we’ve lost our way.

And resurrection we’ll enjoy,

So we rejoice in Him this day!

 

He came to us to show the way,

Eternal life to us, did bring.

The mission of our Lord and King,

In joy we celebrate this day!

 

In all our getting, we get lost,

Caught up in things that matter not.

We think that good gifts come with cost,

Though best gifts really can’t be bought.

 

We go to parties not a few,

Run ragged in the season’s rush.

Places to go, so much to do,

We do not feel the Spirit’s touch.

 

The world would have us lose our sight,

And vision of eternal things.

With hustle, bustle, day and night,

While doing all the season brings.

 

There’s Christmas shopping, much to buy,

As running to and fro we go.

And we forget the reason why,

Though in our hearts, we really know.

 

He came to us to show the way,

Eternal life to us did bring.

The mission of our Lord and King,

In joy we celebrate this day!

 

There’s reindeer, snowmen, all so cute,

But draw away from Jesus’ light.

Again the Spirit’s call they mute,

So far away from Holy night.

 

There are distractions, worldly ways,

But we can rise above this all.

Within our hearts, our Christmas days,

Can bring us peace and joy and calm.

 

We can feel Jesus’ love, indeed,

As in our giving, we do share.

And His commandments we can heed,

As unto others we show care.

 

We can draw close through family ties,

Traditions, and the season’s glow.

Reflection on the Christmas rhymes,

Can help within, the Spirit grow.

 

He came to us to show the way,

Eternal life to us, did bring.

The mission of our Lord and King,

In joy we celebrate this day!

 

In joy we celebrate the day,

When Jesus Christ, our Lord was born.

We join in song along our way,

With hearts aglow though world be torn.

 

We celebrate at Christmas time,

With love for others, thoughts of peace.

We serve in every land and clime,

And in each heart does faith increase.

 

We join with friends and family, too,

The Light of Christ in every soul.

His sacrifice brings life anew,

Eternal joy becomes our goal.

 

Christ’s life and mission bring us joy,

Forgiveness when we’ve lost our way.

And resurrection we’ll enjoy,

So we rejoice in Him this day!

 

He came to us to show the way,

Eternal life to us did bring.

The mission of our Lord and King,

In joy we celebrate this day!

(FEMALE NARRATOR):

Christmas times are Family!  It is being together, “hanging out” together – just basking in the joy of being together.  It is making things together.  It is enjoyment of the family relationship – and knowing that the Lord has given us families – that we can be together forever.  Christmas is loving each other and being there for each other.

Christmas is a time for togetherness!  It is a time to connect with family, loved ones and friends.  Christmas is a time to renew bonds of brotherhood and to build new ones.  Christmas is a time to go home – or to stay home – with loved ones – enjoying the best of love and happiness – joy and peace.  Christmas is just being together – doing things together – enjoying one another – in the best of family (and all that implies) and the hope of eternal love – binding us together forever.

FAMILY GROUPS SPEAK – WITH FAMILY MEMBERS ALTERNATING WITH PARTS

“OUR GOD BELIEVES IN FAMILIES”

First Family says:

Our God believes in families,

That’s why He gives us Christmas times.

Our God gave us, our families,

For Christmas joys throughout our lives.

 

That first of Christmas nights began,

In a stable, with family.

Joseph and Mary were there when,

God sent His Son to a family.

 

With family, the bells do chime,

It’s Christmas Day, give thanks to thee.

We celebrate at Christmas time

Because it all is family.

Second Family says:

As a family, we often go

To parties, dinners, special things,

Its all part of the holiday glow,

Such fun to families, Christmas brings.

 

We hustle round, go to and fro,

So much to do, so much to see.

But it’s with family we do go,

And gather round the Christmas tree.

 

With family, the bells do chime,

It’s Christmas Day, give thanks to thee.

We celebrate at Christmas time

Because it all is family.

Third Family says:

We buy our gifts, we do so much

And in traditions we do boast.

We give, we share, the Christmas rush,

It’s family time that means the most.

 

It’s Christmas and with family,

We celebrate the special days.

We do so many things with glee,

And sometimes don’t give God the praise.

 

With family, the bells do chime,

It’s Christmas Day, give thanks to thee.

We celebrate at Christmas time

Because it all is family.

Fourth Family says:

When home for Christmas we enjoy

Times together and having fun.

God gave us Christmas for our joy,

Together, family, every one.

 

Christmas is special ‘cause we’re home,

It’s special with our families.

Rejoice at Christmas, love at home,

For God gave us our families.

 

With family, the bells do chime,

It’s Christmas Day, give thanks to thee.

We celebrate at Christmas time

Because it all is family.

(GRANDFATHER NARRATOR):

Christmas times are for connecting with loved ones – both near and far.  It’s cards and letters.  It’s phone calls to parents, children and grandchildren, to missionary sons and daughters too.  Christmas is extended family together – visiting – visiting parents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles and cousins.  It is recognition of all in the family circle – acknowledging that the family can be and is eternal – that family is who we want to be with, give to, and share with.  Just being together creates and maintains special bonds – even when little is said.  It means that there are people who love us and whom we love.

Christmas time is Loving!  Christmas is love.  It’s pure love for others.  It is wanting to share something special for someone we love.  It is charity – the true love of Christ.  It is giving love – because we love and because we are loved.  Christmas is the love of Christ – radiating through us to those in our circles around us.

TEEN GIRLS gather as a group and alternately say:

“THE CIRCLE OF OUR CHRISTMAS LOVE”

The circle of our Christmas love,

Extends to us then circles round.

As we reach out to those we love,

And hear the bells – the joyful sound.

 

We reach beyond, with others share,

And then their love comes back again.

The circles ripple here and there,

As every one serves fellowmen.

 

The circle of our Christmas love,

          Is Father’s love for one and all.

We feel his love – shed from above,

          With glowing hearts, we heed his call.

 

The Father’s love brought Jesus’ birth,

          That all might come to feel and know:

Love’s circle here upon the Earth –

          The love of Christ, the Christmas glow.

 

With love we serve with love, we reach,

In Christmas circles, family, friends.

The Light of Christ, we share with each,

Share peace and joy that never ends.

 

In service, Christmas circles grow,

Expanding out in love and light.

We share God’s gifts, the season’s glow.

And in our hearts, the love burns bright.

 

The circle of our Christmas love,

          Is Father’s love for one and all.

We feel his love – shed from above,

          With glowing hearts, we heed his call.

 

The Father’s love brought Jesus’ birth,

          That all might come to feel and know:

Love’s circle here upon the Earth –

          The love of Christ, the Christmas glow.

 

The more we help, the greater joy,

The more we give, the more we love.

As others give, they too, enjoy,

Expanding circles, Father’s love.

 

We all are brothers – born on high,

To Earth we came, to love and share.

In Christmas circles, we can try –

To show God’s children that we care.

 

The circle of our Christmas love,

          Is Father’s love for one and all.

We feel his love – shed from above,

          With glowing hearts, we heed his call.

 

The Father’s love brought Jesus’ birth,

          That all might come to feel and know:

Love’s circle here upon the Earth –

          The love of Christ, the Christmas glow.

(TEEN GIRL NARRATOR)

Christmas time is Giving!  It is giving to those we love and to some we don’t.  It is sacrifice for the happiness of others.  It is meeting the needs of others and putting those needs above our own.  Giving brings inner joy to the giver and to the receiver.  Giving is planning, finding or making something special for someone special.  Christmas is showing gratitude for all that Christ and others have done for us.

A group of MALES gather and alternately say: 

“WHAT CAN I GIVE IN THANKS FOR HIS BIRTH”

What can I give Him in thanks for His birth,

His sacred appearance as King of the Earth?

What I can give, is my heart and my hands,

In service to others, their simple demands.

 

What can I give Him in thanks for His light,

The joy of His Gospel, the hope in His life?

What I can do is be faithful and true,

Have joy and be happy, in all that I do.

 

What can I give for His life he did give,

His Atonement, witness we too, may live?

What I can give is the will to do right,

And to serve Him each day with all my might.

 

What can I give Him in thanks for this earth,

The beauty, wonder, each day a new birth?

What I can give Him is love for a child,

That he might know beauty, and grow undefiled.

 

What can I give Him in thanks for each breath,

The life he now gives me and life after death?

What I can give Him is my simple faith,

To walk in His footsteps, and follow his path.

 

What can I give Him thanks for His truths,

For His commandments, and chances to choose?

I can share with others His Church anew.

And be an example in all that I do.

 

What can I give Him in thanks for His word

Through prophets, the Scriptures,

His voice we’ve heard.

What I can give Him is study and prayer,

And then, with His Spirit, I’ll show I can

 

What can I give Him in thanks for His love,

His help, His blessings, His hands from above?

What I can give is thanksgiving for all,

Rejoicing each day for help to stand tall.

What can I give Him in thanks for His peace,

The joy of forgiveness, comfort, release?

What I can give Him, is my broken heart,

A simple commitment each day, do my part.

 (GRANDMOTHER NARRATOR):

Christmas time is Sharing!  It is reaching beyond one’s normal outward self – but drawing from within one’s true feelings, inner self, values and innermost desires to love and serve others.  It is recognition that we are all brothers and sisters – children of one God who created us and put us within our earthly circles.  Christmas is sacrifice for someone special or others that we love.  It is giving to the overall brotherhood which allows us to share even outside the bounds of those we normally include as ours.  It allows us to be our best selves – in the true Spirit of Jesus Christ – the great Teacher of human relations, love and the brotherhood of all.

Christmas time is Service!  It is looking for those who need our help, our Spirit, our strength – our resources.  It is being in tune to the Spirit which can tell us who needs our help.  It is service to parents, siblings, children and grandchildren.  It is service to neighbors and special friends – and even to strangers.  It is service to those we don’t yet know.  It is service to God’s children – as if He Himself were here to serve.

“CHRISTMAS IS SERVICE”

When we were young, our parents taught,

That we should serve at Christmas time,

Our friends and neighbors, love a lot,

That joy be felt this special time.

 

We took some cookies, drop and run,

To family, friends, and loved ones too.

And we staged parties, so much fun,

With Christmas food and games to do.

 

Most all were old folks on our street,

We tried to bring them Christmas cheer.

We felt such joy as we’d repeat,

Christmas traditions every year.

 

We’d also serve our family,

As we drew names for gifts to give.

We did our home jobs with such glee,

For dimes and nickels, more to give.

 

Christmas is service, love to all,

Caring and sharing, giving too.

Christmas is service, joy to all,

Loving Jesus, in all we do.

 

For “Twelve Days” we did give our gifts,

We cooked and baked so we could share.

With friends and kin, that we might lift,

Their spirits, and to show we care.

 

In service we did try to be,

Kinder, gentler, and joyful too.

The Light of Christ we felt, did see,

As we served others, Jesus too.

 

We gave our best, to fellow men,

As Christ-like lessons, we did learn.

From father, mother, way back then,

And now, as parents, it’s our turn.

 

As we now serve, we share, we teach,

New generations, what to do.

We show through service, we can reach,

The hearts of all with joy anew.

 

Christmas is service, love to all,

Caring and sharing, giving too.

Christmas is service, joy to all,

Loving Jesus, in all we do.

 

Christ taught us how to love and serve,

By His example, walk each day.

It’s Christmas and a time to serve,

With all our hearts, in every way.

 

As we serve other, we serve God,

That Jesus taught, in word and deed.

And as we serve, we show to God,

Our gratitude, true love indeed.

 

So many ways to serve, to give,

With open eyes and hearts that care.

As we do serve, gain hope to live,

Feel Christmas joy each time we share.

 

Christmas service brings us great joy,

For through our service, all are blessed.

Lord, Let us serve thee, life enjoy,

At Christmas, always, we be blessed.

 

Christmas is service, love to all,

Caring and sharing, giving too.

Christmas is service, joy to all,

Loving Jesus, in all we do.

(ORIGINAL MALE NARRATOR RETURNS AND SAYS):

Yes, Christmas time is a time for serving.  It is for visiting the elderly, going to rest homes, stringing lights, staging dinners and parties for those who are lonely.  It is goodies for neighbors and special friends and teachers.  It is doing for others in special ways, and going the extra mile to help those in need.

Christmas times are for Memories!  It is memories of our childhood and simple pleasures and simple treasures.  It is memories of special times with special folks.  It is creating traditions that perpetuate the special memories – passing the Spirit and special feelings from generation to generation.  It is photo moments – to be looked at, reviewed, smiled over, and always remembered.

Christmas times are times of grand tradition!  Traditions – no matter how simple, bind generations together as they are repeated year after year.  Traditions keep our memories of Christmas times alive as we think fondly of the past – and glory in those wondrous but simple days of yore.  Traditions keep us anticipating Christmas times as we look forward to what has always been and what we hope it will always be.  Traditions ARE Christmas – and Christmas is Tradition!  Our Christmas memories are based upon the traditions that have been maintained.  Traditions build feelings of the heart – often more poignant than the event or act itself.

Christmas is a traditional time to worship and rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Christmas is a time to share and enjoy music about Jesus.  It is  wonderful familiar songs and carols sung or played on radio stations, traditional carols sung by choirs.  It is bells and chimes, soft tones to the heart.  Music is testimony of His birth and life – and knowledge that He lives – all expressed through the songs and feelings of the heart.  We can sing aloud with others or we can sing within our hearts.

