You've returned home and have contemplated the experiences of your mission. What lessons have you learned that you can share with those embarking on a mission? If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Please submit your thoughts and comments and have them included on this page. There are several topics that could be covered. Here are just a few suggested lesson-learned topics to help you get started. If you think of anything else, please let me know.
- Mission Training Centre
- Misson Rules
- Companions
- Gospel Study
- Japanese
- Food
- Exercise
- Working with Members
- Teaching
- Strengthening Converts
- Letters Home
If you prefer, please let me know if you wish to keep your comments anonymous.
I hope that this feature will help those just called in better preparing themselves for service to the Lord.
Submit Lessons Learned
President Hinckley said the following in a 2/11/99 broadcast that was printed as "Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep" in the May 1999 Ensign page 104:
"Continuing Long-Term Fellowship-
Now, you missionaries, you are part of this responsibility of binding your converts to the Church. You may not be able to continue to visit them. But you can write them occasionally and give them encouragement. I hope that every one of you will make a record in your scriptures of every man, woman, and child whom you baptize, together with their home addresses. Your penmanship may be terrible, but an occasional note from you will give reassurance and comfort and a rekindling of joy. When you go home do not forget them. At all times live worthy of their trust. Write to them occasionally, assuring them of your love."
The following are some of the good habits I formed during my mission. At the conclusion of my mission in May of 1984, President Ogden sat me down and asked me to write down my thoughts. One of the most important lessons learned was to appreciate the support from my companions. Express your gratitude often publically and in private as well as in prayers. Be patient and willing to help others, including your companions. Love the people by serving them and sharing the gospel with them. Missionary work is work. Sometimes it can be very discouraging and other times so extremely uplifting. During the challenging times, I learned to keep a positive attitude and to rely on the Lord. Be happy, even in the face of what may seem to be failure. Repentance is not just something I did prior to serving a mission. It's definitely part of the learning process on a mission. The way to repentance is through the help of the spirit, your love for the savior and with the guidance of a loving mission president. Trust him and obey him always! If we follow our leaders, the Lord will bless us. I wrote this 20 years ago....to be humble, to be prayerful and to be obedient to the commandments. Keeping the mission rules is usually not difficult, but sometimes they are bent. Don't do it. Rules are for your physical and spiritual safety. The Lord blesses those who obey him. Obey those who lead, including zone leaders, district leaders and senior companions. The best preparation to teach the gospel is to gain the knowledge and wisdom while in your youth. The lessons learned during seminary were a solid foundation for the teaching of the gospel and strengthen my testimony. Study with sincere desire and intent and prayerfully, and liken the scriptures to your self and circumstance. If you want the Lord's help, seek it, ask him for it with nothing wavering and expect a miracle. As long as you are worthy, he'll bless you. I learned on my mission the value of personal cleanliness. It's going to be difficult to exercise on a consistent basis and eat healthy. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd be sure to maintain the exercise program I started in the MTC. When I did exercise, I felt happier and more energentic. As for food, well that's just something that's going to take a little time to get used to. But do eat healthy. I learned to show respect for my elders. Children too need to be shown that respect and love. It's amazing what a Japanese child will teach you. Set goals. I learned that it's important to set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals. Then be sure to evaluate what you've accomplished and report to the Lord and your mission leaders. Doing so will increase your growth and success. It will also build a stronger desire to work harder and to put your faith and trust in the Lord. With him, you can do anything, for he'll provide a way to accomplish those righteous desires. If had to do it all over again, I wouldn't waste a single minute. Remember that you are called as a missionary to represent the Savior. Give him your very best!
-David van der Leek
November 1982- May 1984
I have not served my mission yet, I'm an adult convert....but I have a contribution. Many of the verses that missionaries quote are from the Doctrine and Covenants, NOT the D&C! A D&C (dialation and cutterage) is a medical procedure for when a pregnancy results in a miscarriage. When I go to serve a mission, I wouldn't want an investigator to misunderstood my meaning or to bring to memory a D&C that may have occured in their life. It seems to me that this procedure is common in Japan as in other countries. For example, just take a look at the "Lost" Children's Shrine in Kamakura! And yes, Japanese doctors use English or German terms, so they very well may use this term as well. So, please don't. We don't abbreviate the names of the other scriptures, please don't abbreviate this one. Anonymously submitted.
The main lesson I learned, that has stayed with me to this day, is that the
rules and commandments apply to me regardless of what other people do. It
is never okay to say, for example, "Why should I get up? My companion never
gets up until 10:00, anyway." The rule is not, "Get up at 6:00 A.M. only if
your companion does, too. " When you stand before the bar of God, how
stupid will you feel, when He says to you, "You disobeyed the mission
rules. You disobeyed the commandments." How stupid does it sound to say,
"But I was just doing what other people did."
Also, my mission helped me to appreciate and love all of God's children. In
one of my areas, we worked in a preschool for disabled children for our
weekly service. I cherish those memories because it was hard and
uncomfortable for me at first. I had never spent much time around disabled
people or children at all. But those kids were so close to Christ, they
drew me closer to Him, too.
Bonnie Schenk-Darrington
April 1996-August 1997
MTC-
What can you say about the MTC? You have to make it the best experience you
can. Enjoy the spirit. Enjoy the education. Enjoy the fellowship of
thousands of others with similar goals. Just don't take it all seriously.
The idea that when you get to Japan you are going to baptize everyone you
see is silly. If you get 2 or 3 people to accept all of the commitments and
become strong members of the church, you will be blessed.
Rules-
The rules are there for a reason. Protection. Do everything you can to be
obedient.
Companions-
You will be combined with people that you would have never met in real
life. In fact, you have to be with them 24 hours a day. Learn what you can
from each of them, and try to respect all of them. Will you love all of
them? Nope. However there will be a few that you really get on with, and in
years you will remember them fondly.
Gospel Study-
This is probably the most important thing you can do. It's like when you
are flying on a plane. In the safety speech they tell you to put the little
mask on yourself before you assist others. With the gospel, you have to
save yourself before you can save others.
Japanese- 3 words- Study, Study, Study.
Have curiousity about how to say things, work hard, and in about a year you
will be feeling capable. Then just before you go home, you will feel like
you are where you need to be to really teach.
Rely on the spirit, cause your language skills wont convert.
Food-
Dont expect to eat like you do at home. Be open to new things.
I guess the main advice that I have goes back to the lord's counsel-
"Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own
undersatnding. In all thy ways aknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths."
Keith Payne
Served 1989-1991
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