 “THE MISSION OF OUR LORD REJOICE”

Oh that all the world might know,

At Christmas time and through the year,

God sent his Son to earth to show,

His love for man – that all might hear.

 

Before our birth He shared His plan,

He said that we could freely choose.

And though we’d sin, He’d give to man,

His Son, a Savior, gospel truths.

 

By Father’s Plan, the worlds were made,

Jehovah spoke, and it was done.

Creation splendor, hill and glade,

The earth and skies warmed by the son.

 

Adam and Eve were placed on earth,

They chose the way that man might be.

And from that day looked to His birth,

That from their sins they would be free.

 

The Son of God, came forth to earth,

     Rejoice, rejoice, His royal birth.

For Jesus came with life and light,

     With hope and joy, eternal life.

 

Jehovah, Lord of earth and heav’n

For ages spoke to prophets true.

Unto them His law was given,

Eternal truths to each anew.

 

Prophets long foretold His birth,

His death and resurrection too.

“As Son of God, he’ll come to earth,

And he’ll atone for me and you.”

 

As promised through the ages past,

True Son of God, through Mary born.

To man, redemption came at last,

No more in sorrow, sin to mourn.

 

He taught, he lifted, helped each soul,

A perfect life though pain he knew.

He taught through faith we can be whole,

If His example we will do.

The Son of God, came forth to earth,

     Rejoice, rejoice, His royal birth.

For Jesus came with life and light,

     With hope and joy, eternal life.

 

While here, He did His Father’s will,

Each day proclaimed, “Thy will be done!”

En everything, He did fulfill,

For in all things, they were as one.

 

In the Garden, he suffered sore,

Great drops of blood for one and all.

On Calvary’s hill, He suffered more,

That all might rise above the fall.

 

His life, the Savior freely gave,

For each of us, he did atone,

He died, to Father’s children save,

This sacred act, He did alone.

 

With death came resurrection, joy,

His mission done, a brighter day.

Now faith and hope all men enjoy,

Give thanks, rejoice, He lives today!

 

The Son of God, came forth to earth,

     Rejoice, rejoice, His royal birth.

For Jesus came with life and light,

     With hope and joy, eternal life.

YOUNG MOTHER NARRATOR:

Christmas is a time for special feelings!  It is an attitude – a feeling of love.  It is remembering Jesus and His “Golden Rule”.  It is bringing cheer to others.  It is joy, happiness and peace.  It’s a feeling of the heart – a witness to the soul.  It is a burning in the bosom – a knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior and Redeemer.

Christmas is a time for surprises!  Christmas is creating special surprises for special people – keeping secrets.  It is making door drops – the “12 Days of Christmas” – giving anonymously – giving and sharing without credit for the task accomplished.  It is wondering what is in presents under the tree – and trying to guess.  It is giving and receiving the unexpected.

Christmas is a time for Smiling Faces!  Christmas is the smile of a child receiving a simple gift.  It is bringing joy to old folks – or to those who are alone.  It’s making someone happy with that special gift or service.  It is joy to the giver of a special gift – seeing the joy of the gift received – and the smiles of those who receive.

Young Children gather together and alternately say the lines:

“OUR CHRISTMAS JOY”

Jesus was born so long ago,

He came for you, He came for me

That’s why our hearts are all aglow,

We think of Him, this day, you see.

 

Jesus taught us the way to live,

His light, it shines with us today.

That’s why we share with much to give,

This blessed and holy Christmas Day.

MALE TEEN NARRATOR:

Christmas is a time to hear anew, the Christmas Story!  It is a time to hear again of the birth of Jesus – the Son of God.  It is remembering that first Christmas – that centered around family – the babe in the manger – with Mary his mother – and Joseph, his step-father, protector and friend.  It is remembering the special star that shone so brightly.  It is rejoicing with the shepherds in Christ’s royal birth – as proclaimed by the Glory of God in their presence.  It is singing with the angels with joy at His birth.

“THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE ‘ROUND”

The Glory of the Lord shone ‘round,

As God our Father came to Earth,

And shepherds bowed on holy ground,

And heard the news of Jesus’ birth.

 

In radiant glory, Father came,

To herald news of His Son’s birth,

To shepherds, not to kings, he came,

Transcendent tidings to the earth.

 

Glory to God for His Son’s birth,

And peace, Good will to all on earth.

 

The shepherds saw, with ears they heard,

As God proclaimed the royal birth.

And by the Spirit, their hearts burned,

As Father testified on Earth.

 

The hosts of heaven, with Him came,

In loud acclaim their voices rang.

“Glory to God!  – they praised his name,

“Good will and peace to men,” they sang.

 

Glory to God for His Son’s birth,

And peace, Good will to all on earth.

 

God’s brightness, glory filled night sky,

With backdrop of a great new star.

And humble shepherds wondered why,

In fear they stood with hearts ajar.

 

“Fear not!” Said God, “For now behold,

I bring good tidings of great joy.

For born this day, is Christ the Lord,

And to all people, he’ll bring joy.”

Glory to God for His Son’s birth,

And peace, Good will to all on earth

 

“In David’s City, he is laid,

In swaddling clothes on manger hay.

To men a Savior, Christ the Lord!

Born my Begotten Son today.”

 

In haste, the shepherds went to see,

And found the babe as God had said.

By Spirit’s whisper, knew ‘twas He,

The Son of God in manger laid.

 

Glory to God for His Son’s birth,

And peace, Good will to all on earth.

 

By Father’s love, he sent His Son,

His own Begotten, born that day.

‘Twas sent to die, that death be won,

And sin be gone in Father’s way.

 

He came, according to God’s plan,

That all mankind might get to choose.

Thus Heavenly Father came to man,

Announcing Jesus – joyful news!

 

Glory to God for His Son’s birth,

And peace, Good will to all on earth.

GRANDFATHER NARRATOR:

Christmas is a time for Nativity Scenes.  It is nativity scenes big and small that help to remind us of that first Christmas night.  It is reading, enacting Luke Chapter II.  It is feeling and knowing again that He was born, suffered, died and that He lives.  It is pondering the life and mission, His ultimate sacrifice – His Atonement for us – all flowing from that simple royal birth.  It is knowing that He came for us – as Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer.

TEENAGE BOYS Say:

Song:  “A STAR SHONE BRIGHT”

Rejoice!  A glorious star appears,

With brilliance Earth had never known.

Foretold by prophets through the years,

With splendor, it is heaven’s crown.

 

It shines for Him who made the Earth,

The heavens and all things that are.

And heralds of a Savior’s birth,

Shine forth in beauty, wondrous star!

 

A star proclaims that Jesus came.

And heavens sing, “A King is born”,

All earth shout forth and praise His name.

“Hosanna to our God and Lord.’

 

On shepherd flocks the star shown bright,

As angel’s joyous praise was heard

“For unto us is born this night,

A Savior who is Christ the Lord.”

 

From east the wise men saw the star,

And they rejoiced in heaven’s light.

By moving star, they traveled far,

With gifts for King born on that night.

 

A star proclaims that Jesus came.

And heavens sing, “A King is born”,

All earth shout forth and praise His name.

“Hosanna to our God and Lord.’

 

The star shined too, in western sky,

Folks knew the day, their Savior’s birth.

Their prophets too, had told them why,

The glorious star would shine on Earth.

 

And still today we see His light,

Rejoice in life his birth did bring.

And in our hearts His star shines bright,

As Jesus Christ, our Lord and King.

 

A star proclaims that Jesus came.

And heavens sing, “A King is born”,

All earth shout forth and praise His name.

“Hosanna to our God and Lord.’

GRANDMOTHER NARRATOR:

Christmas time is a time for rejoicing!   It is in rejoicing in the Spirit of Thanksgiving.  It is knowing within us that God is our Father – that we are His children.  It is knowing that God knows us, our circumstances, our needs.  It is wonder and amazement as He inspires others to meet our needs – or inspires us to meet the needs of others.  It is counting our blessings and recognizing all that’s been given to us.  It is giving thanks for special feelings, for special people and even things.  It is personal joy and happiness for all that we are and all that is ours.

“THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS”

There’s miracles at Christmas time,

When open hearts are all aglow.

As folks from every land and clime,

Revere the Christ, born long ago.

 

With loving hearts, we serve and give,

As Light of Christ, we feel and know.

And with this light, give hope to live,

As miracles within us grow.

 

Rejoice in Christmas miracles,

Give thanks and know that Christ is near.

Within our hearts, the miracles,

Build faith and give eternal cheer.

 

It may be us, the miracle,

That helps a brother in his need.

God’s hands through us, the miracle,

As we reach out, give Spirit’s heed.

 

Through us, a little child is blessed,

As we reach out, make dreams come true.

We’re better when we give our best,

With answered prayers, their faith renew.

 

Rejoice in Christmas miracles,

Give thanks and know that Christ is near.

Within our hearts, the miracles,

Build faith and give eternal cheer.

 

 

At other times, we might receive

The miracle, to us is given.

As hearts reach out, and we believe

That God is watching down from heaven.

 

Though we have need, we do not share,

But angels know and come to give.

With open hearts, they show they care,

With miracles of love they give.

 

Rejoice in Christmas miracles,

Give thanks and know that Christ is near.

Within our hearts, the miracles,

Build faith and give eternal cheer.

 

The miracles are ours to share,

To give with love, or to receive.

By miracles, God shows His care,

To all who hope and do believe.

 

The Light of Christ inspires, guides,

So we rejoice in Jesus’ birth.

Through Christmas miracles, he abides,

Within the hearts of men on earth.

 

Rejoice in Christmas miracles,

Give thanks and know that Christ is near.

Within our hearts, the miracles,

Build faith and give eternal cheer.

ORIGINAL MALE NARRATOR:

So, if Christmas is times together, grand tradition, sharing and giving, then Christmas is also family, it is music.  It is serving and loving.  Yes, Christmas is all of that.  And Jesus also, is all of that.  And He wants each of us to be all of that.  So, doing those things, year after year, brings us closer to Him and to our families.  And if Christmas helps us radiate the Spirit of Christ – and to feel it in our hearts, then Christmas is good.  We can emulate traits of our Savior and thus keep Christmas in us – while also sharing it with others.

“LET ALL THE WORLD BREAK FORTH IN PRAISE”

Let all the world break forth in praise,

Rejoice in Jesus Christ, our King.

In joyful strains, let voices raise,

Rejoice and with the angels sing.

 

Rejoice in Him of royal birth,

Though Son of God, a humble babe.

Rejoice in God’s son, sent to earth,

Amidst the heavens, he had made.

 

Rejoice for Jesus came to Earth,

Rejoice, he came, that man might live.

Rejoice in Jesus’ royal birth,

Rejoice He came!  His life to give!

 

“Rejoice,” said Angel Gabriel,

To Mary, as he came from God.

“Ye blessed woman,” he did hail,

“Thou woman favoured of the Lord.”

 

“Fear not, Mary,” Gabriel said,

“Thou shalt conceive, bring forth a son.

His name be Jesus, He’ll be great,

Son of the Highest, God’s own Son.”

 

Rejoice for Jesus came to Earth,

Rejoice, he came, that man might live.

Rejoice in Jesus’ royal birth,

Rejoice He came!  His life to give!

 

To Joseph, also, Gabriel came,

“Rejoice, for Mary shall conceive.

Emmanuel shall be his name,

From death and sin, He will relieve.”

 

Then to Judea, Joseph went,

With Mary, who was great with child.

Then came the babe, when she was spent,

No inn would house the Holy Child.

 

Rejoice for Jesus came to Earth,

Rejoice, he came, that man might live.

Rejoice in Jesus’ royal birth,

Rejoice He came!  His life to give!

 

To humble shepherds, Father came,

His glory ‘round about them shone.

“Rejoice, said he, “glad tidings come,

For unto you, a Savior’s born.”

 

“Glory to God,” the angels sang,

as they praised God, in glory then.

“Rejoice in God,” their voices rang,

“With peace, good will, toward all men.”

 

Rejoice for Jesus came to Earth,

Rejoice, he came, that man might live.

Rejoice in Jesus’ royal birth,

Rejoice He came!  His life to give!

ORIGINAL MALE NARRATOR:

CHRISTMAS!  Christmas time is …

FEMALE NARRATOR SPEAKS AGAIN:

Christmas is thinking of the birth of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  It is looking beyond His birth to His life and mission.

GRANDFATHER NARRATOR:

Christmas is having “The Spirit of Christ” with us in our lives – becoming “a new creature” – more prepared for service in His Kingdom.

TEEN GIRL NARRATOR:

Christmas is being and doing better.

GRANDMOTHER NARRATOR:

Christmas is emulating the Lord Jesus Christ in thought and action.

TEEN BOY NARRATOR:

Christmas is a commitment for the future – commitment in heart, spirit and actions.

YOUNG MOTHER NARRATOR:

Christmas is moving forward with a renewed spirit of love and charity and wanting to serve and love family and others around us in that Spirit of Christ.

YOUNG CHILD NARRATOR):

Christmas is loving Him – because He loves us!

MALE NARRATOR:

That’s what Christmas is … and that’s what Christmas times are – and can be – for all of us – for all of God’s children.   To this, and of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we testify …

Above narrators together alternate and say parts:

Let all the world break forth in praise,

Rejoice in Jesus Christ, our King.

In joyful strains, let voices raise,

Rejoice and with the angels sing.

 

Rejoice in Him of royal birth,

Though Son of God, a humble babe.

Rejoice in God’s son, sent to earth,

Amidst the heavens, he had made.

 

Rejoice for Jesus came to Earth,

Rejoice, he came, that man might live.

Rejoice in Jesus’ royal birth,

Rejoice He came!  His life to give!

@ Kevin V. Hunt 2010

For a print-friendly copy of this program, send an e-mail message to Kevin Hunt: info@missionaryintraining.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ammonite Trainer Program, Family Mission Conferences, Mission Prep Activity Packages, Missionary Preparation, Uncategorized

Missionary in Training Program Elements

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There are a variety of programs and missionary preparation activities in the Missionary in Training Program.  There are planning guides for each of these.  The various program elements are described below:

PROGRAM PREPARATION AND KICK-OFF LESSONS

As you begin using the Missionary in Training program, you will want to start with six different lessons to help lay the foundation for the program.  And it will be best not to share details of these lessons, the “Call Opening Gathering” or other program elements with your children until after the “Call Opening Gathering”.  It will be more effective if the children do not know ahead of the Call Gathering what is going to happen.  Older children can be invited to present some of these lessons – but don’t give them a vision of the whole big picture.

The first Program Prep lessons will lead up to the “Call Opening Gathering”.  These four lessons are:

Preparation Lesson #1:  “What is a Missionary?”

Preparation Lesson #2:  “Temple and Mission Preparation”

Preparation Lesson #3:  “Who Wants to Commit?”

Preparation Lesson #4:  “Preparing to Receive a Call”

After these lessons, there will be a “Call Opening Gathering”.  This is where all children and parents will receive a “Call to Prepare”.  The event should be a real big deal as it will help to generate enthusiasm and momentum for your future home and family Missionary in Training program.  More detailed information on this gathering is included elsewhere in this MIT package.

Following the “Call Opening Gathering”, you will have two kick-off lessons to help the children understand the coming program.  These lessons are:

Kick-off Lesson #1:  Introduction to the home and family MIT Center

Kick-Off Lesson #2:  The Introduction lesson will take two weeks so                   for this lesson you will want to continue what you started until the                     lesson and material has been fully taught.

Following these introductory lessons, you will be ready to start the Missionary Study Sessions on a weekly basis.

THE MISSION CALL OPENING GATHERING:

This is a special conference or gathering held to jump-start your Home and Family Missionary Training Center program.   This is a gathering staged to get everyone enthused and excited about participating in the Missionary Training program.  Grandparents, home teachers, Bishops, teachers and others may be invited to your gathering.  Make this gathering a special one – with special food, and a unique missionary setting or atmosphere.  All participants should be dressed in missionary attire.  At the gathering, all participants – including Parents, teen Ammonite trainers, and all missionary training participants receive “calls” to “prepare for missionary service”.  This gathering will set the stage for an effective and exciting long-term missionary preparation program in your home.  It should be a very fun and exciting program to be enjoyed by all participants.

RE-COMMITMENT GATHERING:

This gathering is similar to the Mission Call Opening Gathering but is to be held in subsequent times – like a year after you initiate the Missionary in Training program.  This is a time to recharge batteries of all program participants.  It is a time to recommit to using the Missionary in Training program.  Certificates can be awarded for participation during the past year.  New “calls” can be issued to new participants in the Missionary in Training program (like when young children become old enough to be involved).  Children who turn twelve can be “promoted” to be Ammonite trainers – and can be recognized appropriately with new “calls”.  This gathering can be held any time that the family deems it appropriate or beneficial.  There is no set time for it.

MISSIONARY STUDY SESSIONS:

These are the weekly missionary training meetings – formerly AKA – also known as “Family Home Evening”.   Most of the study sessions use “Preach My Gospel” as their main source and are referenced on the planning guide for each session.  There are some additional lessons that do not use “Preach My Gospel” as the reference.

These study sessions from “Preach My Gospel” use materials that missionaries use to teach to their investigators.  There are also study sessions on other reference material in “Preach My Gospel”.

In addition to the “Preach My Gospel” study sessions, there are other study sessions on a variety of subjects that will introduce the children to the missionary life and aid in their preparation.  Some of these will introduce at your Monday gathering what you will explore in greater detail on a Missionary Preparation Activity day – probably to be held on the Saturday of the same week.

It is recommended that you plan the study sessions two weeks in advance – so that you don’t have last minute lessons that you have to come up with.  You should have a weekly planning meeting – and it doesn’t have to be a long meeting – to plan upcoming lessons or study sessions.  These could be held right after your study sessions – or on a separate day.  So, for this week, for example, you would review the lesson plan for next week.  And you would do the initial and more detailed planning for the week after that.  If you follow this plan, you will be able to relax and enjoy the lessons and you won’t be pressured to come up with lesson material.

If you have Aaronic Priesthood or Young Women age youth, it is highly recommended that you use them almost weekly to give the lessons.  Let them be a part of the planning process with you – or even on their own.  Let them be responsible each week for the scripture reading in preparation for the lesson.  They can “study by subject” through the week and make note of key scriptures that they want to share with the family.  They could also research the subject on the Church websites to find material from current Apostles and Prophets and other leaders that supports the ideas of the lesson.

Each lesson planning sheet is the same format.  Routine is good.  But, you can have the flexibility to change things if you decide to do so.  But you will find that having a set plan to follow will greatly help you in your lesson planning.

Most lessons will begin with an introduction designed to be given by even the youngest of children.  A parent, Ammonite or other sibling can work with the child to memorize the sentence for the picture that they will hold up.  Each lesson calls for a picture.  Some of the pictures can be found in “Preach My Gospel” in small pictures.  You could also find some of them on-line.  Use photos from your own family if applicable.  There does not need to be a great amount of discussion after the child shares his picture – but there can be.  Let the child ask his/her question and then have the other family members respond to it.  Then an older person can introduce the main idea for the lesson that evening.

The lesson plans will work the best if a number of people participate each week.  If you have multiple children, give each of them a part on the program.  If you have one or two, give them whatever assignment – or multiple assignments they can handle – and parents can take the rest of the plan.

You may find that some lessons will take a couple of weeks to cover the material.  You could bump into a second week – or just cover what you can in one week and come back to that subject for the rest of the material in a few months or next year.

There are a multitude of study sessions.  You will find that there are more than enough to last an entire year – even giving a lesson every week.  Pick and choose which lessons you will use and when they will be given.  They can be given at any time – though they appear in the book/program materials in the order that they appear in “Preach My Gospel”.  Those that don’t use “Preach My Gospel” can be inserted into the plan whenever you want to use them.

And with so many lesson subjects, you can go for a very long period of time before you give them all a single time.  But, if you do make it through them all, simply start over.  The children will be a year older the next time – and their circumstances will have changed.  Repetition is a very good teacher.  Don’t worry about using the same lesson over again.  And some subjects are covered multiple times in “Preach My Gospel” so are repeated again as separate lesson topics.  And remember too, and remind the children that missionaries will use “Preach My Gospel” through the whole duration of their missions and they will go through the book many times as a missionary.  If they become familiar with the book now, they will be able to recall your home and family MTC lessons and will be able to share personal experiences “in the very hour” as they need to draw upon what you have taught them.

It is best to plan for the entire year and assign lesson numbers to each week of the year.  But, what happens if you suddenly have a family, school or other activity that pre-empts your calendar plan.  No worries …  You can slide the whole calendar to accommodate the lesson next week – or just drop it and put it back on the calendar for next year.

And if you just get bogged down and need a break, go ahead and take it.  It is your program and you can be flexible when you need to be.

TESTIMONY BEARING:

Each lesson also calls for testimony bearing by each family member.  As a general rule in the Church, we do not do enough testimony bearing.  And having very little children get up in Sacrament meeting can prove to be a bit obnoxious.  Our Church leaders are frequently saying that children should be taught to bear their testimonies at home.  Also, missionaries need to bear their testimonies very frequently – often several times within a single discussion with those they teach.  So, for this reason, testimony is built into every weekly MIT program.

The program uses testimony every week in an effort to get the children (and even adults) used to testimony bearing so that they will be comfortable with the process and it will come across naturally.  At first, as you introduce the weekly testimony period, it will be rather uncomfortable for some family members.  They will hesitate to bear their testimony.  But, keep encouraging them and very soon they will be very comfortable and willing to share their testimonies frequently.  You will be amazed at the results that you will see – and the missionary will later thank you and thank you again for the training that you gave to them.

Also, the lessons invite the family members to bear testimony of specific principles as taught that evening.  Teach the children that they don’t have to always say the same three or four things, “I know the church is true … I love my family, etc”.  Help them to learn to bear testimony – as prompted in the lesson planning guides – to share testimony of specific principles – and not everything that they know – all at once.  If they bear testimony of the single principle, they will soon be amazed at how their testimony is growing and they will have a conviction of much more than they ever thought possible.

Teach children to begin their testimony with the words, “I know …” OR “I believe …” OR “I Feel ….”  And then add to that, “And this is why …”

Children and all family members can then share a personal experience or a spiritual experience with or for that principle.  It might be as simple as saying, “I read in a scripture last week about this and I felt that it is true …” The “And this is why … “ might be sharing feelings of the mind or heart.  “I prayed about this and received a warm feeling in my heart …” etc.  Simple testimonies are the best when given with love and sincerity.  If they will learn to bear testimony, the Holy Ghost will use their testimonies to touch countless investigators and they will truly be a successful missionary.   Try this out and you will reap wonderful rewards from your efforts.

See also, Bear Testimony Frequently, “Preach My Gospel”, Pages 198-199 and MIT Study Session #9.

SERVICE ACTIVITES OR EVENTS:

Missionaries have learned that some of their greatest teaching opportunities and contacts have come as a result from service given to the people – often even before they have been formally taught.  There are a million ways to give service.  Teach the children to always be looking for service to be given.  Help them to realize that they don’t need to do the major service things – like spending three hours on a lawn project (though they may do some like that). Teach them that they can do even 5-minutes acts of service – like taking out someone’s garbage can – or bringing it in.

Try to motivate the children to find some 5-minute type of service activities to do each and every day.  And make service a part of every family prayer.  Ask for service opportunities – and be ready to act upon impressions and opportunities to serve and soon this will become a very natural and rewarding thing for family members.  This may not happen on the first attempt – but if they think of service every day and find opportunities on many days, they will begin to find more and more opportunities.  Teach them of President Thomas S. Monson and how his whole life has been based upon service following quiet impressions.  He has learned how to listen to the promptings as they come – and he testifies that the Lord has come to know and trust “Thomas S. Monson” as one who will go and do.

As the children do service to their friends – and those who are not yet their friends, they will soon make more friends.  And through service, they will soon be able to make other conversation and will be able to extend invitations to their new friends to come and join in on missionary preparation activities, to attend church, etc.

In the MIT program, you are encouraged to schedule some “bigger” type service things – which the whole family can participate in.  There is no set number, but it would be great if you could calendar a service activity together with your Friendshipping Families at least once every two months.  It would be a great idea to invite non-members, less-actives, and others who need fellowshipping – to come and serve with you – at a common neighbor’s house, in the neighborhood, or even with the church group.  If you do this, you will reap great benefits and you will later be very grateful for the times that you “reached out” and included others.

PREPARATION “P-DAY” – MISSIONARY PREPARATION ACTIVITIES:

We all know that missionaries have a weekly preparation day.  This is the one day when they can clean their apartments, buy groceries, do the laundry, clean their rooms, write letters, visit cultural places, etc.  Make the “P-Day” a part of your full home and family MTC program and you will be amazed.  There is an Activity Package specifically titled “The Preparation Day Introduction”.   This should be taught or held soon after you start using the MIT program.  Then after that, it is recommended that you make every Saturday a “P-Day Activity” Day.  Do the home basics each week and then jump into other activities that you have planned for the day (as if they are a part of the actual Preparation Day plan).

In addition, The Missionary in Training Program includes a multitude of Missionary Preparation Activity packages and each package contains a plethora of sub-activities that center on the activity theme.  These also are recommended for Saturday activity preparation days.  You could do your regular routine of P-Day and then launch immediately into one of these activity packages.

Saturday Preparation Day Activities

What this means is that you could make EVERY SATURDAY morning a missionary “P-day.”  You know that if you tell the children that we are going to clean the bathroom, this will not be met with great enthusiasm.  However, if they know that it is “Our Missionary “P-day” – and that fun stuff can be done after the work, they will be more anxious to participate and do their part.  Make the P-day a regular routine.  We get up, we exercise together.  We have companion study.  We clean our own room and then help with one other – with a sibling or alone – and then we go shopping, and then we do a sports or other fun event together.

And the missionary preparation activities of “P-Day” can be things that you would probably be doing anyway – such as the laundry, going grocery shopping, etc.  Perhaps you have been the one to always do the shopping – alone – and it takes a lot of your time.  Now, look at shopping as a family P-day activity – combined with learning to plan menus and cooking – because they will need to do that as missionaries.  Wow!  Think of the results of such a concept!  The children will go for it with enthusiasm and you will accomplish so much more than you ever thought possible.  So what if they only get three rooms clean in the P-day cleaning.  That is three more than you would probably ever get with the cleaning as an independent activity.  And if they do three rooms together, that is three less rooms that you will have to clean yourself.

And teach the children to do their own laundry as a part of each weekly P-day.  Teach them how to do laundry and just expect that to be done – because it is part of the P-day routine.  Teach that P-Day (or more properly, the “Preparation Day” is like a Saturday – where they prepare for the Sabbath.  On the mission, the P-Day could fall on any day of the week but the missionary preparation activities of the day are still in preparation – preparation so that full missionary work can be accomplished on the other days.

A good idea would be to pair older children with younger children to accomplish your tasks.  Even laundry could be a “companion” activity – and would be a benefit since most children do not have enough soiled clothing (if washed weekly) to fill a full laundry load.  So, a shared thing between companions would have multiple benefits.

Note that there is one activity day program package that is centered on the real missionary “P-Day”.  This activity is to introduce the MTC participants to the P-Day concept.  It is to teach them the routines that should be a part of each future Saturday preparation day.  So, it is recommended that you use this early on in your program – and that is why it is included in your first three months program.  The sooner you get the children into the “P-Day” scene, the sooner you as the parent will reap the rewards.

So, find the lesson study guide.  Introduce the concept of the “P-day to the children.  Talk about what kinds of missionary preparation activities missionaries typically do.  Then tell them that after the weekly household chores are complete, then the whole family can go and do other fun missionary preparation activities as a part of the family “P-Day”.

The next section will discuss MIT “Activity Days.”  You will be encouraged to have frequent activity days – like every two months – or more frequently.  Even on your calendared activity days and programs, you can still incorporate the P-day concept and combine the activity with the usual P-day routine.  Just do the household stuff first and then proceed into the planned activity – rather then just randomly doing stuff.  The activity day will give missionary focus and will encourage the children to get the house cleaning stuff done first so that they can do the missionary preparation activities.

MISSIONARY PREPARATION ACTIVITY PACKAGES:

Activities as a family can be times to strengthen each other and to enjoy being together.  They can be a fun way to learn new things and to practice skills learned in missionary study sessions. Activities can help to build or create strong family traditions and brotherhood among family members.

A major component of the MIT program is the many “Activity Days”.  These program “packages” (a bunch of activities centered around one preparation theme) are all built around real live missionary stuff that missionaries deal with regularly – or that are needed to truly be prepared as missionaries – like “how to sew on a button” – or “how to buy clothes for my mission” – or “how to enjoy working with people of a different culture and language.”

There are many different activity program packages and you can choose which ones you work on and when.  With each activity, there are some basic guidelines that will teach the principles of the activity – the “what and why”.  And each package has a multitude of other FUN missionary preparation activities that can be done to learn further of the function or subject.  Again, you will find that you can’t do them all.   You will have to pick and choose.

Another idea would be to choose an activity theme package and then kind of use the list of possible missionary preparation activities and do one or two of them every day.  You could spend a week on each activity – or even a full month.  Or you could do some of the missionary preparation activities now and then others a year from now when you do the activity again.

After the children get into the action of your family missionary preparation activities together, they will really get into it.  They will find that the missionary preparation activities are FUN and they will want to do more and more of them.  They won’t want to quit after just a few of them.  And who knows, they may want every Saturday – or every night to become an activity day.  (And that could happen … you could do an activity from the selected theme each afternoon or evening as all of the family gets home in the evening – rather than TV or video games or whatever.)   Do one or two at a time and they will be begging for more.  Then you will be amazed at how much fun you really can have as a family.  You’ll do things together that you have never done before.

Altogether, you will find literally hundreds of missionary preparation activities that you can do together (and most of them don’t cost money).  Wow!  You’ll have such great times together.  You will look back and say, “Wow” (again) and “Why have we not been doing these things together before.

As with study sessions, and service functions, delegate out the planning and implementation of missionary preparation activities to your Ammonite children.  Teach them how to plan and conduct an activity – and let them have full reign (almost) to stage the missionary preparation activities for their younger siblings.  And think of the leadership experience this will give them.  They are capable of taking the bull by the horns and going for it.  If you give them basic training, guidelines, and parameters, you will see fabulous results as they soon “do it all” to make something happen – and to make it wonderful and fun. Wherever possible, delegate to and use your Ammonites.  They will grow so much through the experience!  And again, you will be truly amazed at their capabilities and results.

In the MIT program materials, you will be trained to know that every activity you do can become a missionary opportunity.  With each activity – no matter how large or small, ask yourselves, “Who do we know that we can invite to do this with us?”  Most non-members, part-members, etc. will have a limited social group (unlike us “Mormons” who have so many built in ways to have friends – just through the structure and activities of the Church).  They will welcome the opportunity to do things with you and your family.  And as you look at the various missionary preparation activities, you will see that most of them are not really “church things”.  The missionary preparation activities are fun things to do – but in this case, they are fun with a purpose – that of missionary preparation and training.

Whenever possible, throw in some kind of food.  Combine a BBQ or a park picnic with a Frisbee competition at the park – or after some other activity together.  Food brings people together.  Have the first BBQ and activity at your home.  Then, you plan the activity and let the friends host the BBQ afterwards at their place.  And after that, they will surprise you by saying that they have an activity you could do together – and they’ll provide the food.  They it will be time to invite them to the church service project or activity – and they will probably come!  (And that is another WOW!)

And again, with your children, call the activity a “missionary activity” – or a “P-Day activity” – anything to tie it to being a missionary – now and in the future.  And if you are upfront in the beginning about your home and family missionary training program with your friends, you can call your events “Another of our MIT missionary preparation activities” as you invite them to participate.  They’ll soon equate the activity with fun and friends – and together you can enjoy what the program (and the Church) has to offer to you and to them.  And like the above other elements of the MIT program, you will soon begin to reap wonderful and exciting blessings as you do the fun things together – as a family – and together with others.

SPECIAL HOME AND FAMILY MISSION CONFERENCES:

On missions, every missionary looks forward to zone conferences.  These are the greatest of times as they hear from the Mission President, receive training – usually centered around a specific theme for the day – a set of scriptures, a gospel topic, a teaching method, fellowship together, sing with gusto, hear good talks, and of course, FOOD – and lots of it.

So, that is what a Missionary in Training special conference is all about.  It combines and uses all of those elements.  Special conferences take some planning and extra effort but they will be very much worth it.  Do all that you can to go all out to make them extra special.  Have them at the home of grandparents, the Bishop, or at the Church – or on the Temple grounds – or some other cool place.  But, they can be great even in your own home – if you take some advance effort to make them special and unique.

Try to make the conferences different than the usual missionary preparation activities and study sessions.  Invite special guests.  Invite the home teachers, the Bishop, teachers, aunts and uncles and grandparents, returned missionaries, and others to participate with you.  They will bring a wealth of experience – and they will have new and interesting experiences to share with your children.  Delegate out the various program tasks to as many people as you can.

Note that for almost every special conference, you should have the children wear missionary shirts and ties (or dresses for the girls) and their missionary name tags.  Make these conferences more formal and your children will pack in the memories of their time in your Home and Family MTC.  They will brag of these special times later to their missionary companions.

WEARING MISSIONARY ATTIRE:

You will want to make a family decision about when to be in full-dress missionary attire.  You may decide that you want every study session to be in “full-dress” missionary attire.  You may decide that you want to be dressed as missionaries for most missionary preparation activities, as well.  You might want to decide that any time that you got out in public together (except for work projects and sports type events) that you want to be in full dress attire.  Doing so will help the children feel and act like missionaries.  They will act better when they know that they are wearing the missionary badge and are supposed to be missionaries.

You will enjoy seeing the eyes turn to your children when they look so wonderful.  And you will have great missionary conversations as the children are seen as missionaries – rather than a bunch of rowdy kids. Don’t just smile and say, “Yeah, they do look great” but smile big and tell the “why” they are dressed this way.  Talk about the MIT program, your home and family MTC, and the church – and your family’s plan of missionary preparation.  This will give you a lead-in to explore other Church conversations and to perhaps invite them to your home and family study sessions, an activity, etc.  You will be surprised at who might take you up on it and want to know more – just because of a white shirt, tie and a name tag.

As noted, many missionary preparation activities can be done when in missionary attire with name tags.  Look at each activity or function and determine together what missionary attire might be the most appropriate.  They – the children – will develop a special sense of missionary and family pride as they all do it together.  You might even want to have the children wear missionary attire to each home and family study session.  This will really help them catch the vision of being a missionary – now and later.  Ultimately, your family should determine together what the plan will be – and what the dress of the day is to be.  Talk of this a few days ahead so that clothes can be ready as needed.

MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP – THE “MTC” – or “THE CAMP OF AMMON”:

This is a wonderful opportunity for teen boys AND girls who are preparing for missions.   It is a week-long (five day) camp held at a retreat facility or camp of some kind.  It is an intense missionary training program where youth receive missionary preparation training as they look, dress, act and LIVE as regular full-time missionaries.  The course content is taken from the regular “Missionary in Training” program but is compacted tightly to be received in one week.

Attending the camp will not diminish interest in your home missionary training program.  On the contrary!  Youth who attend the “Camp of Ammon” will come home super excited and charged with an intense desire to prepare even harder and better for their missionary experience.  They will come home better able to serve in their role of “Ammonite Missionary Trainer” in service to younger siblings.  Participation in “The Camp of Ammon” will be well worth the financial sacrifice it will cost for your participating youth.  Youth can attend the camp year after year if you and they desire to do so.

INVITING “FRIENDSHIPPING FAMILIES” TO PARTICIPATE WITH YOUR FAMILY:

This is a very key element of the Missionary in Training program.  You and your family will have great opportunities and also great joy as together you share the Gospel with others.  It will be your blessing and opportunity to invite “Friendshipping Families” to participate with you in your Home and Family Missionary Training Center events, activities, service events, and special conferences as well as Church and community events.

A “Friendshipping Family” is a general term that is all inclusive.  A “Friendshipping Family” can include:

Non-Members of the Church

Less-Active Members of the Church

Part-member Families

New Converts

Investigators

Families with whom the Missionaries are Working

Anyone who needs friends

Family members of friends to your family

Member families who can assist you with the above families

THE “AMMONITE” PROGRAM FOR TEENS:

It will be more fun for your teens and they will get more out of the program if they are highly involved with you.  They should not just be passive participants.  They will have more fun and they will enjoy the program more if you use them for teaching, training, planning, preparation, bearing testimony, leading games, researching scriptures and talks from Church leaders, etc.

The Ammonite program is designed specifically for Aaronic Priesthood Young Men and Young Women.  There is a special training that parents should present to the Ammonites as you start with the program.    Train them in what they can do and help them to “catch the vision” of how they might be involved and participate.  Help them to realize that as they take on these tasks, they will help themselves and their siblings, they will learn a great deal through study and lesson preparation, and they will become familiar with and proficient in various leadership responsibilities.  In the beginning, help them plan Missionary Study Sessions.  Give them specific tasks within each session and then as they become more familiar with how to do their job, you can delegate to them and back off a bit to let them do it.  There will be great benefits to the youth and parents if the youth will actively participate in the program and be given responsibility – AND freedom to act, organize and implement.

THE AMMONITE PERSONAL RETREAT:

The Ammonite Personal Retreat is a very exciting opportunity for your Ammonite.  It will take some innovation to pull it off, but with some thought, you can make it happen.  And when it does happen, it can become possibly one of the greatest experiences your youth can have.  It can be a life-changing, highly motivating and spiritual time or event for them.

This is a personal retreat where your teen son or daughter has time and focus to ponder life and what he/she should do with it.  The concept is that the Ammonite goes to a place where he/she can be totally alone and where time can be spent thinking about their life, reading scriptures, praying, setting goals, and making commitments to Heavenly Father about their future – and hopefully, about their desire to serve a future mission.

The innovation part is the question of where to send them?  That is a good question.  Where can you send a teenager where they can be secluded and safe for a few hours or a day?  But, give it some thought and see what solutions present themselves.  And it doesn’t have to be expensive, either.  It could be as easy as a retreat to the woods near the family cabin, the hay loft at Grandpa’s farm, the back porch on a Saturday morning, under a big shade tree at the chapel or wherever.

 

Ammonite Trainer Program, Family Mission Conferences, General Information, Mission Prep Activity Packages, Missionary Preparation, Program Basics, Uncategorized, Weekly Study Sessions from PMG

Getting Started with the Missionary in Training Program

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As noted previously in other blogs, the Missionary in Training Program is a home and centered program for missionary preparation.  Now that the program has been introduced, here are some ways to get started with the program.

  1. Parents review together the overall Missionary in Training Program and make a personal and family commitment to believing in and committing to the long-term plan for the family.
  1. Have/Conduct the FOUR preliminary missionary training programs – in home evenings – using the attached “Missionary Training Guides” and “Planning Worksheets”. Complete the missionary preparation activities and teaching as outlined.
  1. Obtain the MISSIONARY IN TRAINING package and other materials for the family and each participating family member.
  1. Prepare the program “mission Calls” as included in the program package – for each participating child or family member – including parent and youth trainers.
  1. Schedule a date and plan a special “Open the Call Gathering” to include siblings, friends of each child, Primary, Young Men and Young Women Leaders and even non-member friends and neighbors to get children, youth and parents committed and excited about the program.  (See the attached “Missionary in Training “Call Opening Gathering Agenda” and plan.)
  1. Set a date and make a plan for conducting the quarterly or annual family MIT planning conference. (See attached “guidelines”.)  Set a date, determine a location, and make assignments – without the children knowing of the plan.
  1. Prepare a place in the home for your Home and Family Missionary Training Center. This will be where you will stage future missionary training programs.  This could around a wall in the kitchen (by the dining table) or in the family room.  It needs to be a place (or bulletin board or wall) where plaques and planning worksheets can be posted and viewed frequently or continuously by family members.
  1. Create a box where MIT badges, training supplies and materials can be placed on a shelf or in proximity to the board or wall described above
  1. Tell family, friends, home teachers and church leaders about your program and plan. This will further commit you to the plan and will generate support and will commit them to periodic involvement with you in your program.  It will also generate enthusiasm for you and your family.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM ELEMENTS

There are a variety of programs and missionary preparation activities in the Missionary in Training Program.  There are planning guides for each of these.  The various program elements are described below:

PROGRAM PREPARATION AND KICK-OFF LESSONS

As you begin using the Missionary in Training program, you will want to start with six different lessons to help lay the foundation for the program.  And it will be best not to share details of these lessons, the “Call Opening Gathering” or other program elements with your children until after the “Call Opening Gathering”.  It will be more effective if the children do not know ahead of the Call Gathering what is going to happen.  Older children can be invited to present some of these lessons – but don’t give them a vision of the whole big picture.

The first Program Prep lessons will lead up to the “Call Opening Gathering”.  These four lessons are:

Preparation Lesson #1:  “What is a Missionary?”

Preparation Lesson #2:  “Temple and Mission Preparation”

Preparation Lesson #3:  “Who Wants to Commit?”

Preparation Lesson #4:  “Preparing to Receive a Call”

After these lessons, there will be a “Call Opening Gathering”.  This is where all children and parents will receive a “Call to Prepare”.  The event should be a real big deal as it will help to generate enthusiasm and momentum for your future home and family Missionary in Training program.  More detailed information on this gathering is included elsewhere in this MIT package.

Following the “Call Opening Gathering”, you will have two kick-off lessons to help the children understand the coming program.  These lessons are:

Kick-off Lesson #1:  Introduction to the home and family MIT Center

Kick-Off Lesson #2:  The Introduction lesson will take two weeks so for this lesson you will want to continue what you started until the lesson and material has been fully taught.

Following these introductory lessons, you will be ready to start the Missionary Study Sessions on a weekly basis.

THE MISSION CALL OPENING GATHERING:

This is a special conference or gathering held to jump-start your Home and Family Missionary Training Center program.   This is a gathering staged to get everyone enthused and excited about participating in the Missionary Training program.  Grandparents, home teachers, Bishops, teachers and others may be invited to your gathering.  Make this gathering a special one – with special food, and a unique missionary setting or atmosphere.  All participants should be dressed in missionary attire.  At the gathering, all participants – including Parents, teen Ammonite trainers, and all missionary training participants receive “calls” to “prepare for missionary service”.  This gathering will set the stage for an effective and exciting long-term missionary preparation program in your home.  It should be a very fun and exciting program to be enjoyed by all participants.

RE-COMMITMENT GATHERING:

This gathering is similar to the Mission Call Opening Gathering but is to be held in subsequent times – like a year after you initiate the Missionary in Training program.  This is a time to recharge batteries of all program participants.  It is a time to recommit to using the Missionary in Training program.  Certificates can be awarded for participation during the past year.  New “calls” can be issued to new participants in the Missionary in Training program (like when young children become old enough to be involved).  Children who turn twelve can be “promoted” to be Ammonite trainers – and can be recognized appropriately with new “calls”.  This gathering can be held any time that the family deems it appropriate or beneficial.  There is no set time for it.

MISSIONARY STUDY SESSIONS:

These are the weekly missionary training meetings – formerly AKA – also known as “Family Home Evening”.   Most of the study sessions use “Preach My Gospel” as their main source and are referenced on the planning guide for each session.  There are some additional lessons that do not use “Preach My Gospel” as the reference.

These study sessions from “Preach My Gospel” use materials that missionaries use to teach to their investigators.  There are also study sessions on other reference material in “Preach My Gospel”.

In addition to the “Preach My Gospel” study sessions, there are other study sessions on a variety of subjects that will introduce the children to the missionary life and aid in their preparation.  Some of these will introduce at your Monday gathering what you will explore in greater detail on a Missionary Preparation Activity day – probably to be held on the Saturday of the same week.

It is recommended that you plan the study sessions two weeks in advance – so that you don’t have last minute lessons that you have to come up with.  You should have a weekly planning meeting – and it doesn’t have to be a long meeting – to plan upcoming lessons or study sessions.  These could be held right after your study sessions – or on a separate day.  So, for this week, for example, you would review the lesson plan for next week.  And you would do the initial and more detailed planning for the week after that.  If you follow this plan, you will be able to relax and enjoy the lessons and you won’t be pressured to come up with lesson material.

If you have Aaronic Priesthood or Young Women age youth, it is highly recommended that you use them almost weekly to give the lessons.  Let them be a part of the planning process with you – or even on their own.  Let them be responsible each week for the scripture reading in preparation for the lesson.  They can “study by subject” through the week and make note of key scriptures that they want to share with the family.  They could also research the subject on the Church websites to find material from current Apostles and Prophets and other leaders that supports the ideas of the lesson.

Each lesson planning sheet is the same format.  Routine is good.  But, you can have the flexibility to change things if you decide to do so.  But you will find that having a set plan to follow will greatly help you in your lesson planning.

Most lessons will begin with an introduction designed to be given by even the youngest of children.  A parent, Ammonite or other sibling can work with the child to memorize the sentence for the picture that they will hold up.  Each lesson calls for a picture.  Some of the pictures can be found in “Preach My Gospel” in small pictures.  You could also find some of them on-line.  Use photos from your own family if applicable.  There does not need to be a great amount of discussion after the child shares his picture – but there can be.  Let the child ask his/her question and then have the other family members respond to it.  Then an older person can introduce the main idea for the lesson that evening.

The lesson plans will work the best if a number of people participate each week.  If you have multiple children, give each of them a part on the program.  If you have one or two, give them whatever assignment – or multiple assignments they can handle – and parents can take the rest of the plan.

You may find that some lessons will take a couple of weeks to cover the material.  You could bump into a second week – or just cover what you can in one week and come back to that subject for the rest of the material in a few months or next year.

There are a multitude of study sessions.  You will find that there are more than enough to last an entire year – even giving a lesson every week.  Pick and choose which lessons you will use and when they will be given.  They can be given at any time – though they appear in the book/program materials in the order that they appear in “Preach My Gospel”.  Those that don’t use “Preach My Gospel” can be inserted into the plan whenever you want to use them.

And with so many lesson subjects, you can go for a very long period of time before you give them all a single time.  But, if you do make it through them all, simply start over.  The children will be a year older the next time – and their circumstances will have changed.  Repetition is a very good teacher.  Don’t worry about using the same lesson over again.  And some subjects are covered multiple times in “Preach My Gospel” so are repeated again as separate lesson topics.  And remember too, and remind the children that missionaries will use “Preach My Gospel” through the whole duration of their missions and they will go through the book many times as a missionary.  If they become familiar with the book now, they will be able to recall your home and family MTC lessons and will be able to share personal experiences “in the very hour” as they need to draw upon what you have taught them.

It is best to plan for the entire year and assign lesson numbers to each week of the year.  But, what happens if you suddenly have a family, school or other activity that pre-empts your calendar plan.  No worries …  You can slide the whole calendar to accommodate the lesson next week – or just drop it and put it back on the calendar for ext year.

And if you just get bogged down and need a break, go ahead and take it.  It is your program and you can be flexible when you need to be.

TESTIMONY BEARING:

Each lesson also calls for testimony bearing by each family member.  As a general rule in the Church, we do not do enough testimony bearing.  And having very little children get up in Sacrament meeting can prove to be a bit obnoxious.  Our Church leaders are frequently saying that children should be taught to bear their testimonies at home.  Also, missionaries need to bear their testimonies very frequently – often several times within a single discussion with those they teach.  So, for this reason, testimony is built into every weekly MIT program.

The program uses testimony every week in an effort to get the children (and even adults) used to testimony bearing so that they will be comfortable with the process and it will come across naturally.  At first, as you introduce the weekly testimony period, it will be rather uncomfortable for some family members.  They will hesitate to bear their testimony.  But, keep encouraging them and very soon they will be very comfortable and willing to share their testimonies frequently.  You will be amazed at the results that you will see – and the missionary will later thank you and thank you again for the training that you gave to them.

Also, the lessons invite the family members to bear testimony of specific principles as taught that evening.  Teach the children that they don’t have to always say the same three or four things, “I know the church is true … I love my family, etc”.  Help them to learn to bear testimony – as prompted in the lesson planning guides – to share testimony of specific principles – and not everything that they know – all at once.  If they bear testimony of the single principle, they will soon be amazed at how their testimony is growing and they will have a conviction of much more than they ever thought possible.

Teach children to begin their testimony with the words, “I know …” OR “I believe …” OR “I Feel ….”  And then add to that, “And this is why …”

Children and all family members can then share a personal experience or a spiritual experience with or for that principle.  It might be as simple as saying, “I read in a scripture last week about this and I felt that it is true …” The “And this is why … “ might be sharing feelings of the mind or heart.  “I prayed about this and received a warm feeling in my heart …” etc.  Simple testimonies are the best when given with love and sincerity.  If they will learn to bear testimony, the Holy Ghost will use their testimonies to touch countless investigators and they will truly be a successful missionary.   Try this out and you will reap wonderful rewards from your efforts.

See also, Bear Testimony Frequently, “Preach My Gospel”, Pages 198-199 and MIT Study Session #9.

SERVICE ACTIVITES OR EVENTS:

Missionaries have learned that some of their greatest teaching opportunities and contacts have come as a result from service given to the people – often even before they have been formally taught.  There are a million ways to give service.  Teach the children to always be looking for service to be given.  Help them to realize that they don’t need to do the major service things – like spending three hours on a lawn project (though they may do some like that). Teach them that they can do even 5-minutes acts of service – like taking out someone’s garbage can – or bringing it in.

Try to motivate the children to find some 5-minute type of service activities to do each and every day.  And make service a part of every family prayer.  Ask for service opportunities – and be ready to act upon impressions and opportunities to serve and soon this will become a very natural and rewarding thing for family members.  This may not happen on the first attempt – but if they think of service every day and find opportunities on many days, they will begin to find more and more opportunities.  Teach them of President Thomas S. Monson and how his whole life has been based upon service following quiet impressions.  He has learned how to listen to the promptings as they come – and he testifies that the Lord has come to know and trust “Thomas S. Monson” as one who will go and do.

As the children do service to their friends – and those who are not yet their friends, they will soon make more friends.  And through service, they will soon be able to make other conversation and will be able to extend invitations to their new friends to come and join in on missionary preparation activities, to attend church, etc.

In the MIT program, you are encouraged to schedule some “bigger” type service things – which the whole family can participate in.  There is no set number, but it would be great if you could calendar a service activity together with your Friendshipping Families at least once every two months.  It would be a great idea to invite non-members, less-actives, and others who need fellowshipping – to come and serve with you – at a common neighbor’s house, in the neighborhood, or even with the church group.  If you do this, you will reap great benefits and you will later be very grateful for the times that you “reached out” and included others.

PREPARATION “P-DAY” – MISSIONARY PREPARATION ACTIVITIES:

We all know that missionaries have a weekly preparation day.  This is the one day when they can clean their apartments, buy groceries, do the laundry, clean their rooms, write letters, visit cultural places, etc.  Make the “P-Day” a part of your full home and family MTC program and you will be amazed.  There is an Activity Package specifically titled “The Preparation Day Introduction”.   This should be taught or held soon after you start using the MIT program.  Then after that, it is recommended that you make every Saturday a “P-Day Activity” Day.  Do the home basics each week and then jump into other activities that you have planned for the day (as if they are a part of the actual Preparation Day plan).

In addition, The Missionary in Training Program includes a multitude of Missionary Preparation Activity packages and each package contains a plethora of sub-activities that center on the activity theme.  These also are recommended for Saturday activity preparation days.  You could do your regular routine of P-Day and then launch immediately into one of these activity packages.

Saturday Preparation Day Activities

What this means is that you could make EVERY SATURDAY morning a missionary “P-day.”  You know that if you tell the children that we are going to clean the bathroom, this will not be met with great enthusiasm.  However, if they know that it is “Our Missionary “P-day” – and that fun stuff can be done after the work, they will be more anxious to participate and do their part.  Make the P-day a regular routine.  We get up, we exercise together.  We have companion study.  We clean our own room and then help with one other – with a sibling or alone – and then we go shopping, and then we do a sports or other fun event together.

And the missionary preparation activities of “P-Day” can be things that you would probably be doing anyway – such as the laundry, going grocery shopping, etc.  Perhaps you have been the one to always do the shopping – alone – and it takes a lot of your time.  Now, look at shopping as a family P-day activity – combined with learning to plan menus and cooking – because they will need to do that as missionaries.  Wow!  Think of the results of such a concept!  The children will go for it with enthusiasm and you will accomplish so much more than you ever thought possible.  So what if they only get three rooms clean in the P-day cleaning.  That is three more than you would probably ever get with the cleaning as an independent activity.  And if they do three rooms together, that is three less rooms that you will have to clean yourself.

And teach the children to do their own laundry as a part of each weekly P-day.  Teach them how to do laundry and just expect that to be done – because it is part of the P-day routine.  Teach that P-Day (or more properly, the “Preparation Day” is like a Saturday – where they prepare for the Sabbath.  On the mission, the P-Day could fall on any day of the week but the missionary preparation activities of the day are still in preparation – preparation so that full missionary work can be accomplished on the other days.

A good idea would be to pair older children with younger children to accomplish your tasks.  Even laundry could be a “companion” activity – and would be a benefit since most children do not have enough soiled clothing (if washed weekly) to fill a full laundry load.  So, a shared thing between companions would have multiple benefits.

Note that there is one activity day program package that is centered on the real missionary “P-Day”.  This activity is to introduce the MTC participants to the P-Day concept.  It is to teach them the routines that should be a part of each future Saturday preparation day.  So, it is recommended that you use this early on in your program – and that is why it is included in your first three months program.  The sooner you get the children into the “P-Day” scene, the sooner you as the parent will reap the rewards.

So, find the lesson study guide.  Introduce the concept of the “P-day to the children.  Talk about what kinds of missionary preparation activities missionaries typically do.  Then tell them that after the weekly household chores are complete, then the whole family can go and do other fun missionary preparation activities as a part of the family “P-Day”.

The next section will discuss MIT “Activity Days.”  You will be encouraged to have frequent activity days – like every two months – or more frequently.  Even on your calendared activity days and programs, you can still incorporate the P-day concept and combine the activity with the usual P-day routine.  Just do the household stuff first and then proceed into the planned activity – rather then just randomly doing stuff.  The activity day will give missionary focus and will encourage the children to get the house cleaning stuff done first so that they can do the missionary preparation activities.

MISSIONARY PREPARATION ACTIVITY PACKAGES:

Activities as a family can be times to strengthen each other and to enjoy being together.  They can be a fun way to learn new things and to practice skills learned in missionary study sessions. Activities can help to build or create strong family traditions and brotherhood among family members.

A major component of the MIT program is the many “Activity Days”.  These program “packages” (a bunch of activities centered around one preparation theme) are all built around real live missionary stuff that missionaries deal with regularly – or that are needed to truly be prepared as missionaries – like “how to sew on a button” – or “how to buy clothes for my mission” – or “how to enjoy working with people of a different culture and language.”

There are many different activity program packages and you can choose which ones you work on and when.  With each activity, there are some basic guidelines that will teach the principles of the activity – the “what and why”.  And each package has a multitude of other FUN missionary preparation activities that can be done to learn further of the function or subject.  Again, you will find that you can’t do them all.   You will have to pick and choose.

Another idea would be to choose an activity theme package and then kind of use the list of possible missionary preparation activities and do one or two of them every day.  You could spend a week on each activity – or even a full month.  Or you could do some of the missionary preparation activities now and then others a year from now when you do the activity again.

After the children get into the action of your family missionary preparation activities together, they will really get into it.  They will find that the missionary preparation activities are FUN and they will want to do more and more of them.  They won’t want to quit after just a few of them.  And who knows, they may want every Saturday – or every night to become an activity day.  (And that could happen … you could do an activity from the selected theme each afternoon or evening as all of the family gets home in the evening – rather than TV or video games or whatever.)   Do one or two at a time and they will be begging for more.  Then you will be amazed at how much fun you really can have as a family.  You’ll do things together that you have never done before.

Altogether, you will find literally hundreds of missionary preparation activities that you can do together (and most of them don’t cost money).  Wow!  You’ll have such great times together.  You will look back and say, “Wow” (again) and “Why have we not been doing these things together before.

As with study sessions, and service functions, delegate out the planning and implementation of missionary preparation activities to your Ammonite children.  Teach them how to plan and conduct an activity – and let them have full reign (almost) to stage the missionary preparation activities for their younger siblings.  And think of the leadership experience this will give them.  They are capable of taking the bull by the horns and going for it.  If you give them basic training, guidelines, and parameters, you will see fabulous results as they soon “do it all” to make something happen – and to make it wonderful and fun. Wherever possible, delegate to and use your Ammonites.  They will grow so much through the experience!  And again, you will be truly amazed at their capabilities and results.

In the MIT program materials, you will be trained to know that every activity you do can become a missionary opportunity.  With each activity – no matter how large or small, ask yourselves, “Who do we know that we can invite to do this with us?”  Most non-members, part-members, etc. will have a limited social group (unlike us “Mormons” who have so many built in ways to have friends – just through the structure and activities of the Church).  They will welcome the opportunity to do things with you and your family.  And as you look at the various missionary preparation activities, you will see that most of them are not really “church things”.  The missionary preparation activities are fun things to do – but in this case, they are fun with a purpose – that of missionary preparation and training.

Whenever possible, throw in some kind of food.  Combine a BBQ or a park picnic with a Frisbee competition at the park – or after some other activity together.  Food brings people together.  Have the first BBQ and activity at your home.  Then, you plan the activity and let the friends host the BBQ afterwards at their place.  And after that, they will surprise you by saying that they have an activity you could do together – and they’ll provide the food.  They it will be time to invite them to the church service project or activity – and they will probably come!  (And that is another WOW!)

And again, with your children, call the activity a “missionary activity” – or a “P-Day activity” – anything to tie it to being a missionary – now and in the future.  And if you are upfront in the beginning about your home and family missionary training program with your friends, you can call your events “Another of our MIT missionary preparation activities” as you invite them to participate.  They’ll soon equate the activity with fun and friends – and together you can enjoy what the program (and the Church) has to offer to you and to them.  And like the above other elements of the MIT program, you will soon begin to reap wonderful and exciting blessings as you do the fun things together – as a family – and together with others.

SPECIAL HOME AND FAMILY MISSION CONFERENCES:

On missions, every missionary looks forward to zone conferences.  These are the greatest of times as they hear from the Mission President, receive training – usually centered around a specific theme for the day – a set of scriptures, a gospel topic, a teaching method, fellowship together, sing with gusto, hear good talks, and of course, FOOD – and lots of it.

So, that is what a Missionary in Training special conference is all about.  It combines and uses all of those elements.  Special conferences take some planning and extra effort but they will be very much worth it.  Do all that you can to go all out to make them extra special.  Have them at the home of grandparents, the Bishop, or at the Church – or on the Temple grounds – or some other cool place.  But, they can be great even in your own home – if you take some advance effort to make them special and unique.

Try to make the conferences different than the usual missionary preparation activities and study sessions.  Invite special guests.  Invite the home teachers, the Bishop, teachers, aunts and uncles and grandparents, returned missionaries, and others to participate with you.  They will bring a wealth of experience – and they will have new and interesting experiences to share with your children.  Delegate out the various program tasks to as many people as you can.

Note that for almost every special conference, you should have the children wear missionary shirts and ties (or dresses for the girls) and their missionary name tags.  Make these conferences more formal and your children will pack in the memories of their time in your Home and Family MTC.  They will brag of these special times later to their missionary companions.

WEARING MISSIONARY ATTIRE:

You will want to make a family decision about when to be in full-dress missionary attire.  You may decide that you want every study session to be in “full-dress” missionary attire.  You may decide that you want to be dressed as missionaries for most missionary preparation activities, as well.  You might want to decide that any time that you got out in public together (except for work projects and sports type events) that you want to be in full dress attire.  Doing so will help the children feel and act like missionaries.  They will act better when they know that they are wearing the missionary badge and are supposed to be missionaries.

You will enjoy seeing the eyes turn to your children when they look so wonderful.  And you will have great missionary conversations as the children are seen as missionaries – rather than a bunch of rowdy kids. Don’t just smile and say, “Yeah, they do look great” but smile big and tell the “why” they are dressed this way.  Talk about the MIT program, your home and family MTC, and the church – and your family’s plan of missionary preparation.  This will give you a lead-in to explore other Church conversations and to perhaps invite them to your home and family study sessions, an activity, etc.  You will be surprised at who might take you up on it and want to know more – just because of a white shirt, tie and a name tag.

As noted, many missionary preparation activities can be done when in missionary attire with name tags.  Look at each activity or function and determine together what missionary attire might be the most appropriate.  They – the children – will develop a special sense of missionary and family pride as they all do it together.  You might even want to have the children wear missionary attire to each home and family study session.  This will really help them catch the vision of being a missionary – now and later.  Ultimately, your family should determine together what the plan will be – and what the dress of the day is to be.  Talk of this a few days ahead so that clothes can be ready as needed.

MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP – THE “MTC” – or “THE CAMP OF AMMON”:

This is a wonderful opportunity for teen boys AND girls who are preparing for missions.   It is a week-long (five day) camp held at a retreat facility or camp of some kind.  It is an intense missionary training program where youth receive missionary preparation training as they look, dress, act and LIVE as regular full-time missionaries.  The course content is taken from the regular “Missionary in Training” program but is compacted tightly to be received in one week.

Attending the camp will not diminish interest in your home missionary training program.  On the contrary!  Youth who attend the “Camp of Ammon” will come home super excited and charged with an intense desire to prepare even harder and better for their missionary experience.  They will come home better able to serve in their role of “Ammonite Missionary Trainer” in service to younger siblings.  Participation in “The Camp of Ammon” will be well worth the financial sacrifice it will cost for your participating youth.  Youth can attend the camp year after year if you and they desire to do so.

INVITING “FRIENDSHIPPING FAMILIES” TO PARTICIPATE WITH YOUR FAMILY:

This is a very key element of the Missionary in Training program.  You and your family will have great opportunities and also great joy as together you share the Gospel with others.  It will be your blessing and opportunity to invite “Friendshipping Families” to participate with you in your Home and Family Missionary Training Center events, activities, service events, and special conferences as well as Church and community events.

A “Friendshipping Family” is a general term that is all inclusive.  A “Friendshipping Family” can include:

Non-Members of the Church

Less-Active Members of the Church

Part-member Families

New Converts

Investigators

Families with whom the Missionaries are Working

Anyone who needs friends

Family members of friends to your family

Member families who can assist you with the above families

THE “AMMONITE” PROGRAM FOR TEENS:

It will be more fun for your teens and they will get more out of the program if they are highly involved with you.  They should not just be passive participants.  They will have more fun and they will enjoy the program more if you use them for teaching, training, planning, preparation, bearing testimony, leading games, researching scriptures and talks from Church leaders, etc.

The Ammonite program is designed specifically for Aaronic Priesthood Young Men and Young Women.  There is a special training that parents should present to the Ammonites as you start with the program.    Train them in what they can do and help them to “catch the vision” of how they might be involved and participate.  Help them to realize that as they take on these tasks, they will help themselves and their siblings, they will learn a great deal through study and lesson preparation, and they will become familiar with and proficient in various leadership responsibilities.  In the beginning, help them plan Missionary Study Sessions.  Give them specific tasks within each session and then as they become more familiar with how to do their job, you can delegate to them and back off a bit to let them do it.  There will be great benefits to the youth and parents if the youth will actively participate in the program and be given responsibility – AND freedom to act, organize and implement.

THE AMMONITE PERSONAL RETREAT:

The Ammonite Personal Retreat is a very exciting opportunity for your Ammonite.  It will take some innovation to pull it off, but with some thought, you can make it happen.  And when it does happen, it can become possibly one of the greatest experiences your youth can have.  It can be a life-changing, highly motivating and spiritual time or event for them.

This is a personal retreat where your teen son or daughter has time and focus to ponder life and what he/she should do with it.  The concept is that the Ammonite goes to a place where he/she can be totally alone and where time can be spent thinking about their life, reading scriptures, praying, setting goals, and making commitments o Heavenly Father about their future – and hopefully, about their desire to serve a future mission.

The innovation part is the question of where to send them?  That is a good question.  Where can you send a teenager where they can be secluded and safe for a few hours or a day?  But, give it some thought and see what solutions present themselves.  And it doesn’t have to be expensive, either.  It could be as easy as a retreat to the woods near the family cabin, the hay loft at Grandpa’s farm, the back porch on a Saturday morning, under a big shade tree at the chapel or wherever.

 

 

General Information

Missionary in Training: The Program Vision

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THE HOME & FAMILY MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER

PROGRAM VISION

The MISSIONARY IN TRAINING (or “MIT”) program is a comprehensive but flexible plan to help family members to be current member missionaries as well as to prepare for future full-time missionary service.  We all desire to train our children (now – more than ever before) and we know that we need to do it.  The challenge is to commit to it and to know how to do it.  This program gives a plan – a vision – and the focus to do it through your own Home and Family Missionary Training Center.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

  1. To create a family expectation or tradition of missionary service.
  1. To get family members – children and even teen-ages (both male and female) excited and involved in missionary work and to commit their involvement.
  1. To get teenagers – Aaronic Priesthood holders and Young Women – involved as teacher/trainers as they participate in the program as “Ammonite Trainers” – with the goal of getting them comfortable in the role of teacher for their future missions, by giving them training assignments for each weekly training session – wherein they can plan, research, present and testify to other family members.
  1. To help Aaronic Priesthood young men and Young Women to fulfill requirements and complete requirements for Duty to God and Young Women Recognition awards as they “learn, act and share”.
  1. Utilizes “Preach My Gospel” and other current resources but in a simplified manner so that children and youth can understand and enjoy it.
  1. To teach and train the children relative to the “How and What” of missionary service.
  1. To have a master family training plan to include study sessions (AKA: home evening), missionary preparation activities, service events and training lessons focused specifically on missionary service and preparation.
  1. To build testimonies and to help children to make and keep sacred covenants, including baptism; to receive additional priesthood ordinances as they are eligible for them, and ultimately to get them to the Temple.
  1. To strengthen extended family ties as older cousins (without siblings), aunts, uncles and grandparents are involved occasionally as guest trainers.
  1. The program is not designed to be new tasks to be added to an already “too busy” life. It is to be incorporated into current family and home plans and objectives – but has an expanded vision and focus on missionary work.
  1. To get family members to commit to being missionaries NOW by inviting “Friendshipping Families” to join with yours in missionary preparation activities, service events, special conferences, and church and community events.

HOW IT WORKS:

  1. Families commit to a long-term plan for missionary training and preparation for their own children of all ages.
  1. The family creates an organization and a master plan to accomplish the long-term goals and objectives of missionary service now and in the future.
  1. Parents, home teachers, grandparents, siblings or others commit themselves to be full-time missionary trainers of their own HOME AND FAMILY MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER for all of the children in the home.
  1. The children are taught of the missionary function and their current and future service opportunities. Each child also commits to long-term mission preparation missionary preparation activities and instruction.
  1. The children complete a “Future Missionary Application” and anticipate being “Called to Serve”.
  1. “Mission Calls” (patterned after “real” mission calls issued to full-time missionaries) are sent/received for each child and then are distributed at a special family gathering designed to create mission preparation enthusiasm and commitment to begin a formal preparation and training process. Each child becomes a “Future Missionary” and a “Missionary in Training”. (Special important note to parents:  DO NOT SHARE news or details of the MIT Program with the children until after the “Call Gathering”.  Excitement will be stronger if they don’t know all of the details!)
  1. Weekly “Missionary Study Sessions” (AKA ‘Missionary Preparation Classes or Family Home Evening) are planned to develop each “Missionary in Training” in the Home and Family MTC.
  1. Families have a special breakfast or other planning event to plan out a quarterly or annual program of training sessions, missionary preparation activities, service events, special mission conferences together. Use the MIT Sample Calendar as outlined for the initial three months of program participation but put specific dates to each training or activity.
  1. This is a home and family centered program designed to help accomplish the mission and objectives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for missionary preparation and the family. It is a “program with a plan” to help parents serious about their parenting responsibilities and opportunities.  And while the program is congruent with Church policies and objectives, it is not a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor is it endorsed by the Church.
  1. This is not a new list of things to add to your already “too-busy” life. It is a system – a plan – for home evenings you already are or want to be havingscout-1

Written by Kevinthescout Blogger – Kevin Hunt

Scouting Historian, Author and Speaker, Scouting Veteran, Camp Director, and Missionary enthusiast

Kevin Hunt is the compiler of the home and family “Missionary in Training” Program.  This is a comprehensive program for parents to use to train their children for their upcoming missionary responsibilities and opportunities.  This article is from the MIT package.

For more information about the “Missionary in Training” Program, contact Kevin directly at info@missionaryintraining.com

Mission Prep Activity Packages, Missionary Preparation, Uncategorized

Introducing the Home and Family Missionary in Training Program

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I have mentioned our daughter, Kaylea, and how she and her husband, J.D. are raising missionaries … Well, now she has six children – five boys and one girl – all between the ages of eight and twelve.  So, that is a lot of missionaries who could all leave about the same time.  And that is a lot of missionary preparation that needs to happen.  It is exciting to think about all of those missionaries.

Kaylea and her husband, J.D., have regularly bought new suits (beginning with the feature photo shown with this blog – when the boys were eight and under) – and dresses for Lucy.  When they bought their first suits for the boys I was excited … I could only imagine how fabulous they must look.  I decided that if they were willing to get the suits for the boys, then I, as the Grandpa, should get some “Future Missionary” name badges for them.  I went to the local LDS book store to make a purchase.

They actually had two badge options.  One was the “Future Missionary” that I went there looking for.  And the other, I had not seen before.  It said, “Missionary in Training”.  I just kind of stared at those badges for a few moments as I first saw them.  Then suddenly I was overpowered almost by the Spirit.  I felt a rush of inspiration about the development of a “Missionary in Training” program for all of those missionaries in that one family – and thought too, of all of the rest of our grandkids.  Wow!  I had never considered this before.  And I certainly would not have thought of it myself.

Anyway, after that initial inspiration – for which I am very grateful, I began to ponder and think about what might be in such a program.  The ideas kept coming (literally flowed into my mind) as I worked over the next few months to get the ideas and inspiration down on paper.  Details of the full program were unfolded to me.  And the inspiration expanded to include not just a program for my own grandkids but also to all other parents serious about their charge for missionary preparation.

And that’s what this package is all about.  It is all about training our missionaries and preparing them now so that they can be prepared to serve anywhere in the world as they are called.  It is very much a home and family program designed to help parents and families focus specifically upon the training of their own missionaries – to serve now with their friends and neighbors – as also to prepare them to be future full-time missionaries.

I really love the recent quote as given by Sister Julie B. Beck when she was general Relief Society President.  She said:

“Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre-missionary training center  (MTC).  Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC   would be a review  and not a revelation.  That is influence; that is power.”   (“Mothers who Know”, Beck, Julie B., Ensign,  November    2007   available at https://www.lds.org/general-          conference/2007/10/mothers-who-       know?lang=eng).

 Well, there we have it!  That is the challenge for all of us – dads included!  We all know that we need to help prepare the next generation of missionaries and we all want to do it … and we probably all wonder how we can rise to the massive challenge of that preparation.  So, how do we get started?  What do we do?  Sure, we can do/have home evening – and everything else that was on my list above – and more … but how can we not only do the minimums, but also keep pace (run like crazy) with the vision of our Church leaders?

This program, “MISSIONARY IN TRAINING” might help us all to do that.  It might help us get focused to really step up and do as we have been asked.  It can be the tool that we all have wanted anyway … the tool for us to really get involved and progressing toward the missionary preparation goal with our children.

“MISSIONARY IN TRAINING”:  The Program really is home evening (as we should have been doing anyway) but with a new missionary focus – and specific missionary preparation activities.  The program also involves missionary lessons, an attitude of missionary work, an organization, and excitement to get our children (sons AND daughters) thinking of how they too can commit and prepare to be missionaries.  It is not just a one-time lesson on missionary work.  It is rather, a total commitment kind of thing.  It will take major effort and commitment, and that level of commitment must be for the long-haul … but the results can be phenomenal.  Really great things can happen for you and your family as parents gives the program a full effort and that long-term commitment to the children.

If you are serious about the missionary commitment for your children and family …  If you want to really “Do It” (as President Spencer W. Kimball taught), then this program may be for you … Check it out … see what it might do to assist you in your goals and dreams – your missionary preparation and training responsibilities in the family.

“MISSIONARY IN TRAINING”!  (That sounds really great but let’s make that “OUR MISSIONARIES IN TRAINING”) … WOW!  You can do it through your very own “Home and Family Missionary Training Center” – with you, parents, and your teenage sons and daughters as the Ammonite trainers … and all of your children – of all ages – participating as Future Missionaries.  CATCH THE VISION OF THAT … Your own Home and Family Missionary Training Center for your children – a part of “The GREATEST GENERATION of MISSIONARIES!” MAKE THE COMMITMENT … and GO FOR IT!  MISSIONS, HERE WE COME!

Kevin V. Hunt

             PROGRAM SUMMARY

MISSIONARY IN TRAINING (MIT) is a HOME and  FAMILY MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER program.  It’s a fun and very detailed program designed to help families (with children – both boys and girls – of all ages) to train their sons and daughters as future missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The program consists of weekly Missionary Study Sessions, monthly (or more frequent) missionary preparation activities, weekly “P-Day” missionary preparation activities, as well as special Home and Family Missionary Training Center conferences.

All of these training sessions, missionary preparation activities and conferences are designed to teach and to prepare future missionaries through building testimony of gospel doctrine as well as practical application of needed “missionary life skills”.

The MISSIONARY IN TRAINING PROGRAM is a LONG-TERM PLAN, a HOME and FAMILY-CENTERED PROGRAM FOR MISSIONARY PREPARATION – typically to be staged during your regular family home evening times (and the weekly home evening will now be called a “Missionary Training (or “study”) Session”.  The program also involves special missionary preparation activities and conferences held on Saturdays or other days as the family organizes its own HOME AND FAMILY MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER.

In addition to the home centered MISSIONARY IN TRAINING program, there is also a week-long “MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP” (The MTC) program entitled “The Camp of Ammon”. This MTC program – to be held at various times and locations throughout the country – incorporates many of the same learning sessions as MISSIONARY IN TRAINING (which can take a year or two) but study sessions, missionary preparation activities and conferences are all compressed into five days of intense training.

At the MTC – The Camp of Ammon, youth dress, live and act as regular missionaries!  They will eat, sleep and really live the missionary life!  If you really want to get your sons and daughters excited about their future missions, send them to this great MTC program.  It might be one of the best investments you’ll ever make!   (Note:  This is a developed program but has not yet been staged.  If you have interest, you could help us make this a reality …  Contact Kevin Hunt to express interest!)

Youth have who participated in the MIT program at home and who also attend the MTC “Camp of Ammon” program can help to motivate, inspire and encourage other Camp of Ammon participants.  And they will return from the Camp of Ammon supercharged to be “Ammonite trainers” in your own Home and Family Missionary Training Center.  Check out both programs on the internet at www.missionaryintraining.com.

The MISSIONARY IN TRAINING PROGRAM will strengthen youth resolve to serve missions, will pull your family together in a marvelous way and will get everyone thinking about being missionaries now and in the future.  The MISSIONARY IN TRAINING PROGRAM will be beneficial to your family and others – in so many ways – and it will be great fun for you and all families, everywhere.

This is a home and family centered program designed to help accomplish the mission and objectives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for missionary preparation and the family.  It is a “program with a plan” to help parents serious about their parenting responsibilities and opportunities.  And while the program is congruent with Church policies and objectives, it is not a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor is it endorsed by the Church.

As the Director(s) of your own Home and Family Missionary Training Center, you can commit yourself (yourselves) to active, deliberate and focused missionary training for your children.  You can help them to prepare to be effective missionaries.  You can prepare them to be ready to serve whenever and wherever they might be needed in the world.

You can determine the level of participation and training for your own family.  The Missionary in Training program is a comprehensive package designed to assist you in your parental responsibilities and opportunities.  But, the program, and your use of it, is still flexible.  You should utilize the program as desired to meet the needs of your own family – while also maintaining your own family traditions, goals and activities.  The program is designed as a tool to help you achieve your own family objectives.

The Missionary in Training program is designed to be fun and exciting.  This is not something you “have to do” but as you CHOOSE to do it, your family will have some really great times together.  You’ll later look back and rejoice together in the missionary preparation for each family member – and ultimately your missionary success – through your posterity – throughout the world.

For more information about the Missionary in Training Program contact:  Kevin Hunt

Missionary in Training       E-mail: info@missionaryintraining.com

Phone: 480-717-8241        Websites:  www.missionaryintraining.com

Kevin Hunt is an author, blogger and speaker.  He writes regularly on three different Scouting blogsites and shares his insights about Scouting, Scouting in the LDS Church, and other subjects.  New blogs are posted on his Facebook page: Scouting Trails Books and Blogs.

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Missionary Preparation, Uncategorized

A Missionary Son Speaks and Encourages his Siblings in Mission Preparation

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ELDER KC HUNTAs our son, K.C., was on his mission, he had time to reflect upon his mission preparation – and even lack thereof.  It was exciting to see our missionary son speak and encourage his younger brothers and sisters to serve.  He wrote a great letter home to his younger brothers and gave them some suggestions for their missionary preparation.  K.C.’s advice is generally applicable to all youth who are now contemplating serving a mission. Share his words with your young men and women.  In October of 2004, Elder Hunt wrote:

“Recently I have felt some desire to write to you both.  I wish to make amends where necessary and help inspire and instruct you in your preparations for missionary service – especially with the changes that are currently taking place.

I feel as though I haven’t always been a very good example to either of you.  Throughout our early years, I spent a lot of time being the bully and a pretty big jerk.  I realized the error of my ways before leaving and tried to be better – but never really went through the complete repentance process, I think.  So, I wanted to apologize to each of you and let you know that I was in the wrong – “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and well be forever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Spirit.”  I would also ask for forgiveness from you both.  Will you forgive me?  I hope that we can all learn from my poor choices and be better people because of it.

It is an exciting time to be a missionary!  I don’t know if you know about what is taking place at all, or how much you may know.  But, I figured I’d give ya’ll a live – “from the field” explanation of some of the new changes and maybe in some way, help prepare you both for when that time comes.

As I became a missionary, they had just recently done away with the memorized discussions.  So, in the MTC, we learned how to “Teach by the Spirit” by writing outlines of what was contained in the old 6 discussions.  That worked great, for the most part, and prepared us for now.

In the MTC, we were given a lot of materials to help us teach.  We had the discussions, the New Member Lessons, The Missionary Guide, and the Missionary Gospel Study Program booklet. All of that totaled about 700 pages of information.

Well, the General Missionary Committee, The First Presidency, and Quorum of the 12, decided they wanted to reduce all of that to one book – with no more than 250 pages.  They did just that.  The end result was “PREACH MY GOSPEL”.  It is an amazing tool for missionaries.  It is designed to make better missionaries and to teach them how to study better and to learn and teach the doctrine of the church.Preach-My-Gospel

With “PMG” comes a revised set of lessons (rather than “discussions”) which teach the same doctrine of the 6 discussions, but much simpler – and in only 4 lessons.  We then study the lessons, and create our own lesson plans to include: 1) the doctrine, 2) Supporting scripture(s) and 3) Teaching “by the Spirit”.  The bold, clear, and direct commitments were somewhat overlooked before, so this all focuses on commitments and being BOLD.  All of this is what you can expect to learn, live and teach.  There have also been other more minor changes:  A set 30-minute workout time, unified area books and a number/people tracking system for reporting.

I feel as though I am here preparing the way for you.  I’ve thought a lot about you both with these new changes.  “Raising the Bar” and “Teaching by the Spirit” were mere preparations for this new way of life and work.  I am part of that generation of missionaries. But, you are both part of the next generation – which I would say is greater.  You will both come into the field after all these preparations have been made and implemented.  You are to be the greatest generation of missionaries – for you will have the greatest tools available to be better missionaries and to teach better!  Never before have missionaries been endowed with as much as you will be!

Hopefully I’ve got you excited to be a missionary!  You really should be!  And now, some counsel that you will hopefully take to heart:

  • You must have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement – as well as The Restoration and all that comes with that knowledge.
  • You need to know how to study – not just read – the scriptures. (And I’ve included a copy of the new missionary lessons for you to study if you so desire.  Memorize the main doctrinal points in order.  Memorize scriptures form the lessons.)  SCRIPTURES
  • Memorize D&C 50:13-22, as well as D&C 4.
  • Live the Gospel completely. You can’t afford to deviate in the least.  Repent and purify yourselves.
  • Be a missionary NOW! Go on exchanges, help teach, talk to your friends who are not members.
  • Save money for your mission and for afterwards. Pay your tithing and fast offerings.
  • Appreciate mom and dad’s counsel – as well as that of other leaders – and live it.

Hopefully, I’m not preaching to you (or to the choir) but these are things that I could have done better at – and that I know will help you to be more prepared to serve the Lord.  Look forward to missionary service.  It’s AWESOME!

ELDER KC WITH PARENTS AND MISSION PRES
Elder K.C. Hunt with parents and Mission President at end of his mission to Ft. Worth, Texas

One more piece of advice and then I will close.  Don’t worry about girls and getting all serious with them before leaving.  Just have a good time and get to know a bunch of people.  Ninety per cent of them girls that you hang out with now will be married by the time you get home, anyway.  I promise!

God is our loving Heavenly Father!  He created a plan for us – including The Atonement – so that we can return to him!  Jesus fulfilled that infinite and perfect Atonement.  They spoke to Joseph Smith and through him, restored the truth in its fullness.  We are led by a living prophet today!  The Book of Mormon is evidence of all of this!  I know it is – because I’ve done my homework – and hopefully, you are too!  I love you both!  … LATER …”

Love,

ELDER KEVIN C. HUNT

Although his counsel is now ten-plus years old, it is still very valuable for today – even though the pace of missionary work has quickened manifold even since that time.  And with recent changes in missionary age for service, and all that we have heard about “raising the bar”, our preparation of future missionaries must be stepped up and taken to new and higher levels.

And with the recent announcement by President Monson – about boys being able to serve at age 18 and girls, at 19, the preparation of missionaries rests very squarely – and with a lot of force – upon parents and families.  It now must all happen before the children graduate from high school.  Seminary, Scouting, Priesthood and Young Women can all help but very clearly, the responsibility now – more than ever – is upon parents and families.KC WITH MOM AND DAD AT DALLAS TEMPLE

So, how are we going to do it?  (We’ll talk more of that later!)

 

General Information, Program Basics

“Missionary Training Begins Early”

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Although this talk was presented many years ago, it is still the classic talk about home and family missionary preparation.  It sets the standard, even for us today – a generation or two later.

“MISSIONARY TRAINING BEGINS EARLY”

April General Conference 1972

By Elder S. Dilworth Young

“In my mind’s eye I see Russell Nelson, Jr., newly arrived from his home in heaven and staring up into the eyes of his father as though to say to him (as Joseph Smith said to Newel K. Whitney), “You prayed me here; now what do you want of me?”

I do not know that his father, who is the general superintendent of the Sunday School and the father of nine daughters, wants him to become a famous surgeon. I believe he will lead his son wisely as to what his earthly vocation will be, but I am sure he will want this boy to go on a mission, that hope of great adventure which comes into the early life of all Latter-day Saint boys. If this is the father’s desire, he will start early to prepare his son.

The first prayers the baby will hear will be that he will grow up to go on a mission and to be married in the temple. Both of the words “mission” and “temple” he will not understand; but later, when comprehension comes, they will be so ingrained in his memory that they will be a part of his being. Later, as he lisps his own prayer, he will find the words “make me worthy to go on a mission” easy to say. Neither will he stumble over the words “marry” or “temple.”

If his father is wise, his boy’s early years will be filled with stories of the experiences of the missionaries of the past. He should begin by telling of his own ancestors, to give the boy knowledge that mission adventures are not the exclusive property of the leaders but that the followers had equally miraculous adventures. But, of course, he will want to learn of the heroic journey of Samuel H. Smith and his companion from Far West on an eastern missionary journey. He will want to learn of the missionary journey of Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young when they, ill from fever, arose from their beds and started out, how Brother Kimball was poisoned and was saved by the loyal work of his companion, and how they miraculously found money in the purse, just enough for each day’s journey. But he will need to know, too, that today with our affluence he may not find money; he will find something far richer—the great joy that comes from seeing people’s lives miraculously changed as they accept the gospel.

He will need to know that he must develop physical stamina, not for athletics but for his mission. He will play basketball to develop wind and limb to serve the Lord.

As he grows, he will need to talk man-to-man, or rather boy-to-man, why all this should be. His father will say, “For your mission, son, you will need to learn by heart many things. And so we shall now start.”

Then his father will teach him the simple truths that are important. They will memorize the prophecy in the book of Nephi about the descendant of Joseph who, bearing the name of his ancestor, would do great things. And then his father will tell him the story of the modern Joseph, the fulfillment of that prophecy—what he did to be a great boy. He will learn that boys do not need to wait until they are men to be great.

He will thrill with the ancient prophecy of the angel who would fly through the heavens having the everlasting gospel to preach to all the world and how this prophecy was actually fulfilled through angelic visits to the young boy prophet.

In the same manner they will comb the scriptures, doctrine by doctrine, and learn those vital to missionary work. They will read together the great boy-literature of the world. The chivalry at the court of King Arthur will be mirrored in his treatment of girls and, later, young women. And he will learn the place of animals in his life when he runs the Trail of the Sand Hill Stag with Seton and will learn the immense power of nature as he survives a ride down a snow avalanche with Enos A. Mills.

He will also learn of the winter journey to rescue the handcart company, victim of the Wyoming blizzards. His father will see to it that he gets the feel of a real blizzard and the helplessness of the brave people who had only the Lord to depend on for deliverance. He will be taught these lessons at the home evening, at the dinner table, at bedtime, in camp, on hikes and journeys. And driven home at all these stages will be the theme that the greatest adventure a boy can have is to go on a mission and learn to depend on the Lord when faced with a bitter, cold, or hostile world, and that the greatest joy he can experience is to give of his all in the service of the Master in bringing souls unto him.

Having seen and heard his father pray, he will want to pray too and will soon learn about the whisperings of the Spirit, which comes into his “feeling,” as Nephi pointed out to his rebellious brothers. (See 1 Ne. 17:45.)

He will need to learn also of the important principle of obedience. Teach him that the Lord Jesus Christ was completely obedient to his father and that if your son would be a successful missionary, he must be completely obedient to those in authority over him. Faithfully learning this lesson before he goes into the mission field will equip him for his work there.

Give him responsibility, and teach him to forget himself in service to others. These, coupled with obedience, will help him to find true humility—all of which are vital factors for his reception of the Holy Ghost.

And so, through his growing years he will apply the truth of all things. Lay the foundation well, Brother Nelson; it begins at birth and its effects cease not until the mission of life is complete.

Meanwhile, his mother will have a hand in his growth also. Faith-building begins in the cradle and ends not at the grave. In the formative years your boy will need to learn how to give and take, how to get along, how to put up with inconveniences, how to be patient and tolerant, how to resolve differences with playmates and, later, with missionary companions.

He will need long training in neatness and in the handling of his clothing. He will need to know the “rubbing board” techniques of washing his clothes and how to keep them white and clean. Ironing and pressing should be second nature. He will need to learn that bodily cleanliness goes with spiritual cleanness and that the body is the expression of the spirit.

He will need to know how to cook—how to make the food he prepares taste good and at the same time meet his many nutritional needs. Nothing will buoy up a missionary like a tasty meal. Why shouldn’t this boy learn to cook well? And while he is about it, he should learn that the dusty, ill-kept room with its unmade bed is the devil’s best means of discouragement.

Just as surely as he walks, his manner, his attitude, his clothing, his complete self will be concrete evidence of what he is in his soul. He cannot conceal himself. Teach him, then, that these things reveal his spirit and show what he really is and that the success of his mission will be found in how his spirit speaks to the spirits of those he meets.

In the process of his growing, make sure that he will learn how the Church came to be and where it has gone from there. And let him learn to know that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will give men reason for their repentance from sin, which is the great doctrine that brings hope; that baptism by immersion is both a covenant and a sign of acceptance; and that the gift of the Holy Ghost is what makes him, and his father and his mother, different from the world; and that it will make those he converts different also.

He will not consider the Book of Mormon dull reading if you will make it live for him while he is growing. And if he learns that reading scripture by the Spirit with an open heart and a searching mind is indeed hearing the voice of the Lord, as the Lord told the Twelve it is (see D&C 18:34–36), you will have him on his way to becoming a missionary.

He began to prepare for his work here before he came to earth, when he repudiated Satan and all of his subtle sophistries. Now he is to prove that he can live in a body and control its earthly tendencies and temptations as he did as a spirit before his arrival here in mortality.

As with Russell Nelson, Jr., so it is with all boys—and girls too. Let us not leave out the girls—they also may go on missions. These young folks may become great of themselves, but with the faith and teaching of their fathers and mothers they will become greater. The Eternal Father taught his Only Begotten Son. He depends on us to teach our children truth that they may . better serve the Father of their spirits and live.

To those who may not have had these training opportunities in their childhood, through humility and diligent effort in their teen years, they can still achieve the same thing.

Two years on a mission will give the experience and practice in the great virtues of which I speak. It will confirm that the Lord truly speaks in this day, for he will constantly whisper the truth of this great latter-day work into the soul of the valiant missionary.

Later he will know this whispering in the affairs of his adult years and, following it, will find the true entrance to the things which will give him eternal life in the kingdom of our Lord.

The Lord has said that to bring one soul to him brings joy and that to bring many souls gives proportionately greater joy. The prepared youth will find that joy on his mission. It will sustain him through his life.

The greatest gift any of us can have is the knowledge, borne of the Spirit, that God our Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of all of us in the world from the beginning to the end, that they both live, corporeal, glorified, and anxious that all of us may desire to come into their presence. I have that knowledge. Joseph Smith was the modern prophet through whom the Lord restored his work in these last days. … [and our current Prophet] is the worthy recipient and holder of the same keys of authority to speak to the people on behalf of the Lord.

I bear this witness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

General Information

Setting the Stage for Home Missionary Training

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What the Lord says to us about missions:

“Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.

“You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, jun.  You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.

“Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul …

“Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you, and I will establish a church by your hand.

“Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go.”   (D&C 31:3-11)

A Quote by Sister Julie B. Beck (Former General Relief Society President)

“Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre-missionary training center (MTC).  Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC would be a review and not a revelation.  That is influence; that is power.”  (“Mothers who Know”, Ensign, November 2007.)

And here are the words of Elder Russel M. Nelson: (“Preparing Future Missionaries” 2013 Worldwide Missionary Training, wwwl.ds.org.)

“The preparation of missionaries begins in the family.  Each home can become a miniature missionary training center.  With the option that young men and young women may serve as full-time missionaries at an earlier age, parents and teachers need to prepare their children earlier.

“Nothing is more important for future missionaries than to feel the righteous influence of the priesthood in their homes and experiences its blessings in their lives.  After they are baptized, they receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Young men honor and exercise the Aaronic Priesthood. Young women know their values and pursue their personal progress.

“Our youth learn to teach, and love the Gospel and become converted.  They may participate in family history work and perform vicarious ordinances in the Temple.  As they continue along the straight and narrow path, worthy men receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Righteous men and women may be endowed and sealed in the Temple.  Faithful fathers and mothers raise faithful families.  Through it all they become exemplary men and women, real servants of the Lord – prepared to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout their mortal lives.”